Tag Archives: Jesus

March 1, 2024 · 4:07 PM

He Gets Us But Is That All?

He Gets Us. Jesus Gets Us.

Okay. So what? Why is that important?

“He Gets Us” is an ad campaign designed to remind people that the story of Jesus belongs to everybody. The ads have certainly stirred a lot of debate. Their most recent efforts included ads during the Super Bowl game. The ads featured several versions of a single theme. Each one depicts someone washing the feet of another person.

The idea of foot-washing comes from an incident in Jesus’ life which is recorded in the Gospel of John. The night before he was crucified, Jesus celebrated the Passover with his disciples in an upper room in Jerusalem. Walking on dusty roads made people’s feet dirty. Once indoors, a servant usually washed those dusty feet. On this night, the job was undone. So, Jesus washed his disciples’ feet. He did the humble work of a lowly servant, even though he was their Teacher, their Master.

Surely the room was filled with silence by the time Jesus finished this menial task. Once he was back at the table with his disciples, he explained his act of kindness. It was symbolic of his servanthood, an attitude he wanted his disciples to adopt. If he was willing to serve them in such a humble manner, then they should serve one another in the same way, which includes far more than foot-washing.

On one occasion, Jesus said that he came not to be served, but to serve. His service was not limited to his close friends. Not only did Jesus wash his disciples’ feet, but he also reached out to people who were marginalized by the dominant cultural group at that time. Jesus courageously and lovingly crossed cultural barriers. The recent “He Gets Us” ads focus on this attractive aspect of Jesus’ life and teaching.

So, why have the “He Gets Us” ads been criticized? Simple: The ads present only a fragment of Jesus. True, it is a lovely fragment, but it is far less than the real Jesus. The foot-washing ads reduce Jesus to a super nice guy who encourages acts of kindness.

Yes, Jesus engaged in acts of kindness. Jesus has nothing against acts of kindness. I would certainly agree that Jesus is an advocate of acts of kindness. But is that all? Is that what has made Jesus the most important person who walked the face of the earth in the past two thousand years? his acts of kindness?

Jesus said that he came not to serve but be served. But that’s not all. He also said that he came to give his life as a ransom for many. Jesus not only gets us. He saves us. He transforms us. He makes us right with God.

The story of Jesus does belong to everybody, but not in the sense that anybody can rework and reinvent Jesus for their own purposes. The Jesus of history belongs to everybody in the sense that everybody needs the truth about Jesus, the real Jesus, the complete Jesus. Everybody needs the truth about Jesus because Jesus is God’s one and only Savior.

The reason we still discuss Jesus is not because he was a nice inclusive guy who advocated for random acts of kindness. The reason we still talk and write about Jesus is because his claims are off the chart.

He is sent by God. He is God’s one and only Son. He is the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. He is Lord of creation. He is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by Jesus. He has power over death. He is coming back to take his followers to be with God in heaven forever. Wow!

Not only are Jesus’ claims of cosmic proportion. They are true. Jesus still has a commanding place in culture not simply because his story is compelling, but because Jesus is alive and he is Lord!

May the Risen Lord Jesus Christ reign in our hearts.

Brother Richard

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February 9, 2024 · 1:34 PM

Disaster Relief and Following Jesus

Jesus called people to follow him. 

Those who answered his call had the wonderful experience of watching and learning from the Master himself. They learned Jesus’ message. They saw his compassion for people. 

Then Jesus sent his followers out. He gave them his authority so they could represent him, so they could do as he was doing. He sent them out two by two so they could encourage one another, help one another, and hold one another accountable. 

After going out, Jesus’ disciples would gather and report to Jesus all they had accomplished. These were times of rejoicing and affirmation. They were also times of learning more from the Lord so they could go and do more. 

Gather then go. Go then gather. This is the rhythm of a healthy spiritual life. Jesus calls us to himself, to gather with other believers. While gathered, we are equipped, encouraged, and empowered to carry out the mission, to be ambassadors for Christ in this dark and corrupt age. 

The Gospel writers tell us what the disciples did when they were sent out by Jesus. Mark 6:12-13 is typical: “So they went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons, anointed many sick people with oil and healed them” (CSB). In other words, they did the same things that Jesus was doing. 

They proclaimed Jesus’ message: “that people should repent.” To repent means to turn away from disobeying God and become followers of Jesus by putting saving faith in him. Christians are first and foremost a people with a message. Jesus sends us to tell others about the forgiveness and eternal life that is available because of his death and resurrection. We urge people to join us in following Jesus. 

The disciples also drove out demons from those who were demon possessed, and they healed people from their illnesses. Like Jesus, they helped people with both their spiritual and their physical needs. Meeting people’s needs was an expression of God’s love that highlighted their message and affirmed its validity. 

For two thousand years the church has tried to model the ministry of Jesus by proclaiming his message and expressing his compassion. Over the years, the church has developed many ways of expressing the Lord’s compassion by helping people with their physical needs. Hospitals and orphanages (now called group homes) are two examples among many. 

In 1967, Baptist men in Texas responded to the needs created by Hurricane Beulah. This marked the beginning of a ministry that has helped people caught in disasters for more than fifty years. When a need arises, Christians go and prepare meals, repair roofs, provide childcare, remove debris, wash clothes, rebuild homes, and tell folks the good news about Jesus Christ! 

This ministry is called Southern Baptist Disaster Relief. Members of Grace Baptist in Camden have participated in Disaster Relief after Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and after Hurricane Harvey in Houston. 

Giving up a week of your life to go and help those who have suffered loss in a disaster is a sacrifice. It is also hard work. Some people cannot go because of their job or some other circumstance in life. But they can help by giving money to help send others and to help send much-needed supplies. 

God’s word says it clearly: “If a brother or sister is without clothes and lacks daily foodand one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, stay warm, and be well fed,’ but you don’t give them what the body needs, what good is it?” (James 2:15-16, CSB) Saving faith is an acting faith, not to earn God’s gift of salvation, but to cooperate with God’s salvation working in us. 

You can learn more about Disaster Relief at abscdisasterrelief.org. 

May God inspire us and enable us to be like Jesus in the world today, 

Brother Richard 

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January 6, 2024 · 12:13 PM

Honoring God His Way

King David wanted to honor God. He made extensive preparations. He gathered a large group of people. It was a big congregation. He put together some wonderful music. They used all the latest instruments.

At first, things went great. But all the enthusiasm and the music came to a bitter end. One of the men serving that day died in the middle of all the excitement. He was struck down by God.

They were moving the ark of the covenant up to Jerusalem. The ark was the ancient container that held the people’s copy of the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments reminded them of their covenant relationship with God.

More than that, the ark was a symbol of God’s presence among his chosen people, Israel. They were blessed because the God of heaven and earth invited them to approach him and to worship him.

God instructed the people to keep the ark in the innermost room of the tabernacle, the room called the holy of holies. It was seen only by the high priest, only once a year, and only with the proper sacrifices.

When it was necessary to transport the ark, only Levites were supposed to carry it. When David moved the ark to Jerusalem, however, it was transported on a cart pulled by oxen. The oxen stumbled. Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark.

That’s when it happened. The Lord struck Uzzah down. David was angry. But David also feared the Lord that day. He seriously doubted the ark could ever be brought up. He left it in the house of a man named Obed-edom.

David could have let his bitterness grow and become a permanent barrier between himself and God. Instead, David learned from his mistake. He adjusted. He tried again.

On his second attempt, David made sure the ark was transported as the Lord instructed: not by a cart, but by the hands of the Levites. He also offered sacrifices to the Lord. By offering sacrifices, David was acknowledging that sinners can only approach a holy God by appealing to his mercy and his grace.

This time, things went well. David and the people had a wonderful time worshiping the Lord. The ark of the covenant was brought into Jerusalem where the temple would later be built. There, God’s people would worship him for many generations.

Success! But not perfection. After the worship was finished, David went home to bless his family. His wife, Michal, ridiculed him for his passionate public display of worship. David had been dancing before the Lord with all his might. Michal accused him of making a fool of himself in front of the people. What a disappointment!

David did not let criticism change his mind about worshiping God, even though the criticism came from someone in his own household. He was committed to honoring God with his very best.

This episode in David’s life reveals important truths about seeking and serving God. David learned to honor God on God’s terms. Even though it required him to make adjustments to his original plans. David was committed to passionate public worship, even though it required him to suffer criticism inside his own household.

Let’s worship and serve the Lord with passion this year. Like David, we may sometimes need to make adjustments. And, like David, we may sometimes face criticism. But the Living God who loves us and saves us is worthy of our very best.

Honoring God his way includes participation in regular public worship. And, as New Testament believers, we honor God with the Lord’s Supper. Remembering Jesus’ sacrifice with the bread and the cup is the premier act of worship for Christians.

Honor the Lord his way, passionately!

May we seek to honor God with all that we say, think, and do,

Brother Richard

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December 8, 2023 · 8:31 AM

Windshield, Rear-View Mirror, and Christmas

The windshield and the rear-view mirror are a great team. Every driver needs to see both forward and backward. Christmas is like a combination of windshield and rear-view mirror.

Christmas enables us to look back on things that matter. For many of us, thinking about Christmas in the past is a way of measuring changes in ourselves and in our families.

I remember Christmas as a kid, anxious to open presents and eat candy. Christmas as a young adult, going to parties with friends and coworkers. Christmas as a dad, watching my son open his presents and play with his new toys. Christmas as the years add up, missing family members who have passed away and are now absent from holiday gatherings.

Christmas helps me think about things that happened in my past, reminding me of who I am and where I came from.

Christmas also enables us to look forward. We make plans. We put up the decorations. We purchase presents. We send out cards. We prepare for special times of worship and family gatherings. Christmas Day becomes a focus of anticipation and hope, always moving closer in time. In addition, there’s always another Christmas next year.

This year, Karen and I were planning to go and spend Christmas with my sisters and brother, with our son and his girlfriend, with our family. Christmas plans remind me of who is important to me now, who I want to see and spend time with now and next year.

Christmas is more.

Christmas enables me to look back much further than my own lifetime and to see things much broader than my own personal family and friends. Christmas gives all of us the eyes to look back two thousand years and see God’s personal presence entering our world in a remarkable way, through the birth of Jesus.

Christmas is a marker in time that reminds us about some essential things. God loved us enough to send Jesus. Jesus’ birth was God joining us in history, bringing good news. God has not forgotten or forsaken us despite our disobedience. God cares about us and has deep compassion for us.

Christmas is a reminder that God fulfills his promises. He promised to send a Savior. Jesus is that Savior. He came, just like God promised. So we can believe in God’s promises that are still pending. If God did what he promised on the first Christmas, then God will do what he has promised to do in our future.

God promises to send Jesus again, his Second Coming. The first time Jesus came, he saved us. Next time, he will come to gather us and bring us home to him and to his eternal blessings. Be amazed! Be encouraged! God started something on that first Christmas. He will finish it!

May the Lord give us eyes to see clearly both backward and forward this Christmas,

Brother Richard

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November 4, 2023 · 12:38 PM

My Dad Was A Faithful Man


My dad was Eugene L. Foster, known to most folks as Gene. He was born in 1935 and passed away October 8, just twelve days before his 88th birthday.

My dad was a faithful man. He was faithful to his wife, my mom Barbara. They were married in 1959. They made a life together until she passed away in 2014, fifty-five years. My dad was a widower for nine years, and it was clear that he missed his ‘better half.’

My dad was faithful to his family. Mom and dad kept their arguments private when we were young. Occasionally my siblings and I would be witness to one of their disagreements. Mom used the ‘silent treatment’ on my dad when she was angry. He would sometimes get so upset that he would leave the house. He always returned, but I wondered where he went.

Once, he took me with him. I guess he thought I was old enough to learn the secret of where he went and what he did when he left in a huff. On that occasion, we went and bought French fries at McDonald’s. While we ate them, he told me not to worry about their arguments or his going out to cool down. He promised that he would never leave us. He never did. He stayed with us, even when things got tough.

Once, when money was tight, he was forced to drive a lumber truck. That must have been difficult for someone who spent his life in comfortable offices, wearing business clothes, and working as an accountant. We always had what we needed. He provided for us.

My dad was faithful to his church. He was a member of the same Baptist Church in Euless Texas for more than forty years. He attended faithfully. He served as a deacon. He went on mission trips. He did more than I will ever know.

When Karen and I left Texas to serve at Grace Baptist in Camden, Arkansas, my dad visited us regularly. He and mom both came to see us until she passed away. After a while, I started to notice that dad visited us when the church was having a potluck, or our Sunday school class was going out to eat! But he worshiped with us, too.

Dad also went on mission trips with Grace Baptist. Once, when we were knocking on doors and doing outreach in a community near Memphis, a dog attacked him and bit him on the leg. His injury required a trip to the Emergency Room. I was mortified! I was sure that would be his last mission trip with us. It wasn’t. He took it in stride.

Dad made a lot of friends at Grace Baptist. In fact, the church family in Camden accepted him as an honorary member of Grace. He was encouraged by such love and acceptance, especially after my mom was gone. Dad was blessed to have two church families!

My dad was more than a faithful man. He was a man of faith. More than that, he was a man of the faith, the Christian faith. His trust was in Jesus Christ. His life was filled with service and worship of God and fellowship with other believers.

To all who trust Jesus, God’s word says, “Our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly wait for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians, 3:20, CSB). As his life in this world was slipping away, my dad was clear about his desire to go and be with his Lord. He wanted to go where his permanent citizenship is. He wanted to go home.

My dad is forever home now. I’m honored and proud to report that he leaves behind the witness of a faithful life.

May God in heaven inspire us to be faithful in all things,

Brother Richard

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October 5, 2023 · 9:43 AM

What Makes God Happy?

God was unhappy. The spiritual leaders of his people had failed. The Lord rebuked them through the prophet Ezekiel. They were not strengthening the weak, healing the sick, bandaging the injured, bringing back the strays, or seeking the lost (Ezekiel 34:4).

The language God used was taken from the world of shepherds and sheep. David’s 23rd Psalm made this comparison famous: “The Lord is my shepherd.” God’s people are his sheep. He protects them, provides for them, and guides them as a shepherd does his flock.

God’s desire for his people is expressed in the list he gave Ezekiel. The Lord wants those who are weak to be strengthened. He wants those who are sick to be healed. The injured must be bandaged. These three actions are related. We could summarize them with these words: Help those who are hurting.

The final two items on the list are also related. Bring back the strays and seek the lost. The strays are those who were formerly in the flock. They have wandered away for some reason. As a result, they are in danger.

This category seems especially relevant in our COVID-altered culture. The stresses and strains of the pandemic scattered many people who were formerly participating with a local church family. As shepherd of the flock, the Lord wants those who are scattered to be gathered. He wants them to be in fellowship again.

Just as surely as sheep need a flock, Christians need a church.

Last on Ezekiel’s list is God’s desire to seek the lost. We can think of the lost as people who have never been part of the Lord’s flock. They have never been eternally saved and adopted into God’s family. The Lord wants them to be found, to be saved. He wants them to hear the good news about salvation by faith in Christ. He wants them to become followers of Jesus.

Jesus exemplified the actions listed in Ezekiel 34:4. He used his miraculous power to help those who were hurting. People came to Jesus by the thousands, bringing friends and family members who were sick. Jesus healed them. He gave sight to the blind, made the lame walk, cleansed those with leprosy, and more.

Jesus also brought back the strays and sought the lost. The religious leaders harassed Jesus because he ‘rubbed elbows’ with tax collectors and sinners. He assured them his mission was to those in need of salvation. He came to seek and to save the lost.

Jesus portrayed his mission in pastoral terms. He is like a shepherd who has a hundred sheep and loses one. He leaves the ninety-nine and goes looking for the one lost sheep. He rejoices when he finds it. In the same way, Jesus said, there will be more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who is found than over ninety-nine righteous people who are already saved (Luke 15:1-7).

“I am the Good Shepherd,” Jesus said. “The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11). Jesus is fully invested in God’s people. His personal sacrifice on the cross at Calvary proves fully and forever his deep and eternal love for his flock.

It is the wolf who scatters the flock, the Enemy. To this day, our adversary is feverishly working to scatter the flock, to divide believers from their church families, and to keep unbelievers from hearing the gospel.

Jesus has honored his followers with the great task of making disciples of all nations, of all peoples. He has entrusted Christians with God’s mission to gather a people for himself. We gather the lost by proclaiming the good news about salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

Jesus is our message. He is the Savior. Jesus is our authority. All authority in heaven and on earth is given to him and he has commanded us to go and make disciples of all nations. Jesus is also our power. He promised to be with us even to the end of the age. The Spirit of Christ enables us to successfully carry out the work of seeking the lost.

In a dark world filled with confusion and deception about the meaning and purpose of life, we have the greatest mission, the greatest message, the greatest authority, and the greatest power. Victory awaits us!

May God’s Holy Spirit always inspire us and enable us to seek the lost,

Brother Richard

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August 2, 2023 · 10:48 AM

God’s Early Warning System

Nobody likes bad news. On the other hand, nobody wants to miss an important warning about impending danger.

In the ancient world, cities were surrounded by sturdy walls. They offered protection for citizens from hostile enemies. During the day, however, many people had to leave the safety of the walls and work in the fields. Some people lived outside the walls. They were vulnerable if an army attacked.

The watchman had a vital duty. He stood on the wall and kept an eye out for threats. If he saw an enemy army approaching, he blew the horn to warn everyone so they could take the appropriate actions.

If someone working in the fields heard the horn and failed to run for safety inside the city walls, then he had nobody to blame but himself. The watchman had done his job and given him the chance to avoid death or capture at the hands of the enemy.

The Old Testament Prophet Ezekiel was appointed by God as a watchman for his people. He was a spiritual watchman. Instead of blowing a horn, he was to speak the word of the Lord. When the people were in danger of God’s judgment, Ezekiel spoke in the name of the Lord and warned them to take the appropriate action.

The appropriate action for the people of Ezekiel’s day was to stop disobeying God. They were to trust and obey the Lord. If they refused, they would suffer the consequences of God’s judgments.

Jesus was a faithful watchman, warning those who heard him to repent because God’s kingdom had drawn near. Jesus did not hold back. He warned about eternal weeping in outer darkness for those who refused to seek safety in God’s grace and salvation.

His early followers were also faithful messengers of God’s word. They called on everyone to be saved from the judgment to come. Not everyone responded positively, but many did.

For nearly two thousand years, the church has been God’s watchman, warning people to find safety within the walls of God’s grace. Now it is our turn to be faithful in our generation. We are the ones entrusted with this vital mission.

It’s true that people don’t like to hear bad news. The church is accused of being too negative with its ‘fire-and-brimstone’ message. Should we ‘soften’ the message? make it easier for people to hear and accept?

When Ezekiel spoke to the people, he often included the words, “this is the declaration of the Lord God.” He boldly proclaimed the unedited words of the Lord. We must also be true to the word God has given us. The gospel is clear, those who do not trust in God’s Son Jesus will perish. Those who do trust will have eternal life.

In the ancient world, if the watchman failed to blow the trumpet when danger approached, he was held accountable for the lives that were lost. Ezekiel was warned by God that he would be held accountable if he did not faithfully report to the people all that the Lord gave him to say.

We, too, are responsible to our Lord for being faithful with the gospel message. Like Ezekiel, we are not responsible for those who refuse to listen. Nevertheless, I hope we are moved by compassion to continue praying and to continue looking for every opportunity to persuade everyone we can to find safety in God’s salvation.

May the Lord inspire us and enable us to be faithful with his words,

Brother Richard

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May 3, 2023 · 9:48 AM

They Don’t Know Who Daniel Was

One evening in April, we were visiting folks in a neighborhood in our city. As we walked down the street, I met a young man named Jacob. After speaking with him about the Lord for a few moments, I met another young man named Jeremiah.

I can be slow, but I made the connection the second time. Both young men had Bible names.

Jacob got away before I thought about it, but with Jeremiah, I told him that he was named for a prophet in the Bible. He was all ears. He listened with interest as I explained how Jeremiah was chosen by God to bring his message to his people, a difficult message that the people didn’t want to hear. I told him how they threw Jeremiah in a pit and burned up his scroll, but God was faithful and protected him.

Then, we met a boy named Daniel. And Daniel told us he had a friend named Mark. So, Jacob, Jeremiah, Daniel, and Mark – all within a few moments of each other. I was amazed!

By now, I was ready. As with Jeremiah, I told Daniel that he was named for a prophet in the Bible, someone who lived many centuries ago. This caught his interest. I asked if he knew the story of Daniel in the lions’ den. He said that he did not. A boy about nine-years-old or so and he had never heard about Daniel in the lions’ den!

Well, I had to tell him about Daniel, how he ended up in the lions’ den, and how God miraculously protected him from the hungry lions. Young Daniel was wide-eyed and mesmerized as he listened, anxious to find out how things ended for ancient Daniel.

What a joy it was to tell a boy the account of Daniel in the lions’ den for his very first time!

I was torn in two. Half of me was thrilled and honored to have such a wonderful opportunity. The other half of me was saddened to know that young people like Daniel and Jeremiah know nothing about their own Bible names. Somebody named them after men of God. Why haven’t they been told about those men and the God they served?

These young men represent a generation growing up without the benefit of hearing about the eternal truth that is recorded in Scripture. In the past, you could simply make a reference to the Good Samaritan or the Prodigal Son, and most listeners would be familiar with the parables of Jesus that these titles represent. No longer.

Nowadays, we cannot assume that people know the riches that are revealed in God’s Word. Instead, we should recognize open doors in everyday conversation to introduce people to the truth that awaits them in the Bible. This may be a simple statement or explanation. It may also include telling or summarizing an account in Scripture, like Daniel in the lions’ den.

Introducing people to the revelation of God in the Bible does not require that we have all the narratives in Scripture memorized word-for-word. We can communicate the essentials of various accounts in our own words. We pray that our efforts to relay Bible accounts will inspire people to read God’s Word for themselves.

God promises that his word will not return void (Isaiah 55:11).

May God’s Spirit inspire and enable us to be ambassadors for Christ to a world filled with need,

Brother Richard Foster

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April 5, 2023 · 10:39 AM

What Makes Jesus So Important?

Jesus shows us God in impressive ways. His willingness to come and live among us, to be like us; this speaks volumes. Nobody can claim to care about us if they are unwilling to spend time with us. Jesus is God with us.

Jesus demonstrates God’s authority over his creation. Who else can demand that a storm be silent, and it is! Who else can walk on water? Who else can multiply a few small loaves and fish and feed thousands?

Jesus exhibits God’s great compassion for people. Not only does he feed thousands in wilderness places, Jesus also heals people. He makes the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers clean. And even more, Jesus casts out demons by the power of his mighty word.

Jesus tells us God’s truth in unforgettable ways. His words speak directly to our hearts. His explanations of life and salvation shed light on our existence and experiences. What he says is truly a lamp for our feet and a light for our path.

Jesus displays God’s great love for us. Who else would drain away his own life in such horrible pain, subjected to heartless ridicule, shamed and shamefully exposed to terrible cruelty. Why? Why should he do that? What has that got to do with love?

Jesus’ suffering exposes the full extent of our wickedness. All he ever did was good. Nobody could make an accusation against him that was credible. Unfairly nailed to those rough timbers, he is an indictment of how evil has so thoroughly corrupted this world. See them trying to kill God, and all the while mocking him. And yet . . .

Jesus brings us into the very presence of God. He makes available to us what we surely do not deserve. He pulls back the curtain on the most holy place and gives us access to God’s throne of grace and mercy and blessing. He erases the stain of evil that each of us bears. For those willing to trust him, he is the Way to be right with God.

Jesus also proves that he is able to do these great unseen things. How can we know that we will go to heaven when we die? How can we know that we will go anywhere after we die? Because God raised Jesus up after he died and he walked away from his tomb, alive forever. We know because Jesus ascended to heaven. He is there now, at the right hand of God in majesty, our Advocate, interceding for us.

Jesus has defeated death and blazed the trail to heaven for us. Now, he beckons us to follow.

Jesus wants us to be sure about these things. He left behind eyewitnesses to testify about his marvelous deeds. After he died and was raised up, they saw him alive, heard him speak, ate with him, touched him.

Jesus pours out his Spirit in the hearts of all who believe in him, affirming the truth about him and his great work. Illuminating the things written in the Bible. Binding together the hearts of brothers and sisters in Christ. Sparking hope in every circumstance, even those that seem impossible.

Jesus promises to return for a great day of triumph. The ultimate homecoming. Suddenly, the trumpet of God will sound. The voice of the archangel will cry out. The Lord Jesus himself will descend from heaven. All who trust him will be vindicated, will be united with God, forever.

Jesus urges us to be ready for that day. Confess him as Lord. Trust him as Savior. Follow him and serve him. Share the hope. Share the victory. Share the glory!

May God make us ready for that great day,

Brother Richard

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February 18, 2023 · 1:26 PM

He Is The God Who Speaks

Samuel was just a boy. He was growing up in the temple in Shiloh, learning about the various responsibilities of a priest. It was a dark time spiritually in Israel. The word of the Lord was rare, but not silent.

One night, Samuel heard the Lord call his name. He got up and ran to his mentor, the old priest Eli. But Eli was not the one calling Samuel. Two more times Samuel heard the voice calling him and mistakenly thought it was Eli.

Finally, Eli realized the Lord was calling the boy. He instructed Samuel to go back to bed and wait. If the Lord called again, Samuel was to say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:9). 

The Bible tells us that Samuel failed to recognize the Lord’s call “because the word of the Lord had not been revealed to him” (1 Samuel 3:7). He knew about God, but he did not know God personally.

To know God personally, Samuel, needed to have the word of the Lord revealed to him. The Bible speaks often about the word of the Lord. By the power of his word, God spoke into existence the universe, all that is, was, and ever will be.

Jesus quoted the Old Testament when he was tempted by Satan, saying, “It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). The word of the Lord is life itself!

The frequent appearances of the phrase “word of the Lord” in the Bible remind us that he is a God who speaks. God wants to reveal his character and his plan to us. God’s desire is that we know him and that we share in his kingdom work and kingdom victory.

It is not enough for us to have a vague awareness of some “higher power.” God is powerful, yes, but he is also personal. He wants us to experience more than his power. He wants us to know his love, wisdom, holiness, grace, mercy, patience, kindness, and more. He wants us to hear his word.

Jesus is God’s ultimate communication to us about himself and his plan. Jesus is the Word who became flesh and dwelt for a while among us (John 1:1, 14). “My sheep hear my voice,” Jesus said, “I know them and they follow me” (John 10:27). We are his flock.

God is both one who speaks and one who writes. Over a period of more than a thousand years, on three different continents, in three different languages, God patiently and carefully produced his written word, the Holy Bible. For thousands of years he has guarded and guided its transmission so that we can read his perfect word for ourselves in our heart language.

God has called, empowered, and sent his servants to preach, teach, and communicate his word. These gifted people are given by God to his people to give a human voice to his word.

By the power of his Spirit dwelling in the hearts of his redeemed sons and daughters, God gives believers the eyes to see, the ears to hear, and the heart to receive his word.

What an incredible effort God has made to speak to us! Will we take the time and make the effort to listen? Do we have a desire for the power of God’s word to take root in our souls and bear spiritual fruit that will last?

May God inspire us and enable us to hear his voice and to follow him faithfully,

Brother Richard

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