I'm sure most of you have seen images of the destruction of the earthquake that struck Kathmandu, Nepal on April 25. The pictures simply tug at your heart strings. Seeing people's homes and business completely destroyed in moments is incredible. Buildings and statues hundreds of years old were destroyed in minutes. People are seen sitting on the top of the rubble of what was their homes. And, knowing that at the last count I saw over 4,400 people are confirmed dead with thousands injured. To think that all of this destruction came so unexpectedly is unimaginable.
Yet, each time I see the pictures of the desolation of the Nepal earthquake, or the devastation caused by the volcano that erupted in Calbuco, Chile, or the ruin caused by hurricanes, tornados and floods, I am reminded of another type of foundation we build on. This foundation is not made of cement, bricks, mortar, or steel. Rather, this foundation is what we build our lives on. This foundation represents our philosophy of life. When trouble hits us it is when our foundation is tested.
The Psalmist said in Psalm 11:3, "If the foundations are destroyed, What can the righteous do?" This question is a good question to ask ourselves. Each of us need to be able to give an answer for this question. If you were to ask people in Nepal or Chile what their plans are I believe many would say that they plan to rebuild. They may seek a better way to build or how to lay a better foundation, but for many of them, they will rebuild.
The Psalmist answers his own question in the next verse. Psalm 11:4 says, "The Lord is in His holy temple, the Lord's throne is in heaven." The response we can make when our foundations are shaken, and maybe evn destroyed, is that the Lord is still in control. Isaiah 6:1 says, "In the year King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord…" When things look bleak and we aren't sure where to turn, we can turn to the Lord.
Today, as you see the devastation of the aftermath of this terrible earthquake, please be moved to pray for the people of Nepal. Believers in Jesus Christ live and serve the Lord in Nepal. Secondly, if you would like to give for the relief efforts you can go our website, fblosgatos.org and click on the "donate now" button and you will see a fund titled "Nepal Earthquake Fund." You can easily give a donation and we will be forwarding these funds to ABWE.
But, maybe more importantly, be sure to consider whether your foundations would be destroyed by unexpected trouble in your life. If your life is not built on the foundation of teh Lord Jesus Christ, then you need to correct that today. You can ask Jesus Christ to forgive you of your sins and to make you one of His children. Do it today.
April 22, 1970 is an important day in our history. On that day Congress established April 22 as "Earth Day." In a time when pollution seemed to be running rampant and people were misusing Planet Earth, some decided to set aside a day to remember where we live. I realize that for many people then, and now, this day reflects more on "Mother Earth" than God as Creator. But, that shouldn't stop us from presenting Him as such.
Throughout the Bible God's role as Creator is clearly seen. Psalm 24:1-2 says, "The earth is the Lord's, and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it. For He has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. " King David was reminding us of God's creative work.
Psalm 24 is part of a trilogy of Psalms. Psalms 22, 23, and 24 form a movement of truth. Psalm 22 presents the truth of the cross, Psalm 23 presents the truth of the crook, and Psalm 24 presents the truth of the crown. Each Psalm reminds us of the importance of Jesus Christ. When David reflects on the crown he wants us to realize that one day Jesus will sit as King over Planet Earth because it is His from creation.
Other Bible writers present the truth of God's creation and ownership of earth. From Moses in Exodus 9:29 and 19:5, to Asaph in Psalm 50:12, to Ethan in Psalm 89:11 to Job in Job 41:11, to even the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:26, the writers of Scripture are clear that God owns and operates His creation. This world is not man's and it did not come about by accident.
In the Garden of Eden God gave to mankind a responsibility to till the ground and to keep the earth. In this command rests mankind's duty to God's creation. Mankind is to cultivate the earth and to guard it. We are merely stewards taking care of Someone else's property. We are only borrowing it.
When I was growing up my mother used to tell me that when I borrowed something I was to return it in better condition, or at least as good of a condition, as when I borrowed it. Since we are just borrowers of this universe it is incumbent upon us to treat it in that manner. Though the songwriter said, "This world is not my home," we actually do live here for awhile. In the time we sojourn here on Planet Earth we should take care to treat it well.
As believers in Jesus Christ, and children of God, may Earth Day 2015 be a day we remember Whose world we live in. We could say it like this, "God Created Earth Day." Now, if I punctuate it like this, "'God Created Earth' Day" it gets it right! God didn't create "Earth Day." Rather, He created Earth and on this day we can celebrate that truth.
Victory is sweet, isn't it? As Wide World of Sports told us every Saturday there is "the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat." I doubt that any of us revel in a loss. We always want our team to be on the winning side. But, sometimes winning can be defeating.
This year in the NCAA basketball tournament the Kentucky Wildcats came into the tourney undefeated. Many prognosticators and predictors picked them as the eventual winners. Many of those filling out brackets picked them to win. I mean, how could they lose! They were undefeated. But, yesterday's victory is no guarantee of today's victory. Each game is played individually. And, each day is lived separately.
Spiritually we can become complacent in our battle against sin. We win a victory today and are tempted to believe that we will always gain victory over that sin. We implement biblical principles and find the joy in beating down the urge to go against God's will. Yet, we often find in real life that we fall just as hard later for the same sin we beat. Why is that?
David was learning many good and lasting lessons in his young life as he was being pursued by murderous King Saul. He fled from place to place to escape these murderous attempts. One day, hiding in a cave, with King Saul totally vulnerable, David chose to let him live. He wouldn't be controlled by bitterness, anger of vengeance. What a great victory was found that day in David's life. What a testimony to his men, and to us, that we too do not need to be controlled by our feelings. He found his victory in trusting God's will and timing.
However, as we move on in David's life we find that his victory in the cave didn't guarantee his victory in the plain! David will be disrespected by a man named Nabal and he will not handle it well. Nabal, whose name means "fool," lives up to his name. But, as David seeks to act out on his own foolish plan, God intervenes by bringing Nabal's wise wife into the picture. Abigail is the most wise person in this account. Without her counsel and confrontation of David, he would have done something he would have lived to regret.
Be reading 1 Samuel 25 to get your heart prepared for our study in the life of David. We will look at the ways we can respond to what life brings. Join us either live or via our live stream.
What was Jesus doing on Saturday between His death and resurrection? This question has been asked and answer in a number of ways over the years. I will not answer this question once and for all. But I think it is a good thought to have as we get ready for Easter.
One fact we know is that Jesus told the thief on the cross, "Today you will be with me in paradise." (Luke 23:43) In Old Testament theology when a person died they went to "Hades." Hades, however, is not Hell. Hades was the "place of the dead." It is not purgatory. Rather, Hades was a two compartment location that held all the dead, believers and unbelievers. In the account Jesus tells of the rich man and Lazarus dying (Luke 16:19-31) He describes a place where the lost were and where the saved were. The rich man, being lost, was in torment while Lazarus, the saved man was in peace. So, we can be assured Jesus went to Hades after His death.
Some have tried to argue from 1 Peter 3:18-20 that Jesus went Hades, or Hell, to preach to them so they could have a second chance. This interpretation is flawed on many fronts. The passage says He "made a proclamation" to those in in Hades. This proclamation was not a second chance of the gospel. Rather, it was a declaration that the punishment for the lost was as sealed as the blessings of the saved. Jesus took the thief on the cross to this place of blessedness.
Ephesians 4:9-10 gives us a little more information about what was happening between Friday and Sunday. Here the Apostle Paul says, "He (Jesus) descended in the lower parts of the earth." Again, many various interpretations have been suggested for this phrase. But one possible interpretation is that Jesus descended in Hades. What appears to be true from this passage is that when Jesus left Hades He took with Him all the saved people who were waiting for their release. He emptied out the side of Hades that had held believers from Abel to then.
During Friday Jesus was waiting to demonstrate that He was ALIVE. Sunday morning was the day to fulfill Scripture and to demonstrate that He won! Today, as you move through the day, gain hope in anticipation of tomorrow morning, Easter Sunday. Unlike the women who came to the tomb to complete thew burial process and were shocked to find a resurrected Saviour, we will come to church tomorrow fully aware that He is no long among the dead ones. Rather, HE IS ALIVE.
