WOLC New Testament Reading

Today is a different blog post... As we continue get closer to Good Friday and Easter, let us encourage you to take a moment to reflect on this video . Please click the link below. An Unexpected Letter

I can’t imagine what it takes to be the Director of Research at the Department of Applied Mathematics & Theoretical Physics and regarded as one of the most brilliant theoretical physicists since Einstein. I speak of Stephen Hawking who just recently died. He was brilliant in many ways, but he was an avowed atheist who did not believe in a creator of the universe, in heaven or any afterlife. Paul says in Romans 1:22 “professing to be wise, they became fools.”  Earlier in the same chapter, Paul explains that we should see God in His creation. No calculations required. We are “without excuse” God’s invisible attributes are clearly seen...even His eternal power.” (Romans 1:20) The chapter goes on to detail the result of foolishness and a darkened heart. It is the tragic result of guilt before our God who is due all glory, adoration and thanks.  -Jan Hoffner

A Nor'easter gets its name from the northeasterly winds that blow in from the ocean ahead of the storm that mainly affects the northeastern part of the United States. We have had three already in March and are in the middle of the fourth as I write so we have firsthand knowledge of these storms. The apostle Paul also had experienced a “nor’easter” in the closing chapters of the book of Acts. In 27:14 we read “Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called a ‘northeaster,’ swept down from the island”. Paul was a prisoner in a ship sailing to Rome to be tried by Caesar. He experienced a storm, a shipwreck, a swim (to the island of Malta), and a safe trip to Rome. If you’ve ever been in a terrible storm at sea in a smaller vessel, you can identify with this shipwreck. But even if you haven’t, you’ve been and will be in many storms in life. Paul’s experience teaches us we can trust in God’s sovereign care in life’s storms. God is absolutely in control! He always is…always will...

Acts 19:11-12 (ESV) And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul,   so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them. As I was reading this verse, I was overcome with the thought of how we never know the impact that a life for Christ really has. My Grandad was saved after someone continued to witness to him repeatedly. Now, that person might have thought that he was impacting my Grandad’s life, and he did, but through my Grandad becoming saved, my Dad was saved and led our family overseas to be missionaries. My Grandad and Nan also were missionaries. Teaching many people the gospel message. What I am trying to say is, who knows what else God is doing through your obedience and faithfulness. We are so limited in what we can see and know but God is not. Look at verse 11…who knows what those sick people did after being healed? God does! Let...

Paul and Silas are in jail. Imagine with me for a moment, the situation that they are in. They were beaten and put into stocks, jailed and still they find a way to praise God. Wow! This reminded me a passage from a Psalm that we recently read. Psalm 125:1-2 (ESV) Those who trust in the  Lord  are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever.   As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the  Lord  surrounds his people both now and forevermore. William Mcdonald in his Bible Commentary says “Mount Zion is one of the promontories in the city of Jerusalem, and is sometimes used as a figure of speech for the city itself. Here it signifies the ultimate in stability and strength, a citadel that cannot be moved. The man of faith is like that. His life is built on the solid rock.” Then we have that the Lord surrounds His people FOREVERMORE! Sometimes we do not feel surrounded though because we take our eyes off God and put them...

I saw the light. We love to sing the song that Hank Williams wrote. But, here in Acts chapter 9 Saul did see the light. Acts 9:1-9 (ESV)  “ But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. A nd falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him,  “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” A nd he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said,  “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. B ut rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” T he men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. S aul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened,...

We have now concluded Luke and have started reading the book of Acts. These two books are a “unified, two-volume work” (see blog-Jesus’ Work Continues Today) and you can now begin to see why. Luke ends with the words of Jesus telling His disciples of a promise from the Father, but they must wait in the city to receive it (24:48). Likewise, Acts begins with Jesus commanding the disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the promised gift from His Father (1:4). So, what is this wonderful gift/promise? We have a clue from Jesus’ words “which you heard me speak about.”(Acts 1:4) Jesus often said he was not going to be with the disciples for very long and would send another “Counselor”. Let’s look at what the Apostle John says…. “And I will ask the Father and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever-the Spirit of truth.” John 14:16-17a “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name…” John 14:26a “When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you...

We have now come to the story of Zacchaeus. There are 2 main things in the story that stick out to me.   1.     Zacchaeus was determined to see Jesus.                  How many times in our lives do things, people, work, and excuses keep us from God? Life is busy, sometimes too busy. There are plenty of distractions in life, distractions that if we are not careful will deter us from spending time with the Lord. The Bible leads us to understand that Zacchaeus was a “wee little man” as the song writer puts it. He could not see Jesus because of the crowd that was in his way. So, he climbed a tree. He was determined to see Jesus. Are you determined spend time with Jesus? Are you willing to push through the distractions of life to spend time with the Lord?   2.    The second thing that really sticks out to me is in verse 10. Luke 19:10 (ESV) “…For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the...