A Bloody Scene - by Sheldon Bass

FaithWriters Great Multitude Christian Daily Devotional

A Bloody Scene - by Sheldon Bass

"The law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness." Hebrews 9:22 NIV

When I was ten, I remember keeping a scrap book filled with pictures of lions and tigers hunting. Many of them depicted gory kills. One day my mom happened upon those bloody pictures. She became concerned that I might be turning into some sort of twisted, sadistic kid. Blood has a tendency to make us recoil in horror. But my fascination had to do with a compulsion to understand death.

Many old Christian hymns include references to blood. It's the shed blood of Christ which cleanses us from our sins. What picture could better display the awful consequences of sin upon the world than spilt blood? God has a grand purpose in all things.

When Adam and Eve sinned, it drastically changed mankind and the world. The consequences of sin are exceptionally horrific. "For the wages of sin is death." (Romans 6:23a KJV) And life is in the blood. "For the life of a creature is in the blood…" (Leviticus 17:11a NIV) As a stark expression of sin's cost, God clothed Adam and Eve with dead animal skins.

God has taught me that I should be aghast and horrified at the prospect of sin. It should make me recoil in horror-the same response as to a bloody, gruesome death. But it's in man's fallen nature to trivialize sin rather than acknowledge its true devastating make-up.

However, because of God's awesome love for you and me, Jesus allowed His own blood to be spilled, taking that awful death penalty for us, His blood proclaims His love.

Sheldon Bass, Indiana-U.S. Army Veteran, Minister, Author, Speaker, likes to make people laugh. Contact

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LEARN ABOUT AND ACCEPT JESUS TODAY!

Counting Stars and Sand

" And the Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: “Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are—northward, southward, eastward, and westward; for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever. And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your descendants also could be numbered. Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you.” Genesis 13:14-17 (NKJV) "

" And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.” Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness. Genesis 15:4-6 (NKJV) "

" Then the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, and said: “By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son— blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice. Genesis 22:15-18 (NKJV)”

Abraham, our Father of faith, was truly blessed of LORD -- his shield and exceeding great reward. After changing his name from Abram (high, exalted father) to Abraham (father of multitude) God has been fulfilling His prophesy and promise to make Abraham a father of many nations (Genesis 17:5).

Hitherto, I reckoned that it was easier to count the stars than the sand. But God is well ahead of our time and He knows His mathematics! This eye-opener came to me when reading "Breakthrough Prayer" by Pastor Jim Cymbala of The Brooklyn Tabernacle.

An extract from page 100 of the aforesaid "Breakthrough Prayer" tells us that: "Recent studies indicate that there are far more stars than the eye can see, perhaps 200 billion -- that's 200,000,000,000 -- in our own galaxy, and the Milky Way is just one of millions of galaxies! Though no one knows exactly how many stars there are, one estimate puts the number at three thousand million billion stars -- a three with sixteen zeroes behind it."

God is among other things our Chief Architect and Chief Scientist. Here we also get a glimpse of God as our Chief Accountant! -- "He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. Psalm 147:4 (NIV)"

Our God is big; bigger than all our problems. He keeps His promises and He will indeed do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to His power that works in us. 

If God could count the stars and sand, and the hair on our head, you can be sure He has counted all the problems that we are ever gonna have, and He won't break a sweat over them. It's time for us keep faith in God, know His magnificence and magnify Him.

What is God's favourite colour?

If you are a visitor from the United Kingdom or New Zealand and you claim that God's favourite colour is green, you wouldn't be faulted for thinking of the green green grass of your home country.

Gold would probably be a popular choice, too. After all, the streets of heaven are pure gold (Revelations 21:21) and the crowns of heaven are made of gold. Just a digression though that the genuineness of our faith is more precious to God than gold that perishes (1 Peter 1:7).

Some may say it's red, scarlet or crimson for the Blood of Christ which has wrought so great a Salvation thread for all mankind, And, God and all of heaven would celebrate each and every precious souls that could be redeemed by the Blood of Christ. Besides blue and purple, red was also one of the colour of cloths used for moving the holy things of the Tabernacle (Numbers 4).

Perhaps its white and blue as seen on the flag of Israel, the apple of God's eye. As sourced from http://www.biblebasics.co.uk/colours/col5.htm, "Blue is also associated with the commandments of God, the importance of remembering them and also the heavenly calling of those who had been chosen by God to be His people (Numbers 15:38-40).

The ark of the covenant in the Tabernacle was covered with blue cloth representing its close association with the Word of God (Numbers 4:5-7; 11-13).

The robe of the High Priest was also blue, again symbolising the close association with God and His Word (Exodus 28:31-33)."

My guess is that God's favourite colour is light or white. White in appearance, but a spectrum of 7 colours upon revelation. In describing the Glory of the New Jerusalem, the apostle John tells us: " But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. 24 And the nations of those who are saved[l] shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. Revelation 21:22-24 (NKJV)"

For your further reflection as sourced from http://www.biblebasics.co.uk/colours/col2.htm,

 

"White is the colour that is comprised of all the colours of the spectrum. Refraction of white light produces the rainbow colours  which consist of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo (purple), violet. Other colours consist of the infrared and Ultraviolet spectrum Infrared and Ultraviolet represent that which is unseen.

The rainbow represents the promises of God and was a sign of the covenant that God would never again flood the earth with water: "I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth... .. the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh." Gen 9:13,15

The rainbow signifies the glory, majesty and honour of the Lord Jesus Christ "One sat on the throne. And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald."  (Rev 4:2-3) "

"Trust in the LORD" by Kong Hee

(Source: Devotionals of November 2005 by Rev Dr Kong Hee)

" “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,And whose hope is the Lord." Jeremiah 17:7 (NKJV)

The key to success and victory in life is not in ourselves but in God. David was a shepherd boy, unskilled in the weapon of war, but he defeated Goliath, the champion of the Philistines, with a single sling shot. He was not of royal lineage, but he went on to become the greatest king Israel ever had. What was the secret of his greatness? It was his dependence and his trust in God. David cried, "O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water" (Psalms 63:1; NKJV)

John Knox, the famous Scottish revivalist, was famous for his power in prayer. Queen Mary said she feared his prayers more than Europe's armies. When the Spanish armada fought the English in 1588, Queen Elizabeth I of England called the nation to prayer. As a result, a storm arose and destroyed 65 of the Armada's 130 ships while the English lost none.

It is evident that as long as men seek God, as long as we pray, our lives will be successful and victorious. We will be able to achieve our aims and remain protected. In the course of King Asa's reign over Judah (1 Kings 15:9-24), he changed both its history and future. Under his rule, he courageously deposed of his infamous idolatress grandmother, who had severely influenced Judah toward idolatry. He also drove out the Sodomites and then destroyed all the idols that his father had worshiped. Not only did this great leader himself seek after God, he commanded the entire nation to do likewise.

The prophet, Azariah said this of King Asa, "Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you" (2 Chronicles 15:2). As we look back in history, we see that the Word of God is true: Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD and cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength (Jeremiah 17:5, 7). God is no respecter of persons. His word works for all who would believe and act upon it.

"Quantum Christianity: The Intersection of Science & Scripture" by Dr. Robi Sonderegger

(Source: City Harvest Church news bulletin, May 24 - 25, 2014)

"To understand the compatibility of science and scripture, we need to ask seven important questions.

Question 1: What exactly is faith?
Christians are often challenged to prove that God exists using the framework of science to do so. This framework requires evidence: empirically derived data that supports the hypothesis of God's existence. But without having access to "empirical data", many use "faith" as a get-out-of-jail-free card, saying, "No one can prove or disprove God, but that's what faith is for." However, faith is not just belief in something that has no evidence; rather, faith is based on evidence (despite not having seen it). 

Hebrews (11:1 & 3) puts it like this: "Now faith is the substance of things not seen ... the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible" (NKJV). There is often no evidence for the empirical truth in the scripture until someone believes. For example, it is by faith that we observe tangible change in our lives. Unlike the common saying "I'll believe it when I see it", when it comes to scripture, the truth is, you will see it when you believe it. However, did you know that science works in exactly the same way?

All observable "matter" is made up of atoms. Atoms form molecules, and molecules form every type of material object in the universe, whether living or non-living. Anything that can be measured, tested, manipulated and replicated in any field of science (from biology to physics) is made up of a sub-atomic substance that is unseen and unknown. Yet in faith, scientists will argue its existence and measure it all the same. In this way, both science and scripture operate according to the same fundamental tenets of ... FAITH!

Question 2: What's an atom?
You might think you know what an atom looks like because you saw an artists's impression in your high school science textbook. But in reality, the picture of orbiting lines around a central dot is not what an atom looks like. Likewise, you might think you know what is in an atom: a nucleus with electrons whizzing around it. But in reality, the main substance in an atom is neither the nucleus nor electrons. What does an atom look like? It actually looks like nothing because an atom is made up of 99.9999% of something that is non-matter and unseen. An atom is only 0.0001% observable matter; yet everything in the material world is made up of atoms. This confirms the scripture" "things, which are seen, are made of things, which are unseen" (Hebrews 11:3). This leads us to our next question:

Question 3: What's the unseen stuff in the 'space' of an atom?
At the sub-atomic level, atoms contain light particle waves packages of intelligent energy. This intelligent quantum light is what forms atoms and in turn, every material object in our universe. Quite simply, every single observable thing on our material world is made up of solidified light. Quantum physics now knows that before any material thing can come into existence, light first needs to be present. That's fascinating because in the very beginning, before anything was created, God said ... "let there be light" (Genesis 1:3 KJV). Even before the sun, moon and stars were created on the fourth day, light already existed.

Question 4: How could light exist before the sun existed?
C.S.Lewis is famous for saying: "I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else." In the same way,light doesn't exist because of the sun; the sun exists because of light. Because light is the force that keeps electrons tiled to the nuclei of atoms, apart from light, the sun cannot exist. More broadly stated, this mysterious light is what holds everything in the universe together.

Colossians (1:16-17) states something very similar about the "Light of the world", Jesus" "For in Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible ... all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together" (NIV).

Question 5: So what exactly is this light?
By faith, Christians believe God not only created the visible things we see, but also the things we don't see. In the same way, by faith, quantum physicists believe all things we see in our physical world are held together by an unseen, non-material light-intelligence that operates outside of time and space. That to me me is every interesting because an unseen non-material realm that underpins or influences material things is otherwise called "spirit". Spirit is an unseen, non-material super force that operates outside of time and space. Spirit is not natural, it's supernatural!

Question 6: If this sub-atomic intelligent light is unseen, then how do we know that it exists?
A sub-atomic particle of light energy is not something we can casually observe. The only way to see a quantum particle inside an atom is to consciously look for it. That's right, sub-atomic light only exists in an unseen state (within a probability wave) until someone seeks it. At the moment the scientist looks for it, the unseen wave of probability collapses, causing the quantum particle to briefly be seen. The unseen light energy is momentarily manifested into a particle of observable light. Quite simply, a sub-atomic particles doesn't exist materially until a person conscious endeavours to find it. Interestingly, the same quantum laws apply to man's search for God.

Question 7: If God is unseen, then how do we know that He exists?
Just like quantum physics, people can talk about the probability of God and debate His existence within the field of all possibilities without ever getting a single glimpse of Him. It's not until we seek after and consciously focus our attention on Him, the wave of probability collapses, sending ripples of certainty through our hearts and minds. He becomes our reality the moment we consciously enter a relationship with Him. Through faith, our eyes are opened to see the way, the truth, and the life. The Bible's promise is simply this: "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks find; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened" (Matthew 7:7, 8 NIV).

Rather than science and scripture being incompatible and at opposite ends of the intellectual spectrum, the foundation of both scripture and science is a common thirst for truth -- founded on the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things unseen. When, in faith, we seek to find answers to the big questions in life, we discover just how complementary science and scripture really are."



(Dr. Robi Sonderegger is a renowned Clinical Psychologist and is best known as a compelling,  passionate and highly entertaining presenter. He delivers hundreds of keynote presentations and workshops to tens-of-thousands of participants each year and is widely published in both the scientific and popular press. Dr. Robi is also the Chief Executive of Family Challenge Australia; a nationally registered mental health charity that provides specialist psychology services in Australia and throughout the world.) 

Faith has a voice

Recently, the Holy Spirit spurred me to have a made-up mind to believe the Word of God before I even start to pray. What's the point of praying when there is unbelief? As a matter of fact, when we demonstrate unbelief it is akin to calling God a liar. Yes, it's that bad.

It's time for us to humble ourselves before God and take Him at His Word; God is not a man that He should lie. And, it's time for us to restore the fear of the LORD even in the House of the LORD. Let God be God, and mortals be mortals -- saved only by the Grace of God.

When God has said it and it is settled in my heart that His truth will prevail, I can pray believing that God hear and answer prayers if I pray according to His will and do not ask amiss of what's His best for me.

As I pray believing, I am reminded further by the Holy Spirit to pray audibly for my own hearing. While there is a time and place for contemplative praying, I find that praying aloud even during my own Quiet Time yield tremendous effect in the invisible or spirit realm. Our Words are powerful according to the Scripture!

When we speak the Word of God appropriately in our specific prayers, by having regard to the full counsel of God's Word, it is just as God is speaking His Words for accomplishment. For example, instead of just praying for me, myself and I, I could try praying along the line of being blessed in my career so that I could be a blessing to my family, employer, relatives, community and the Kingdom of God.

We can learn much from Solomon's prayer at Gibeon. As outlined by Pastor Jim Cymbala in his book "Breakthrough Prayers":

1. Solomon approached God first with thanks and praise (1 Kings 3:7a);

2. Solomon prayed with great humility (1 Kings 3:7b);

3. Solomon defined himself as God's servant, ready to do His will; and

4. Solomon asked for a blessing that would bless God's people.

Mind you, King Solomon did not just think his prayer but said it out. When Hannah was praying for her breakthrough to conceive a child even though her voice was not heard, her lips moved! (1 Samuel 1:13) Also, hadn't Jesus said to speak to our mountains rather than think away our problems?

As we bless others or cast all our cares upon Jesus through prayers, let's demonstrate faith by moving our lips or making our prayers audible to ourselves, i.e., the ears of our inner man. 

Faith a voice. Let God hear our voice!

  

"Nothing Is Impossible with God" by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir

Just rest your eyes from reading and click here to enjoy this powerful audio-visual rendition of Nothing Is Impossible With God by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir.

God bless.