gospel message Archives – Sonshine's Journal

July 16, 2023July 16, 2023

Whirring Wings & the Gospel

Isaiah 18-22 God is such a creative God. When I think of whirring wings, I think of planes but not so in Isaiah’s time. God has given Isaiah a visual picture of several nations opposed to God, and the first is the picture of whirring wings. Dr. Constable says the land of Cush and beyond had sails that looked this way. At first glance, they would be seen as beautiful, but then you realize that ships that come this way do not bring treasure but men who seek your life. God is using them as His instruments of judgment. He is the Lord God Almighty and will not share His glory with another. [Is 48:11]

Whereas God’s plan and words are of judgment, we should not boast and say they “got what they deserved.” Isaiah reminds us that to do so is also the sin of pride because we elevate ourselves to think this will not happen to us.

Today may I be sensitive to those walking in darkness and see God’s open door to bring them the gospel. Lord, give me gospel conversation opportunities today and beyond.

October 4, 2021October 4, 2021

John the Baptist…

Mark 1; Luke 3; Matthew 3 The Traits of a True Servant of God

The prophets Isaiah and Malachi prophesied that God would open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing to his people in due season. John the Baptist was that blessing that came in the form of the true servant, humble and announcing that the kingdom of God/Heaven was now before the people and the nation. He challenged the status quo, challenged the hearts to repent of what Malachi called the false righteousness of works, and challenged the religious establishment. He knew he was not the Messiah and proclaimed as such to the religious leaders when asked. He pricked the hearts and many yielded to the message of the gospel. He obeyed the Law and yet challenged men to listen to the heart of God.

The mark of a faithful and true servant is that they do not take center stage, usurping the main speaker. John was that chosen one who offered to do the work of the ministry serving expecting nothing in return but God’s blessing. Jesus summarized his work and life: “Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist! Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” [Matt 11:11] “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” [Matt 11:15]

Is this how we serve?

February 23, 2021February 23, 2021

“God Has a Plan and It includes You

Numbers 1-2 It has been two full years and still, the people are no closer to the Promised Land than the last experience of the Passover night or their exodus from Egypt. Yet, God’s plan is to bring the Israelites to the Promised Land. As part of that plan, He has Moses begin numbering the men twenty years and older to be His servants in peacetime and in war. What we lack in comprehension, the Holy Spirit reveals to us in our understanding. God wants us to know that He is a God of details. He knows when a sparrow falls; He knows each hair on your head. God has a plan, and your name was on it from eternity past.

God knew that Moses needed others to serve, and God devised a plan for His people. From every tribe, men were to be ready to serve in whatever capacity God had planned. That was then, and it is the same today. God cares for you, and He has chosen you for His kingdom’s work. He calls you His servant. A servant serves others even when inconvenient, whether he or she dislikes the duty. The circumstances are unimportant. God is looking at our heart’s attitude towards His work.

In eternity past, He chose you and me for His work, and God did all of that so men who are in spiritual darkness will hear the good news. He uses people like you and me. Amazingly God wants to be glorified through us. Stop and think about that today and praise God for His lovingkindness that He chose you for His work. It is called evangelism.

What work are you doing today that will glorify Him?

November 17, 2020

“God’s Storms and Men’s Hearts”

Acts 28 John Jacob Astor believed that the Titanic was unsinkable, yet he and his wealth are at the bottom of the ocean because of his stubborn pride and lack of foresight—the Titanic only carried enough lifeboats for half of the passengers—Astor was not saved. We hear the words of Paul “men, you should have listened to me.” [Acts 27:21]

On the Adriatic Sea God sent another storm tossing the ship Paul was on. Just like the Titanic, the ship’s captain did not heed the words of Paul to stay on the island of Crete. Yet, God can overrule men’s decisions so that they may come face to face with the God of the storms. In this case, He chose to preserve Roman soldiers, centurions, rowers, the captain and prisoners so they might hear Paul teach and preach the resurrection of Christ. Did they respond because of the storm? Only in eternity will we know. Yet this is true: “Consequently faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the preached word of Christ.” [Rom 10:17]

God does the same for us today; He uses ordinary people like you and me to carry out His divine appointed plans. We never know when we may experience a storm so men may hear the story of the resurrected Christ.

What storm are you facing?

Will you let God use you to share the resurrected Christ to others?

October 9, 2020October 8, 2020

Believers should be ready!

Zechariah 8 The leaders from Bethel had come to inquire regarding the fasts they had been keeping. Should we continue as we have in the past? God did not directly answer that question of them, but He did tell them what He required. He gave the same answer to Micah and later to James, which is “do good, love mercy and faithfulness and obey God.” James also added to care for the orphans and widows in their adversity.

Instead of directly answering their question, he probed their hearts and saw their hypocrisy. He asked them, “did you truly fast for me…and now are you not doing it for yourselves?” An outward ritual of fasting and keeping the traditions is not what God is looking for. Isaiah had prophesied correctly about their hypocrisy. “You honor God with your lips, [and your fasting,], but your heart is far from Him.”

But, when our heart is pure and righteous, we do that which God loves, and others take note! They wanted to know why God is blessing them. They wanted to know the secret of peace. They heard others saying, “let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”

Are others asking those questions of you about the gospel? Are you ready to give an answer to anyone who asks about the hope you possess?

August 30, 2020

The Gospel Then and Now

Jeremiah 43-44 Israel had come from captivity to freedom, yet they wished to return to Egypt. What irony and foolishness is this! In 1776 our nation was born out of conflict and bondage to a foreign government. Yet here in 2020, we find some that want us to return to that same bondage. They burn, loot, and say let us turn to socialism even though the evidence is overwhelmingly negative. It seems that men never learn except through hardship.

Jeremiah 42 is an example of men who refuse to believe their prophet even though his words have come true repeatedly. They have lived through the desecration of their temple and palace. Their leaders are no more, and the Babylonians have set up a provisional government, yet these rebels would have none of it. They seek guidance from God, but when it does not match their ideas, they rebel, kidnap Jeremiah, and force him and Baruch to march to Egypt. What a show of hypocrisy and foolishness!

But, God, in His grace, speaks again to their heart. At the outset, God had said they would not listen, and today it is the same. Yet, like Jeremiah, we must steadfastly keep our eyes on God because He has sent us to tell that gospel message even when men blatantly say, “We will not listen to you!” Remember this:

“the gospel is God’s power for salvation to everyone who believes.” [Rom 1:16]

Oh the grace and mercy of our God.

January 5, 2019

Choosing to Trust and Obey God

amy-velazquez-gen 12 to 15 trust me.2a Genesis 12 to 15 “I am not quite sure, but I’m going to Trust and Obey.” These words were spoken by a young man in an evangelistic meeting and later set to music as a hymn by John Sammis. One line reflects our lives and the life of Abraham.

“When we do his good will, He abides with us still and with all who will trust and obey”––even when we are not “quite sure.”

Beloved, what God has spoken He will do. That is the essence of the gospel message.

In Genesis chapter 12, God said to Abram: “I will make you into a great nation; I will make your name great; I will bless those who bless you.” And yet, like many of us, Abram wavered and perhaps doubted for we find him seeking help in Egypt and telling a lie to protect himself instead of trusting God to provide. Also, not too many verses later we find Abram questioning God about His promise to provide an heir.

Many, perhaps even you, like Abram, have received a word of blessing but like him, we waver as we wait. Reader, even if you aren’t sure, step out and know that God is a promise keeper if you will only trust and obey.

detective-questions So here are some questions for you to consider:

Are you like Abram?

Is your belief shortlived?

Do you, like Abram, fail to trust that God will fulfill His Word of blessing to you?

God is saying will you trust Me? I am not a man that I should lie. What I have spoken, I will do. [Num 23:19]

Pray with me: Father in our weakness make us strong, forgive us we when we don’t trust you. We now choose to trust You and obey you stepping out in faith…even when we are not sure.

August 11, 2016

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Romans 1 happy birthday2 Birthdays are special. Our families love to celebrate with us and we enjoy the attention. One of the downsides is that technology seems to have taken the place of snail mail cards and Facebook releases our information whether we want it or not and so we get lots of FB Happy Birthday’s sent our way. That is why the standard birthday cake with family takes a special spot in our hearts. It is put in our memory book. Think of the book of Romans is like God’s birthday card sent right to our “inbox” sharing his message of love through the words of the gospel.

If we have accepted Christ as our Savior we celebrate a second birthday called our “spiritual birthday.” This is the day the angels sang and our name was etched on the palms of God’s hands. All of heaven celebrated and will be each year from then until we take our last breath and we enter heaven’s gate. The day we accepted the God’s gospel message and took our first breath of the Holy Spirit we exclaimed God’s power for salvation. We were birthed and transformed with a renewed mind. We stepped out of darkness into light, put on the garment of salvation and became willing slaves of Christ Jesus; called and set apart for service. We explain it by using the term born again just as Jesus did with Nicodemus. The scales fell off our eyes and our ears were opened to hear the truth of the gospel message. It was the appointed time God decided to show favor upon us and respond to our cry for healing. [Is 49]

What a wonder the gospel message; God’s power for salvation to everyone who believes. Barclay summed it up this way “The Law lays down what a man must do, the gospel lays down what God has done.”

September 18, 2015

Why do I do What I do?

The world at large asks: What’s in it for me? Doesn’t this sound somewhat self-centered? I know that I find my motivation is less than worthy …and if I am honest it is most of the time. Paul takes me front and center and then begins to probe. Just as he asked the Corinthians to look beneath the façade of their work both in and outside the church, so he does to me as I sit reading his letter to them. He is really asking me to stop and ask myself this question: What is this the reason you serve Christ? WHY do you do what you do? This question began to open my eyes and mind. All of us need to be asking why do I share the gospel message?

It is as if Paul is standing before us. Here are his reasons point by point for sharing the gospel message in vs 19 to 22.

He wants to gain more people for the kingdom and free them from the wrath of God. He has the secret; “the gospel is God’s power for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” [Rom 1] He is humbled that Jesus Christ blessed him with the gospel message as a free gift. Lastly, he wants to stand before Christ one day and hear “well done thou good and faithful servant.” He looks forward to receiving an imperishable crown from His hand for his service.. And it is because of these reasons that he would do whatever it took to win them for Jesus.

So what is my problem? I think I will go and get motivated.

July 22, 2015

Laboring in the Vineyard or Sitting on the Hillside with Jonah?

Just as there are two sides to a coin there are two sides to every story. Note vs 1 of Proverbs 18: “One who has isolated himself seeks his own desires;he rejects all sound judgment.” (NET). Note this is self-imposed not God imposed as in the case of Moses (Ex 3:1), the plain for Ezekiel (Ezek 3:22), the wilderness for John (Luke 1:80), Arabia for Paul (Gal 1:17) and the wilderness for His Blessed Son (Mark 1). And that is where we find the two sides to every story.

There are those who seek isolation due to a need or desire to grow closer to God but vs 1 clearly indicates that this is not the case. These are people who have a “Jonah complex.” They fail to see the ramifications of their isolation and God’s plan and purpose for their life. Jonah really did not want the sailors to know his God, nor did he want the Ninevites to be saved. That is the problem with the self-isolationist and we would be wise to beware of this for God has given us the gift of the gospel message that we might reach the world for Christ. Perhaps this is why the author of Hebrews reminded us to not abandon “meetings, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and even more so because you see the day drawing near.” [Heb 10:25]

The question before us is: do we too have a “Jonah complex” or do we see that the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few. Are we laboring in the vineyard or sitting on the hillside with Jonah?