TRUTHS ABOUT GOD

“Therefore the LORD will wait, that He may be gracious to you; and therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for Him" (Isa. 30:18 NKJV).

There are four important truths about God that are stated in this verse. They are the patience of God, the pity of God, the purity of God, and the promise from God.

Patience of God - “The Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you.” Because of His mercy and His grace, God waiting for us to repent. He is waiting patiently for us to repent. However, a lot of folks show no regard for God’s patience by their procrastination. Yet, according to the Scriptures, God does not wait forever (Gen. 6:3).

Pity of God - “Therefore will He be exalted, that He may have mercy upon you.” We all need God’s grace and mercy. None of us have merit for any blessing from God. Here we are told that it honors God to show mercy, and mercy will come when we honor God.

Purity of God - “The Lord is a God of justice.” The word “justice” here speaks of righteous judgment. This tells us that God judges sin and that He judges fairly. The Lord opposes evil and unlike the corrupt standards of our society, God’s standards are holy and just.

Promise from God - “Blessed are all those who wait for Him.” The verse began with God waiting for men and ends with men being told to wait for God. We need to wait in supplication. This means not quitting when our prayers are not answered quickly. We need to wait in service. Sown seeds do not produce fruit overnight. We need to wait in times of stress. When trials come, we should not give up; in due time God will deliver. Yes, we need to wait for God’s choice and for God’s time.

(Adapted from Butler Daily Bible Reading)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“God does not give us everything we want, but He does fulfill His promises!”

Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906 – 1945) Lutheran Pastor and Theologian

Word Study

Discipline

In Eph. 6:4 we read, “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (NASB).

Discipline is the Greek word paideia (παιδεία = pahee-di'-ah). It means to provide instruction, with the intent of forming proper habits of behavior, of providing guidance for responsible living, of rearing and guiding a child toward maturity. Further, this training is carried out with both firmness and gentleness as the need required.

In classical Greek writing paideia refers to that which is applied to train and educate a child. The goal of Greek paideia was for the child to become an obedient and useful citizen of the community. In the Septuagint paideia carries the idea ‘to bring up’ or to chasten. In the New Testament paideia spoke of the whole training and education of children as it relates to the cultivation of mind and morals. And with regards to the believer, God does not tolerate sin among Christians, but rather disciplines them as a good father would (Heb. 12:5-11).

Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus

Old Testament Prophecy – Messiah will come as a Teacher (Isa. 48:16-17)

New Testament Fulfillment – John 3:2

Did You Know…

In the Bible, it states that Jesus saves forever (Matt. 18:11; John 10:28; Heb. 7:25)

Bible Quiz

In Genesis, when the people decided to build a tower to reach heaven, God scattered them abroad and named the place “Babel” which means what?

**Answer to last week’s trivia: Which disciple of the Lord Jesus did some people believe would never die? John (John 21:20-23).

Everyday Expressions Alluded to in the Bible

“Sick at the sight of someone”

“Indeed, any hope of overcoming him is false; shall one not be overwhelmed at the sight of him!” (Job 41:9 NKJV).

“Sick at the sight of someone” - The expression “sick at the sight of someone” carries the the idea of despising another. In context, no one was bold enough to confront this fearsome creature Leviathan who could not be tamed or controlled. If Job would not dream of confronting Leviathan, why would he think he could challenge God who is much more powerful and to Whom belong all creatures, including Job, his servant, and the monster Leviathan.

Did You Know – Christian History

Robert Gilmour LeTourneau was born November 30, 1888 in Richford, Vermont. He was a Christian Business magnate in earthmoving equipment, Inventor and Philanthropist.

LeTourneau left school in 1902, at the age of fourteen. During this time, he worked at a number of jobs including wood cutter, brick layer, farm hand, miner and carpenter’s laborer, acquiring knowledge of the manual trades that would prove valuable in later life.

By 1920 LeTourneau opened his first garage. The year of the stock market crash he formed his Peoria earth-moving business. Despite the times, LeTourneau succeeded and became the greatest obstacle-mover in history, building huge earth-moving machines. During World War II he produced 70% of all the army’s earth-moving machinery. Over the course of his life he secured nearly 300 patents relating to earthmoving equipment, manufacturing processes and machine tools. He spoke of God as the Chairman of his Board.

A lay pastor in the Christian and Missionary Alliance, LeTourneau shared his faith with millions during his life. Additionally he started two agricultural missions in Liberia, as well as other endeavors, especially the training of Christian workers in practical skills. He also gave of his time to Christian business associations and Christian colleges. LeTourneau served both God and humanity by setting aside 90 percent of his salary and company profits for God, and living on the other 10 percent.

LeTourneau held many respected positions throughout his life as a Christian layman, including as a leader in the Christian & Missionary Alliance Church, president of the Christian Business Men’s Committee (CBMC) and president of the Gideons International. Being a man of great Christian commitment and dedication, for 30 years he flew thousands of miles each week to maintain Christian speaking engagements around the United States and overseas.

In March 1969, LeTourneau suffered a severe stroke from which he never recovered. He died on June 1, 1969, at the age of eighty. LeTourneau’s life is testimony to the big things God can do through men with big ideas. He learned to give unstintingly to God.

A Little Humor

Teacher: “Who were the first human beings?”

Christian Student: “Adam and Eve.”

Teacher: “And what religion was this Adam and Eve?”

Other Student: “Communist, of course.”

Teacher: “And how do you know that they were Communist?”

Student: “Easy, they had no roof over their heads, no clothes to wear, and only one apple between them, yet they still called it paradise!”

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“If we be ruled by sin, we shall inevitably be ruined by it!”