Verse of the Day 12/30

Through the Bible - Malachi 1-2, Revelation 21

 

Good morning,

We'll continue this morning with thoughts of our worldview.  The Christians' worldview sees things through the eyes of faith.  Looking back to Hebrews 11 were are told that faith is the substance.  Faith is not something nebulous.  As I just wrote those words I thought of the word nebulous, what came to mind was something random, without form.  I looked it up to confirm it.  Websters uses words like "unclear, vague, indefinite" and "cloudy, misty, unclear".  That is what the nonbeliever thinks of faith.

 

Hebrews 11:3 says, "By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.   NKJV

After the first of the year we'll be turning back to Genesis for the read through the Bible plan where we'll see that God did form the world.  First he produced the matter which was formless and void.  Then by His word He created all there is.

The atheist will have you believe that everything that happened through eternity has been random and that out of the formlessness, randomness brought about order.

 

R.C. Sproul writes in his book "Not a Chance", "God is conceived as a self-existent, eternal being who possesses intrinsically the power of being.  Such power is sufficient cause for creation.  Time and chance have no being, and consequently no power.  Yet they are able to be so effective as to render God an anachronism.  At least with God we have a potential miracle worker.  With chance we have nothing with which to work the miracle.  Chance offers us a rabbit without a hat and - what's even more astonishing- without a magician."

 

We believe in a God  a creator, who formed the universe in intricate detail, in irreduceable complexity.  To believe in chance in some respects requires more faith than belief in God.

 

Sproul continues, a "trick requires only a modicum of sleight of hand dexterity to pull off.  It is accomplished easily once one has the proper magic tools.  When scientists attribute instrumental power to chance, they have left the domain of physics and resorted to magic.  Chance is their magic wand to make not only rabbits but entire universes appear out of nothing."

 

For our verse today we'll go to the New Testament reading in the book of Revelation.

Rev 21:3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

5 He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."   NIV

I don't normally use three verses together for the "verse of the day", but I found it hard to separate these.  They give us hope for the coming year, for the future, for eternity.  The same God that spoke the world into being said these words.

We can hold on to them as "rock solid", they are "trustworthy and true".  May we hold to them in the coming year or whenever circumstances cause our hearts to grieve or tears to come to our eyes.

 

Read the passage, may they encourage you today, may they be your substance.

 

Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2 For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.

3 By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.   NKJV

In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV
Rev 21:1-9

 

All Things Made New

 

21 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. 2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."

 

5 Then He who sat on the throne said,"Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful."

 

6 And He said to me,"It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. 7 He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. 8 But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."   NKJV