January 18, 2015
Scripture
Scripture
Hymn 48 - There is life in a look at the crucified one
Prayer
We were talking about how Jesus said He was the light of the world. From there we went a bit-off topic to talk about the Trinity. Today, we are going to go off topic again.
John 11:25
It’s another “I am…” verse. Here Martha was sad because her brother Lazarus was dead. His body was in the tomb. She said to Jesus, “If only You had been here it wouldn’t have happened.”
Jesus replied, “I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.”
What does resurrection mean? It’s when someone is raised from the dead. To understand this, I’m going to explain about us.
1 Thessalonians 5:23
We are made up of three parts: a spirit, soul, and body. If you were to talk to a doctor he would probably tell you that you are made up of more than three parts. You’ve got two arms, two legs, and so on. And if you were to look closer at one of your hands you would find several bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. But God sees us as spirit, soul, and body.
A person has a body; it’s what you see. Then, they have a soul and a spirit. When you are at a funeral and you see the body lying in the casket, that person’s spirit has left them. Man is a three-part being. We are not three persons. The spirit and soul leave the body when you die.
The soul is the part that thinks: it’s your mind. It is the part that feels: your emotions. And it’s also your will: your desire to do what is right or wrong.
Our spirit is the most important part. By the spirit we can pray; we can read the Bible and learn something from it. By it, we can communicate with God. An animal has a body, we can see it; it also has a soul, it has a mind, emotions, and a will. But it has no spirit: it can’t communicate with God. A tree has a body, but it has no soul or spirit. We are the only creatures that can communicate with God.
The Holy Spirit and man’s spirit can get plugged in. Think of the way a lamp lights up when you plug it in. We have the capability to “light up” when we connect with God. When we take Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, we get connected. We can have His power flowing through our spirit. When we are close to the Lord, our light will shine brightly.
Acts 22:8-22
Paul explained his salvation story to the Jews. It took courage to do this, because the Jews had already imprisoned Peter, stoned Stephen, and almost torn him apart. Now he told them how he changed from extreme Jew to Christian.
While Paul was lying there on the Damascus road, the Lord asked him, “Why are you persecuting me?” That stopped Paul in his tracks. “Who are you Lord?” he asked. “I am Jesus of Nazareth, who you persecute,” was the reply. That day, Paul began to realize a Body had been formed, and that when you touch God’s people, you touch God Himself.
“What do you want me to do Lord?” was Paul’s next question. That was amazing, for it showed that Paul had a new Master. That’s a good question for us, too. We should wait before the Lord, asking, “What would you have me to do?”
The Lord didn’t tell Paul to go back to the temple in Jerusalem. Instead, he told him to go on to Damascus, which was no centre of religion. He was also told that there was a purpose, a mission, for his life. That’s what makes us believers different from the unsaved around us. We have a purpose. We can open up the Bible and find that our lives have meaning. May we seek to strengthen the things that remain, keep on in the path of separation, and walk in the truth!
Paul was blinded by the light of the glory of God. He couldn’t see. When our vision is filled with Christ, we can’t see the world around us. We are blinded by the glory of God! 2 Corinthians 4:3-7. We need to look at the right Person!
The disciple Ananias got the message that Paul had been converted, and called him a brother. He also told Paul that he had been chosen by God. The astounding truth is that we have been chosen as well!
Hymn 341 – Jesus bids us shine
Prayer