Point #5: We can revel in the certainty of the things we have been taught.
The point of Bible study is to know God and have a relationship with him - it's not just about knowledge! The people of the Bible, those who wrote the Bible, KNEW Jesus - they had proof. What theses people wrote isn't a fond hope, it is their experience, it is reality.
John 20:29
29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
That means WE are blessed!!
Here's a secret about Jesus: The more you need him, the more you will see him.
God intends to be faithful to you. Don't you ever think he's not there for you or that he's left you. Go to him because he will help you and give you love that nobody else will ever be able to give you.
Acts 1:1-3
3 After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.
Imagine how trying it would have been to be with Jesus and for him to keep coming and going over this time period. It was obviously a time of testing, confirmed by the fact that it was a period of 40 days, which all over the Bible is a number that indicates testing. Here are some other 40 day testing periods of the Bible:
-The rains while Noah and his family were in the ark
-Moses' time on the mountain with God
-The spies' time scouting the land of Canaan
-Elijah's time without food
-Ninevah's time limit on repenting
-Jesus' period of tempting
-(and babies take 40 weeks to be born!)
The apostles had to live in faith and not by sight at this point as Jesus was no longer constantly with them. BUT they had those many convincing proofs, and because they did, so do we.
I'm going to have to skip Beth's explanation of the Greek word sunalizo because I couldn't find the stuff in a concordance and I don't want to tell it wrong! But this section was about communing with Christ constantly and spicing up life because we are intended to be "the salt of the earth." Salt is a cleanser, a flavor-er, and a preservative.
Point #6: Jesus passed us the salt also.
It's time we become the flavor of Christ! Let's enjoy life and be people that other people can be attracted to because of our excitement for and communion with Christ.
And finally, Point #7: We can ALSO be many convincing proofs that Jesus is alive.
Notice the reference to also?? I thought that was clever.
Think about and look for the things God has done in your life that prove him and Jesus Christ. We, too, have proof of God because of the transformation he has worked in us, the miracles He's performed for us, His love for us that burns in our hearts and completes us. The responsibility is now on us to show the Truth that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life and to tell everyone what he has done for us!
These were Paul's last penned words:
Acts 28:28-31
30 For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. 31 Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.
Although Paul was technically under house arrest, it says that he preached unhindered! Do what you have to do to be unhindered to do what God has called you to do.
The last image Beth showed us was a photograph somebody had taken from the driver's seat of a truck. It was two cowgirls galloping beside the truck on horses, but it also caught the view in the truck's side view mirror of a raging fire close behind (the simulcast took place during some really terrible fires in Texas). Beth said it's time to get on our horses and ride to freedom with Jesus. We don't have long on this earth, the women on the horses didn't have long until the fire caught up to them - we have to choose how we spend our time. Let's choose to be unhindered - it is available through Christ!
The end!!!
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