Archives for 2019

Good morning,

Temptations. We all hate to be tempted. What we do when we are tempted demonstrates our spiritual condition. Obedient to God or obedient to Satan. We choose.

We will explore 1 Corinthians 10:13, David’s sin with Bathsheba, David confronted with his sin, and Psalm 51, David’s repentance, plea for mercy, request for cleansing, and willingness to teach others about God’s righteousness.

2 Samuel 11

Lust of the eyes (1-2)

“…from the roof he saw a woman washing herself;…”

Lust of the flesh (3-5)

“And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house.And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with child.”

The cover-up Uriah the righteous man (6-13)

“And Uriah said unto David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in tents; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields; shall I then go into mine house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? as thou livest, and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing.” (11)

The death of Uriah (14-17)

“And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell some of the people of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also.” (17)

Report to David (18-25)

Bathsheba mourns (26)

David takes Bathsheba as his wife (27) Displeased the Lord

David was not where he supposed to be.

This opened him up to be tempted.

Satan tempted David with a woman. He saw her, took her, committed adultery with her, had a child with her, tried to cover up his sin, and committed murder.

David was righteous man, who loved God, worshipped God, and consulted God for wisdom and instruction. But when tempted, he failed the test!

We are just as susceptible to be being tempted as David. We must choose to follow God and not Satan.

Will we?

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

Temptations. We all hate to be tempted. What we do when we are tempted demonstrates our spiritual condition. Obedient to God or obedient to Satan. We choose.

We will explore 1 Corinthians 10:13, David’s sin with Bathsheba, David confronted with his sin, and Psalm 51, David’s repentance, plea for mercy, request for cleansing, and willingness to teach others about God’s righteousness.

1 Corinthians 10:13

“There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”

God knows that we will be tempted. He knows exactly what we are able to bear. He makes a way to escape.

God has also given us a free will. We may choose any course of action we please.

So, the question becomes, will we choose God’s way of escape or not? God makes it available, but we do not have to take it. Of course, if we do not take it, we follow the temptation and walk away from God. This is called sin. God punishes sin.

If we choose to escape from the temptation, then we are obedient to God, and will be blessed.

When we are tempted, do we desire the blessing or the curse?

Choose to obey God!

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

There are so many lean Christians who devour hundreds of sermons!

(Edmund Calamy, 1600–1666) 

“His delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night.” Psalm 1:2

“I meditate on Your precepts and consider Your ways.” Psalm 119:15 

It is not merely hearing a sermon that does you good, but meditating on what you hear. So when you hear a sermon, if you do not meditate and ponder upon what you hear, you will never get any good.

There are so many lean Christians who devour hundreds of sermons–and are never any better, never any fatter in grace. They never meditate, ponder and consider what they hear–that is the reason why they are so lean in grace.

Pray unto God to enlighten your understandings, to quicken your devotion, to warm your affections–that by meditation on holy things . . .
  you may be made more holy,
  you may have your lusts more mortified,
  you may have your graces more increased,
  you may better behold the vanity of the world, 
  you may lifted up to Heaven and eternal realities.

“Meditate upon these things.” 1 Timothy 4:15

    ~  ~  ~  ~

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

God is everywhere!

(Don Fortner)

“The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.” Proverbs 15:3

God is everywhere by His power–upholding, maintaining, sustaining all things, and performing with His own hands the works of His eternal purpose in all places. 

God is everywhere by his providence–taking care of and governing all His creatures, executing in all places at the same time His everlasting decrees.

God is everywhere by His omniscience–beholding all things, all places, all events, all people, even the secrets of the hearts of all men at one time.

“His eyes are on the ways of men; He sees their every step. There is no dark place, no deep shadow, where evildoers can hide.” Job 34:21-22

“For a man’s ways are in full view of the LORD, and He examines all his paths.” Proverbs  5:21

“My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from Me, nor is their sin concealed from My eyes.” Jeremiah 16:17 

“Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him? Do not I fill Heaven and earth?” Jeremiah 23:24

“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.” Hebrews 4:13

“O LORD, You have searched me and You know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; You perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; You are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue You know it completely, O LORD. You hem me in–behind and before; You have laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain!” Psalm 139:1-6 

  ~  ~  ~  ~ 

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

If you saw Christ standing beside you all the time

(J.R. Miller, “Intimate Letters on Personal Problems”)

Scripture says of Moses, that “he endured as seeing Him who is invisible!” Hebrews 11:27. That is, Moses always remembered that God was right beside him, his friend to help him–and this made him strong. He did not actually see God–but it was as if he saw Him. That is, he realized the divine presence in all of his life.

If you saw Christ standing beside you all the time–it would not be hard for you to keep sweet, or to keep control of your temper and speech. 

Well, Christ IS beside you–just as really as He was beside Mary when she sat at His feet in Bethany, or beside Peter and the other disciples as they walked together over the hills of Judea and Galilee. What you need, is to realize this fact. 

We know that Jesus is present with us all the time, at every moment, by day or by night. He is closer than any human friend can be to us. Indeed, we are to practice His presence–that is, we are to live all the time, as if we actually saw Him!

You must remember that Christ is always beside you, not only to see you–but to help you, as your truest and best Friend!

  ~  ~  ~  ~ 

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

December 31, 1855

(James Smith, “Marvelous Mercy!” 1862)

The following is an excerpt from the diary of James Smith:

December 31, 1855. 
The last day of the year 1855–a year characterized by . . .
  many severe trials, 
  many sore temptations, 
  and innumerable mercies. 

In some things, it closes differently to what I expected–but how differently it may have closed! 

I might have been in Hell! O terrible thought! 

I might have been on a sick bed, tormented with excruciating pain, or reduced to a state of infantile weakness. 

I might have been in great and sore troubles, tossed with tempests, and not comforted. 

I might have been without a pastorate–and without a loving people. 

Or I might have been guilty of some heinous sin, lost my character, and been a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth!

Blessed, forever blessed be the Lord–that such is not my case! 
My health is good, 
my hope in Christ is steady, 
my congregation good, and 
I trust the Lord will yet work a great work by me. 

And now, Lord, I desire to confess before you the sins of this past year: 
  I have sinned with my tongue–and with my temper. 
  I have sinned in my heart–and in my life. 
  I have omitted duties. 
  I have committed sins. 
  My motives have often been impure. 
  My aims have not been sufficiently high and holy.
  I have been impatient, fretful, irritable, rash, jealous, envious, discontented and ungrateful. 

O may the blood of Jesus wash out every stain! 

I renounce all hope–but what centers in Jesus!

I have no refuge, no hiding-place, no strong tower, no place of safety–but Jesus. 

Christ in His person, 
Christ in His finished work, 
Christ in His glorious intercession–
is all my hope, all my confidence, all my joy!

I am His servant–and wish to serve Him alone. 
I am His subject–and wish to be ruled by Him alone. 
I am His purchased property–and wish to be consecrated entirely, eternally, and altogether to Him!

  ~  ~  ~  ~ 

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

   ~  ~  ~  ~

Good morning,

Memorial Day is just a week away.

A memorial is an object which serves as a focus for memory of something, usually a person (who has died) or an event. The most common type of memorial is the gravestone or the memorial plaque. Also common are war memorials commemorating those who have died in wars.

God has given us many memorials. This week we will look at five of them.

The Lord’s Supper, the Rainbow, the Passover, the Feast of Tabernacles, and the Feast of Purim.

5.  The feast of Purim 

The fifth memorial can be found in Esther 9:28. 

“And that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city; and that these days of Purim should not fail from among the Jews, nor the memorial of them perish from their seed.”  (Esther 9:28) 

In the book of Esther you may remember that Mordecai refused to bow to Haman, who was the king’s favorite. As a result, Haman made plans to massacre the Jews on a fixed date. Mordecai went to Esther and persuaded her to intercede with the king. Esther invited the king and Haman to a banquet. At the banquet Esther reveals Haman’s plans to massacre the Jews, and Haman is hanged on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Since the edict for the massacre cannot be revoked, the king sends a edict allowing the Jews to defend themselves. The Jews take advantage of this to kill their enemies. The deliverance is commemorated at the feast of Purim.

The special feast continues to be celebrated by Jews to this day to celebrate their deliverance from Haman’s destruction through Queen Esther’s actions. So it is a self-proclaimed memorial to the Jews to this very day. During the Purim, the Esther scroll is read aloud in the synagogues.

Other festivals were ordained by Divine authority this one was initiated by Mordecai and Esther. Yet its commemoration was undoubtedly sanctioned by God whose merciful interposition it records.

CONCLUSION:

So what we can learn from this is not so much the memorial that the Jews proclaimed, but rather the fact that God is a protector and deliverer of those who look to him and trust in him. It is a memorial to illustrate the Graciousness of God.

Memorials are for:

Remembrance

Worship

Learning

Teaching

Good morning,

Memorial Day is just a week away.

A memorial is an object which serves as a focus for memory of something, usually a person (who has died) or an event. The most common type of memorial is the gravestone or the memorial plaque. Also common are war memorials commemorating those who have died in wars.

God has given us many memorials. This week we will look at five of them.

The Lord’s Supper, the Rainbow, the Passover, the Feast of Tabernacles, and the Feast of Purim.

4.  Feast of the Tabernacles

The fourth memorial is found in found in Leviticus 23:39-43.

“Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the Lord seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath.⁴⁰ And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days.⁴¹ And ye shall keep it a feast unto the Lord seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month.⁴² Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths: ⁴³ That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”  (Leviticus 23:39-43) 

This is talking about the Feast of the Tabernacles. It fell in the Autumn when the full harvest of corn, wine and oil had been gathered in. It was the last great feast of the year. It was a time of rejoicing and thanksgiving when Israel showed their gratitude to God and remembered that He had delivered them from Egyptian bondage and brought them into a land which produced so many good things.

It came five days after the Day of Atonement when the sin of the people had been removed. During the seven days of the feast Israel dwelt in booths or tents made from the boughs of trees. It would remind them of the 40 years in the wilderness when they dwelt in tents, the This is talking about the Feast of the Tabernacles.

The feast pointed forward to the full harvest and the result of Christ’s work during the Millennium. It will be at this time that the whole earth will rejoice with Israel and keep the feast of Tabernacles. 

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

Memorial Day is just a week away.

A memorial is an object which serves as a focus for memory of something, usually a person (who has died) or an event. The most common type of memorial is the gravestone or the memorial plaque. Also common are war memorials commemorating those who have died in wars.

God has given us many memorials. This week we will look at five of them.

The Lord’s Supper, the Rainbow, the Passover, the Feast of Tabernacles, and the Feast of Purim.

MEMORIALS

1. The Lord’s Supper

The first memorial we are considering in this list is found in Luke 22:19-20. 

“And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.²⁰ Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.”  (Luke 22:19-20) 

Of course the greatest memorial of them all is the Lord’s Supper which is a reminder of the broken body and shed blood of Christ.

The Communion service is a service of remembrance. It is the equivalent of the Passover feast under the Law of Moses. The Communion takes us back to our salvation from sin through Christ, which was made possible on the cross and to which we became related by baptism. Keeping this commandment is therefore something we naturally want to do.

2.  The Rainbow

The second memorial can be found in Genesis chapter 9:12-17.

“And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:¹³ I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.¹⁴ And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud:¹⁵ And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.¹⁶ And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.¹⁷ And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth.” (Genesis 9:12-17)

The memorial is the rainbow, and it is a reminder that God would never again destroy the world by a flood.

In the verses in the above quote, the rainbow is described as a token of the covenant. So God is saying that whenever he sees this sign or monument in the sky, it will remind him of the covenant between him and every living creature on the earth. In other words, it is a memorial not only for God but also for us. Whenever we see the rainbow it is to remind us of the covenant, that never again will there be a flood to destroy all life on the earth.     

3. The Passover

The third memorial is found in Exodus 12:11-14. In the verse leading up to these verse the Israelites are told to take an unblemished lamb and kill it. They shall take the blood from it and place it on the side and tops of the door frames of the houses where they should eat the lamb.

“For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord.¹³ And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.¹⁴ And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.”

So the Passover was important as a memorial to the Israelites as it reminded them:

1. God’s separation of His people from the Gentiles.

2. God’s protection of His people.

3. God’s deliverance of His people.

4. God’s requirements of His people, that is, dedication to Him.

5. God’s commandment to them to keep the feast annually to remind them of all God had done for them.

4.  Feast of the Tabernacles

The fourth memorial is found in found in Leviticus 23:39-43.

“Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the Lord seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath.⁴⁰ And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days.⁴¹ And ye shall keep it a feast unto the Lord seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month.⁴² Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths: ⁴³ That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”  (Leviticus 23:39-43) 

This is talking about the Feast of the Tabernacles. It fell in the Autumn when the full harvest of corn, wine and oil had been gathered in. It was the last great feast of the year. It was a time of rejoicing and thanksgiving when Israel showed their gratitude to God and remembered that He had delivered them from Egyptian bondage and brought them into a land which produced so many good things.

It came five days after the Day of Atonement when the sin of the people had been removed. During the seven days of the feast Israel dwelt in booths or tents made from the boughs of trees. It would remind them of the 40 years in the wilderness when they dwelt in tents, the This is talking about the Feast of the Tabernacles.

The feast pointed forward to the full harvest and the result of Christ’s work during the Millennium. It will be at this time that the whole earth will rejoice with Israel and keep the feast of Tabernacles. 

5.  The feast of Purim 

The fifth memorial can be found in Esther 9:28. 

“And that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city; and that these days of Purim should not fail from among the Jews, nor the memorial of them perish from their seed.”  (Esther 9:28) 

In the book of Esther you may remember that Mordecai refused to bow to Haman, who was the king’s favorite. As a result, Haman made plans to massacre the Jews on a fixed date. Mordecai went to Esther and persuaded her to intercede with the king. Esther invited the king and Haman to a banquet. At the banquet Esther reveals Haman’s plans to massacre the Jews, and Haman is hanged on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Since the edict for the massacre cannot be revoked, the king sends a edict allowing the Jews to defend themselves. The Jews take advantage of this to kill their enemies. The deliverance is commemorated at the feast of Purim.

The special feast continues to be celebrated by Jews to this day to celebrate their deliverance from Haman’s destruction through Queen Esther’s actions. So it is a self-proclaimed memorial to the Jews to this very day. During the Purim, the Esther scroll is read aloud in the synagogues.

Other festivals were ordained by Divine authority this one was initiated by Mordecai and Esther. Yet its commemoration was undoubtedly sanctioned by God whose merciful interposition it records.

CONCLUSION:

So what we can learn from this is not so much the memorial that the Jews proclaimed, but rather the fact that God is a protector and deliverer of those who look to him and trust in him. It is a memorial to illustrate the Graciousness of God.

Memorials are for:

Remembrance

Worship

Learning

Teaching

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

Memorial Day is just a week away.

A memorial is an object which serves as a focus for memory of something, usually a person (who has died) or an event. The most common type of memorial is the gravestone or the memorial plaque. Also common are war memorials commemorating those who have died in wars.

God has given us many memorials. This week we will look at five of them.

The Lord’s Supper, the Rainbow, the Passover, the Feast of Tabernacles, and the Feast of Purim.

3. The Passover

The third memorial is found in Exodus 12:11-14. In the verse leading up to these verses the Israelites are told to take an unblemished lamb and kill it. They shall take the blood from it and place it on the side and tops of the door frames of the houses where they should eat the lamb.

“For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord.¹³ And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.¹⁴ And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.”

So the Passover was important as a memorial to the Israelites as it reminded them:

1. God’s separation of His people from the Gentiles.

2. God’s protection of His people.

3. God’s deliverance of His people.

4. God’s requirements of His people, that is, dedication to Him.

5. God’s commandment to them to keep the feast annually to remind them of all God had done for them.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001