Archives for 2020

Good morning,

What does it mean to be content?

This devotional will challenge our desire to be content. We may choose to be content or discontent. It depends on how we view our God.

Discontent!

(Arthur Pink, “Comfort for Christians”)

“I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” Philippians 4:11

Contentment is the being satisfied with the sovereign dispensations of God’s providence. It is the opposite of murmuring, which is the spirit of rebellion–the clay saying to the Potter, “Why have You made me thus?” Instead of complaining at his lot–a contented man is thankful that his condition and circumstances are no worse than they are.

Discontent! Was there ever a time when there was so much discontent and restlessness in the world, as there is today? We very much doubt it. Despite our boasted progress, the vast increase of wealth, the time and money expended daily in pleasure–discontent is everywhere! No class is exempt. Everything is in a state of flux, and almost everybody is dissatisfied. Many even among God’s own people are affected with the evil spirit of this age.

Contentment! Is such a thing realizable, or is it nothing more than a beautiful ideal, a mere dream of the poet? Is it attainable on earth, or is it restricted to the inhabitants of Heaven? If feasible here and now–may it be retained, or are a few brief moments or hours of contentment the most that we may expect in this life?

The force of Paul’s statement will be better appreciated, if his condition and circumstances at the time he made it, are kept in mind. When the apostle wrote the words, he was not luxuriating in a special suite in the Emperor’s palace–but was in prison “in chains”. The contentment which Paul enjoyed, was not the result of congenial and comfortable surroundings. Most people suppose that contentment is impossible, unless one can have the desires of the carnal heart gratified. A prison is the last place to which they would go, if they were seeking a contented man. This much, then, is clear–contentment comes from within and not without; it must be sought from God, not in creature comforts.

Now, there is a vast difference between precept and practice, between the ideal and the realization. But in the case of Paul, contentment was an actual experience! It was something he had learned in the school of Christian experience.

“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said–Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5
   ~  ~  ~  ~

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

Sheep need a shepherd.

Believer’s in Christ are sheep and Christ is our Shepherd.

This devotional will tell us our responsibilities as sheep and Christ’s responsibilities as the Shepherd.

My sheep!

(James Smith)

“My sheep hear My voice, I know them, and they follow Me.
 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish–ever!
 No one will snatch them out of My hand!” John 10:27-28 

All of Christ’s sheep know Him, love Him and follow Him.
They all somewhat possess His disposition: He was meek and humble in heart.
Are you one of Christ’s sheep? Are you following after the Good Shepherd? If so, He will lead you, feed you, protect you and save you.
Your person, life, comforts, and eternal safety–are committed to His care.

He loved His sheep more than His own life–He laid down His life for them!

He searches and seeks out His sheep wherever they stray.

He feeds His flock. He cares for His sheep more than for all the world beside. He feeds them in the most suitable pasture, and leads them in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

O view Jesus as your Shepherd! Expect Him to lead you, feed you, enfold you and present you to His Father with exceeding joy. Cleave to Him; let nothing tempt you to leave His feet, His flock or His fold. He will never leave you–nor will He ever forsake you.

“He will feed His flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in His arms, holding them close to His heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young!” Isaiah 40:11
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Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

This devotion challenges us to look at ourselves for fulfillment in life or fulfillment through Christ’s work in our lives.

We are failures in our own power, but complete when God has control of our lives.

There is a contrast of wickedness and holiness.

All that we see within is foul, ugly, and grim!

(Frank Hall)

“You are complete in Him!” Colossians 2:10

Oh desponding Christian, is not your grief caused by looking within yourself? Is not that miserable feeling of failure and disappointment, caused by your strange fixation upon your hollow heart of iniquity? You look within, hoping to find something good, something pure, something precious, something clean–but what do you see? Nothing but sin! To stare into one’s self–is to stare into a bottomless pit of despair and hopelessness! “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked!” Jeremiah 17:9

Will we ever learn this? There is nothing within us to give us hope, rest, or peace. Have we ever found anything within us that gave us joy? Of course not! Then why do we continue to stare into the darkness? All that we see within is foul, ugly, and grim! One glance within ought to sicken us. We would sooner find diamonds in a dunghill or roses growing in a sewer–than find goodness dwelling within!

In ourselves we are sinful, guilty, and vile! But bless God forever!
Our standing before God is not in ourselves; it’s in Christ! He is . . .
  our Salvation,
  our Righteousness,
  our Hope,
  our Holiness, and
  our Acceptance with God!

Change the direction of your gaze–and look up! Stop staring into the empty void of your heart–and fix your eyes upon Jesus your Lord, in whom all fullness dwells. Our hope is not within, but without, seated at the right hand of the Father! Lift up your head that is bowed down with guilt and shame! Behold Christ your Savior! Behold your glorious Redeemer! Bid sorrow goodbye and fear depart! Rejoice, for “You are complete in Him!”

Believers are perfect in Christ. To be complete in Christ is to be perfect in Christ. Perfect is not something that we will be, or strive to be–but something that we are right now, by virtue of our eternal union with God’s darling Son.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we are, by the free grace of God, complete in Christ our Savior!
We lack nothing!
All that He is–we are in Him!
All that He has–we have in Him!
All that He has done–we’ve done in Him!
We possess the infinite fullness of eternal life and everlasting salvation in Jesus Christ our Lord!

We are completely righteous in Him!
We are completely holy in Him!
We are completely forgiven in Him!
We are completely accepted in Him!
We are completely, everlastingly, perfectly sinless in Him!

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus!” Hebrews 12:2

“For every look at SELF–take ten looks at CHRIST!” Robert Murray M’Cheyne
   ~  ~  ~  ~

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

Sometimes we forget the greatness of our God. In every circumstance we can go to Him. He is all knowing, ever present, and all powerful. Charles Spurgeon shares this with us in today’s devotion.

All that He has, and all that He is, is theirs

(Charles Spurgeon)

“I will be their God.” Jeremiah 31:33

Child of God, let me urge you to make use of your God. Make use of him in prayer; I beseech you, go to Him often, because He is your God. He has made Himself over to you, and He has become the property of all His children, so that all that He has, and all that He is, is theirs. O child of God, will you let your treasury lie idle, when you need it? No! go and draw from it by prayer.

Fly to Him, tell Him all your needs. Use Him constantly by faith, at all times.

Oh! I beseech you, if some dark providence has come over you–use your God as a sun, for He is a sun.

If some strong enemy has come out against you–use your God for a shield, for He is a shield to protect you.

If you have lost your way in the mazes of life–use Him for a guide, for the great Jehovah will direct you.

If you are in storms–use Him, for He is the God who stills the raging of the sea, and says unto the waves, “Be still.”

If you are a poor thing, knowing not which way to turn–use Him for a shepherd, for the Lord is your Shepherd, and you shall not want.

Whatever you are, and wherever you are, remember that God is just what you need. I beseech you, then, make use of your God!
 ~  ~  ~  ~

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

This week we will begin a ten week series on the Old Testament foundation stones. These are the bedrock for what we believe. Without an understanding and obedience to these teachings, no one can correctly understand the rest of the Bible. Including our salvation.

Our study will encompass the whole book of Genesis 1-50 and Exodus 1-12.

We begin with an introduction to the Old Testament, things to know about the Old Testament, and the eight foundation stones.

What we will be studying

a. Week 1: Genesis 1 Creation In the beginning God… (Gen 1:1)

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

b. Week 2: Genesis 3 Fall of man …and he did eat (Gen 3:6)

And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

c. Week 3: Genesis 6 The flood And the Lord said, I will destroy            man… (Gen 6:7)

And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.

d. Week 4: Genesis 12 Abraham So Abram departed (Gen 12:4)

So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.

e. Week 5: Genesis 24 Isaac And the Lord appeared unto Isaac… (Gen 26:24)

And the Lord appeared unto him the same night, and said, I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham’s sake.

f. Week 6: Genesis 28 Jacob And, behold, I am with you…(Gen 28:15)

And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.

 g. Week 7: Genesis 37 Joseph And the Lord was with Joseph… (Gen 39:2)

And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.

 h. Week 8: Exodus 12 …and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel,  and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door,… (Ex 12:23)

For the Lord will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the Lord will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.

i. Week 9: CONCLUSION

This will be an exciting study. We will learn many things that will help us to understand what and why we believe.

These foundation stones are crucial to correctly tell others about their heritage.

Join us and bring others. We meet in the meeting at the Wasilla Area Seniors, Inc, Wednesday mornings at 10 am.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

This week we will begin a ten week series on the Old Testament foundation stones. These are the bedrock for what we believe. Without an understanding and obedience to these teachings, no one can correctly understand the rest of the Bible. Including our salvation.

Our study will encompass the whole book of Genesis 1-50 and Exodus 1-12.

We begin with an introduction to the Old Testament, things to know about the Old Testament, and the eight foundation stones.

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. Genesis 1:1

INTRO:  OT books are the foundation for our understanding of the NT.

MAKEUP OF THE OLD TESTAMENT

1. 39 books

Pentateuch (First 5 books: Law-Redemptive-Historical)

Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy

Last 12 books Historical

Joshua Judges Ruth 1-2 Samuel 1-2 Kings 1-2 Chronicles

Ezra Nehemiah Esther

         b. 5 Poetry (Experiential-personal, dealing with the human heart)

            Job Psalms Proverbs Ecclesiastes Song of Solomon

        c.  17 Prophetical (5 major 12 minor prophets)

Major Prophets: Isaiah Jeremiah Lamentations Ezekiel Daniel

Minor prophets: Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah Malachi

2. Things to know about the OT

         a. Inspired by God (2 Tim 3:16) All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

        b. The OT was written mostly in Hebrew with a few passages in Aramaic

         c. Testament means covenant.  Old covenant is of the Law.

         d. 929 chapters, 23,214 verses, and 592,439 words.

         e. Middle book Proverbs, middle chapter Job 29, middle verse 2 

             Chronicles 20:17

3. What we will be studying

       a. Week 1: Genesis 1 Creation In the beginning God… (Gen 1:1)

       b. Week 2: Genesis 3 Fall of man …and he did eat (Gen 3:6)

       c. Week 3: Genesis 6 The flood And the Lord said, I will destroy 

            man… (Gen 6:7)

       d. Week 4: Genesis 12 Abraham So Abram departed (Gen 12:4)

       e. Week 5: Genesis 24 Isaac And the Lord appeared unto Isaac…

          (Gen 26:24)

       f. Week 6: Genesis 28 Jacob And, behold, I am with you…(Gen 28:15)

       g. Week 7: Genesis 37 Joseph And the Lord was with Joseph…

            (Gen 39:2)

       h. Week 8: Exodus 12 …and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door,…  

            (Ex 12:23)

       i. Week 9: CONCLUSION

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

This week we will begin a ten week series on the Old Testament foundation stones. These are the bedrock for what we believe. Without an understanding and obedience to these teachings, no one can correctly understand the rest of the Bible. Including our salvation.

Our study will encompass the whole book Genesis 1-50 and Exodus 1-12.

We begin with an introduction to the Old Testament, things to know about the Old Testament, and the eight foundation stones.

Things to know about the OT

         a. Inspired by God (2 Tim 3:16)

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:”

        b. The OT was written mostly in Hebrew with a few passages in Aramaic

         c. Testament means covenant.  Old covenant is of the Law.

         d. 929 chapters, 23,214 verses, and 592,439 words.

         e. Middle book Proverbs, middle chapter Job 29, middle verse 2 Chronicles 20:17

“Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you.” (2 Chronicles 20:17)

What a great verse for the middle verse of the Old Testament. God is with us in all our battles. He protects us, encourages us, and sustains us in every situation.

God inspired His word. He expects us to use it. When we do, we will understand His word, we will know when we have done wrong (reproof), we know how to correct our error, and we will understand what it means to be righteous. We will be fully armed for whatever the devil throws at us.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

This week we will begin a ten week series on the Old Testament foundation stones. These are the bedrock for what we believe. Without an understanding and obedience to these teachings, no one can correctly understand the rest of the Bible. Including our salvation.

Our study will encompass the whole book of Genesis 1-50 and Exodus 1-12.

We begin with an introduction to the Old Testament, things to know about the Old Testament, and the eight foundation stones.

MAKEUP OF THE OLD TESTAMENT

1. 39 books a.17 Historical

Pentateuch (First 5 books: Law-Redemptive-Historical)

Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy

Last 12 books Historical

Joshua Judges Ruth 1-2 Samuel 1-2 Kings 1-2 Chronicles

Ezra Nehemiah Esther

         b. 5 Poetry (Experiential-personal, dealing with the human heart)

              Job Psalms Proverbs Ecclesiastes Song of Solomon

          c.  17 Prophetical (5 major 12 minor prophets)

Major Prophets: Isaiah Jeremiah Lamentations Ezekiel Daniel

Minor prophets: Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah Malachi

If you have never read the Old Testament, I would encourage you to do so. Besides the Foundation Stones, there are great stories of love, war, kings and queens, obedience and disobedience to God, and pictures of the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ. A man is swallowed by a whale and lives. A man loses his family, wealth, and possessions in one day. He suffers physically, he is berated by his wife and friends. In the end he is given double what he lost. A king who committed adultery and is called a man after God’s own heart. A Moabite woman marries a Jewish man and in a few generations the Messiah Jesus is born.

The Old Testament is a book of excitement and wonder.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

Many shows we watch on TV are not friendly to origins of man. Some claim that it took billions of years for the world and mankind to come into being.

I hold in my hand the testimony of the Creator. God tells us step by step how the world came into being. The process was simple. God spoke it, Jesus made it, and the Holy Spirit breathed life into it.

If we do not know the truth, we could easily be persuaded to believe the lie of evolution.

This week we will look at the Creation of our world. We will look at who God is and how He completed His creative work.

What did God do?

Made fowls of the air and sea creatures (1:20-23) (Day five)

And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.²¹ And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good. ²² And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.²³ And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

Made cattle, creeping things, man and woman (1:24-31) (Day six)

²⁴ And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.²⁵ And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.²⁶ And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.²⁷ So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.²⁸ And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.²⁹ And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.³⁰ And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.³¹ And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.”

We learned yesterday that God created an infrastructure to sustain His created beings.

Today we learn about those created creatures. All forms of living creatures. Animals, sea life, fowls of the air, and man and woman.

God completed all His creative acts in six literal 24 hour days. Then He rested.

God rested and blessed the seventh day (Genesis 2:1-3) (Day 7)

“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. ² And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.³ And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.”

God’s word is the truth. Please do not allow unbelievers or believers with corrupted doctrine, to turn you away from the truth of creation according to Genesis 1.

God said it and that’s good enough for me.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

Many shows we watch on TV are not friendly to origins of man. Some claim that it took billions of years for the world and mankind to come into being.

I hold in my hand the testimony of the Creator. God tells us step by step how the world came into being. The process was simple. God spoke it, Jesus made it, and the Holy Spirit breathed life into it.

If we do not know the truth, we could easily be persuaded to believe the lie of evolution.

This week we will look at the Creation of our world. We will look at who God is and how He completed His creative work.

WHAT did God do?

Made a firmament and called it heaven (1:6-8) (Second Day)

“And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.⁷ And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.⁸ And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

Called the dry land Earth and the water seas God said let the Earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding its fruit after his kind (1:9-13) (Third day)

“And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.¹⁰ And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.¹¹ And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.¹² And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.¹³ And the evening and the morning were the third day.”                                                                                                 

Made the sun, moon, and stars (1:14-19) (Fourth day)

“And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:¹⁵ And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.¹⁶ And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.¹⁷ And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,¹⁸ And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.¹⁹ And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

God creates infrastructure on days two through four.

Day two He creates the atmospheric heaven.

Day three the earth, seas, grass, herb yielding seeds, fruit tree yielding fruit. Nourishment for the animals and the humans He will create on days five and six.

Day four the sun, moon, and stars. This enabled His creation to see, plant and harvest crops, and determine time. The phrase “And the evening and the morning were the…day.”, denotes a measure of time.

So far God has created everything to sustain life.

Next God creates sea life, wildlife, man and woman.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001