Good morning,

One of the exciting things I am involved in is the Senior Ambassador program. Senior Ambassadors represent the Wasilla Area Seniors at different community activities to share with them, who we are, why seniors are important members of our community, and how they might be able to help us.  Attending Borough and City government meetings is very important. This is where we have opportunity to influence issues important to seniors.

As we think about government, you may have a positive or negative attitude. However, the Bible teaches us that we are to be subject to those who rule over us. Our country has representative government. Those we elect are empowered to represent us in whatever position they were elected.

Romans 13:1-7, says, “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. ² Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. ³ For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: ⁴ For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. ⁵ Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. ⁶ For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. ⁷ Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.”

Jesus told the religious leaders in Matthew 22:17-21, “ Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not? ¹⁸ But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? ¹⁹ Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny. ²⁰ And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? ²¹ They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.”

The Bible also makes it clear that we should obey God rather than man. Remember when the religious leaders told the Apostles they could not preach about Jesus. They cast them into prison. God opened the prison door and they went out and continued to preach. Acts 5:28-32 states, “²⁸ Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us. ²⁹ Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. ³⁰ The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. ³¹ Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. ³² And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.

So what is the place of government from God’s point of view?

• Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.
• Pay our taxes
• When moral issues arise, we ought to obey God rather than men

Join us at a Council or Borough meeting. You might be surprised what your representatives are doing.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

 

 

 

Good morning,

Sunday mornings, I conduct the opening exercises for our church. I always ask God what song He would like us to sing. Yesterday it was Blessed Assurance. The following is the back round of the song and author.

The hymn “Blessed Assurance” was written by Fanny J. Crosby and composed by Phoebe P. Knapp. The scripture reference is found in Hebrews 10: 22 “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.”

The Scriptures teach that we can know with absolute certainty that we have the life of God within us (1 John 4:13). This confidence is not based on inner feelings or outward signs. Rather, this “blessed assurance” is founded upon the promises of a faithful God and this inspired Word. It depends not on the amount of our faith but on the object of our faith–Christ Himself!

Though she become blind at six weeks of age through improper medical treatment, Fanny Crosby wrote more than eight thousand gospel song texts in her lifetime of ninety-five years. Her many favorites such as “Blessed Assurance” have been an important part of evangelical worship for the past century.

Often the themes for Fanny Crosby’s texts were suggested by visiting ministers who wished to have a new song on a particular subject. As she once said, “Our home is a beehive of activity with so many friends dropping in and requesting a new hymn for some special occasion.”

At other times musician friends would first compose the music and then ask Fanny for matching words. Such was the prompting for the hymn “Blessed Assurance.” One day Mrs. Joseph (Phoebe) Knapp, who was an amateur musician, the daughter of a noted Methodist evangelist, and a close personal friend, visited Fanny in her New York home.

“Oh Fanny, I have had a new melody racing through my mind for some time now, and I just can’t think of anything else. Let me play it for you and perhaps you can help me with the words.”

After kneeling in prayer and clutching her little Bible, the blind poetess stood to her feet with face aglow: “Why, that music says,”Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine! O what a foretaste of glory divine. . . .””

Soon the words began to flow from her heart, and there was born another of the more than eight thousand gospel hymns by this godly woman, the “queen of gospel music.” And still today our hearts are inspired and our spirits lifted as we sing this musical testimony together.

First Stanza of the Hymn
“Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.”

Chorus:
“This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.”

Do you have this “Blessed Assurance”? You can by trusting Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior.

Have a blessed day.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

Good morning,

Jeremiah, the prophet, preached to Judah to repent. They refused and Jeremiah 6:15-19 tells how they rejected God’s patient call to repent. Subsequently they were taken into captivity by the Babylonians. Jerusalem was destroyed, the Temple burnt, and the people exiled. Yet Jeremiah continued to preach.

“Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the Lord. ¹⁶ Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, we will not walk therein. ¹⁷ Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, we will not hearken. ¹⁸ Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation, what is among them. ¹⁹ Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it.”

This is one of the saddest and scariest passages in all of Scripture. When Israel chose to willfully rebel against God, they brought judgment upon themselves. God sent many prophets to warn them, but they said “NO”. What is even worse, today we have God’s revealed word given to us in the Bible. God is calling this generation to repent, but we, as Israel did, reject God’s word. We are setting ourselves up for judgment.

Please repent of your sins and ask Jesus to be your personal Lord and Savior. I would be very willing to help in that effort.

Remember our lessons on God’s goodness. Choose to follow Christ.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

 

Good morning,

God is good. I would hope we could all agree on that. How is God’s goodness expressed in the Scriptures? Today we will explore God’s word and find out. Yesterday we looked at the recipients of the Lord’s goodness. Today we will see that we have goodness. Goodness is defined as uprightness of heart and life, goodness, kindness. We will see examples of this in today’s Scriptures.

Personal Goodness

• 2 Chronicles 32:32 Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and his goodness, behold, they are written in the vision of Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, and in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.
• 2 Chronicles 35:26 Now the rest of the acts of Josiah, and his goodness, according to that which was written in the law of the Lord,
• Romans 15:14 And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.
• Ephesians 5:9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
• 2 Thessalonians 1:11 Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power:

Hezekiah and Josiah, righteous King’s of Israel, exemplified uprightness of heart and kindness toward their people. Paul, after teaching about sin, salvation, sanctification, and victory over sin, tells the Roman’s that because of what they had been taught, they were full of goodness, were filled with knowledge, and needed to admonish one another.

I hope this study on goodness has been an encouragement to you. Please feel free to share it with your friends and families.

Have a wonderful day.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

 

Good morning,

God is good. I would hope we could all agree on that. How is God’s goodness expressed in the Scriptures? Today we will explore God’s word and find out. Yesterday we looked at the Lord’s goodness. Today we will see who are the recipients of the Lord’s goodness.

Goodness to:

• 2 Samuel 7:28 And now, O Lord God, thou art that God, and thy words be true, and thou hast promised this goodness unto thy servant:
• 1 Chronicles 17:26 And now,Lord, thou art God, and hast promised this goodness unto thy servant:
• Psalm 23:6 Surelygoodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. (David)
• Psalm 68:10 Thy congregation hath dwelt therein: thou, O God, hast prepared of thy goodness for the poor.
• Psalm 107:8-9 Oh that men would praise theLord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.
• Isaiah 63:7 I will mention the loving-kindnesses of the Lord, and the praises of theLord, according to all that the Lord hath bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his loving-kindnesses.
• Jeremiah 31:14 And I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, saith the Lord.

God showers His goodness to His servants, David, the poor, the longing and hungry soul, Israel, and to My people. This should be an encouragement to you and me.

Tomorrow, we will look at our personal goodness. As we study this topic, ask God to make His goodness real to us.

Have a blessed day.

Tom Stearns, WASI, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

God is good. I would hope we could all agree on that. How is God’s goodness expressed in the Scriptures? Today we will explore God’s word and find out.

 The Lord’s Goodness

• Exodus 33:19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.
• Exodus 34:6 And theLord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,
• Numbers 10:32 And it shall be, if thou go with us, yea, it shall be, that whatgoodness the Lord shall do unto us, the same will we do unto thee.
• 1 Kings 8:66 On the eighth day he sent the people away: and they blessed the king, and went unto their tents joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that the Lord had done for David his servant, and for Israel his people.
• 2 Chronicles 7:10 And on the three and twentieth day of the seventh month he sent the people away into their tents, glad and merry in heart for the goodness that the Lord had showed unto David, and to Solomon, and to Israel his people.
• Psalm 27:13 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
• Psalm 33:5 He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
• Psalm 52:1 Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth continually.
• Romans 2:4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

Hopefully this has helped you see the Lord’s goodness. Meditate on these Scriptures. Go back and read the verses in context.

Tomorrow, we will look at who God showers His goodness upon.

Have a blessed day.

Tom Stearns, WASI, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

Jeremiah, the prophet, was known, sanctified, and ordained to be a prophet while he was still in the womb. He would preach to Judah and would call them to repent. They refused and subsequently were taken into captivity by the Babylonians. Jerusalem was destroyed, the Temple burnt, and the people exiled. Yet Jeremiah preached.

JEREMIAH’S CALL VERSES 4-5

 Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, ⁵ Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

JEREMIAH’S EXCUSES AND GOD’S REPONSE VERSES 6-8

⁶ Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child. ⁷ But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.⁸ Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord.

GOD PUTS HIS WORD IN JEREMIAH’S MOUTH VERSES 9-10

⁹ Then the Lord put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth. ¹⁰ See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.

WHAT DOES THIS PASSAGE TEACH US?

• God can call anyone, at any time, for any reason to serve Him
• No one is too young to serve the Lord
• When God calls you to service, He will deliver you
• God will give you His Word, the Bible, to use in ministry
• God gives specific missions

Are you ready and willing to serve God? God is looking for laborers.

Have a great day.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

We come to the climax of our study of life. Today is decision day. There is a clear choice between life and death. We have studied it from many different perspectives. However, we are the only ones that can choose. No one can choose for us. Please consider seriously about what you read today. It truly is a matter of life and death.

 Eternal Life

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

1 John 5:12-13  He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. ¹³ These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

Eternal Death

Revelation 1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

Revelation 19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

Revelation 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

Revelation 21:1-2, 27 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. ² And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. ²⁷ And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Revelation 20:13-15 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.¹⁴ And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.¹⁵ And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

God sent Jesus Christ from heaven to earth to pay the sin debt for mankind. The payment needed was the blood of a spotless lamb. Jesus is that spotless Lamb. Had Jesus only died and shed His blood, this would have been the same as all the animal sacrifices in the past. Jesus not only died, but He resurrected from the dead, seen by over 500 individuals, and then ascended back to Heaven to be with God the Father. No other spiritual leader EVER has done that.

Please make the decision to trust Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior.  Repent of you sins and by faith ask Jesus Christ to take control of your life. If you have read each of the devotions this week, it is evident the LIFE is in Jesus Christ. Rejection of Jesus Christ is DEATH and eternity spent with Satan and his demons in the lake of fire.

Now you must decide. Life or death.

CHOOSE LIFE

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

 

 

Good morning,

Day four on our study of life. As the Scripture verses below indicate, we have a choice to choose life with God or death without God.

Deuteronomy 30:15-16 See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil; In that I command thee this day to love the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the Lord thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.

Deuteronomy 30:19-20 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: ²⁰ That thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.

Proverbs 11:19 As righteousness tendeth to life: so he that pursueth evil pursueth it to his own death.

Proverbs 14:27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.

John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

Romans 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Jesus Christ gives life. When He died on the cross for our sins, resurrected from the dead, and ascended into heaven, He made a way for us to go from death to life.

Let us consider the pros and cons.

PROS: Good, walking with the Lord, knowing and obeying His commandments, may multiply, blessings, may dwell in the land, righteousness, fear of the Lord, everlasting life, reconciliation to God, and salvation.

CONS: Evil, cursing, snares, condemnation, and sin.

The preponderance of evidence is on the side of LIFE.

Your choice. CHOOSE LIFE!

If you are interested in being saved and going from death to life, please call or email me. Tomorrow we will explore Eternal Life and Eternal Death.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

Good morning,

The information below came from www.GotQuestions.org.

I found this information useful to our discussion of suicide in the Bible.

Question: “What is the Christian view of suicide? What does the Bible say about suicide?”

Answer: The Bible mentions six specific people who committed suicide: Abimelech (Judges 9:54), Saul (1 Samuel 31:4), Saul’s armor-bearer (1 Samuel 31:4–6), Ahithophel (2 Samuel 17:23), Zimri (1 Kings 16:18), and Judas (Matthew 27:5). Five of these men were noted for their wickedness (the exception is Saul’s armor-bearer—nothing is said of his character). Some consider Samson’s death an instance of suicide, because he knew his actions would lead to his death (Judges 16:26–31), but Samson’s goal was to kill Philistines, not himself.

The Bible views suicide as equal to murder, which is what it is—self-murder. God is the only one who is to decide when and how a person should die. We should say with the psalmist, “My times are in your hands” (Psalm 31:15).

God is the giver of life. He gives, and He takes away (Job 1:21). Suicide, the taking of one’s own life, is ungodly because it rejects God’s gift of life. No man or woman should presume to take God’s authority upon themselves to end his or her own life.

Some people in Scripture felt deep despair in life. Solomon, in his pursuit of pleasure, reached the point where he “hated life” (Ecclesiastes 2:17). Elijah was fearful and depressed and yearned for death (1 Kings 19:4). Jonah was so angry at God that he wished to die (Jonah 4:8). Even the apostle Paul and his missionary companions at one point “were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself” (2 Corinthians 1:8).

However, none of these men committed suicide. Solomon learned to “fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). Elijah was comforted by an angel, allowed to rest, and given a new commission. Jonah received admonition and rebuke from God. Paul learned that, although the pressure he faced was beyond his ability to endure, the Lord can bear all things: “This happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead” (2 Corinthians 1:9).

So, according to the Bible, suicide is a sin. It is not the “greatest” sin—it is no worse than other evils, in terms of how God sees it, and it does not determine a person’s eternal destiny. However, suicide definitely has a deep and lasting impact on those left behind. The painful scars left by a suicide do not heal easily. May God grant His grace to each one who is facing trials today (Psalm 67:1). And may each of us take hope in the promise, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13).

Conclusion:

• Suicide does not please God, the giver of life
• Men in the Bible have committed suicide
• Other men overcame their temptation to commit suicide and God greatly used them
• It is God’s desire that all men trust God as their personal Lord and Savior

Please make a study of this issue. Look and see who the men were that committed suicide and then the men that did not. Please refer back to the first two lessons as you study.

Tomorrow, we will look at life vs. death.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001