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

Good morning,

The last time you bought a big ticket item; did you go to the store and buy the first item you saw? Probably not. Usually, we do some research. We determine exactly what we need, our price range, and the features that we want. Then we shop around, either on the internet, papers, or brick and mortar stores.

Choosing a positive or negative approach to life has several similarities. Research is essential. What are the pros and cons of life? What are the benefits to living a positive life?

Yesterday we learned that God created heaven and earth. He also created man and woman. He equipped them with the ability to make choices. They chose to disobey God’s commandment. So sin enters the world and has increased exponentially.

So far it looks pretty bleak for mankind.

God sent Jesus to be the Author of life. Although things became progressively worse after that first sin, there were always righteous people on the earth. Think of Noah, Abraham, David, Solomon, and Hezekiah. Jesus was acting behind the scenes to orchestrate God’s plan for the ages.  Let us look at what the Bible records about Jesus.

Jesus is Life

 John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

John 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

John 11:25,26 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

1 John 5:20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

So what do we take away from this?

• Jesus is our sustenance
• Jesus is our light
• Jesus is the resurrection
• Jesus is the way and truth
• Jesus is the true God
• JESUS IS LIFE

Jesus is someone I would want to follow.

Tomorrow we explore six men who committed suicide in the Bible. Can any of you name all six?

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

This week we will be looking at the concept of life. Unfortunately, the moral fiber of our country has taken a steady progression downward. We have gone from a positive prospect on life, to a preoccupation with death.

During my lifetime, we have banned prayer in our schools, legislated mass killing of unborn babies, made drugs legal, and allowed diversity to the extent that the sanctity of marriage is no longer the norm.  One of the results is Alaska is one of the leading states for death from suicide.

These are all moral issues. Many young people have chosen suicide rather than life. There must be a reason to live. That is what we will explore this week.

Monday: God’s creation

Tuesday: Jesus is life

Wednesday: Suicide in the Bible

Thursday: Life vs. death

Friday: Eternal life

 God’s Creation

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

Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

Man’s Sin

Genesis 2:16-17 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: ¹⁷ But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Genesis 3:17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

Result of Man’s Sin

Genesis 3:22-23 And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever: ²³ Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.

God created man perfect. He placed him in a perfect garden, with perfect fruit, and no thorns or thistles. All was perfect until Adam rejected God’s command. This caused the first sin. It has been a downward spiral from there.

This is how and why there is wickedness in our world. Satan has deceived mankind into thinking evil is good, and good is evil. We have bought the lie, hook, line, and sinker.

The good news is that Jesus is Life. Come back tomorrow and discover what that means.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

Good morning,

Did you know that the Bible has medicinal properties? Specifically, a merry heart.

“A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.” (Proverbs 17:22)

“A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.” (Proverbs 15:13)

It is God’s desire that believers in Christ have a merry heart. When our heart is “merry”, it is a sign we our walking with God. We will always have a “merry heart” when we are obey God’s word and live within the center of God’s will. We do not want to live with dried bones or a broken spirit.

Trust Christ and have a merry heart today.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

Good morning,

Our mid-week Bible study is currently studying 1 Samuel. The approach is by personages, not topical. Today we looked at Eli and his sons Hophni and Phinehas. Eli’s sons did not know the Lord. They failed to obey and teach the Mosaic law to the children of Israel. This caused the children of Israel to transgress. For their failure to obey, God took the lives of Hophni and Phinehas.

Obedience to God and His word is vital for victory over Satan. Psalm 1 gives characteristics of the Godly and the ungodly. It comes down to life versus death.

Godly (1-3)

“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.² But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.³ And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”

Ungodly (4-6)

^“4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.⁵ Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.⁶ For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish. (Psalm 1:1-6)”

We have a choice to make. Do we obey the Bible by reading, meditating, executing its commands or not? Every decision in life comes with a set of consequences. Some good, some bad. Obedience results in a blessing. Disobedience results in a curse.

The way to be successful in life is to obey God continually!

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

Good morning,

I like being in control. It is hard to depend on others. Sometimes it is hard for me to yield control even to God. Simple things, I’ve got this. Harder things, I use learned wisdom from the world and God. But finally God brings me to my knees and reminds me that He is completely in control.

Today’s devotional will challenge us to think about who is control, why, and our need to submit.

My times are in Your hand!

(“Every Day!” Author unknown, 1872)

“My times are in Your hand!”  Psalm 31:15

Is not this truth a joy to you, my soul?

It would be a sorry thing for me, if my times were in my own hands–and it would afford me little satisfaction, if my times were in an angel’s hands. How restful should I be in knowing that my times are in my precious Savior’s hands!
He sees the end from the beginning.
He knows how to apportion my sorrows and my joys.
He knows what to give–and what to withhold.
He knows also when to give–and when to take away.

But, alas! how often is my heart mistrustful–how often have I murmured under the trying dispensations of His providence! O my soul, be ashamed and confounded—be humbled in the dust that you should ever call in question the wisdom or kindness of the dealings of Him who so loved you as to give His only Son for your redemption!

Help me, O God of my salvation, henceforth, with childlike confidence and peaceful trust–to yield all to You, and to rejoice in the assurance that “My times are in Your hand!”

“My times are in Your hand;
Why should I doubt or fear?
My Father’s hand will never cause
His child a needless tear!”

~  ~  ~  ~

Pray through this devotion and ask God what He wants you to do.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

I like the apostle Paul. He was a great man of faith and yet practical, who saw the simplicity of life. Philippians 2:1-4, he challenges the Philippians on how to conduct themselves.

“If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,² Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.³ Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.⁴ Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.”

He wanted them to be humble. It was his goal that the Philippians lived in unity. Unified around the Lord Jesus Christ and His teachings. He wanted them to follow the example of Jesus found in Philippians 2:5-8.

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:⁶ Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:⁷ But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:⁸ And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

Paul explains how Jesus, the Son of God, chose to come to earth, become man, serve others, and humbled Himself, dying for the sins of all mankind. He was God. He knew no sin. He willingly came to pay my sin debt. That is humility.

Does this passage challenge us to be more unified around the things of Christ? To be humbler? To seek to serve as opposed to being served? To be obedient to the word of God?

It should be our goal to incorporate these principles into our own lives. Let’s try.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

 

 

Good morning,

I am the Chaplain for the Wasilla Senior Center. I work with seniors on a daily basis. I observe seniors in very good health and others with various maladies. Some are scared about death, others are not. Why is that? Some have settled the issue of what comes next and others have not.

Paul, the apostle, was not afraid of death. In fact, he was looking forward to it. He had accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior and was actively serving Him. “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.²² But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labor: yet what I shall choose I wot not.²³ For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:²⁴ Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.” (Philippians 1:21-24)

Paul knew that when he died he would be immediately with the Lord.

“Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:⁷ (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)⁸ We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.⁹ Wherefore we labor, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.” (2 Corinthians 5:6-9)

That is why our seniors who have repented of their sins, accepted Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord of their lives, have the assurance that they will go to be with Jesus when they die. The Bible tells us there will be no sin, disease, or tears where Jesus is. No worries.

Those who have chosen to reject Jesus or make no profession either way, have inadvertently followed their father the devil. He is a deceiver, angel of light, and a liar. The consequence of this decision is separation from God for all eternity (forever). The Bible is clear that there will be a day of reckoning.

“So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” (Romans 14:12)

“And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.¹² And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.¹³ 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.” (Revelation 20:11-15) The lake of fire is a place of torment day and night forever.

Please choose to follow God. He wants you. He sent Jesus to die on the cross for your sins.

“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 3:16)

Choose Jesus.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Good morning,

“And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:19)

I am not a fisherman. Fishing at a river, creek, or lake, the fish see me and flee! This was made quite apparent to me when I went dip net fishing. Everyone was catching their limit and I caught nothing. Was I patient? Oh yes. Staying in the water for hours. Nothing.

Fishing for fish and fishing for men have three things in common. We must prepare, go, and reap.

PREPARE

Fishermen must prepare their flies, lures, and bait.

Fishers of men must prepare their message, know the Scriptures, and anticipate questions unbelievers might ask.

GO

Fishermen need to determine where the fish are biting. Go to that spot. You cannot catch fish sitting at home.

Fishers of men must determine where the unbelievers are. God’s word commands us to “Go…”. (Matthew 28:19) We trust that God will lead us to those who need Christ.

REAP

Fishermen catch fish through patience and technique. You can have the greatest tools, but you must know how to use them. If so, you catch fish. If not, me, you do not catch fish.

Fishers of men present God’s word to unbelievers. Then the Holy Spirit goes to work convicting men of their sin. “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.⁸ And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:⁹ Of sin, because they believe not on me;¹⁰ Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;¹¹ Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.” (John 16:7-11) Through the ministry of the Holy Spirit unbelievers are saved.

Fishermen catch fish,  eat them, and they are gone. Fishers of men reap the unbelieving for eternity.

Fishers of men are God’s tool to present Jesus to the lost.

Go do some fishing for the Savior.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001