Luke 24:25-27 Amplified Bible
25 Then Jesus said to them, “O foolish men, and slow of heart to trust and believe in everything that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and [only then to] enter His glory?” 27 Then beginning with Moses and [throughout] all the [writings of the] prophets, He explained and interpreted for them the things referring to Himself [found] in all the Scriptures.
the Word of God for the Children of God
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Two disciples trudge home to Emmaus.
As they walk, they discuss together the brutal tragic events of the past few days.
They wonder what might have happened if Jesus had not died.
Suddenly Jesus joins them out of nowhere.
He blesses them with his presence, and yet for some reason they’re kept from recognizing him.
The resurrected Jesus listens to their story as he walks along with them.
Then he enlightens them, explaining what the Scriptures have said about him.
He probably explained how the exodus from Egypt pointed to redemption from sin’s slavery and how the many prophets, psalmists, pointed unto the Messiah.
He likely explained many things that would have definitely opened their eyes to see that the Messiah himself was walking with them.
They needed ears to hear, divine interpretation to help them understand, and God-given faith. They still didn’t recognize him—but they soon would.
No one can discover the Savior by themselves; he reveals himself to us.
Faith is God’s gift, enabling us to understand the Scriptures, which tell the story of our salvation.
So let’s learn all we can from this Word, trusting he will enlighten us as he did our friends on the Emmaus Road.
Then we too can recognize our Savior walking with us!
Understanding Why and What We Believe
2 Timothy 2:14-18 Amplified Bible
An Unashamed Workman
14 Remind the people of these facts, and solemnly charge them in the presence of God to avoid petty controversy over words, which does no good, and [upsets and undermines and] ruins [the faith of] those who listen. 15 Study and do your best to present yourself to God approved, a workman [tested by trial] who has no reason to be ashamed, accurately handling and skillfully teaching the word of truth. 16 But avoid all irreverent babble and godless chatter [with its profane, empty words], for it will lead to further ungodliness, 17 and their teaching will spread like gangrene. So it is with Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18 who have deviated from the truth. They claim that the resurrection has already taken place, and they undermine the faith of some.
Today’s Christians are no strangers to the idea of deconstructing their faith.
One website talked about the massive clutter of beliefs that have been piled on to believers and the need to question to understand a personal conviction.
This may be especially true for those who grew up in Christian homes and just naturally followed the path marked by the parents, the path of least resistance.
It’s good when we make the decision to try to know why and what you believe.
What does it mean to deconstruct your faith?
The term can have a range of meanings.
Term; Faith deconstruction, also known as deconstructing faith, religious deconstruction, or simply deconstruction, is a process during which religious believers reexamine and question their beliefs.
It originated in American evangelicalism, where it may be called evangelical deconstruction.
The term rose in popularity in connection with the exvangelical movement, which began in 2016.[
Alisa Childers defines deconstruction as “the process of systematically dissecting and often rejecting the beliefs you grew up with“.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alisa_Childers
Tyler Huckabee, writing for Relevant magazine, defines it as “a process of re-examining the faith you grew up with”.
https://relevantmagazine.com/author/relevanttyler/
Psalm 139:23-24 Complete Jewish Bible
23 Examine me, God, and know my heart;
test me, and know my thoughts.
24 See if there is in me any hurtful way,
and lead me along the eternal way.
Deconstruction is a rigorous process of personal religious re-examination.
People who deconstruct have described destabilizing feelings of anxiety, guilt, anger, confusion, and fear, as well as growing curiosity, awe, and liberation.
Lee Strobel’s The Case for Faith laid this out by following the lives of the late Reverend Billy Graham and Charles Templeton.
Both started as evangelists and were close friends, until Templeton saw the cover of a magazine with an African mother holding her dead baby amidst a drought-stricken country.
Templeton could not reconcile a loving God allowing such to happen.
Templeton walked away from his faith while Graham continued his legacy of faith until the end of his life on earth.
Know Why You Believe
How did you come to faith in Christ?
Chances are someone asked you this question: “If you die today, do you know where you’re going?”
The pictures of what eternal life and eternal damnation look like will make it plain and clear what the best option is.
Then comes the confrontation that you, like everyone else, are a sinner in need of a Savior. It doesn’t matter whether you are not a murderer or a thief and are generally a decent, good, law-abiding citizen. You need the plan of salvation.
First, let’s talk about these pictures of eternal life and eternal damnation.
Jesus talked about these destinations at the end of this age many times.
In the parable of the weeds, Jesus said,
“Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 13:40-42).
Contrast that with the wonderful place revealed to John and described in Revelation 21:
“Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (vv.3-4).
And to emphasize the fiery destination once again, it was “the lake that burns with fire and sulfur” (v.8).
The locations of the rich man and Lazarus provide us with the best images of these contrasting locations—Lazarus basking in comfort by Abraham’s side while the rich man burns in anguish, in a place of fiery torment. You can read their story in Luke 16:19-31.
Now comes the hard truth about being a sinner, as clear as crystal, with Romans 3:10 saying, “None is righteous, no not one.”
Paul further stressed “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (v.23).
But God did not desire for any to perish because of His great love for everyone.
“Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners” (5:6), “for the wages of sin is [eternal damnation], but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord” (6:23).
If you were shaken by this presentation, the best destination to choose becomes even more attractive.
You don’t need to watch a horrific movie like A Thief in the Night and see what a prolonged and painful experience can be.
You can receive the forgiveness and grace of God through Jesus Christ right now.
What Made You Believe in the First Place?
A pastor said that we all have a story to tell, our personal testimony of how we came to know Christ.
Have you ever authentically, genuinely reflected on your reason for believing?
Did you accept Christ because you want the assurance of God’s kingdom before it’s too late and you find yourself suffering the same fate as the rich man?
Did you really see yourself a condemned sinner, accepting the fact you can’t save yourself no matter what, just as the thief on the cross next to Christ?
Did you really understand the greatest sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, His 100% victory over death when He rose from the grave, His return to His Father and His eventual return for His people?
Paul said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved…” (Acts 16:31).
And it is “…by grace…saved through faith” (Ephesians 2:8).
Or simply because “it was good enough for mommy and daddy” or “mommy and daddy told me to do it” because they honored God and God commanded it to in turn “honor thy mother and father so that you may live long in the land which Adonai your God is giving you.” exodus 20:12
We go back again to the faith deconstruction happening in the Christian church.
Does it prove that we don’t really hear much of the Word of God from the pulpit today, and just merely the educated or those popular cultural opinions of men?
Jesus already warned us of the hypocrisy of teachers of the law in the past, saying,
“So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. Everything they do is done for people to see” (Matthew 23:3-5).
We now need a biblical dictionary just to make sure we understand theological concepts.
There also seems to be an ongoing battle on whose pastor has a bigger name and church membership.
Somehow, the pastor’s celebrity status and number of followers create the illusion of great teachings.
Paul had words for this:
“When one of you says, ‘I am a follower of Paul,’ and another says, ‘I follow Apollos,’ aren’t you acting just like people of the world?” (1 Corinthians 3:4).
Remember many have fallen into this trap of disillusionment when a renown pastor fails and the members wake up to the knowledge of a life lived in a lie.
Why Doubt in Faith Can Creep In
It’s easy to focus on circumstances rather than keep our eyes on the Lord.
Look at Peter who was walking on water towards Jesus yet, fearing the strong winds, he started to sink.
Or for Thomas who heard the news of the risen Christ, yet wanted proof by his own physical contact with His wounds that it was true, and only believed when Jesus asked him to put his hands through the wounds on His hands and sides.
What happened to their faith-walk journey of three years under the closest tutelage of Jesus? Why the constant back-and-forth of believing and doubting?
Today, we like to talk about ourselves as “under construction” as an excuse for our failures when the truth is we aren’t nearly as pinpoint focused on Christ.
Yet, we firmly stand on the grace and mercy of God always available to us.
Psalm 1 New American Standard Bible
BOOK 1
The Righteous and the Wicked Contrasted.
1 Blessed is the person who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the [a]path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
2 But his delight is in the Law of the Lord,
And on His Law he meditates day and night.
3 He will be like a tree planted by [b]streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season,
And its [c]leaf does not wither;
And [d]in whatever he does, he prospers.
4 The wicked are not so,
But they are like chaff which the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6 For the Lord [e]knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the wicked will perish.
As much as we acknowledge this is true, but would you say it’s abused by our ultra constant sinning from those who call themselves followers of Christ?
This time of rampant lawlessness we’re living in, when Christians are no different in behavior from unbelievers, we take so much comfort in God’s love and grace, to keep us separated from the lawless and not in accepting Jesus’ invitation to abide in Him and the obedience of His commands and statutes.
We are asked why and how we love God.
Yet we have unexplainable and inexpressible aspirations, urges and feelings.
Don’t you think that it’s easy to grow cold in our love for Him because we truly don’t understand the WHO and the why and what we authentically believe?
Something hard to articulate may not be based on a good foundation because it’s not based on the character of God and our understanding of truth.
Why We Need to Understand in Whom We Believe
Now here’s another parable, that of the net, that Jesus explained the same way as the parable of the weeds.
A variety of fish were caught in the net.
“When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good containers but threw away the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 13:48-50).
Let’s not be deaf, blind nor malignantly ignorant to the fact not all sitting in the church pews are real true believers in Jesus Christ and, at the end of the age, the permanent separation of the true and false believers will assuredly take place.
Even today, the process is happening as we see people we know falling away.
How hard would it have been for Templeton to return to Christ after admitting to Strobel how much he missed Jesus, but still chose to remain an agnostic?
We go back again to untangling the web of doctrines taught from our pulpits.
Think now of the seven woes in the Matthew 23, calling teachers of the Word hypocrites and blind fools and guides.
It’s important to note that Jesus mentioned the dangers of neglecting to teach and practice the
“weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness” (Matthew 23:23).
Could this be because we are too enamored being taught that the law has been done away with and it’s all about love and grace for New Testament believers?
Remember that our faith journey is intimate and personal, and we are more responsible for it than anyone else.
1 Corinthians 3:1-4 Amplified Bible
Foundations for Living
3 However, brothers and sisters, I could not talk to you as to spiritual people, but [only] as to [a]worldly people [dominated by human nature], mere infants [in the new life] in Christ! 2 I fed you with milk, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Even now you are still not ready. 3 You are still [b]worldly [controlled by ordinary impulses, the sinful capacity]. For as long as there is jealousy and strife and discord among you, are you not [c]unspiritual, and are you not walking like ordinary men [unchanged by faith]? 4 For when one of you says, “I am [a disciple] of Paul,” and another, “I am [a disciple] of Apollos,” are you not [proving yourselves unchanged, just] ordinary people?
By Apostle Paul’s teachings we are encouraged to not simply remain as “infants in Christ” but feed on, gorge, “spiritual solid food” to obtain spiritual maturity.
Romans 11:33-36 Amplified Bible
33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and decisions and how unfathomable and untraceable are His ways! 34 For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been His counselor? 35 Or who has first given to Him that it would be paid back to him? 36 For from Him [all things originate] and through Him [all things live and exist] and to Him are all things [directed]. To Him be glory and honor forever! Amen.
It will lead to a great discovery of the “truest depth and richness and wisdom and knowledge of God” that will securely anchor our faith (Romans 11:33-36).
in the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit …
Praying …
Psalm 19 Amplified Bible
The Works and the Word of God.
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
19 The heavens are telling of the glory of God;
And the expanse [of heaven] is declaring the work of His hands.
2
Day after day pours forth speech,
And night after night reveals knowledge.
3
There is no speech, nor are there [spoken] words [from the stars];
Their voice is not heard.
4
Yet their voice [in quiet evidence] has gone out through all the earth,
Their words to the end of the world.
In them and in the heavens He has made a tent for the sun,
5
Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber;
It rejoices as a strong man to run his course.
6
The sun’s rising is from one end of the heavens,
And its circuit to the other end of them;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.
7
The law of the Lord is perfect (flawless), restoring and refreshing the soul;
The statutes of the Lord are reliable and trustworthy, making wise the simple.
8
The precepts of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9
The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true, they are righteous altogether.
10
They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.
11
Moreover, by them Your servant is warned [reminded, illuminated, and instructed];
In keeping them there is great reward.
12
Who can understand his errors or omissions? Acquit me of hidden (unconscious, unintended) faults.
13
Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous (deliberate, willful) sins;
Let them not rule and have control over me.
Then I will be blameless (complete),
And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.
14
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable and pleasing in Your sight,
O Lord, my [firm, immovable] rock and my Redeemer.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 