JESUS IS LIFE! - Bible studies and Bible teachings blog

The Spiritual Body

12/2/2021

"It is sown a natural body; it is raised a
spiritual body. There is a natural body, and
there is a spiritual body." 1 CORINTHIANS 15:44

Many years ago, I sat in a Bible study where the foot washing of the disciples by Jesus was being taught. For the first time, I heard and understood something more than the humbleness and forgiveness of Jesus Christ in this lesson. I heard something wonderful and beautiful about the Kingdom of God - a kingdom that is spiritual - and how things that are seen and understood on a "natural" level are often just a shadow of things that are "spiritual" or spiritually true.

How much can Jesus change a life?

6/4/2020

WHOLLY HOLY

5/26/2018

Finding favor
You’ve probably heard about a guy in the Bible named Noah, but have you ever thought about what it would be like to be Noah?
After the LORD created man, many years passed and the population of the earth grew. As time passed, it became apparent that the people were not walking with God. In fact, they had grown so far away from their Creator that the LORD became sorry that He had even made them, the Bible says.

Letters from B.I.B.L.E. Camp

12/31/2017

Every year we are surprised by our campers, whether by a special way they arrange their tents for inspections or the way they behave, but this year a special group touched our hearts with letters expressing how our Lord Jesus worked in their lives. We couldn't be more thankful for them and to Jesus, for moving hearts at Bible Camp. #ThankYouJesus

No One Loves You More

1/31/2016

There is no one who loves you more than God - no one. No one has endured more sorrow and grief or suffered greater loss because of their desire for you. No one has labored more to make a way so that you could be with them and they to be with you…to "win" your love. No one.

the dues of preparation

12/30/2015

Please read Luke 3:2-6 "...the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. And he came into all the country about Jordon, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins: As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; And all flesh shall see the salvation of God."

In my office at work I have a quote hanging on my bulletin board that says, "The will to succeed means nothing without the will to prepare." The quote is full of meaning for me. We all aspire to become or to accomplish things in life. But all too often, when the realities of the necessary preparation hit, we falter and give up. I see it happen over and over and at all stages of life. It is easy to have the initial will and aspiration to succeed...but it is quite another matter to have the will that continues to pay the "dues" of preparation. If, when one seeks to master a musical instrument, a certain sport or scholarship of a particular field of study, etc., and "short-cuts" are taken in the preparation process, the end result will reflect short-comings in character, ability, beauty, knowledge and understanding. In the end the "achievement" can be a hollow one or, at best, a shallow one...simply because we didn't really pay the "dues" of preparation.

The Merriest Christmas

12/22/2015

bad manners - acts 13:18

10/12/2015

"Suffered He Their Manners In The Wilderness" Acts 13:18

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Please read Numbers 21:4-9
"And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread. And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived."

Our Flesh Nature...Ewww, It's Really Bad!
We see in this passage the realness of what the Scriptures refer to as our "flesh" or "carnal" nature. (To simplify things, let's just use the term "flesh nature"). Our flesh nature is something that is capable of enduring difficult circumstances and tolerating discomforts with a level of patience, but only for so long. Then, it reaches what we think is "rightful indignation." Like Popeye the Sailor Man used to say, "That's all I can stands, 'cuz I can't stands no more!" Then, things get ugly - they always do. God's people, in their discouragement, went to Moses and complained, "Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water and our soul loatheth this light bread (i.e., the manna)...and the people spake against God and against Moses." If you find this a reasonable and justifiable reaction to their dire circumstances (as I did), it's because of your "flesh nature."

Of Course I'm Doing The Will of God

9/12/2015

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"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." - Matthew 7:21

Of Course I'm Doing The Will of God
The thinking of many believers today is, "If I do good things, then I am doing the will of God...because the will of God is for me to do good things - right?!" We trust that the good works that we do as Christians are and must be the will of God. We say, "I have faith that I am doing what God wants me to do." And if we're not doing "bad" things then we are also doing God's will. As Christians, we can think the "calling of God" is somehow inherent or naturally "built in" to whatever we do for Him or do "in His name." It is very hard to see how this type of thinking is carnal (or proceeds from being carnally minded.)

Nevertheless, the truth remains that you and I need to know the will of God if we are to do the will of God. This will never happen when we are carnally minded.

contradicting the dictionary

9/6/2015

“Deceit is in the heart of them that imagine evil:
but to the counsellors of peace is joy.” Proverbs 12:20