Tag Archives: believe

Do not fear, only believe

“As He was speaking, they came from the synagogue ruler saying, Your daughter has died. Why do you still trouble the Teacher? But hearing the word spoken, Jesus said to the synagogue ruler at once, Do not fear, only believe.” Mark 5:35-36 (Read v. 21-43)

Do things ever seem beyond hope? Have you ever prayed for the Lord’s help only to have things go from bad to worse, with no intervention in sight?

Think how Jairus must have felt when he sought Jesus to come to his house and heal his 12-year-old daughter who was ill and near to death. While on the way, with crowds pressing in upon Jesus, a woman with a flow of blood touches his garment and is healed, and Jesus stops to speak with her. Jairus had hope – faith, whether strong or weak – that if Jesus would just get there in time and lay His hands upon his daughter, she would be healed. But then the bad news came. It was too late. His daughter had died! Why bother Jesus – “the teacher” – any longer?

But note what Jesus did as soon as He heard those discouraging words. He gave Jairus words of hope, words upon which his faith could rest: “Do not fear, only believe.” Rather than letting Jairus give up all hope, Jesus called upon him not to fear but to believe!

The Scripture record tells us what happened next. Jesus arrived and, accompanied by His inner circle of disciples, He puts out those weeping and mourning over the girl’s death, saying she’s not dead but sleeping. Then He takes hold of the child’s hand and speaks to her the words: “Talitha koumi; which is, being translated, Little girl, I say to you, Rise up!” (v. 41). The Scriptures tell us: “And immediately the little girl rose up and walked” (v. 42).

We may see no hope. We may think it is too late for God to intervene. We may even consider our sins too great and think there is no help for us. But Jesus says, “Do not fear, only believe.”

Cannot the God who created and still sustains all things help us in every time of trouble? (Cf. Jer. 32:17; Rom. 8:31ff.; Ps. 50:15.) And need we give up hope of salvation? Jesus will be our judge, and He is the one who died on the cross and paid in full for our sins and the sins of the world and rose again. As the Bible says, “Who is he condemning? It is Christ who has died, but rather also is raised, who also is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us” (Rom. 8:34; cf. 1 John 2:1-2).

There is still hope, no matter how hopeless all may appear. Rather than giving up in despair, trust Jesus. “Do not fear, only believe.”

O dearest Jesus, Son of God and my Savior, grant that I not despair and be afraid, even when all appears hopeless, but trust in You and in the everlasting salvation You won for me by Your death upon the cross and glorious resurrection. Amen.

Scripture quotations from Green’s Literal Translation (LITV). Scripture quoted by permission. Copyright 1993 by Jay P. Green Sr., All rights reserved. Jay P. Green Sr., Lafayette, IN. U.S.A. 47903.

Repent and believe the gospel

“And after John was delivered up, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God draws near. Repent, and believe the gospel.” Mark 1:14-15

John preached a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins and, after John’s arrest, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God draws near. Repent, and believe the gospel.”

Our message today is no different. We still preach and proclaim “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God draws near. Repent, and believe the gospel.”

The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God draws near. In fulfillment of His ancient promises, God sent His Son into the world, a true man, to redeem us from the curse of the law and open to us the gates of heaven (cf. Gal. 4:4-5; Lk. 1:68ff.). And now that Christ has died for the sins of the world and is risen again and ascended to the right hand of the Father, the day of His return to judge the living and the dead and to establish His everlasting kingdom draws near.

God’s Word says that Jesus will soon come “from Heaven with the angels of His power, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God and who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He shall come to be glorified in His saints and to be admired in all those who believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that Day” (2 Thess. 1:7-10).

Now is the time to repent and believe the Gospel (2 Cor. 5:18 – 6:2). It’s time to recognize the sinfulness of our ways and to turn to the Lord with faith in the Gospel – that good news that our God is gracious and merciful toward us and forgives our sins and iniquities and gives us a place in His everlasting kingdom for the sake of the Son, Jesus Christ, and His innocent sufferings and death in our stead. God is “good and ready to forgive, and rich in mercy to all those who call on” Him (Psalm 86:5).

Those who repent and believe the Gospel of forgiveness and life in Christ Jesus will be saved. Those who do not repent and place their faith and confidence in the Son will be condemned to the eternal fires of hell when Jesus comes to establish His everlasting kingdom.

O gracious and merciful God, grant that we repent of our sinful ways and believe the good news of forgiveness and life in the Son. Amen.

 [Scripture quoted by permission from Green's Modern King James Version (MKJV) Copyright 1993 by Jay P. Green Sr., All rights reserved.]

For Audi Devotion, click the following ling: Mark1.14-15.mp3

A message I would share with all?

If there was one message I could share with everyone, it would be the truth that this world is headed for judgment and that there is only one way to escape that judgment and live forever – Jesus Christ.

Though the ways and direction of this world may seem inviting to us, they are quite literally a dead end. They lead not to life but to judgment and eternal condemnation because they are not the ways of God who created all and will one day remove all that is evil and contrary to His perfect will and restore His creation to what He intended it to be (cf. 2 Pet. 3:7ff.).

Though each and every one of us is by nature and birth in rebellion against the holy and sinless God who created the world and all things, choosing rather to live for self and go our own way rather than living for God and obeying His commandments, God does not desire to condemn us and cast us into hell. That we might be spared His judgment and condemnation, God graciously sent His own son into this world a true man to live a perfect life for us in the ways of God His Father and then to bear upon the cross the just punishment for our sins and the sins of the whole world. This Jesus did and then rose again.

Rather than be condemned along with this wicked world, God graciously calls upon you and me – upon all – to repent of our sinful ways and return to the God who made us. God says to us in His Word: “Seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon” (Isa. 55:6-7). Because Jesus Christ, the righteous, is the atoning sacrifice for our sins and the sins of the whole world, we have pardon and forgiveness through faith in His name. “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Eph. 1:7; cf. 1 John 1:7 – 2:2).

It is my prayer that you will repent and believe on the Son. “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16).

[Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.]

Will You Enter God’s Eternal Rest?

“To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: when your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work. Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways: unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.” Psalm 95:7-11 (Read Psalm 95)

Will you enter God’s eternal rest, or are you hardening your heart against Him? God’s Word comes to you. You have it in your Bible, and it is still here and there preached by faithful ministers. But do you hear it and believe it?

The Children of Israel heard God’s words through Moses and even directly from God Himself on Mt. Sinai. They saw God’s mighty works in Egypt, at the Red Sea and in the wilderness. But did they believe? Did they trust in the LORD God to lead and guide them, provide for them in their journeys and bring them safely into the Promised Land? The answer, sad to say, is no! Again and again, they grumbled and complained. Again and again, they disobeyed the commandments of the LORD. And, when it was time to go up and take possession of the land the LORD was giving them, they doubted God’s Word to them and wanted to return to Egypt. Therefore, because of their unbelief, they did not enter into the rest promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Now, the Word of the LORD comes to you. It calls you to repent of your sinful ways and rebellion against the LORD and receive forgiveness and life through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, God’s own dear Son.

Will you hear God’s Word? Will you acknowledge your utter sinfulness and rebelliousness before the LORD? Will you come to God and trust in Him to receive you and forgive you of all your sins because Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God in human flesh, fulfilled the righteous demands of God’s law for you and then bore your punishment upon the cross and rose again?

If you refuse to repent and turn to the Lord Jesus for mercy, you err and go astray in your heart. You do not know the way of the LORD, and you will not enter into His eternal rest!

But when, by the gracious working of God, you humble yourself before the LORD, hear His Word and believe God’s promises of pardon, peace and life everlasting, you will receive of His mercy and be blessed with the eternal joys of heaven for Jesus’ sake! The forgiveness of sins and eternal life which Christ Jesus won for all when He suffered and died upon the cross and rose again from the dead will be yours through faith in His name.

LORD God, have mercy upon us and grant that we not harden our hearts against You and the truth of Your Word. By Your Holy Spirit, grant us true repentance and faith In Jesus Christ our Savior. In His name we pray.  Amen.

[Scripture from the King James Version of the Bible]