Month: August 2023

People often wonder, “Why doesn’t God just come down and show himself? That way, people would believe.” To that, we can easily say, No, they would not. How do we know? Consider those around the cross.

Our text is Mark 15:29–32.

29 And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, 30 “save Yourself, and come down from the cross!” 31 Likewise the chief priests also, mocking among themselves with the scribes, said, “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. 32 “Let the Christ, the King of Israel, descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe.”

Jesus had healed the sick, caused the blind to see, restored lepers, made the lame walk, and even raised the dead. Still they said, Do one more miracle, and we will believe.

Consider the story of “Malchus’ Ear.”

Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane. Judas brought Roman soldiers to arrest Jesus. In his anger, Peter lashed out with his own sword. John 18:10–11 tells the story.

Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?”

Peter cut off Malchus’ ear and Jesus said, “No more of this!” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him. (Luke 22:51).

Next, John 18:12 tells us, “Then the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus.”

Look closely at that, the soldiers saw Jesus instantly heal an ear that had been cut off and their response was to go ahead and arrest Jesus. All I can say is “Wow! Their eyes saw a miracle, and still they arrested Jesus.” 

Luke 16:31 says it best. “If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.”

If anyone wants to doubt, a miracle will not change their mind. Faith comes from reading God’s Word. (Romans 10:17).

Lonnie Davis

God’s great compassion towards us is beautifully portrayed in Psalm 103:13 which says “As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.” This verse gives us a glimpse into God’s heart as a loving Father, tenderly caring for His children. 

The parable of the prodigal son provides a vivid picture of this compassion in action. When the wayward son returns home broken and repentant, the waiting father sees him from afar and is filled with so much compassion that he runs to embrace and celebrate his lost son (Luke 15:20). The father does not lecture his son or treat him as merely a servant. Though the son wasted his inheritance in rebellion, the father compassionately welcomes him back as his dear child without any reservations. 

This is a glimpse of how our Heavenly Father’s compassion compels Him to run towards us when we turn to Him with contrite hearts, no matter how badly we have failed. God knows all our weaknesses and flaws yet His compassion moves Him to fully restore all who come back to Him. As Psalm 103 assures, He removes our transgressions, heals our diseases, redeems our life from the pit and crowns us with love and mercy.

We do not have to earn God’s compassion. It flows freely from His loving and gracious nature as our perfect Father. Understanding the depths of His compassion gives us courage to return to Him again and again, knowing we will be met with His embrace, not condemnation. Though we cannot fathom the depths of God’s love, we see glimpses of its power in Christ’s compassion during His earthly ministry and His sacrifice at the cross for our salvation. As His beloved children, we can have confidence in God’s endless compassion and abiding mercy when we humbly seek Him.

Lonnie Davis

Our text is Psalm 90:2

“Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.”

Before the mountains were made, there was God. Before even the Earth was made, God existed. Before the Sun and the moon and the stars were created, God was there. God Is and Was, and Shall Be.

This means that God exists beyond the physical world’s limitations and the laws that govern it. Since time itself is a part of the created universe, it’s certain that God exists outside of time and is not subject to its constraints.

I admit that there are things that are too difficult for my little mind to grasp. For example, the idea of nothingness is unimaginable. I can imagine Earth without America or Russia or Alaska. I can imagine the universe without Earth. Take that away and we can still see it in our mind’s eye. But try to take away the universe. All the stars and planets are just gone. There is nothing but the blackness of space. I can even imagine that, but let’s take it one step further. Imagine that space itself is gone. That is nothingness and I cannot describe it or even imagine it. 

Timelessness is on the list of things beyond our ability to imagine. We can imagine time ending, but what if time never existed? We understand B.C. and A.D. but what about imagining BT, that is Before Time? Before there was time, there was God. God is eternal.

Many are familiar with 2 Peter 3:8

“But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.”

Many who read this verse see it as a symbolic way of God saying that he has a long view of things. I take a more literal view. God is really telling us that He is beyond time itself. A thousand years can be a day or a day a thousand years. He made time and time obeys him. 

In other words, God is eternal.

Lonnie Davis

The story is told of an atheist who one Sunday morning asked a little boy where he was going. The little boy responded that he was on his way to church. The man had his usual bag of tricks for the naive little boy. He said, “Son, I’ll give you a dollar if you can show me where God is.” The little boy thought about it and said, “Mister, I’ll give you a dollar if you can show me where he ain’t.”

Out of the mouth of babes. Indeed, God is everywhere.

 Our text today is from Psalm 139:7-10.

“Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me.”

These words tell us that God is present in the highest heavens and the deepest depths of the earth. He is present in the morning and the night, in the north and the south, in the east and the west. There is no place where God is not.

God’s presence is a source of great comfort to us. He is always with us, no matter what we are going through. He knows our thoughts and our feelings, and he cares about us deeply. We can always turn to him for help and guidance.

God is present everywhere at the same time. The fancy word for that is “Omnipresence.” The omnipresence of God is a reminder of our own smallness. We are finite, limited by time and space. God is infinite. He is not bound by any limitations. We do not have to carry the weight of the world on our shoulders. 

I leave you with three other verses which speak of God’s omnipresence.

* “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry.” (Psalm 34:15)

* “The Lord is in every place; he hears all that is said.” (1 Kings 8:39)

* “For he is God in heaven above and on the earth below; there is no other.” (Deuteronomy 4:39)

He is always near us and with us. If we understand that, we will find comfort.

Lonnie Davis 

The holiness of God is the predominant theme of His nature and character. It refers to God’s otherness, His absolute perfection, righteousness, and purity. Without seeing his holiness, we will always struggle with a relationship with him.

At the core of God’s holiness is the fact that He is completely set apart from His creation. 

God tells us this in Isiah 55:9, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.”

The prophet Isaiah had a powerful vision where the angels surrounding God’s throne cried out “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty” (Isaiah 6:3). The threefold repetition emphasizes God’s supreme holiness. He transcends His creation and is wholly unique and perfect in every way. 

God’s holiness means He is completely without sin or moral failure of any kind. There is no imperfection, injustice or wrongdoing in Him. He is the standard of moral excellence. 1 John 1:5 proclaims “God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.” His ways, thoughts, and actions are flawless and pure. As Habakkuk 1:13 says “His eyes are too pure to look upon evil.”

Ultimately, the stunning holiness of God calls us to consecrate ourselves completely to Him. We are invited into a relationship with a Holy God through Christ. As we draw near, we must remember who He is – perfect, righteous and transcendent. In other words, He is Holy.

Lonnie Davis

God has unlimited power and can do anything he wants.

Our text for this thought is Jeremiah 32:17

“Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You.”

God has unlimited power. He created the entire universe with his power, and he can do anything he wants. There is nothing that is too hard for him.

God’s power is evident throughout the Bible. He parted the Red Sea, defeated the armies of Egypt, and raised Jesus from the dead. He can do anything he wants, and he always accomplishes his purposes.

God’s power is also evident in his creation. The universe is vast and complex, and it is all the work of God’s hand. He created the stars, the planets, the oceans, and the mountains. He created all living things, including you and me.

God’s power is a source of comfort and hope for believers. We know that God is in control, and he will always work things out for our good. No matter what challenges we face, we can know and trust that God is able to help us.

If you are ever feeling overwhelmed or afraid, remember that God is all-powerful. He is greater than anything you are facing, and he will never abandon you. He is always with you, and he will help you through whatever you are going through.

Let me leave you with two more verses on this subject.

Psalm 135:6: “Whatever the LORD pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all their depths.”

Romans 1:20: “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”

God’s power is a great mystery, but it is also a great comfort. We can always trust that God is in control, and he will always work things out for our good.

Lonnie Davis

Imagine trying to keep a secret from someone who knows everything – not just the details of every event, but also the deepest, most hidden thoughts of every heart. Sounds impossible, right? This is precisely the portrait the Bible paints about the nature of God.

Our text is Hebrews 4:13: 

“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

This verse shows the breathtaking scope of God’s knowledge. It tells us that every grain of sand, every thought, every emotion, and even every hidden deed is under His watchful gaze. He’s not merely a distant observer; He understands the depth, the reasons, and the implications of everything. God’s knowledge is intimate and close, much like an artist who is familiar with every brushstroke of their creation. 

Yet, there’s an aspect of accountability in this omniscience. The idea that we are “laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account” might initially sound intimidating. But let’s remember something crucial: this all-knowing God is also a God who loves us. Being fully seen by Him is less about inducing fear and more about prompting us to live authentically. It becomes a call to embrace truth and integrity, knowing we are deeply loved by the One who knows us best.

Amid our daily hustle and distractions, the realization that God sees and knows all is a source of comfort. Rather than being a looming judgment, His omniscience is an invitation. It beckons us closer, urging us to live transparently and cultivate a deep, meaningful connection with the All-Knowing God.

Lonnie Davis

Our verse for today is 1 John 5:4

“Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.”

It’s so easy to become discouraged trying to live as a Christian today. We’re constantly faced with temptations and opposing worldviews that can overwhelm us. Social media, entertainment, and even friends often promote beliefs contrary to biblical truth. Struggling to find time for spiritual discipline in the middle of life’s busyness can leave us feeling defeated in our faith. Finance, health, and relationship problems only add to the challenges. 

In the face of all this, John’s words give us great hope. Our victory doesn’t come from trying harder in our own strength, which will eventually fail us. True victory comes when we put our faith in Christ which links us to God’s limitless power at work within us. 

This faith stabilizes us like a toddler gripping their parent’s hand. The young child lacks the strength to walk alone, but by holding mom or dad’s hand, they’re supported step-by-step. Through faith, we grip Christ’s mighty hand. Our victory stems not from self, but from the Savior living in us.

As we walk through life anchored to Jesus, His strength leads us to overcome darkness. Even when we feel drained and defeated, His power in us is greater than any challenge faced. The key isn’t trying harder alone, but continually relying on Christ’s strength through faith.

No matter what you face, hold tightly to Jesus’ hand today. Draw deeply from His endless love and power. The victory has already been won by Christ! Staying connected to Him by faith, He will lead you to overcome.

Lonnie Davis

Why did God choose Joseph and Mary?

Many years ago, I ate lunch with a Jewish man who told me that he had an aunt that still hoped that she would be the one to give birth to the Christ child. What? Doesn’t she know that Jesus has already been born? Apparently not. In today’s message, I want to enlighten us all as to why God chose Mary and Joseph.

Our scripture is Luke 1:30-33:

The angel said to Mary, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

In this great story, we see that both Both Mary and Joseph display profound faith, accepting and embracing God’s unexpected plans for their lives. Their trust in God, despite potential repercussions by society, sets the tone for the broader narrative of Jesus’ life and mission.

God called on both of them to do something hard, something inconvenient, something with no models, they just did it. They did it immediately.

Look at the story of Mary. The angel told her she was going to give birth to the Christ. She said, How can I? I’ve never been with a man. Once the angels told her it was God’s will. She just said, “Behold, the handmaiden of the Lord.” This does seem impossible, but Mary just said yes.

Look at Joseph. He was told to ignore the fact that Mary was already pregnant and marry her anyway. It was all a part of God’s doing. He just did it immediately. One night he went to sleep in his normal place. An angel spoke to him in a dream and told him to gather his family and walk miles and miles to Egypt. He woke up and did it immediately.

They did not need to run it by a friend. They did not have to check the weather. They didn’t even have to pray about it. God said it and they just did it.

Now you know why God choose them for this great task. They were a man and a woman of “now” faith. Once they knew what God wanted them to do, They did it now!

Lonnie Davis

Our text today is Matthew 6:25-30

Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 

Worry is a tempting yet unhelpful habit. Worry is paying interest on a debt you may never owe. Worrying is also like building a bridge over a river that may not exist. Worry is the habit of incessant overthinking.

What drives such unnecessary fretting? Underneath worry lies fear – fear of future unknowns, failures, and catastrophes. When we get caught up in “what if” thinking, worry breeds anxiety and robs us of our peace. We exhaust ourselves carrying burdens that exist only in our minds.

In Matthew 6, Jesus confronts this tendency to worry and shows us a better way. First, he points out how worry betrays a lack of faith in God our Father and Provider (v. 30). 

Additionally, Jesus highlights the utter pointlessness of worry (v. 27). No amount of anxious thought has ever added a moment to one’s life. Worry only steals joy in the present. 

Furthermore, Jesus argues from nature that if God feeds the birds and clothes the lilies, how much more will He provide for us, His children (vv. 26, 28)? 

Finally, Jesus reminds us to stay focused on today instead of consumed with tomorrow (v. 34). Each day’s troubles are sufficient for the day.

Rather than allowing worry to rob our peace, let Jesus’ words sink deeply into us. May we turn our cares into prayers and trust God to quiet our anxious thoughts. He is faithful – and He cares much more than we know.

Lonnie Davis