Reliable Truth

What are you storing up for the future?

In Bruce Wilkerson's book A Life God Rewards - Why Everything You Do Today Matters Forever, he tells of a week-long seminary class he taught on rewards in heaven. Every afternoon after the class, a special group of scholars met and debated every point. One day, a church historian from Romania asked the group,

"What do the greats of church history such as Augustine, Luther, Calvin, Wesley, and Spurgeon all have in common?" When everyone hesitated, he told the answer. "They all earnestly believed in and hoped for eternal rewards."

Wilkerson said that toward the end of the week, he noticed a shift. The room full of scholars were spending less time debating and more time responding personally to the material.

One afternoon, an older participant pulled him aside and said, "I thought God brought me here to learn more about eternal rewards, but I was wrong. "He brought me here to change my heart. I'm leaving a changed professor."

Jesus reminds us in Matthew 6:20,
"But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal..." ⁠ >>Watch on YouTube

How can we understand the motive of our hearts? What about the motives of others' hearts?

The apostle Paul spoke this wisdom in 1 Corinthians 4:5,
“Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.” >>Watch on YouTube

How does God reveal Himself in the Old Testament to us? And where does His Son Jesus peer through?

John 1:18 tells us, "No one has ever seen God; God the only Son, who is at the Father's side, He has made Him known."

So Jesus, who is the Word, makes visible that which is not visible. We cannot see God in His essence. We would be consumed by that.

But what is the Son's unique role? The Son's role is to mediate for us, the Father by the Spirit, so that we can see the unseeable. So that we can know and relate to that which appears to be unknowable. >>Watch on YouTube

Dr. Mark Gignilliat is professor of divinity at Beeson Divinity School, where he teaches courses in Old Testament and Hebrew. Mark also serves as theologian in residence at St. Peter's Anglican Church in Birmingham. Dr. Gignilliat is married to Naomi, and they have four children.

How is the best way to respond to the storms of life when they come my way? And how can my response be pleasing to God?

When most of us experience painful circumstances our response is, "How can I get this out of my life?" And, if you have something in your life that's causing you pain and suffering and you can get rid of it, then you should.

But we're talking about things that we have no control over.

I think the problem comes when we are only interested in how this is going to turn out. God is more concerned with how you and I are going to turn out.

Jesus spoke these truths to the crowds in Matthew 7:24-27,
“Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts on them, will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and its collapse was great.” >>Watch on YouTube

What questions do you have about evil? And most importantly, how does God address the problem of suffering and evil?

We all will experience some degree of suffering in this lifetime. Some of you have probably already experienced some real suffering, because we're not immune to it.

Even as believers, we are not immune to it. But it's important to know that there are no easy pat answers to this question of human suffering.

We're not dealing with a problem to be solved. It's really more of a mystery that we need to understand. 

So this message is all about gaining understanding.

The Lord spoke this through Isaiah, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts." - Isaiah 55:8-9 >>Watch on YouTube

What is the purpose for the season of Lent?

Jesus taught that man was not made for the Sabbath, but the Sabbath was made for man, as a gift for us. The Sabbath creates rhythms that allow us to break away from the normal routines of life and work so that we can enter into worship and enter into praise. This rest is a kindness of God to humanity. It's not meant to be a burden.

The practice of observing Lent is similar. We are not made for Lent. Lent was made for us - it is a season to be a gift to you and to me.

Psalm 32:1-2 tells us, "Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit." ⁠>>Watch on YouTube⁠

Dr. Mark Gignilliat is professor of divinity at Beeson Divinity School, where he teaches courses in Old Testament and Hebrew. Mark also serves as theologian in residence at St. Peter's Anglican Church in Birmingham. Dr. Gignilliat is married to Naomi, and they have four children.

Do you look to God for guidance? Do you give much thought to His will for your life?

If we don't seek God's will and guidance, why not?

God invites us to ask for His guidance. However, to really grasp this, I must first ask this question - how does God really regard my life? What role does He desire to play in my life?

Acts 17:24-26 tells us, "The God who made the world and everything that is in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made by hands; nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; 

and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation." >>>Watch on YouTube

How is the will of God working in our lives, even in the midst of deep suffering and pain?

In our last episode we talked about living in God's moral will, which has to do with His design for our lives. Today we are discussing God's sovereign will.

But if God is in control of everything, do humans really have free will? It's a good question. We're going to cover that in this episode.

Romans 8:28 tells us, "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." >>Watch on YouTube

What is the will of God for our lives and how do we find it?

As you think back over your life, how many times do you remember saying the Lord's Prayer? Remember this part - "Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done..."

I often wonder, even in my own personal life, when we say The Lord's Prayer, are we just repeating it, or do we really mean it?

Isaiah 30:18 tells us, "Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore He will rise up to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him!" >>Watch on YouTube

How do we understand Jesus Christ in relationship to the Old Testament?

Two points to remember about Jesus:

• We properly understand Jesus of Nazareth as the author of the Old Testament. He is the primary agent of writing and giving the scriptures of Israel. John 1:1 tells us, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Jesus is the author.

• Not only is Christ revealed in the Old Testament, Jesus Christ is the revealer of the Old Testament. Luke 24:27 tells us, "And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He (Jesus) explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself."

Jesus is describing Himself in the law, the prophets and the writings of the Old Testament, and He's inviting you into that act of discovery yourself.

Jesus doesn't tell us exactly where to go—He simply lets us know that He is everywhere. He is the reason for life. He is tell us, "Pursue me and follow me there." >>Watch on YouTube

Dr. Mark Gignilliat is professor of divinity at Beeson Divinity School, where he teaches courses in Old Testament and Hebrew. Mark also serves as theologian in residence at St. Peter's Anglican Church in Birmingham. Dr. Gignilliat is married to Naomi, and they have four children.