Faith

Back to Basics: Finding Real Peace

For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace,
Isaiah 9:6,7

More than any other book in the Old Testament, the book written by the Jewish prophet Isaiah focuses on the salvation that would come through the Messiah. The above passage reveals that Messiah will one day rule in justice and righteousness. The Messiah’s kingdom on earth (Isaiah chapters 65-66) is the goal toward which all of the book of Isaiah points. It is during the eventual reign of the Messiah, at His second coming, that God’s righteousness will be fully revealed to the world.

We all long for peace, yet the world in which we live has little of that to offer. Wars, rumors of wars, crime, hate, family division, anger, vices, addictions, let downs–it’s all contrary to a message of peace.

Isaiah chapter 53 vividly describes the Messiah suffering for sin. It is through His wounds that healing is achieved. It is through His suffering that our iniquities are taken away. This apparent contradiction is solved in the Person of Jesus Christ. In His first advent, Jesus was the suffering servant of Isaiah chapter 53.  In His second advent, Jesus will be the conquering and ruling King, the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6).

How can you  experience the peace that only Jesus can provide, right now?

With a simple prayer of faith, something like this: Lord, I believe Jesus is the way, truth, and life. I believe Jesus died for my sins and was raised from the dead. I surrender to your Lordship. Fill me with your Spirit and make me whole.

Back to Basics: Jesus the Only Way

There is no faith on the planet that can match Christianity, just based on the evidence alone.
Think about these things:

-The incredible number of ancient manuscripts, to the very early dating of the documents written during the lifetime of eyewitnesses (some only 15 years after Jesus’ death).

-The multiplicity of the accounts (nine authors in 27 books of the New Testament).

-The archaeological evidence, none of which has ever contradicted a single claim the New Testament makes.

-The fact that 11 of the apostles went to their deaths claiming they had both seen Jesus in action and that He had had been raised from the dead.

-The New Testament’s historical authenticity and the way it conveys a truthful account of the actual events as they occurred.

-Jesus claims to be God in the flesh: His sinless and miraculous life and His resurrection all support His claims to be God. The New Testament writers affirm this fact over and over again in their writings.

-Conservatively, Jesus fulfilled at least 300 prophecies given in the Old Testament (original Jewish scriptures).

He was either a liar, a lunatic or If Jesus is God, then what He says must be true. And if Jesus said that the Bible is true in everything it says (which He did), this must mean that the Bible is true in what it proclaims.

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to my Father except through me,” (John 14:6).

Jesus is calling, my friend. He’s ready to give you another chance.

Back to Basics: Saving Your Life

If you want to save your life, your first have to lose it.

“If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.  For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.  For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?” (Matthew 16:24-26).

These are the words of Jesus. He was either a liar, lunatic, or He was, and remains, the very Son of God. What He said must not be misinterpreted or taken lightly. 

Let’s begin with what Jesus didn’t mean. Many people interpret “cross” as some burden they must carry in their lives: a strained relationship, a thankless job, a physical illness. With self-pitying pride, people often say, “That’s my cross to carry.” Such an interpretation is not what Jesus meant when He said, “Take up your cross and follow Me.”

When Jesus carried His cross up Golgotha to be crucified, no one was thinking of the cross as symbolic of a burden to carry. To a person in the first-century, the cross meant one thing and one thing only: a guilty verdict punishable by death in the most painful and humiliating means human beings could think of.

Therefore, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me” means being willing to die in order to follow Jesus. This is called “dying to self.” It’s a call to absolute surrender. After each time Jesus commanded cross bearing, He said,  For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.  For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?”

Although the call to denial is admittedly tough, some can never do it. But for all who do, the reward is priceless.

Back to Basics: Your Real Purpose – Brian Sussman Show Podcast, Episode 129

We can’t be distracted by the news media. Putin evil, help Ukraine, reset economy, World War Three possible, supply chains backed up, workforce depleted, rich getting richer, go green, fossil fuels bad, government good, equality, inequality, equity, intolerance, transexual, liberation…

In Episode 129 I walk us past the media narratives and get right to the root of the real issue that plagues this world: People need Jesus. He is Lord and He seeks to give everyone another chance. And not only does He desire to provide another chance, He is ready and waiting to reveal to all their real and unique purpose for living.

Hope you will check it out!

Back to Basics: What is Heaven Really Like?

If you ask 100 people, including pastors and theologians, what heaven is like you’ll get 100 different answers.

Actually, for every theologian in your query you’re bound to get 10 different explanations, so let’s take theologians out of the example. That still keeps us at about 100 different descriptions of heaven.

Last night I believe God gave me this wonderful vision of heaven:

Imagine you have lived your entire life land-locked. You’ve never seen a body of water bigger than a pond, or maybe a small lake. You’ve never seen a fish, let alone a whale, a dolphin, or an octopus. In fact, you never even seen photographs or video of these creatures, or the ocean in which they live. However, you’ve read a few stories about such environs, and you’ve heard 100 people give 100 different descriptions of what abides in that mysterious thing called “the ocean.”

Then one day you finally see the ocean with your own eyes. Your heart nearly stops at its immense splendor. You witness the great tail of a whale splashing the surface of the water and pod of dolphins dancing between the rolling waves. You’re taken to a bay with crystal clear water and wade into a tide pool. There, right next to your submerged feet, your jaw drops as you look at sea anemones, brilliant fish, and even octopus.

Some say, “Heaven will be a state of mind.”  While they are incorrect, I can understand their statement in that we humans can’t wrap our brains around, “what God has prepared for those who love Him,” (Psalm 31:19 and 1 Corinthians 2:9).