CityLight Church’s One Year Bible Reading Plan
Thursday, April 14th, 2016
Joshua 9:3-10:43
Luke 16:19-17:10
Psalm 83:1-18
Proverbs 13:4
For full text click here: http://bit.ly/1qzCwy5
Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
“And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’” – Lk 16:30-31
Jesus tells the story of a rich man who refused to believe in God. The man lived a luxurious life, wore the best clothes, and “…fared sumptuously every day” (v 19). But when he died, he learned the hard way that God is real. Because he didn’t make the decision to believe in God before he died, he would spend eternity in torment in Hades.
The man cried out to Abraham from his suffering. He knew he had no hope, because he had made his choice. But he begged Abraham to send someone back from the dead to warn his, “…five brothers, that he may testify to them” (v 28) of the existence of God. But Abraham refused. “If they do not hear Moses and the prophets,” Abraham said, “Neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead (v 31).
Faith means making a choice to believe, with the evidence you have available. People ask me all the time, “If God is real, why won’t He prove it to me?” But what if He already did? Moses and the prophets testified that a Messiah would come. Four different Gospel writers attest to the fact that Jesus is the Messiah the prophets were looking for. Countless men and women bore witness to Jesus’ death and Resurrection. If that’s not good enough, multiple secular (i.e. non-Christian) historians with no religious agenda confirmed that Jesus hung and died on the Cross (for a full description, see http://intelligentcharismatic.com/day-91-the-cross-happened/)!
You don’t need more evidence; you just need to make a decision. If you won’t believe in Jesus with the evidence you already have, you won’t be persuaded with more: even if someone came back from the dead to tell you God is real. God has made Himself real, and has offered you a real relationship with Him. Won’t you say yes?
Prayer:
Father, I believe in Jesus! Thank You for leaving a beautiful trail of abundant evidence that Jesus is who He says He is. I don’t want to doubt any more. I am making a decision to believe!
Archives
See commentary from this day in 2014: http://intelligentcharismatic.com/day-104-seeking-god-in-relationships/
See commentary from this day in 2015: http://intelligentcharismatic.com/day-104-increase-my-faith/
© Michael D. White, 2016. All rights reserved.