Category: God
Encouraged by the story of Joseph
Today and last week I have been very encouraged by the story of Joseph and his brothers. This morning on my way to work I listened to the following verses:
“Please, come closer,†he said to them. So they came closer. And he said again, “I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into slavery in Egypt. But don’t be upset, and don’t be angry with yourselves for selling me to this place. It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives. This famine that has ravaged the land for two years will last five more years, and there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. God has sent me ahead of you to keep you and your families alive and to preserve many survivors. So it was God who sent me here, not you! And he is the one who made me an adviser to Pharaoh—the manager of his entire palace and the governor of all Egypt. (Genesis 45:4-8 NLT)
http://bible.com/116/gen.45.4.nlt
It is encouraging to remember that God walks with us each day, and is using the experiences we are going through to further His plans and His kingdom, when we are called according to His purpose.
Tweets from Presentations by Nabeel Qureshi in Oklahoma
These are my tweets from a sermon and afternoon presentation by Nabeel Qureshi at First Presbyterian Church of Edmond, Oklahoma, on February 9, 2014. My Christian Twitter channel is @eyesrightblog – my professional channel is @wfryer. Nabeel’s web bio is:
Dr. Nabeel Qureshi is a former devout Muslim who was convinced of the truth of the Gospel through historical reasoning and a spiritual search for God. Since his conversion, he has dedicated his life to spreading the Gospel through teaching, preaching, writing, and debating.
Nabeel has given lectures at universities and seminaries throughout North America, including New York University, Rutgers, the University of North Carolina, the University of Ottawa, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and Biola University. He has participated in 17 moderated, public debates around North America, Europe, and Asia. His focus is on the foundations of the Christian faith and the early history and teachings of Islam.
Nabeel is a member of the speaking team at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries. He holds an MD from Eastern Virginia Medical School, an MA in Christian apologetics from Biola University, and an MA from Duke University in Religion.
The Name of Jesus Saves by @NAQureshi
Our scripture verse today:
In fact, it says, “The message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart.†And that message is the very message about faith that we preach: If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.†Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.†But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!†(Romans 10:8-15 NLT)
We are hearing today from Dr. Nabeel Qureshi. Nabeel is @NAQureshi on Twitter. He shared powerful stories about his life growing up as a devout Muslim in the United States, in a family that had served as Islamic missionaries around the world.
It was not until a fellow debate member in high school engaged Nabeel in evidence-based dialog about Jesus in the Bible that he started a 3 year journey of searching which culminated in his conversion to Christianity.
Death, Deity & Resurrection are the three core beliefs of Christianity which Islam denies.
Prophetic dreams are commonplace among Muslims, and were in Nabeel’s family. God gave Nabeel three different dreams of revelation about Jesus.
“There is nothing in the Koran which speaks to a hurting man.”
“This life is not about me, it is about Him.” [Jesus]
The word “excruciating” was invented to describe how painful it is to die in a cross
Great message today in our early church service by Nabeel! I’m looking forward to hearing more from him this afternoon!
Live By God’s Power
These are our sermon focus verses today at our church:
So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. (Ephesians 5:15-21 NLT)
I pray this day and this year I would be filled with God’s Holy Spirit, to know and do God’s will. I pray our church would be filled with God’s Holy Spirit and overflow with the gifts He gives is through the indwelling of his Spirit.
Flipboard magazine: On Faith, God & Jesus
I love the iPad app Flipboard. It is, without a doubt, the best way to read information that others share with you via social networks like Twitter and Facebook. The only other iPad magazine I currently read which can compare is National Geographic, but that is written and curated by professional journalists.
I started a new @flipboard magazine today: “On Faith, God & Jesus.” The description I wrote is:
A collection of articles and posts related to Christianity, religion, and faith aggregated by Wesley Fryer. Including an article here does not constitute the endorsement of or agreement by the aggregator (Wes) with the topics addressed or opinions expressed. For the opinions of Wes related to issues of faith, see his Christian blog, “Eyes Right” on https://pocketshare.speedofcreativity.org
I hope you subscribe and share this with others. I won’t post to this Flipboard magazine as often as I do to my edtech Fipboard magazine, “iReading with Wes,” but I’ll post periodically when I find and read / watch / listen to thought provoking content related to faith, God and Jesus.
No Christ in Our Public School Christmas Program
Not a surprise and not inappropriate either, but this scene from today’s 4th and 5th grade Christmas program at our public elementary school rather dramatically shows how there is “no Christ” in the program, songs or messages.
If kids aren’t learning about Jesus at home and/or at church, they are likely not learning about Him.
I fully support our separation of church and state. It would be inappropriate for our public school to have a religious program. The secularization of Christmas and our society more generally were brought to mind this morning in our school program.
Moses Prophesied The Coming of Jesus
These words from Deuteronomy are our sermon text today:
The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him. For this is what you asked of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, “Let us not hear the voice of the Lord our God nor see this great fire anymore, or we will die.†The Lord said to me: “What they say is good. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him. (Deuteronomy 18:15-18 NIV)
Moses, through the power of God’s Holy Spirit, spoke words of prophesy about the coming of His Son, Jesus Christ. This was why the Jews were waiting for the Messiah to come. Unfortunately, however, many of the Jewish leaders were not open to the voice of the Holy Spirit when He sent Jesus to be born in humble circumstances in a manger.
God, open our hearts and minds to both recognize and listen to your Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit Acted Before Pentacost
We’ve been studying God’s Holy Spirit in church for several weeks in our sermon series, and I’ve been hearing more about it in the sermons of Jim Cymbala (from Brooklyn Tabernacle in New York) and in his book about God’s Holy Spirit. Today we read about the Angel Gabriel’s messages to Mary, Joseph, and Zachariah. I noticed that it was God’s Holy Spirit that was at work in advance of the births of John the Baptist and Jesus.
This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 1:18 NLT)
and…
But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John. You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He must never touch wine or other alcoholic drinks. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth. (Luke 1:13-15 NLT)
Pruning, Remaining in Christ, & Bearing Fruit
This is a practice run of the Thanksgiving sermon / meditation I’ll be sharing tomorrow at our church. Please share feedback and let me know what I should change! This will be my first sermon ever to share at church. 🙂