SUPPORT FOR OUR FAITH

“To whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3 NKJV).

Our text is a part of the introduction of the Book of Acts, written by Dr. Luke. There are three words that we want to focus on: “many infallible proofs.” These words speak about the support for our faith. In these words we find the foundation of proofs, the fullness of proofs, and the finest of proofs regarding our faith.

Foundation of proofs - Christianity is not a fable, fairy tale, or a figment of someone’s imagination. Rather, our faith is built on a foundation of proofs. There are many folks who think that Christianity is mere opinion, supposition, and tradition. On the contrary, our faith is factual. Being factual means that a person should not ignore the message of the Gospel. To ignore the “proofs” is to play the fool. And to follow that which is not based on “proofs’ is also to play the fool. Evolution has no foundation of proofs to support it; but the Gospel does.

Fullness of proofs – Note that our verse speaks of “many infallible proofs.” This is emphasizing the fact that Christianity has a multitude of proofs to support it. When the Lord Jesus Christ was on earth, He gave an abundance of proofs regarding His Person, His claims, as well as the Gospel. The evidence is not small in number, but it is overwhelming in amount. In fact, no other so-called religion has as “many proofs” as does our faith.

Finest of proofs - The Greek words used for the phrase “infallible proofs” means more than just proofs; it means convincing proofs, excellence in proofs. So, not only are the proofs for the Lord Jesus and the Gospel many in quantity but they are excellence in quality. It is not questionable evidence, but the finest of evidence. May the evidence of our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ also be of excellent quality to those around us.

(Adapted from Butler’s Daily Bible Reading 3)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“Christianity is not devotion to work, or to a cause, or a doctrine, but devotion to a Person, the Lord Jesus Christ!”

Oswald Chambers (1874 - 1917)

Scottish Evangelical Bible Teacher and Military Chaplain

Word Study

Fast

In Matt. 6:16 we read, “Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward” (NKJV).

“Fast” is the Greek word nēsteúō (νηστεύω = nace-tyoo'-o). It is made up of two words: “ne” which means not, and “esthío” which means to eat. Thus, the word means to abstain from food for a certain period of time. Fasting consisted of abstinence from food to express dependence on God and submission to His will. Fasting has been practiced by many different religions for centuries. It is personal self-discipline in which a person denies himself a normal need in order to learn to restrain his passions and desires, and to express his devotion and humility before the Lord. And so, most commonly, fasting involves denying oneself a meal or meals in order to give oneself to the purpose of seeking God’s face. But fasting is never to be used for drawing attention to one’s spirituality or devotion.

Did You Know…

Jacob served Laban 14 years in order to win Rachel for his bride (Gen. 31:41).

Bible Quiz

According to the Book of Galatians, who did Paul consider to be the “pillars” of faith?

**Answer to last week’s Bible Quiz

What did God say about a man whose body is hung on a tree? That man is cursed by God (Deut. 21:23).

Prophecies Fulfilled by the Lord Jesus Christ

"And to Him shall be the obedience of the people" (Gen. 49:10; John 10:16)

"The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes; and to Him shall be the obedience of the people” (Gen. 49:10 NJKV).

As Jacob continues to bless his son, he prophecies that the Messiah, the coming Savior will come into power from the line of Judah and will continue to rule forever. This Ruler will then be honored by all nations and the scepter in this passage symbolizes that power. This verse also ties into the New Testament where the apostle Paul references Rom. 15:12 which refers to a Ruler, the “root of Jesse,” who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, in Him the Gentiles shall hope.”

Did You Know – Christian History

George Washington Carver was born into slavery in the early 1860s, in Diamond Grove, Newton County, Missouri. He was an American agricultural scientist and inventor who promoted alternative crops to cotton and methods to prevent soil depletion. He was one of the most prominent black scientists of the early 20th Century.

During the Civil War, slavers kidnapped him and his mother. However, because Carver had whooping cough, they abandoned him. Carver’s owner, Moses Carver, gave a horse to the man who brought the boy back; and his wife, Susan, nursed the child back to health. Carver built quite a local reputation as a plant doctor. But Carver wanted to know things. He watched what people did and imitated them. From a Webster speller, he taught himself to read. When the Emancipation Proclamation freed all slaves, George decided to stay with the Carvers until he was fourteen. He then left home to seek an education. Fortunately for him, he became acquainted with a Christian couple who made a Bible student of him. Thereafter, Scripture was his reliable guide to his dying day.

Carver wandered the Midwest, working, saving a little money, going to school, and then working again when pennies ran out. Usually he supported himself by washing clothes, but he also taught himself to paint with homemade paints and won honorable mention for his art in the 1893 World Exhibition. When he decided to go to college, some schools slammed their doors in his face because he was black. Simpson College and Iowa State did not. He stood at the head of his classes. Iowa State made him an assistant professor and he did original research. Yet he longed to do more to help his own people.

It was at this point that Booker T. Washington asked him to join Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute in Alabama, Carver jumped at the chance, although it meant a reduction in working conditions. The work there was training poor farmers, black and white. The synthetic products he developed for crops, and the testimony he gave in the US Senate are well-known. And while Carver was a success, he was the first to tell you it was because of the Lord. “I have made it a rule to go out and sit . . . at four o’clock every morning and ask the good Lord what I am to do that day. Then I go ahead and do it.’

George Washington Carver died January 5, 1943, and became only the third American up to that time to have a national monument erected in his honor. He earned that tribute by overcoming formidable obstacles and disappointments. disappointments.rs.

A Little Humor

A Baptist pastor was presenting a children’s sermon. During the sermon, he asked the children if they knew what the resurrection was. A little boy raised his hand. The pastor called on him and the little boy said, “I know that if you have a resurrection that lasts more than four hours you are supposed to call the doctor.

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“Every saint has a past. Every sinner has a future!”