Bible Studies – James G. Owen, Author

By James G. Owen

A young man saw a lady across the church congregation wondering if she was single. So, after church he went to introduce himself to her. Upon meeting her they chatted for a while getting acquainted and then he asked her to if she would go out with him on a date the next week. She said yes, and a friendship began to spring. As we know there are steps in a relationship between a man and a woman. Eventually, they decided to be exclusive, and not to date another. This began a covenant, a promise not to consider another person for possible dating. Each remained within the covenant they made to each other, and their covenant was sealed by marriage. A covenant over another covenant. The marriage covenant ideally is to be for life.

As they continued to live being married the couple made time for each other, confirmed their feelings and emotions for one another, and their love for each other grew as the years went by. Never looking at another person, nor even had vain imaginations, their marriage was successful until one passed away. The spouse passing went to be with Jesus to be granted of their inheritance which is eternal life, which is a spiritual wedding between God and the past spouse. While we are here on earth having accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, we are betrothed to him awaiting our marriage. The physical and the spiritual covenants parallel to one another. We make the choice in whom we become betrothed and marry. This is an example of faithfulness.

Faithfulness defined is an allegiance, an oath or covenant created between two parties. To be faithful is to not commit any acts against the covenant made. As in marriage, one will not commit adultery and hurt the spouse. It is a promise made and shall not be broken.

In the moment we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior in receiving salvation we create a covenant between God and us. We are to be faithful to him as though he is the Groom, and we are the bride. For the Church is described in scripture as the bride of the bridegroom, and he will come after he has everything under his feet to claim his bride. All of us are his bride, collectively the Church.

“I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.”

Isaiah 61:10

As our relationship with God and us we are to remain faithful, and we are faithful as stewards of our house. Our house is our body, soul, and spirit. In scripture our house is also described as a temple of God. For he dwells within us after sanctification has occurred in the salvation process. We are responsible for the upkeep of his house, to keep our sanctification current, and not yielding to sin or temptation. Even though we have trouble remaining faithful because of temptation and yielding to sin, God is always faithful to us in the relationship. He understands why we fail and continues to love us. All we must do is confess we have failed and restore the relationship. The relationship requires stewardship from each other.

“Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.”

1 Corinthians 4:2

Two people in a relationship or covenant will be faithful and remain faithful if they genuinely love one another. They know that any breach of the relationship will cause pain, distress, and distrust. The same goes with God and us. He is faithful to us because that is his nature, and because he loves us and will take care of us in sustenance and care. When we need him, we can go to him in prayer and God will listen to us. Caring spouses will listen to one another and work out the differences too. Whether earthly covenants or spiritual covenants both takes work to remain in faithfulness. Forgiveness is part of remaining in faithfulness to one another, and if a man or a woman does not forgive it puts a strain on the covenant or will negate the covenant. Both must be forgiving to stay within covenant, and this is the same in relation to God and us.

“Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;”

Deuteronomy 7:9

As we live our life righteously, think of how our life can be a testimony to someone who does not have a relationship with God. Our lives show either good fruit, or bad fruit. Either will cause a person to decide to live for God or not. They are watching us and how we are faithful and the manner we remain faithful. God never fails us. He can never be unfaithful because he is truth, love, and compassionate about being in a relationship with us, and he knows a righteous relationship is life, and that its result is eternal life with him. That is our inheritance. The inheritance for the married couple, the man and the woman are their testimony to future generations. This is the heritage of the earthly couple, their testimony. God’s heritage is the righteous living of his children who come to live with him eternally.

The success of being faithful and remaining faithful is having hope in each other and living a righteous life and placing our hope in God. His compassion is new to us every morning and his love is refreshed.

“They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.”

Lamentations 3: 23-24

Be faithful to each other. Be faithful in your promises remaining true to both sides. Above all remain faithful to God.

Notes:
Merriam Webster Dictionary online.

All scripture is taken from the King James Version, Public Domain, BibleGateway.

by James G. Owen

The disciples were sailing on a ship on the Galilean Sea. It was nighttime and very dark, and I can imagine only a candle lit for light inside the ship on a lower deck. The disciples were on the main deck when the storm began to rage. The ship was listing side to side and being tossed. The front of the ship going up high over the waves. The waves of the sea were very rough. The voyage was treacherous, and the disciples were afraid because they knew that some ships were not successful in making the journey across the sea. Before them, many men had died in similar storms. Peter is watching the storm on deck, and then he sees Jesus in the distance walking toward them on the water. He beckons Jesus to let him walk on the water, to come to him. In those days it was reported by sailors seeing a spirit walking on the water. They believed it was the spirits of the dead who had lost their lives of storms past. In the culture of their day the people thought the storm god Baal was angry and caused the sea to rage.

After hearing Peter’s call, Jesus tells Peter to step out of the ship and walk on the water. Peter obeys while keeping his eyes on Jesus while he walked on the water. As he looked downward at his feet he began to sink in the sea. He began to cry out for Jesus to save him. Jesus was there at the very moment Peter began to be taken down into the sea. Jesus reaches out his hand, Peter quickly grabbed his hand and was pulled upward to safety within the storm. As Jesus and Peter walked together on the water to board the ship, the wind ceased, and the sailors on board saw and believed what they had just witness and saying among themselves, Jesus who walked on the sea is the Son of God. Why? Because no man can walk on the sea without the help of God or being God.

All of us have storms that come into our lives. The storms are various throughout our lives, and these storms either causes us to mature, or they bring us down to destroy us. Many of the storms we encounter is our fault because of sin, lack of faith, or just a circumstance in life. But I am here to tell you after going through many trials and storms in my life there is hope. Where is the hope many may think? They have looked to and fro on this earth while not regarding God our creator. People have looked for peace, love, and hope in the ways of the world, but could not find it because they were looking in the wrong place, and their hearts were not on God. God is the place, the person in which we find hope and we can trust him to get us through. All we must do is obey his commandments and live in his covenant. He takes care of his children. We may go through storms, trials, and tribulation but he is always present. We reach out to him through prayer, fasting, and believing up on his word as we read the scriptures and believe.

The hope that we are looking for to give us peace within this world is a peace of mind knowing we have eternal life as we live our lives. This peace gives us strength to carry on. We receive this hope and peace in giving our lives to God by accepting his son Jesus. This is called salvation because we are redeemed by the blood of the lamb Jesus. When we believe upon Jesus, accept him as Savior, and are forgiven of our sins then we have been given the spiritual tools to victory. The tools given us we will need to learn to use. The tools begin with faith, even though a small measure is given to us at birth we must learn to exercise our faith to see and bring greater things in our lives. To trust and believe what our faith has spoken, and realizing it is the grace of God that has saved us. When the storms come, we should remember our faith and then become determined in our mindset to endure because as we endure, we are working towards an inheritance, a blessing, and a blessing even I cannot comprehend because it is so large and continuous. God loves us and wants us to be victorious! It is his children, those who know him and have given their hearts to him to serve him on earth. Through the salvation process is how we become to know God, and he to know us. Together we enter a relationship of friendship, intimacy, and finally marriage when he returns to receive his bride —the Church.

The spiritual way to victory here I will list to summarize, so that all can see in one place to receive it in our hearts and mind. They are faith, trust, grace, salvation, redemption, peace, hope, Jesus, endurance, and blessings. Jesus is always in the middle of the process. For it was through him we have been given the victory! Through him we have found liberty, peace, and hope to endure. The prize is eternal life.

“I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. “

Philippians 3:14

This process we have been given throughout scripture will get us through any storm, battle, trial, or tribulation. We Americans, and the world are in a global storm. It is a physical and spiritual storm, but the spiritual storm is the largest aspect. We must realize we are seeing evil like we have never experienced. I believe evil will increase as time and days go by until we see our blessed Savior returning in glory and majesty on the Last Day. The last day is spoken of by John in his gospel,

“And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.”

John 6:40

As I conclude this group of scripture presents the truth and the hope to us all. It is only through Jesus that a hope is given that will bring us joy, peace, love, and understanding. Through him hope has become life.

“In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)”

John 7: 37-39

As of Acts 2 the Holy Ghost has been received and has continued until our present day. Jesus sent his Holy Spirit to strengthen us to serve, to empower us so that we can do the same ministry as he did while alive on earth. It is through his Spirit that the rivers of water flow when we receive the Holy Ghost at the time of salvation, and has we experience the living water flowing in our prayers and life. It is the witness of the Holy Spirit to others who see the hope and that God lives within because the Holy Spirit is our witness. Those of you who do not have Jesus in your life you can receive it today. Just reach out, pray, and ask him for forgiveness. This is how you receive hope. Those of you who know Jesus have hope knowing you have him in your life. Arise and live a holy and victorious life!

Notes:

All scripture used is taken from the King James Version, Public Domain, BibleGateway.

Tag: Bible Studies

Faithfulness—Being and Remaining Faithful to God

Braving the Coming Global Storm—Hope into Victory