Understanding God's Word Carl Vasta

Bible Seeds:  There is a poem from Robert Burns, the poet, that inspired a book by John Steinbeck titled “Of Mice and Men.” The quote goes like this “The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray.” This does not only apply to people but to spiritual entities like Satan and his demons.

For example, Satan thought he was successful at killing Jesus on the cross and seeing him put in a tomb! But Jesus came back at His resurrection, and was victorious over death.

This next verse may tell us what Satan felt like when it was over!    “But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known ( God’s Plan ) , they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”

Bible Seeds:  A while ago, Paul Simon, the songwriter-singer wrote a song titled ‘Slip-Slidin’ Away.’ One of the verses start out, ‘And God only knows, And God makes his plan. The information is unavailable for the mortal man’

As we look at the stories about the relationships between God and His creation, we see that God has a way of letting us know what is going to happen without telling us how He is going to accomplish it! God likes to surprise us.

I think that anyone who has been helped by God has often been surprised by the way He helped them. They may have expected that God would help them in a certain way, but were totally surprised how God accomplished helping them by twist and turns that often made His believers think that God might be working against them. A good example of what I’m talking about is this story from the bible!

                                        THE STORY OF JOSEPH AND THE PHARAOH

Bible Seeds:  Joseph of Arimathea was given permission by Pilate to take the body of Jesus’ and give it a burial in a new tomb he had just prepared for himself.
 
In the book of John, Chapter 19, verse 39, “Joseph and another disciple named Nicodemus, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds.” The Jews prepared a body for burial like they were taught when they lived in Egypt, and now it was their custom to use a mixture of myrrh and aloes to bind the body with strips of linen, and it would be wet until it solidified. . . . or like a mummy!
 
This is probably what the apostles saw in the tomb, an empty shell without a body! And they believed! What happened to Jesus during the three days before the tomb was opened is not immediately told in a story form but is discovered in other readings. 
 
From these readings, we find out where the real Paradise is.  It's not up there,  but down below the Earth!

Bible Seeds:  This podcast shows three examples that Jesus is God"s Word made flesh by the power of the Holy Spirit.  The first example is that Jesus proved He has the authority fo forgive only what God can forgive.  Your sins!

The second example shows that Jesus has the power  with God the Father to raise people back to life!  So when He says,  "I am the ressurrection and the life.  Whoever believes in me will live even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die!"  He is telling you the truth.

The third example  shows that; first of all, Jesus was raised back to life and is victorious over death!  And even though you claim to believe in Jesus, if you are stubborn in your unbelief of all that Jesus has said and done,  you will not be raised to life and live with Him in Heaven! But
your spirit will live in torment ever after!

Remember what Jesus said to Thomas,  "You became a believer because you saw me.  Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed!"

Bible Seeds: Many nations and kingdoms have come and gone, and people have mistakenly thought that political leaders or kings of their culture were responsible for establishing the foundations of righteousness. Unfortunately, the foundations of righteousness do not exist in any mortal culture, but only God’s Kingdom.

Bible Seeds" God made this world a heavenly paradise, but it sure has turned into a strange place. God made our forefathers invent an interesting Courtroom called Congress to test the hearts and the strength of men and women, who sell themselves like hookers and “LIE” straight to your face, smiling at you!
The sweet women who used to tell us “Don’t worry, it will be okay”, have been forced to become “Mama Bears” at Congress, Courts and School Boards to protect their children and themselves from these morally bankrupt leaders who would take all our money and think nothing of TAXING OUR HUMAN DIGNITY!
And those are the people we have to lead this nation into the future? Tell me, would we believe it if they sent us a Valentine’s card saying how much they love us?

So Who Can You Trust?