A Conversation With God

Dr. Mike Murphy

May 13, 2023

A conversation with God.  So many times we find ourselves desiring to hear from God, to hear His voice guiding us, giving needed direction to us. Others will say if they could only hear Him speak, then they could believe, then they would know He is real.  So many questions would be asked of God, if we could just have a conversation with Him, just one little chance for us to talk to Him.  So many who think to themselves, if I could just hear Him speak, all my questions would be answered.   Each time I hear someone say this, I stop and ask myself, “How do you not already hear His voice?  How do you not hear it above all the other sounds around you?”  And with each question we would ask, I can all but hear the Lord saying, “Why have you not already listened to My answers?”

Each day, I find myself having a conversation with the Lord.  Some days, it seems like it is me doing all the talking, sharing with Him all my concerns, and laying all my problems at His feet.  Other days, it is me doing all the listening, carefully hearing each word of wisdom He gives me, and understanding the plans He has for me.  Like all good conversations, our conversation goes both ways. And with each word He speaks to me, our relationship grows, my faith is strengthened, and my understanding of His ways become greater.

Many will hear this and ask, “Does God actually speak to you, does He really have a conversation with you?”  My answer to that question is a one hundred percent yes!  I have a conversation with our Lord every day!

The dictionary defines a “conversation” as an exchange of sentiments, observations, opinions, or ideas.  In everything around me, in all I see and all I hear, it is impossible for me to ignore that exchange.  As the thunder roars and the lightning strikes, I can hear the voice of God reminding me of Who created this world around me.  As I watch the faith grow in those around me, I hear the love in the gentleness of His voice.  And as I watch the news, and I see what man is capable of without turning to Him, I hear the stern warning in each of His words. But above all, as I daily turn to Him in prayer, I hear His Spirit speaking back to me, internally answering me.  And as I pick up His Word each day, and carefully read the words He has given us, I clearly hear His voice guiding me, giving purpose in each answer He shows me.  I cannot begin to imagine spending one minute of a single day, not hearing His voice, and not being in conversation with Him.

Though we do not realize it, the Bible is one of God’s main ways of speaking to us.  If the heavens are the megaphone on which He gets our attention, then Scripture would be the cell phone He uses to send us “text messages” all day, everyday.  When we read His Word, we are hearing His voice, just as plain and clear as if He was standing in front of us speaking.  Each minute we spend time in that Word, we are interacting with Him, spending priceless time with Him,  and are in the greatest of conversations with Him. The Bible is God’s love letter to each of us, and as we read that letter, we can hear Him speaking each word of that love to us.  Pouring out His heart to us as He shares with us His encouragement, His strength, His insight, and His wisdom.  Speaking to us a love so deep, that He would give everything to reach us, to protect us, and to spend eternity with us.

“So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.”(Isaiah 55:11).  Each conversation He has with me, each word He speaks to me, carries a purpose and a plan that I know is so much greater than me.  But despite the greatness of those plans, He includes someone as simple as me.  And He shows me that the purpose for His plans were made with simple me in mind.

My God is not a quiet God, but a God who will speak to me as much as I will listen to His voice.  A God who is always ready to share His wisdom with me. A God that despite all the chaos I see going on in the universe around me, is never too busy for me.  I find myself so easily forgetting sometimes, my God is the greatest of multitaskers, He can get more accomplished in a single second than I can even think about doing in a whole day.  He is able to give more of His time and attention to everyone, individually, on the face of this earth, than I can give of my attention to a single person.  And with each conversation, with each second He spends with me, I recognize more and more just why He is God, and why I am not.

With each conversation He has with me, with each second He spends talking to me, I come to realize the wisdom He has to offer me.  I can feel His words shaping me, and molding me, making me into a reflection of each of those words.  I can hear Him whispering to me, “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.”(James 3:17).  Each day as this world does it best to also speak to me, I hear the selfishness and envy in the world’s words.  Calling me to put myself first at all cost, despite what that cost might bring to others. But as I hear His voice speak to me, I hear the calls of this world fading away, only leaving me to hear the pureness that His voice is calling me to.  A pureness in His voice so peaceable and gentle, that it is slow to find confliction, but quick to lovingly show me ways to serve.  A reason in His voice that leads me to see that my way is not always right, and helps me to see His wisdom being expressed in the words of someone else.  A mercy and goodness in His voice that always brings me back to His ways, leading me to a sincerity that calls me to also lead others to His voice.

With each conversation I have with Him, I grow to appreciate each word of His Word a little more.  With each word I read, with each prayer I share, I find myself walking step in step with Him.  And soon I have come to realize, I cannot walk with Christ, without finding myself in a conversation with Christ.  Each word He speaks to me comes to life, proclaiming louder and louder His love, wisdom, mercy, grace, and truth with each step.  Drawing me closer into His arms with each word.  I soon find myself realizing, there is no One I had rather talk to, no One I had rather spend time with.  No One I would rather have a conversation with.  And each day, I found myself living more and more for the moments when I can share a conversation with my Lord.

Praying you find time to talk to Him today.

Can I Get A Witness!

Dr. Mike Murphy

May 6, 2023

It would be the trial of a lifetime.  Tom Daniels got the case of the century thrown into his lap.  He had tried many major cases as a top Assistant District Attorney for the city.  But this case would be like no other.  The murder of a city councilman, who was running for mayor upped the stakes.  Top that with the fact that known mob associates with connection to the sitting mayor had been arrested for the crime, turned the focus and the heat up on every word he said. This was the case he had dreamed of, but could be the case that buried him.

With the District Attorney out on medical leave, recovering from a recent heart attack, every decision for the case fell on his shoulders.  He made sure that all evidence for the case found its’ way to his desk, as it would be him answering the media hounds if even the smallest tidbit of information was overlooked.  He also made sure that by all evidence coming through him, he could keep a lid on all of it. He knew that with any leak, City Hall would be at his door faster that the reporters.

As he looked over the evidence, he felt confident in so much that he saw. The ballistics reports had come back in his favor.  Detectives had turned up a half-smoked cigarette with the DNA of the accused at the rally where the councilman had been speaking as the bullet took his life.  He had a written message in the handwriting of the accused also.  A message that had been coded, but as the code had been broken, a message that talked about the assassination of the councilman that day.  

Tom had all he needed to proceed at trial.  All that is, but one thing.  He did not have a witness!  Over seven hundred people had been at the rally that day, but not one had come forward stating they had seen the accused commit the crime.  He could not even get a single person to confirm they had seen the accused at the rally that day.  With the mob’s involvement, he knew that many were scared.  Scared for their life, and the lives of their family.  He had offered witness protection to anyone who would step forward.  A huge reward had also been offered to anyone who had evidence of the shooting.  Day and night, detectives continued to interview any and everyone who had been at or near the rally that day.  But as the detectives asked the question, echoes could be heard through the silence of the replies.

Just one witness was all he needed.  One reliable man or woman who could visually place the accused at the rally that day.  Just one person who could get him beyond the circumstantial and physical evidence, who could put a voice with the evidence for the jury to hear and see.  Each day they searched, but each day they failed.  As the day of the trial approached, all of Tom’s thoughts turned to one question.  “Can I get a witness!”

History has shown us, that with each piece of evidence there is importance in a witness. Someone who can bring the words off the page, and put a face to the facts that lie in front of us. Someone who can verify what is said, and confirm what is seen.  When we look at the word “witness”, we soon see the definition behind the word.  The dictionary tells us a witness is someone who sees something happen or occur.  The word “witness” actually comes to us from the Hebrew, and from the same root word we also get our word "testimony".  The word actually means, “to see or to observe the door or pathway”.  In ancient days, there was no more important part of the house than the door.  The door was by far the most used part of the structure. You could not go anywhere unless you first went through the door, and found yourself on the path.  Many houses in this day did not have windows, and in most that did, the windows were very small.  So if something was going on outside your house, you had to go and open your door so you could see or observe what had gotten your attention.

It is through this, that the terms witness and testimony soon found their way into the public forum, into our courts.  Under Hebrew law, a witness was held to a very high standard. The witness was so accountable for what testimony he gave, that to give false testimony could cost him dearly, could even cost him his life.  The life and the future of the one who the witness was giving testimony against or for, often came down to the truthfulness of the witness.  For him to accurately, factually, and without bias give an account of what he had observed.  It was the witness, and his testimony, that brought an accountability and proof to the case.

As the word made its’ way into the New Testament, and into the Greek language, it continued to carry with it this same meaning.  From the same root word in Greek that we get our word witness, we also get the same word "martyr". And although they have a complete separate meaning, it is by no mistake they come from the same root word.  Show me a sane man who was willing to die for something he did not believe in?  Willing to give his life for something he has no faith in?

Stephen serves as a perfect example of how the root word applies.  We read in Acts 7:1-53 of the stirring testimony of Stephen as he gives a witnessing account of how the hand of God had moved throughout the history of Israel, and how that history led all to the foot of the Cross.  As his testimony was angrily rejected by those who had no desire to hear the truth, Stephen was stoned to death(Acts 7:54-60).  Even as the stones were thrown at him, Stephen clung to his faith, and called on our Lord.

It was with this same faith that the Apostles also taught us to be witnesses, sharing our testimony of the Lord.  It was by this testimony that Peter reminded all of what the Disciples were a witness to(Acts 3:12-16).  It was also by this witnessing faith that Paul reminded us of what he was told, “For you will be a witness for Him to all men of what you have seen and heard.”(Acts 22:15).  Our faith makes us the perfect witness to the truth of Christ, and our testimony to this world tells them of the love Christ has shown each of us.  When Christ was asked what the greatest commandment was, He answered by saying, “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.”(Mark 12:30).  When we follow these words, our life bears witness to the grace, mercy and power of Christ, and our testimony serves as a solemn oath to others of His life and His death.

Why should we, as Christians, be a witness?  Because Christ commands us(Matthew 28:19-20).  Because He has conditioned us for it(Matthew 9:36-38, 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10, Jude 23).  Because the consequences call for it(Matthew 7:13, Revelation 20:15).  Because of the promise of His coming(1 Corinthians 15:58, 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20).  Because the love He shows us requires it( 2 Corinthians 5:14, Romans 10:1).  Because the character of the Gospel stands on it(Acts 4:12, Romans 1:16).  And because of our commitment to His Word(1 Corinthians 9:16-23, 1 Timothy 1:11-16).  Peter and John answered the question this way, “for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”(Acts 4:20).  We are not just a witness because we are called to be, we are a witness because we desire to be!

We so easily forget, the Holy Spirit makes each of us a witness.  The Holy Spirit calls each of us to be witnesses.  And it is only through the Holy Spirit can we, as witness, give our testimony.  From the moment we are “born again”, we are a witness to all that Christ has and is doing in each of our lives, and we have a responsibility to take the stand, and let this world hear and see the overwhelming evidence of the difference that Christ has made in each of us.

My testimony is the witness for all the Lord has done in my life.  Each day the Lord reminds me of all I am a witness to.  I serve as a witness to the life He has given me.  To His mercy that has forgiven me.  And to His grace that alone has saved me.  Each moment that as I look at this world around me, I am  a witness to His beauty and His glory.  I am a witness to the power of His voice, and the truth of His Word.  And as I watch that Word being put into action every minute of the day, I am a witness to the amazement of His love.  Nowhere can I look around me, and not see that I am a witness to the Lord.  As I see all the Lord shows me, I realize the importance of all I see.  And with each sight I see, what it calls me to do.  I must take the stand, place my hand on His Word, and give a truthful testimony for all the world to hear. I must be willing to honestly answer every question this world may ask me about Him.  And I must be willing to give an accurate account of all I have seen Him do in my life, and in the lives of those around me.  I am a witness.  

As the Lord stands at that door knocking, I pray that each of you will answer, and be a witness to His mercy and His love!

Outside My Window

Dr. Mike Murphy

April 30, 2023

As I look outside my window, I see the sun begin to rise.  The colors that fill my sight as the sun peeks over the horizon, makes me pause.  It sparkles through the leaves of the trees, and it glistens off the dew, reflecting with a brilliance that captures my eyes.  As the sun continues to rise, it reveals to me the beauty of this world around me.  Each moment seizes my sight with the uniqueness of this creation, and shows its’ purpose in each passing second of this day.  As I look outside my window, I cannot help but smile, as I think of the Hand that created all this around me.  Of the purpose that each glimpse gives me.  Of His plans that allows each ray of light to unfold in front of me.  If I look closely at each glimmer and flicker of the sun as it rises, I can still see His hands at work in front of me.  And I see the beauty and love that He alone has orchestrated for me.

As I look outside my window, I see the realness of those Hands.  A daily reminder to me of the Lord above me.  Each ray of sun erases all doubts, and fills my day with a comfort and a certainty.  And as I look outside my window, I wonder how anyone could not believe. How they could see what I see, and not fall to their knees.  How can their eyes not be overwhelmed by what I see outside my window?

But each day, I am told how I am confused by what I see.  That outside my window does not lie a purpose and a plan, but coincidence and chance.  That the beauty I see is accidental, not created for my eyes to see, but an aimless incident that is random of intent.  I am told that I do not need to look to God to explain what I see outside my window, that I only need to look to my fellow man. That in man’s mind I will find the explanation, in science I will find all my answers. But as I look to what man defines as science, I see reasoning and interpretation that can never illustrate for me the why and the how.  And in the hands of science, I do not see the answers being held.  And as I look outside my window, I wonder why science cannot see the obvious that my eyes see, the beauty and purpose of God that is fulfilled with each sunrise.

The world today often teaches a conflict between science and God.  But if we look closely, is there actually a conflict there?  Is there a real conflict between what God’s Word tells us, and what science wants to show us?  Does science lead us on a path away from God, or does true science reveal to us the brilliance and purpose of God?

The dictionary defines science as “the intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment”.  Science is a way for mankind to better understand the nature of this world around us.  Science teaches us knowledge through observation, and science allows man to expand in both logic and imagination.  But we must remember, science has its’ limitations. Unlike God, who knows no limits.  Despite what many might tell you, God and science does not have to be contradictory in the minds of Christians.  We can have complete faith in God and still have a healthy respect for science. We just have to remember, which One is perfect and which one is flawed.

Science is based on predictability and possibilities.  Science has often led us to great advancements, but science has also led us to great mistakes.  We cannot place our faith in science because of its’ imperfections, and because how many times history has shown us that science is wrong.  Science once told us that the world was flat, that wind only blew in a straight direction, that every star in the sky was the same, and that people should be bled in order to cure sickness.  And as we look around us today, we still see the mistakes that science makes.  I will give you a perfect example of this.  I am a big sports fan, and often times, like many of you, I have watched games that had amazing endings.  I have seen teams come back that were way down, with only seconds left.  In many of these games, science has stated that what the team did in coming back was impossible.  Even after the game was over, and the outcome known, science has said that what we saw happen was impossible, against all the principles of science.  But as our eyes have shown us, science can and will be wrong.  It is for this reason we cannot place our faith in science, only in the perfection of God.

Science can only explain to you what it understands, and can only lead you where the probabilities take you.  Science is limited in what it can tell you. The things that we see with certainty around us, science often does not have an answer for.  Each day as we watch the news, we see both evil and good.  We watch events happen, and we see different people react differently to these situations.  Watch any city riot take place and you will see this.  As the anger builds and buildings are destroyed, you will watch people react in different ways. Some you will see act in the lowest manner possible. Looting, killing, and burning everything around them.  Using the circumstances of the moment to justify their actions.  Others, you will see rise to the occasion.  Protecting those around them, looking to help those in need, and placing their own life at risk to stand for what is right.  In these. you see the same circumstance bring out a completely different response.  One reaction of good, another one of complete evil.

So what would lead two different people in two opposite directions?  One led toward good, the other toward evil.  Science cannot tell you.  Science cannot explain why one of these would act with good and the other with evil.  As a matter of fact, science cannot even explain to you good and evil itself.  Science has no clue why good and evil both exist.  And when science sees both, it ignores both, and only concentrates on the situation at hand.  But how do you fully understand the situation if you take the mindset of man out of the equation?  You cannot, and it is for these reasons that science cannot answers many of the basic questions that surround us each day.

But what science can never explain, God explains perfectly.  The free will that He gives to all of us, easily fills in the gaps that science will never have an answer for.  Free will allows each of us to choose good or to choose evil.  To choose God, and to follow His ways. Or to reject God, and follow the selfish ways this world will show us.  Despite what some might tell you, science does not lead you away from God, but leads each of us directly to God.  Science shows us our need for God, as without God, nothing science teaches us can ever make complete sense.

Truth does not serve as the enemy of the Christian, but is actually our best friend. Truth shows us the failure of our own limited knowledge, and the perfection of God’s infinite wisdom.  The Word of God tells us, “The heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of His hands.”(Psalm 19:1). Science proclaims the truth of these words. Science confirms what ours eyes shows us. Science gives authenticity to what each Word of God tells us. Science reaffirms the purpose and beauty I see outside my window.

But as I look outside my window, I understand that science can never show me the greatest proof of God’s existence.  That proof does not lie outside my window, it is found inside of me.  It is found in the difference that Christ alone has made in my life.  A proof no theory could explain, and no hypothesis could disclose.  Science could never explain to you what Christ has done in me.  No answer of science can be found in Christ taking a selfish, self-centered man, and making him into a man that God finds purpose in.  No scientist could ever explain the love that caused God to reach into the heart of this undeserving man, a love so strong it made him whole.  No science class ever taught me a word for the grace He brought to me, or to the assurance the Holy Spirit has placed in me. There was no probability or predictability in the change that Christ has brought to my life.  In Christ, I have only found certainty.  A certainty that washed me clean.  A certainty that brought words of mercy and hope to my lips.  A certainty that drives me each day to speak His name to all who  will hear.  A certainty that brings tears of joy to my eyes, each time I see the glory of God that lies outside my window.  

May God speak to your heart each time you take a glimpse outside your window.

Reading Is Fundamental!

Dr. Mike Murphy

April 22, 2023

As he looked out from the pulpit and began to speak, he prayed his message would not only be heard, but felt.  For two weeks he had been promoting this sermon, building up to the word he had been led to give.  As he looked over the congregation, it appeared the excitement had worked.  He saw faces that he rarely saw, and new faces that he had not before seen.  He could see the anticipation in the eyes of those looking back at him.  And this was an anticipation he planned to make the most of.

“Today, I want us to take a hard look at the wisdom of God.  In order to do this, I want each of you to not just hear about His wisdom as I speak, but to see His wisdom.  So to prepare for today, I have placed several extra Bibles in each pew, so that everyone here can follow the verses we are looking at firsthand.  So everyone grab your own Bible, or one of those in the pews and raise them up, so we can see when everyone has one.”

He watched as every pew scrambled to grab a Bible.  Then, one by one, he watched as every person, of every age, raised their Bible into the air.  When every hand was raised, he proceeded with his sermon.

“There is one verse that I think describes for us the wisdom of God far greater than any other.  So today I want us to take a hard look at that verse, and for each of us to read it over and over.  Everyone open your Bibles, and turn to Hezekiah chapter three, verse six.”

He paused and looked out at the congregation as they began to turn through the pages. He watched the faces intently, and watched as everyone reacted differently.  He saw many freeze, not knowing where to begin to turn in their Bibles.  He watched others, as they glanced at those beside them, hoping to see where they were turning.  He watched others still, turning through the pages from front to back.  As they got to the back cover without finding the verse, you could see them turn back to the front and begin to slowly thumb through the pages again.  And he looked into the eyes of others, the puzzled look on their faces as they wondered what was going on.  And elderly woman, who sat near the front, looked up at him and smiled.  He quickly winked at her, letting her know that everything was alright.  For minutes he watched this continue, until finally he heard a man whisper to his wife, “I know I have read this before, but I just cannot seem to find it!”

Finally the pastor asked, “Is everyone ready to begin reading the verse?” He heard the mumbles, and saw the confusion, and finally one man spoke and said he needed help to find the verse.  The pastor mercifully brought an end to his ruse, and told everyone that there was no such book of the Bible as Hezekiah.  In doing so, he watched as relief set in to many of the faces he saw. But as soon as the relief hit, the confusion again soon followed. He could see many begin to wonder, why had he done this in the first place?

“I know many may wonder why I did this, why I would ask you to turn to a verse that does not exist?  The answer is very simple, and one that helps us to recognize the wisdom of God.  Simply put, we cannot know God, the wisdom He longs to share with us, and all He desires for our lives, if we do not first spend time in and know His Word!.  With this in mind, I want us to actually turn to a few real verses, and see why it is so important that we spend time in God’s Word.”

Ask yourself, if you had been sitting in the pew that Sunday, how many of you would have spent time turning through the pages of your Bible looking for that verse in Hezekiah? How many that read this today, are familiar with God’s Word, and knows what it has to say?

“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”  2 Timothy 3:16-17.  The Greek word for inspired used in this verse actually means “breathed out”.  God gave life to every word we read in our Bible.  He created it with a purpose and an intent in mind.  The answers to the questions that have found their way to the tip of man’s tongue for years, can be found in each of the pages of the Bible that the Lord has so lovingly given to us.  Where did man come from?  What is evil?  What does the future hold?  Is there life after our death?  All questions that man has asked over and over, and all answers that God breathed into each word of His Scripture.  

And God’s wisdom and His Word does not stop there.  The questions and issues we face in our personal life, the Lord also passionately addresses.  How can I change my life? How can I be a good spouse and a good parent?  How can I get the most out of my life? What in this life is most important?  All question the Lord knew we would ask, and all answers He desired to give us as He breathed each word into the Bible.

With each syllable of God’s Word, we see the depth of each answer, and we see the inerrant and infallible truth in all that He has to say to us.  The Lord does not just give us His Word and say, “Trust Me”.   With each word of Scripture, God shows us why we can trust Him! The Bible is the only holy book that gives us the details and the definitions so we can go out and test the historical, the scientific, and the prophetic accuracy of every word.  Only one word has ever been able to hold up to that standard, and that is God’s Word!  God has purposefully shown us that if we can have complete trust in all He has to say in each of these areas, then we can also trust everything He tells us about the spiritual world that we cannot so often see.

“It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’”, Matthew 4:4.  Just as we take the time each day to feed our bodies, giving it the nutrition we need to face the day, we also need to give our spirit, soul. and mind the nutrition it requires each day also.  So often we hear people make the excuse, “I just do not have time to read my Bible everyday!”.  These words were once said to the famous evangelist D.L. Moody. At hearing this, Moody calmly looked over to the man and said, “My friend, if you are too busy to read the Bible every day you are busier than Almighty God ever intended any human being should be.”  When we set aside time for the Lord each day, we often do not realize what those short few minutes can do for our own life. The Lord desires nothing more than for us to have a personal relationship with Him.  A “love affair” that grows each day, and fulfills our lives in ways we could only hope for.  Just like any relationship, the more time we spend with that person we love, the more our lives are changed by that person. We hear their thoughts, we learn their tendencies, and we become accustomed to their likes and their dislikes.  We soon become one, not knowing where their life ends and our life begins.  We begin to realize that we cannot imagine our life without them in it, and we find that each day, we look for ways to please them before we even begin to think of ourselves.  The same is with the Lord!  And each minute we spend with Him, we find ourselves deeper in a “love affair” that will never end!   

With each word we read of God’s Word, we see how our relationship with the Lord grows.  With each prayer, and with each quiet moment we find ourselves studying His Word, we realize the difference that He is making in our life.  He teaches us the commitment, the focus, the obedience, and the wisdom that enriches our lives each day, and it is reflected in us as we go into the world around us.  We show the world that God is not distant, but close at hand, alive and well in each of us.  Those around us see a God that is more than just a simple story in a popular book, more than just a fairytale that has often been told. We help bring the Lord to life, and the breathe He breathed into the Scripture is heard and felt in each of us.  With each word we read of Scripture, we are led to show the world, “With the Lord on our side, absolutely nothing is impossible!” And with each moment we spend in God’s Word, we realize just how powerful that statement is, and how much truth is found in each word of that statement!

Each day as we pick up our Bibles, and begin to read His Word, we realize we do not do this out of habit, but out of desire.  The desire to know our Lord a little better today than we knew Him yesterday.  And as we read today, we know tomorrow holds the promise that we will even know Him better.  This desire of which I speak, leads us to read the Scripture with a passion.  An eagerness to understand Him more each day, an anticipation the wisdom of His Word will bring us, and a willingness of knowing that with each word we read, we find ourselves further enclosed in the security of His arms.  

Every time we read God’s Word, we need to take that passion and bring a purpose to it.  As we sit down to read, we need to first seek the Lord in prayer. Ask the Lord for the wisdom to understand the verse or passages you are reading, so that His Word may be your word.  As you read His Word, study His Word.  So many today will tell you to read a chapter a day.  I would suggest to you something a little different!  If you read a chapter and God gives you a full understanding of that chapter, great!  But if you only read one verse, and feel the Lord leading you to better understand that verse, read no farther! Take the time to fully understand that verse before you proceed.  God may have you stop at that verse or two for a reason, there may be things in those few words that the Lord desperately needs you to see.  You need to look no farther than the story of Philip(Acts 8:26-40)  to see the perfect example of this.

Philip was preaching in Samaria with great success(Acts 8:5-8).  But when he heard the voice of the Lord call him to the desert road that led to Gaza, he found himself on the road without hesitation.  As Philip is travelling the road, he sees an Ethiopian man sitting in his chariot and reading from the Book of Isaiah.  This was no ordinary man, he was the head of the Treasury for the queen, and had come to Jerusalem to worship.  Philip approached the man, and asked him one simple question, “Do you understand what you are reading?” The man told Philip he did not, and asked Philip to join him and help explain what the words in Isaiah proclaimed.

He was reading Isaiah 53:7-8.  “Like a lamb that is lead to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, so He did not open His mouth.  By oppression and judgment He was taken away; and as for His generation, who considered that He was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgressions of my people, to whom the stroke was due?”  Philip began by explaining to the man these two verses, then used other verses to bring the man to Christ.  From these two verses, these few words, God would change the world!  And look at the impact that reading and understanding these few words had on the world in our example.  A powerful Ethiopian man, who would bring the message of Christ to a part of the world that had yet to hear the Good News!  The world forever changed because one man read no further, but stopped and sought to understand the words that the Lord had placed in front of him!  

With just a few words, God’s Word can speak to us in incredible ways.  It informs us, it guides us, it motivate us. it commands us, and above all, it changes us.  With each verse, with each word that we read, God speaks to us.  He tells us of His ways, and the beauty of the path that those ways will show us.  And with each word, He also shows us our own ways, and the dangers that lie ahead if we follow those ways.  With each verse we read, we understand the Lord a little more.  And with each verse that we place in front of our eyes, we understand more the purpose and plan He has for our life.  We see the love that went into making us, and willful passion that went into Him giving His life so that He could save us. With each verse we read, the Word comes to life, and draws us to take the words off the pages of our Bible, and to share the beauty of those words with the world around us.

So many today look at the Bible, read God’s Word, and tell us it is nothing more than another story.  Just a fairytale given from above to inspire us.  Each time I open the cover of my Bible, I feel for these people, and I pray for each of them.  How they read the glory of each verse, and cannot see that the Lord has brought this”fairytale” to life, is beyond my simple comprehension.  He has reached down and pulled the words off the pages, and made each of us a part of this incredible story.  He came Himself to fill the lead role in this amazing story, and He offered each of us a supporting role on the stage beside Him.  Every minute of every day shows us how this so-called “fairytale” is being performed live around us, playing out in each of our lives just as the words He gave us said it would.  How they cannot see that the Script of this miraculous play has been written, and the cast is being set, is beyond me.  If only they would just read the Script, and not try to edit the Script with their own words, seeking their own desired ending, they would come to see the reality and beauty that this Script holds.  If only they could see the allure in willfully following the Script, opening their eyes to the delicacy, the love, and the grace that the Lord has poured into every word.  If only they could feel and hear the breath the Lord placed into each syllable of this amazing Script.  If only they would seek the wisdom of the Author of this Script, the knowing and understanding He longs for each of us to see in every word He has written.  If only they would pick up the Script anew, and read it aloud with Him, they would see the perfection in the fundamentals of the Script, and begin to understand just how this Script must be played out.  Their eyes would be open to see, reading is fundamental!

Praying the fundamentals of your life can be found in the words of the Script.

I AM.

 Dr. Mike Murphy

April 16, 2023

“I thought these eyes had seen everything.  That these ears had heard all they could ever hear.  I heard the words He spoke at the pool of Bethesda, and I watched in amazement as a man who could not walk for thirty-eight years got on his feet.  On a hillside near Capernaum, I listened as the words He spoke took away the pride and deception of so many hearts.  And as I looked in the eyes of the crowd that day, I watched in amazement as those same hearts were filled with a loving faith.  I watched as a man wrecked with leprosy fell at His feet, and I heard his words of praise as he walked away without one sore.  I watched as a Roman officer bowed to my King, and I heard a faith from that officer that was greater than that of any man.  I watched as the tears of a widow in Nain filled the ground for her only son who had just died.  And I heard the shouts of joy as that young boy sat up and talked to his mom again.  I watched as the sea began to rise and as the waves began to pound the boat we found ourselves in.  I saw the fears of those around me, and I heard the desperation in their voice.  I then watched as He calmly stood, and I listened to the storm calm as soon as He spoke.”

“I watched as He fed thousands with nothing more than a small boy would have to eat.  And I listened to the fullness of that crowd as they ate until they could eat no more.  I watched as His feet stood where no man could stand, and I heard as His voice called to me, bringing me out of the boat to join Him.  I watched as He drove out demons, and I heard their screams at the sound of His voice.  I watched as the blind were made to see, and I heard as the hardest of hearts were made to believe.  I have seen and heard it all, or so I thought.  But with just two words, He proved me wrong.  I watched Him speak those two words, and with all I heard, I knew this world would never be the same.”

As Christ taught in the temple courts that day, my mind will only allow me to begin to imagine what the disciples must of heard and seen.  The emotions that filled them and the reality that must have overwhelmed them.  It was a day unlike any other they had been a part of.  As Jesus was teaching that morning, they watched as religious leaders tried to set a trap for Him.  They brought a woman who had been caught in adultery to Jesus, looking to trick Him into saying something they could use against Him.  They brought the woman to His feet, but did not bring the man who was caught in the adultery with her.  And as they threw the woman in front of Him, they knew they had violated the Law of Moses by not bringing forward two innocent witnesses to the adultery, as the law required.  The disciples watched as the religious leaders brought forward the woman to simply gather ammunition they could use against Jesus.  If Jesus refused to condemn the woman to be stoned, they would say He was ignoring the Law.  And if He said to stone the woman, they knew He would be violating Roman law, which did not permit the Jews to carry out their own executions. But as the disciples watched, they heard Jesus turn the tables on the religious leaders, telling them that only He who was innocent of sin could judge sin.  They watched as each dropped his stone, and walked away.  They heard Jesus turn to the woman and asked her where those that condemned her now were.  And as He spoke to her, they listened as His words did not end there, telling her to go and sin no more.  They saw One with the authority to forgive sin, and listened as the only One with the power to judge her, told her to turn from her sin and from the destruction sin was bringing to her life.

They then watched as He turned to the crowd, telling everyone who would listen that He was the Light of the world.  The disciples looked into the eyes of many in that crowd, and saw those who thought Jesus was either a lunatic or a liar.  But as their eyes came back to Christ, they heard Him give the crowd a third alternative, that He was telling the truth.  They then watched that day as the hardened hearts of many melted away.

Later that day, they heard Jesus tell the crowd that those who followed Him would know the truth, and the truth would set them free.  He went on to say, those that followed Him would have everlasting life, never would death hold a price over them.  As many heard these words, they called Jesus a devil, possessed by a demon.  The disciples could hear the yells from the crowd, proclaiming that every man would die, even Abraham and the prophets had faced death.  They watched many in the crowd look at Jesus, and mockingly ask Him just who He thought He was.  Christ’ reply left no doubt.  It required no further questions, as it provided the answer to every question they could ever ask.  The disciples watched as Jesus looked to the crowd and proclaimed, “Truly, truly, before Abraham was, I AM.”(John 8:58).  The disciples watched as many in the crowd picked up the same stones they had sought to kill the adulterous woman with earlier that day.  They heard the cries for His death, and they knew that as Christ spoke those two words, their lives would never be the same. 

With just two words, Christ changed the lives of each of the disciples. With just two words, Christ would write every page of history.  With just two words, Christ would forever change this world.  With just two words, Christ demanded an answer from everyone in the crowd that day.  And with just two words, Christ would ask each of us the same question today.  Is Christ who He proclaimed He was?

“Prin Abraam genesthai ego eimi”.  These words in Greek literally say, “Before Abraham was existing, I AM”.  The power of these words could never be duplicated, and they are words that could never be mistaken.  These words do not say “I have been”, or “I was”, but carry the power that can only be found in the two words “I AM”.  By using the words “I AM”, Jesus not only stated His timeless existence prior to Abraham, but spoke to His very nature.  As Christ spoke these words, everyone that heard His voice that day knew exactly what He was saying, and they knew exactly what He was proclaiming.

To fully understand just what the crowd heard that day, we need to go back to a day that every Israelite studied and cherished.  A day at the time of the Exodus, when Moses was speaking to God. In Exodus 3:13-15, Moses asked God what name he should tell the Jewish people had sent him to speak to them, basically asking God His name. God responds by saying, “I AM that I AM”.  He told Moses to tell the people, “I AM has sent me to you”.   God then goes on to explain further about His name, by telling Moses, “The Lord,the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob has sent me to you. This is my name forever, and this is my memorial from generation to generation”. In this God is not only proclaiming Himself as “I AM”, but also as “HE IS”.  

It is from these verses that we get the name Yahweh(YHVH), the sacred, unspoken, and eternal name of the Lord.  A name that not only proclaims His existence, but announces His presence. In Hebrew, a name carried meaning, and communicated something about the character of the one who had the name. In Yahweh, God proclaimed His infinite wisdom and sovereignty by revealing to mankind so much about Himself.  The Lord tells us in His name that He has always been there, that He is with us now, and He will be present forever.

When the Israelites asked Jesus who He was that day, they had no doubt who He was proclaiming to be.  He told them He was Yahweh, the One who was there when the world was formed, the One who stood in their presence that day, and the One who would still be here when this world would end.  They knew that the One who stood in front of them, called Himself by a name no man was allowed to use, no man could ever proclaim.  He claimed to be the Lord, standing among the crowd that day, right in their very presence.  He was not a just a prophet, nor was he simply a healer.  He was God!  And when they looked into His eyes, they looked on the face of their Creator!

This was a defining statement, one that left no middle ground.  Either Jesus was exactly who He said He was, or He had committed a sin so great, His own death would be required.  In two words, Christ either brought a man to his knees, or He brought him to reach for the ground to find the nearest stone.  As many of the Jewish leaders looked upon their Savior that day, they reached for the ground instead of falling on their knees.  They looked into the eyes of the Lord, and did not recognize the characteristics of His face.  They knew so little of Him, they no longer remembered Him.  They had so little love for Him, they treated Him as a hated stranger, an enemy that had found His way into their midst.

John tells us just two chapters later, they would look on Him as a stranger again.  John 10:30-33 says, “The Father and I are one.  The Jewish leaders picked up rocks again to stone him to death.  Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good deeds  from the Father.  For which one of them are you going to stone me?  The Jewish leaders replied, “We are not going to stone you for a good deed but for blasphemy, because you, a man, are claiming to be God.”  Both times they choose to pick up stones, after Jesus proclaimed to be our Lord.  Both times they looked in the eyes of our Lord, and did not know Him.  Both times, “I AM” stood in front of them, and they did not know Him by His name. 

With every word He spoke, Jesus defined the words “I AM”.  Several other times He would use those words, and each time He showed us a little more of the characteristics that made up His name.  I AM the bread of life(John 6:35-51).  I AM the Light of the world(John 8:12).  I AM the door of the sheep(John 10:7-10). I AM the good shepherd(John 10:11-18). I AM the resurrection and the life(John 11:25-26).  I AM the way, the truth, and the life(John 14:6).  I AM the vine(John 15:1-11).  With each “I AM”, His name became a little clearer, His voice became a little louder, and His purpose and plan became a lot more obvious.  And as “I AM” walked among us, hope could be seen in His face, and hope could be felt in this world.

I AM.  No more profound statement has ever been spoken.  No more important words have ever been heard.  With two words, Christ erased all doubts. With two words, Christ placed one question into the heart of all who heard His voice that day.  The same question that fills each of our hearts to this very day. Was Christ who He said He was?  And with this question, we have the same two options today that crowd faced so many years ago.  Do we angrily reach to the ground to find the nearest stone?  Or do we fall to our knees as we look into the eyes of our Savior?   With each “I AM” the question is answered. With each “I AM” the lines in His face are defined a little more.  With each “I AM” we realize that we are staring into the eyes of our Lord.  I AM leaves us no doubt that HE IS!

Praying this day no stone is found in your hand.

We Will Rise!

Dr. Mike Murphy

March 26, 2023

They say we are down, that we no longer matter.  They tell us we are outdated, proclaiming ideas that went out with the past.  The world turns its’ face from us, and society mocks us with every chance.  They laugh at us, telling us that people no longer need us. They dig our grave, announcing our death.  But we will rise!

They laugh as they watch us bicker, seeing our numbers fall.  They listen to the sounds of those who claim to speak for us, those who seek to glorify their own name.  The world places them on a pedestal, as an example of what the world says we should be. Their meaningless words soothe them, and their false messages justify them.  They repeat their false words, claiming all others who speak are filled with hate.  Despite all they say about us, we will rise!

They persecute us.  They threaten us.  They hate us, and attempt to silence us. They claim we have no place in this society, and bite their tongues while many in this world seek to kill us.  But even after all they do to us, we will rise!

Tomorrow, the next day, the day after, or one day soon, the sky will be shaken with a shout.  And in the blink of an eye this world will forever change. On that day, the Lord will fill the heavens with a sound of His trumpet, and they will persecute us no more.  Our words will ring forever true, and our hearts will be forever filled with eternity’s joy.  For on that blessed day, we will rise! .

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.  These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard you.”  Titus 2:11-15.

The Blessed Hope!   The promise that God’s mercy, grace, wisdom, and love is always there for us, and the assurance that Christ will one day return for us   No one can ever measure how great that blessing will be until the moment we hear His voice calling us up, and we see Him face to face(Romans 8:18). Hope is a word like no other.  It makes every trial we face today worth facing again tomorrow.  It brings tomorrow, one day closer to our Lord’s return.  Hope is a word the Lord speaks with more than expectation, a word He speaks with certainty.  A word that Christ spoke with more than just declaration, a word that carries the confidence of His return(John 14:3).

At any moment, we could see that hope fulfilled.  At any second, Christ could return for His church.  Christ not only gave us that promise, the angels reminded us of that promise(Acts 1:11).  Each day, the Apostles lived and preached for that promise, and each word they wrote in their Epistles proclaim and remind us of that promise.  From the moment the Holy Spirit fell on those at the day of Pentecost, until this very moment, we have all lived for and with that hope.  A moment we refer to as the Rapture.  A split second when the trumpet of the Lord will blow, and the bodies of those who have died for Christ will rise with those who live for Him on this earth. All being changed into their resurrected bodies in the blink of an eye.  Meeting Christ in the air, and forever taken to live in His presence(1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).  The instantaneous transformation of our earthly bodies into a body that will fit us for all eternity.

A glorious day we should all long for.  A day when sin will no longer look to control and influence us.  A day when sorrow and pain will be no more.  A day when the smile on our face will never again be removed, as we live with the Lord forever.  We watch today as many dismiss the Rapture, denying it or saying it is just to confusing to discuss or teach.  I have news for those who believe this, this was not what God intended when He told us about the Rapture!  He gave us this hope to encourage us, to ensure us(1 Thessalonians 4:18).

Many who are confused by the Rapture, mix the teaching of Christ returning for us with His Second Coming.  But the two events are far from being the same, and are described in two separate ways.  The teaching of the Rapture was never mentioned in the Old Testament, and for this reason it was a new teaching when Paul taught it to us.  It is for this reason he referred to it as a “mystery” that God was now revealing to us.  He told us in 1 Corinthians 15:51-52, “Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed”.  He describes a moment when Christ will return for His church, a fulfillment of the promise that Christ had made.  He also described this event in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, and in verse 17 says, “Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.”  The word used here for “caught up” is the Greek word “harpazo”.  This word has an incredible meaning.  It means, “to snatch out”, “taken away suddenly”, “to be claimed in an instant”.  What better way could we describe the Rapture than to say that Christ will claim His church in an instant?  It is from this Greek word that the Latin word “rapturo” came, and from it came our English word “rapture”.

As I mentioned earlier, many try to combine the Rapture and the Second Coming of Christ, but the two are completely different events.  As we have just seen, the Rapture is an event in which Christ will only appear in the clouds. Whereas at the Second Coming, Christ will descend to the earth, planting His feet on the Mount of Olives, causing a great earthquake that will rock this world. He will then defeat Satan and all the enemies of the Lord that are on this earth. After that day, Christ will establish His kingdom on this earth and will rule this world from Jerusalem(Zechariah 14:1-21).  Our hope is that Christ could return at any moment, on any day. God’s Word makes it clear as to the day of Christ’s Second Coming being at the end of the Tribulation,  A period of time the Bible tells us will last seven years(Daniel 9:24-27, Revelation 11:2-3, Revelation 13). Our hope includes us not having to go through those horrifying days, but living each of those days in the safety of the Lord’s presence in Heaven(1 Thessalonians 5:9). The Rapture fulfills God’s promise to keep us from the torment of those days, and the assurance to know that Christ will overcome the fright and dread the world will feel during those days.

Let us now look again at the words in Titus that Paul gave us, Titus 2:11-15.  “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.  These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard you.”  Those who are filled with hope, will live each day for Christ, living every minute of those days “zealous for good deeds”. Jesus imminent return should not only bring us anticipation, it should motivate us, it should be a driving force in us. That hope should transform us, bringing into reality the importance of the time we have left.

Ask ten people around you what they have planned for today.  I can promise, you will get ten completely different answers.  Now ask those same ten people, if they knew that Christ was going to return tomorrow, what would they do today?  All of the ten who are Christians, will give you a similar answer.  They would use the day to tell all around them, their friends and family, about Christ. Making the most of that day to bring glory to the name of God.  If our hope lies in the fact that Christ could return for us any moment, then the greater questions becomes, why would we not be living each day “zealous for good deeds”, looking to glorify the name of Christ at every turn?

God gave us this hope, not only to encourage us, but to remind us, and to drive us. Through the trials of a troubling world, this hope not only brings us comfort and brings us joy, it drives us to action.  If we truly believe that Christ could return for us at any moment, then we are called to make the most of each of those moments.  To take advantage of every second we have left to bring as many as possible to Christ.  As I have often said, on the day that trumpet blows, we want the “ride up” to be as crowded as possible, overflowing with passengers!

We live in troublesome times.  This world may mock us, it may curse us, and it may persecute us.  But this world cannot take our hope from us!  A hope that encourages us, drives us, and calls us!  Each day we need to take a moment to look at the sky.  And as we look into that sky, a smile should come to our face. For we know all that sky will hold one day very soon. But in the midst of that smile, we need to roll up our sleeves.  We have a lot of work to do, and only a short time to get it done.  Because one day soon, WE WILL RISE!

Praying each of you make the most of your hope!