Not by Sight: A Fresh Look at Old Stories of Walking by Faith - Softcover

Bloom, Jon

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1433535939 ISBN 13: 9781433535932

Verlag: Crossway Books, 2013

Inhaltsangabe

Trusting Jesus is hard, especially when times are tough. Through the imaginative retelling of 35 Bible stories, this book helps us trust God’s promises over our perceptions and find rest in the faithfulness of God.

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Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Jon Bloom (BA, Bethel University) is the cofounder and president of desiringGod.org, where he contributes regularly. He is also the author of several books. Bloom and his wife, Pam, live in Minneapolis with their five children.

John Piper is founder and lead teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. He served for thirty-three years as a pastor at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and is the author of more than fifty books, including Desiring God; Don’t Waste Your Life; and Providence.

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Not by Sight

A Fresh Look at Old Stories of Walking by Faith

By Jon Bloom

Good News Publishers

Copyright © 2013 Desiring God
All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-4335-3593-2

Contents

Foreword by John Piper, 
A Word to the Reader, 
Gratitude, 
1. "Where Is Your Faith?" James Zebedee and Fear, 
2. "Neither Do I Condemn You" The Adulteress and Guilt, 
3. She Still Had to Go Home The Adulteress and Sin's Consequences, 
4. Doubt in the Darkness John the Baptist and Doubt, 
5. Dismembering an Idol Zacchaeus and Idolatry, 
6. Why Are You Disappointed? Joseph Barsabbas and Disappointment, 
7. Can You Bear Uncertainty? Would-Be-Disciple and Provision, 
8. "I Will Never Believe" Thomas and Skepticism, 
9. The Night the Angel Didn't Come James Zebedee and Death, 
10. Facing a Painful Decision Joseph the Carpenter and Guidance, 
11. Stables of Desperation Are the Birthplaces of God's Grace Joseph the Carpenter and Trust, 
12. (Un)Planned Detours Joseph the Carpenter and Guidance, 
13. "Do Not Be Afraid" Jehoshaphat and Fear, 
14. What Love for God Looks Like Simon the Pharisee and Worship, 
15. When a Rock Sunk Slowly Peter and Faith, 
16. Faith That Makes Jesus Marvel The Centurion and Faith, 
17. Are You Content with Weaknesses? Paul and Humility, 
18. Ask! The Leper and Provision, 
19. "Do You Believe This?" Martha and Death, 
20. When You Aren't Sure What to Do Next Peter and Waiting, 
21. Jesus Chooses and Uses Failures Peter and Restoration, 
22. When a Rebuke Became a Reward Zechariah and Unbelief, 
23. Hope for Our Beloved Unbelievers Jesus's Siblings and Evangelism, 
24. Success Can Be Perilous King David and Selfishness, 
25. More Than Enough Philip and Provision, 
26. God's Purposes Can Be Opposite of Our Perceptions The Man Born Blind and Suffering, 
27. The Eyes Jesus Opened First Cleopas and Disillusionment, 
28. "What I Am Doing You Do Not Understand Now" Peter and Sanctification, 
29. Staying Faithful When Things Get Worse Joseph and Perseverance, 
30. Serve in the Shadow God Places You Andrew and Humility, 
31. The Day of Your Deliverance Is Decreed Disabled Woman and Suffering, 
32. Has Jesus Been Worth It? Paul and Christian Hedonism, 
33. Powerful, Pragmatic Pawn of Providence Pontius Pilate and Governing Authorities, 
34. "Follow Me" Levi and Grace, 
35. When Following Jesus Means Going Home The Gadarene and Appointment, 

CHAPTER 1

"WHERE IS YOUR FAITH?"

JAMES ZEBEDEE AND FEAR

Luke 8:22–25

THE SEA WAS QUIET now. And there was just breeze enough to push the boat along.

The disciples were quiet too. Andrew was steering. He had taken over for Peter, who sat wrapped in a cloak, exhausted and lost in thought. He had been soaked to the skin. A few others were bailing out the remaining water.

Jesus was sleeping again.

James leaned on the bow gunwale watching reflections dance on gentle waves.

James knew this sea. He and John had spent most of their lives on or in it. His father was a fisherman. So were most of his male kin and friends. His memory flashed the faces of some of them who had drowned in unpredictable Galilean windstorms like the one that had pummeled them barely a half hour ago.

A seasoned boatman, James was not alarmed easily. But he knew a man-eater when he saw it. This storm had opened its mouth to swallow them all into the abyss.

Terror had been in John's eyes when he grabbed James and yelled, "We have to tell the Master!" They stumbled to the stern. How Jesus had remained sleeping while the furious surf tossed the boat around was itself a wonder. They woke him screaming, "Master, Master, we are perishing!" (v. 24).

James would never forget the way Jesus looked at him. His eyes were at once potent and tranquil. No trace of fear. Laying aside the blanket, Jesus rose to full height on the rear deck. James, fearing Jesus was about to be pitched overboard, reached to grab him just as Jesus shouted, "Peace! Be still!" (Mark 4:39).

No sooner had those words left his mouth and the wind was completely gone! The sudden hush of the howling was otherworldly. The waves immediately began to abate. Each disciple stood where he was, looking dumbfounded at the water and sky and each other.

Jesus's gaze lingered for a moment on the steep hills along the western shore. Then he looked around at the Twelve and said, "Where is your faith?" (v. 25).

He had looked right at James when he said "faith."

Now, as James leaned on the bow, he turned Jesus's question over and over in his mind.

"Where is your faith?" When Jesus first said it, James felt its intended rebuke. Didn't he trust God? He thought he had. But the storm proved that all the confidence he felt when the pressure was off was fair- weather faith. The Galilean westerlies had swept it away. He felt chastened and humbled.

But the more James thought about the question, the deeper it dug into him. "Where is your faith?" Where? My faith is in what I see. My faith is in what I feel. When the storm hit, I trusted what my eyes saw. I trusted what my skin felt. I trusted the violent force that was tossing the boat like a toy. I trusted the stories told by my father. I trusted the tragedies I remember. I trusted the power of the storm because storms kill people. Is that wrong? Up until a few minutes before, this would have merely seemed like common sense. But Jesus had changed everything.

James looked back to the sleeping Jesus. He looked almost the same as when the storm was raging. But which had looked "Where Is Your Faith?" 25 more powerful then? What his eyes saw. But which really was more powerful? Jesus had killed the killer storm with a word.

James felt fear wash over him again. But it was a very different kind of fear. He thought, "Who then is this?" (v. 25).

As James looked back down at the water, the psalmist's words came to mind:

For I know that the Lord is great,
and that our Lord is above all gods.
Whatever the Lord pleases, he does,
in heaven and on earth,
in the seas and all deeps.
He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth,
who makes lightnings for the rain
and brings forth the wind from his storehouses.
(Ps. 135:5–7)

James trembled.

* * *

What Jesus did for James and the other disciples when he quieted the storm was a fear-transfer. One moment they feared the storm and the next moment they feared Jesus, with a holy, reverent fear. This storm was a gift from God to them because it taught them just how powerful Jesus was and deepened their faith in him. And it prepared them to weather other, even more deadly kinds of storms that lay ahead of them.

When the storms of life hit, they almost always appear stronger to us than God's Word. It is crucial for us to remember that our perceptions can be deceptive. When circumstances strike fear into our hearts, the question we must ask ourselves is, where is your faith?

What God wants is for you to trust what he says over what you see.

"Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more."

JOHN 8:10–11

CHAPTER 2

"NEITHER DO I CONDEMN YOU"

THE ADULTERESS AND GUILT

Luke 8:22–25

"SHAME ON YOU,...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: Crossway Books
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2013
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 1433535939
• ISBN 13: 9781433535932
• Einband: Taschenbuch
• Auflage: 1
• Anzahl der Seiten: 208
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Nicht verfügbar
• Verantwortliche Person: Nicht verfügbar