Blog Posts - Counting the Stars – Bonikowsky Family

The Amazing Gift of Faith

3/6/2022

Hebrews 11:1, Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

Biblical faith is one of the most amazing things. By it we can be saved, we can watch God move mountains, and we can live with eternal purpose. Without it, we can make no real sense of anything on earth, for by the Lord’s design, it is how we connect our earthly life with the real and invisible, spiritual world.
As we see in this famous Hebrews passage, godly faith deals much with our minds, with our thinking. It has to do with us considering the past, the present, and the future. Through faith today we plan and act for things to come, based on facts from the past. Thanks to this faith, we do not stumble along in the fog of unbelief, confusion, and hopelessness.
Godly faith is not a blind, irrational leap into the unknown. God does not ask this of us, nor does He expect us to walk rashly into the future. He may not reveal to us the specific details of what lies ahead, but He always gives some understanding of the destination, and a hope that is rooted in His past dealings. This is true faith, and without it, we will never see God nor enjoy His pleasure.
The author of this chapter first makes us think of the past, reminding us that what we see and feel today comes from God’s creative Word first given long ago. The Word is invisible but it spoke into existence the tangible world around us. It was no ignorant, random, invisible nothingness that brought space, time, and matter into reality. That is nonsense. It was an intelligent, orderly, invisible Being who pronounced, and things began.
We communicate with God as our own invisible spirit relates to Him in rational, reasoning faith. He has never stopped speaking, and even today, through His written Word, He continues to reveal His will. When we exercise our minds in discovering and doing what He wants, we are properly using the marvelous gift of faith.
Much of this eleventh chapter is written to encourage us and show us what faith looks like in real, day to day living.
JAM#171

John's Honesty

11/19/2021

Matthew 11:4, "And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?"

Does this not surprise you? Really. It is the kind of thing we might expect from Thomas maybe, but John the Baptist?

Before John was conceived, Gabriel, sent from the very presence of God, had appeared to his father and revealed both his name and his prophetical calling as the forerunner of the King. Months before his birth, his little body jumped at the presence of the virgin Mary, indicating with that very act the unusual character of both his person and that of the Messiah in the virgin's womb. As he was growing up, his parents would have repeated to him over and over again the miraculous nature of his conception. Finally, when he baptized Jesus, he clearly heard the Father’s voice and watched the Spirit descend as the Trinity came together for the occasion.

How could he possibly doubt Jesus’ identity?

It was John who gave us famous phrases like, “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness”, or “He must increase, but I must decrease.”. This was a man who knew exactly who he was as well as what his divinely appointed mission was. He lived a life so radically different from the rest of “normal” human beings and so intensely focused that we cannot possibly question his commitment to God.

But as the days went by in that wretched prison, no longer free to go and preach wherever he wanted and eat his wild and exotic menu, John’s friends came to him with reports of what Jesus was doing and he began to wonder.

What exactly was Jesus' plan? The things John was hearing didn't fit in at all with what he understood to be the role of the Anointed One. In fact, it didn't seem like his special cousin was in the least bit trying to set up God's kingdom.

I’m pretty sure he had voiced his uncertainty with his closest friends, and they all tried to make sense of it. Finally, he decided it was time to get this thing settled once and for all and sent a couple of his followers to personally ask the Lord if He was indeed the Messiah or not.

I find two things very significant: first, that he sent his friends with the request, and second, that the Holy Spirit had Matthew record it for us.

Most importantly, Jesus did not chastise John for voicing his legitimate concerns. Rather, he gave him a personal and clear answer that focused on the miraculous changing of lives, in both the physical and spiritual realms. Then He went on to honor him as one of God’s great prophets. All of this, both the questioning and the honoring, were clearly recorded for us to learn from.

When we are troubled by disconcerting circumstances and see our expectations completely wiped out, it is important to be honest with God and go to Him for answers. If we are sincere and willing to accept His responses, whether we understand them or not, He will ultimately bring peace to our hearts and increase our trust.

Dear Father, thank you for John’s honesty and for letting us in on his private and somewhat confused state of mind. Thank you for his courage and determination to know the truth. Give me humility and patience in dealing with others who may go through this valley at any given time.

(JAM #170)

Gilead's Senior Saint

11/1/2021

“…and Barzillai the Gileadite of Rogelim, brought beds, and basons, and earthen vessels, and wheat, and barley, and flour, and parched corn, and beans, and lentiles, and parched pulse, and honey, and butter, and sheep, and cheese of kine, for David, and for the people that were with him, to eat: for they said, The people is hungry, and weary, and thirsty, in the wilderness…behold thy servant Chimham; let him go over with my lord the king; and do to him what shall seem good unto thee.” (2 Samuel 17:27-29; 19:31-40)

The huge crowd had traveled 22 miles down the valley from Jerusalem and was slowly fording the Jordan River. The ruins of ancient Jericho were against the mountains behind them while the Dead Sea lay to the south, on their right. After the multitud crossed the river, they headed north along the eastern bank, probably looking for cover in the wooded areas away from the water.

Three men watched them come, one of them, an elderly gentleman named Barzillai. The initial surprise at seeing the unexpected throng turned into genuine shock as they realized that King David was in the mixed company along with several groups of elite soldiers surrounding him.

It was clear that things weren’t right. The people were exhausted, and there was fear, frustration, and confusion written on many faces. There was little evidence of food or other necessary traveling supplies. Something was terribly wrong.

However it was that they found out about the exact details of the situation, the three friends sprang into action, mobilizing their servants to bring what these people needed. Soon there were streams of men and animals bringing beds and cleaning vessels, flour, wheat, barley, honey, milk products, sheep and cheese. These tired and hungry people were going to receive some much needed supplies.

The next day there was a massive battle between David’s followers and the armies of Israel that had been hoodwinked by his son Absalom. Before the sun would set on that day, the rebellious prince would be executed by Joab, and tens of thousands of his soldiers killed.

Soon afterwards, David began making plans to head back up to Jerusalem, his beloved capital. As he approached the river to cross back over it and start up the incline, Barzillai came up to him and began escorting him across. Even though the wealthy man had already so surprisingly and generously helped David in his moment of dire need, here he was again, wanting to make sure the king was safe and as comfortable as possible.

David, very grateful for all his help, invited Barzillai to travel with him up to Jerusalem so that he could reward him with a place near his palace. But his new friend graciously declined, and asked if he could simply walk with him for a while. Apparently, a few hours of personal fellowship with the king was sufficient reward for him.

It may be that David insisted a bit more, because the godly old man offered an alternative. What if the king took Barzillai’s servant, Chinham, in his place? Barzillai would love for the young man to enjoy the special privileges that would otherwise have been his. David agreed to this and Chinham’s life was changed forever.

Elderly men and women who are godly will always have a few attitudes in common, ones that also overflowed from aged Barzillai’s worn and wrinkled body. First, they will be interested in others, noticing when people are suffering, and jumping to supply the need with as much energy as they can muster. Then, they will highly value fellowship, finding much more satisfaction in a good, edifying conversation than in a more comfortable place to live. And finally, they will accept the slow shutting down of personal opportunities and seek to strengthen the generation of Chinhams coming up behind them.

These are the selfless, humble ways of those who have walked long and far with God.

Maybe you also can immediately think of some elderly saints who fit this description. I encourage you to reach out to them, not to receive anything, but to give. They will appreciate it more than most.

Dear Father, when I am full of energy and focused on projects you have given me, it is easy to overlook those quiet, faithful saints who have long lived for you and others. They can use encouragement like everyone else. Help me see the opportunities and jump at the privilege of being a blessing to them. Amen.

A Time for Silencr

9/29/2021

Perhaps one of the most difficult chores we have is knowing when to speak and when to be quiet. We all tend to err on one side or the other, so we need wisdom from God to discern the right response for every occasion. In this devotional we look at the matter through the lens of the Jericho conquest.
Sermonaudio: sermonaudio.com/sermon/925211050281204

No Useless Errand

8/2/2021

The two spies had no idea how important their mission was. They thought the job was just to gather military intel; but no, God was doing much more than they could have imagined. He was creating another masterpiece of grace. And that’s the way it always is. He is always doing far more than we think, even though our little lives and actions may seem to us, to be of no significance. What a God we serve!
Sermonaudio: sermonaudio.com/sermon/72921948417532

THE BEST IS COMING #13: New Places

7/18/2021

(Revelation 21:1-3)
With this verse, the scene and our future head into a totally new adventure. It seems like the physical and the spiritual for us are fused together as never before. This universe John sees is either a brand new one or one that has been so divinely refurbished, that it fully deserves to be called new. It is very different from the planet we know today. For one thing, there is no sea, no oceans. This does not mean there will be no water, for it will be significantly present, but not in the same way.
The apostle then mentions another item never before seen by human eye: a city, called the new Jerusalem, floating down from space! It approaches the new earth ceremoniously, as a beautiful bride walks towards her future husband.
As it descends, the apostle hears a powerful voice, booming from heaven with an announcement: God’s dwelling place will be among His redeemed. He will no longer be invisible and untouchable. He will live among His children personally and permanently. The family of God will forever be together, with Him.
He will wipe away all tears. This may be because at that moment there are tears to wipe away, or, it may simply be a way of saying there will never again be any. Either way, death has been banished forever, so all sorrow, all crying, and all pain disappear for good. These ugly companions, so intricately a part of our human pilgrimage that it is difficult to conceive of life without them, are gone.
Indeed, the best is still to come!

The Rock

6/22/2021

The rock imagery is a favorite one for several Biblical heroes, with beautiful teaching about the faithfulness of God, His power and stability, the protection afforded by His presence, His being the source of living water, and even the divinity of Christ. When is the last time we looked up in praise to the Rock of our salvation? Maybe it’s been too long!
Sermonaudio: https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermon/614211836357198

THE BEST IS COMING #12: The Throne

6/2/2021

(Revelation 20:12-15)
A list of the largest gatherings in history contains a number of events with between seven and eight million people. So this Revelation 20 crowd would not only dwarf those, but even a combined reunion of all the current inhabitants of earth. It will be the first and last meeting of all unbelievers who have ever lived, and will unquestionably be billions of people. On a human level, the logistics would be staggering in terms of sound systems, exits, facilities, and so forth. However, none of that is an issue at this event. It is Almighty God who has called the assembly, and making it work will be no challenge. Interestingly, John noted that nobody is seated, and therefore there are no chairs or need for them.
As they stand, multiple books are opened. No comment is made as to how many books there are, so it might be that there is one per person. Whatever the case, our imagination has to be stretched with almost every successive verse!
How long will this take? Again, there is no word on that, but it doesn’t really make any difference. Time, at this point, is irrelevant. Who is in a rush? What for? This is the ultimate global court of history and it will go on as long as needed, as long as it takes to get the job done.
Nobody outside of God’s redeemed escapes this judgment. Death and hell, as if they were personal entities, expel everyone who descended into their custody. Every person will individually face the facts of his life according to the heavenly books. Attitudes and behaviors will be measured against the moral law written on each heart by the God who made it in His image.
At this point, the lake of fire, which previously received the Satanic trio, then gets the two mysterious subjects, death and hell. This pair, again as if they had personality, are swallowed up in the lake of fire. After them, the entire multitude that had been standing before the throne, is cast in.
This is the second death, the final one.
After this we head into chapter 21, which starts with a totally fresh atmosphere, and the dawning of a brand new era

THE BEST IS COMING #11: The Lake

5/16/2021

(Revelation 20:9B-11)
Fire coming down from heaven and consuming people is a pretty clear sign of divine disapproval. It happened several times in the Old Testament: to Aaron’s sons, to the soldiers coming after Elijah, and to Sodom and Gomorrah. However, those were relatively small incidents compared to the massive flame that pours down from heaven at this moment — so many men, in just a few seconds, and with not so much as a word being spoken. They are devoured by fire.
Then the devil, seemingly without even a scuffle, is hurled into a very nasty lake. This lake is like no other and is described as having two components: fire and brimstone. Of what exact composition these two are is another mystery, but that they are capable of making a powerful spirit like Lucifer suffer extremely, is beyond question. The place is horrific by anybody’s standards.
At least two others are already in that lake: the beast and the false prophet. There is no word of any kind of reunion, nor should there be. They all become mere occupants of this terrible and inescapable prison, and will suffer for their crimes against the Eternal One as long as He is. The enemy of our souls, and all who hitched up with him, are gone forever. This is good news.
At this point John sees a throne like no other that has ever been seen before. It is gigantic, dwarfing the rest of creation. It is white, displaying the universal color for purity and justice. It is imposing; so much so, that earth and heaven, almost as if they had personality, race away from it. They are tainted and useless, so they disappear from the scene.
These are fantastic moments, setting the stage for the best that is still to come

That Heavenly Masterpiece

4/13/2021