In Mark 12: 18 – 27, Jesus confronts the unbelieving Sadducees who were notorious for their lack of perspective. They were too focused on their own social status to focus in on the things which were really important. They had limited vision, were nearsighted, saw only the human dimension. The Sadducees rejected the supernatural, because they couldn't understand it. They didn't believe in the resurrection because it defied human logic. They were mistaken indeed. So Jesus confronts the Sadducees concerning their error regarding the resurrection. And in this passage, he points them to what really counts.
Mark 12: 24. "Jesus said to them, 'Is this not the reason you are mistaken, that you do not understand the Scriptures, or the power of God?"
The Scriptures were given to reveal the power of God, yes, the character of God. It introduces a lost world to the one and only God we should worship and serve – the Creator of all things and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. When we keep this, the main thing in the Scriptures, the main thing of our faith and our lives, we will not be mistaken and we will not be misled, to wrongly follow peripheral issues and loose sight of God’s purpose with his revelation to us. The whole Bible was given to reveal God to us. The Bible testifies of Jesus Christ, who came to this world to reintroduce the almighty God to his people.
Do you find yourself getting sidetracked on minor issues? Did you become a specialist in trivialities? It is so easy to get sidetracked, instead of concentrating on understanding the focused message of the Scriptures and thus experiencing the power of God. If it happens, we will be limited in our vision. We will end up mistaken in our conclusions. And our spiritual life will be constantly frustrated, because we will continue to see through human eyes and perceive through human understanding.
The challenge for us is to shape our thinking in the light of God's truth about God's power, love and the salvation he affords. As we do, a whole new world will open up to us.
We desperately need to be students of God’s Word as followers of Jesus Christ. Nothing less, and nothing more!
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
The ultimate love affair
Love is not easy to define! It may be the topic that is the most thought about, written about, talked about, dreamt about and sung about. It has been called the “thing that makes the world go round” and "a many splendored thing," and many other things. The love story has been written about in poetry, in songs, in literature, in novels and for movies.
Yet it is most of the time not defined clearly, simply and often not even practically. Love has been confused with passion, sexual attraction, the need for mystical experiences, the answer to loneliness, and many other needs of men and women. These may be needs closely related to love, but not one of them is quite love itself.
But one thing is clear - everyone knows they need love in their lives. Everyone wants to be loved and wants to love. And many look for love in the wrong place and has been hurt, devastated and ruined by an unfulfilled need for love.
Most people would try everything to find real love. Many tried "free love," simply to find that it was not free at all and cost them their education, their youth, their purity and their self respect. “Free love” is expensive! It can cost you your marriage and the privilege to see your children grow up. You may find that extra-marital "love" affairs are dead-end streets and that at its best leads to nothing and at its worst leads to death itself.
But there is one love affair which is good for us, that we need to survive in life and that can teach us the true meaning of what love really is! There is one love affair that is worth dying for and that makes life worth living. The One who prescribed, even commanded, this love affair was Jesus. It is a love affair with God.
A scribe asked Jesus to explain, in a nutshell, the bottom line of what it meant to follow God.
In his reply to the Scribe, Jesus pulls together two well-known passages of Old Testament Scripture:
One of the teachers of the law came and asked Jesus, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these." (Mark 12:28-34)
The first commandment concerns itself with love for God; the other with love for your neighbour. We have nicknamed them the Great Commandments. Everything written in the Bible boils down to these two great commandments, and the key is found in these words: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. This is the top priority. This is where it all begins. This is where true living begins. This is where understanding love that is real, begins! This is where spirituality, union with God, positive thinking, great personal relations, exciting church membership, successful parenting and a glorious marriage begins. Loving God is the source of a dynamic, caring, meaningful life!
As we consider the meaning and impact of the Great Commandments over the next couple of blogs - please listen carefully. Because without a love affair with God, all that we do becomes meaningless. Without a love affair with God, we lack the motivation and the passion to do his work, and any other meaningful work as well.
Of one thing I am certain - there is today a frantic need for a passionate, hot-hearted, intense, consuming love affair with God.
This is the one and only love affair that will take you to heaven, even before you die!
Yet it is most of the time not defined clearly, simply and often not even practically. Love has been confused with passion, sexual attraction, the need for mystical experiences, the answer to loneliness, and many other needs of men and women. These may be needs closely related to love, but not one of them is quite love itself.
But one thing is clear - everyone knows they need love in their lives. Everyone wants to be loved and wants to love. And many look for love in the wrong place and has been hurt, devastated and ruined by an unfulfilled need for love.
Most people would try everything to find real love. Many tried "free love," simply to find that it was not free at all and cost them their education, their youth, their purity and their self respect. “Free love” is expensive! It can cost you your marriage and the privilege to see your children grow up. You may find that extra-marital "love" affairs are dead-end streets and that at its best leads to nothing and at its worst leads to death itself.
But there is one love affair which is good for us, that we need to survive in life and that can teach us the true meaning of what love really is! There is one love affair that is worth dying for and that makes life worth living. The One who prescribed, even commanded, this love affair was Jesus. It is a love affair with God.
A scribe asked Jesus to explain, in a nutshell, the bottom line of what it meant to follow God.
In his reply to the Scribe, Jesus pulls together two well-known passages of Old Testament Scripture:
One of the teachers of the law came and asked Jesus, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these." (Mark 12:28-34)
The first commandment concerns itself with love for God; the other with love for your neighbour. We have nicknamed them the Great Commandments. Everything written in the Bible boils down to these two great commandments, and the key is found in these words: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. This is the top priority. This is where it all begins. This is where true living begins. This is where understanding love that is real, begins! This is where spirituality, union with God, positive thinking, great personal relations, exciting church membership, successful parenting and a glorious marriage begins. Loving God is the source of a dynamic, caring, meaningful life!
As we consider the meaning and impact of the Great Commandments over the next couple of blogs - please listen carefully. Because without a love affair with God, all that we do becomes meaningless. Without a love affair with God, we lack the motivation and the passion to do his work, and any other meaningful work as well.
Of one thing I am certain - there is today a frantic need for a passionate, hot-hearted, intense, consuming love affair with God.
This is the one and only love affair that will take you to heaven, even before you die!
Monday, September 20, 2010
The authority of Christ in my life.
A few days after Jesus cleansed the temple, he returned to Jerusalem. So the chief priests and scribes and elders came to him with a question: "By what authority are you doing these things, or, who gave you this authority to do these things?" In essence they were saying to him, "Who do you think you are?" They didn't believe in Christ, and for this reason they questioned his right to rule and reign over them and teach them.
The question this passage (Mark 11: 27 – 33) asks us, is, do we also question the authority of God over our lives? Do we question the right of God to be LORD in our lives? When Christ speaks to our hearts, are we impressed with the authority of his word? Do we feel that it is optional and do we feel we can choose whether to obey Christ or not to obey?
Christ's word is not optional in our lives. His authority is not limited over us. When Christ speaks, we must do what he says. To do anything less is, in effect, to question God's right to the totality of our lives. When we question the authority of Jesus in our lives, when we question the authority of God's word in our lives, we tread upon dangerous, thin ice. Before you know it, the ice breaks and you are plunged into the icy depths where one is cut off from the life of God.
But whosoever surrender to Christ and humbly follow him, and love him, live in complete fellowship with God. The warmth and the light of his kind presence direct and keep us, always, until the end.
The question this passage (Mark 11: 27 – 33) asks us, is, do we also question the authority of God over our lives? Do we question the right of God to be LORD in our lives? When Christ speaks to our hearts, are we impressed with the authority of his word? Do we feel that it is optional and do we feel we can choose whether to obey Christ or not to obey?
Christ's word is not optional in our lives. His authority is not limited over us. When Christ speaks, we must do what he says. To do anything less is, in effect, to question God's right to the totality of our lives. When we question the authority of Jesus in our lives, when we question the authority of God's word in our lives, we tread upon dangerous, thin ice. Before you know it, the ice breaks and you are plunged into the icy depths where one is cut off from the life of God.
But whosoever surrender to Christ and humbly follow him, and love him, live in complete fellowship with God. The warmth and the light of his kind presence direct and keep us, always, until the end.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Reading the Bible for personal application. (4)
This is the last devotion about the personal application of what we read in the Bible. In the first three devotions we concluded that:
1. The Bible was written to others—but speaks to you too.
2. And, the Bible is about God—but draws you in. We have to look for what the passage says about God and recognise why it is straightforward to you that this passage has relevance for you personally, today.
3. When you recognise an unknown passage as a straightforward passage, it will generalize or summarize in a way that it invites personal application and relevance. Think, for example, about promises of God for all believers, especially those that we came to know as the Gospel promises – about salvation, redemption, forgiveness and reconciliation with God in Jesus.
But now, how to work out the implications for me, of less-direct Passages?
Lets consider two examples to help us understand that every passage holds a message for us. An extreme challenge to personal application is a genealogy or census. These are directly spoken, irrelevant to your life. Your name is not on the list. The reasons for the list disappeared long ago. You gain nothing by knowing that “Koz fathered Anub, Zobebah, and the clans of Aharhel” (1 Chron. 4: 8). But when you learn to listen with an open heart and mind you may find good things taught, even here, for example:
• The Lord writes down names in his book of life – even mine.
• Families and communities matter to him.
• God remains faithful to his promises through long history.
• He enlists individuals, like me, for his saving grace.
• These genealogies form part of the history and background of Jesus. If you are in Jesus, his family becomes your family and God’s promises to them become very personal promises to you!
The second example is Psalm 21: 1. “O Lord, in your strength the king rejoices”? The psalm is not talking about you. You are not a king in the way that David was. But it does connect with you.
David lived and wrote these words, but Jesus Christ most fully lived, is now living, and now fulfils this entire psalm. He is the greatest King, singing this song of deliverance; and he is also the almighty divine Lord. We know from the perspective of the NT that this psalm is explicitly about Jesus. And you, who are in Christ, share in the triumph of your King.
Having made the psalm your own, in Christ, you may now make it your experience too. You could adapt it into the first person, inserting “I/me/my” in place of “the king” and “he/him/his.”
Learning to wisely apply the harder, less obvious passages has a surprising benefit. Your whole Bible now “applies personally.” This Lord spoken about in the Bible, is your God – get to know him better from him dealing with believers that lived ages ago; this history in the Bible, is also your history; these people became your people; this Saviour has made you one of his own, to participate in who he is and be blessed by what he does. Venture out into the remotest regions of Scripture, seeking to know, love and trust God more.
The Bible, as holy Scripture, is the only certain source of God’s words. Paul’s statement that “All Scripture is breathed out by God” (2 Tim3:16) means that all the words of the Bible are God’s words to us. Therefore if we want to hear our Creator and Lord speaking to us, we must continually give attention to all the passages of the Bible, asking what it says to you, today.
Jesus, after defeating Satan with three quotations from Deuteronomy, declared, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matt 4: 4.)
The Scriptures were food to Jesus. Jesus’ dependence on the sufficiency and potency of God’s Word shows us that every word God shares with us, has meaning and application in our lives. What applies to Jesus implies meaning to me who has been saved by and in Jesus Christ.
(For this 4 part series I relied heavily on articles by David Powlison on this topic!)
1. The Bible was written to others—but speaks to you too.
2. And, the Bible is about God—but draws you in. We have to look for what the passage says about God and recognise why it is straightforward to you that this passage has relevance for you personally, today.
3. When you recognise an unknown passage as a straightforward passage, it will generalize or summarize in a way that it invites personal application and relevance. Think, for example, about promises of God for all believers, especially those that we came to know as the Gospel promises – about salvation, redemption, forgiveness and reconciliation with God in Jesus.
But now, how to work out the implications for me, of less-direct Passages?
Lets consider two examples to help us understand that every passage holds a message for us. An extreme challenge to personal application is a genealogy or census. These are directly spoken, irrelevant to your life. Your name is not on the list. The reasons for the list disappeared long ago. You gain nothing by knowing that “Koz fathered Anub, Zobebah, and the clans of Aharhel” (1 Chron. 4: 8). But when you learn to listen with an open heart and mind you may find good things taught, even here, for example:
• The Lord writes down names in his book of life – even mine.
• Families and communities matter to him.
• God remains faithful to his promises through long history.
• He enlists individuals, like me, for his saving grace.
• These genealogies form part of the history and background of Jesus. If you are in Jesus, his family becomes your family and God’s promises to them become very personal promises to you!
The second example is Psalm 21: 1. “O Lord, in your strength the king rejoices”? The psalm is not talking about you. You are not a king in the way that David was. But it does connect with you.
David lived and wrote these words, but Jesus Christ most fully lived, is now living, and now fulfils this entire psalm. He is the greatest King, singing this song of deliverance; and he is also the almighty divine Lord. We know from the perspective of the NT that this psalm is explicitly about Jesus. And you, who are in Christ, share in the triumph of your King.
Having made the psalm your own, in Christ, you may now make it your experience too. You could adapt it into the first person, inserting “I/me/my” in place of “the king” and “he/him/his.”
Learning to wisely apply the harder, less obvious passages has a surprising benefit. Your whole Bible now “applies personally.” This Lord spoken about in the Bible, is your God – get to know him better from him dealing with believers that lived ages ago; this history in the Bible, is also your history; these people became your people; this Saviour has made you one of his own, to participate in who he is and be blessed by what he does. Venture out into the remotest regions of Scripture, seeking to know, love and trust God more.
The Bible, as holy Scripture, is the only certain source of God’s words. Paul’s statement that “All Scripture is breathed out by God” (2 Tim3:16) means that all the words of the Bible are God’s words to us. Therefore if we want to hear our Creator and Lord speaking to us, we must continually give attention to all the passages of the Bible, asking what it says to you, today.
Jesus, after defeating Satan with three quotations from Deuteronomy, declared, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matt 4: 4.)
The Scriptures were food to Jesus. Jesus’ dependence on the sufficiency and potency of God’s Word shows us that every word God shares with us, has meaning and application in our lives. What applies to Jesus implies meaning to me who has been saved by and in Jesus Christ.
(For this 4 part series I relied heavily on articles by David Powlison on this topic!)
Monday, September 13, 2010
God is in his temple!
Seven hundred fifty years before Christ the prophet Isaiah went to the temple to worship and pray. The Lord opened his spiritual eyes and he became aware of God’s presence in this place of worship. He could see how the glory of God filled the temple. The train of God’s robe was like carpeting on the temple floor. Above the glorious presence of the Lord, seraphim were hovering. They are six-winged spiritual beings. With two wings they fly, and with the remaining wings they cover their faces and feet in humble admiration of our awesome God of perfect holiness. Isaiah heard in stunned silence, that they chanted to one another, "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts. The whole earth is full of his glory." (Isaiah 6:3)
The smoke of the incense burnt by the priests filled the temple. And the holiness of God was as thick as the smoke. Isaiah fell to his knees. And in all humility cried out, "Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips. For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts." (Isaiah 6:5) Isaiah was amazed, yes smitten, by the glorious presence of the holy God in the place where his people worshipped him.
Our awesome God was there. That was what kind of place the temple was.
This is a dramatic statement about the importance of worship. Where two or three are together in the name of Christ, our God is present – just as he was in the temple in the days of Isaiah.
God desires communion. What he wants is for us to fellowship with him, for us to be awe-struck by him, to love him, to honour and glorify him. That we may serve him with all of our hearts. “Having church” is so much more than going through the motions. It is coming into a divine encounter with the living God. An encounter that changes our lives.
Through real worship and service, we are changed, and then our lives can touch the lives of others. True worship and service are living testimonies to the power of God - to us and to the world.
Is there more than an appearance of Christianity about us? Is there substance? Is our worship real? Is fruitfulness the result of our holy communion with God? By God's grace it can be.
The smoke of the incense burnt by the priests filled the temple. And the holiness of God was as thick as the smoke. Isaiah fell to his knees. And in all humility cried out, "Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips. For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts." (Isaiah 6:5) Isaiah was amazed, yes smitten, by the glorious presence of the holy God in the place where his people worshipped him.
Our awesome God was there. That was what kind of place the temple was.
This is a dramatic statement about the importance of worship. Where two or three are together in the name of Christ, our God is present – just as he was in the temple in the days of Isaiah.
God desires communion. What he wants is for us to fellowship with him, for us to be awe-struck by him, to love him, to honour and glorify him. That we may serve him with all of our hearts. “Having church” is so much more than going through the motions. It is coming into a divine encounter with the living God. An encounter that changes our lives.
Through real worship and service, we are changed, and then our lives can touch the lives of others. True worship and service are living testimonies to the power of God - to us and to the world.
Is there more than an appearance of Christianity about us? Is there substance? Is our worship real? Is fruitfulness the result of our holy communion with God? By God's grace it can be.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Thursday, September 9, 2010
The Sacraments
Christ ordained two sacraments: baptism and holy communion. They respectively succeed the two sacraments found in the Old Testament, being circumcision and the Passover.
The same Word of God that addresses us verbally through Scripture, preaching and personal witness, comes to us visibly and tangibly through the sacraments. The sacraments are not just symbols of the Word or visual aids to it, but visible, material forms of the Word itself that apply, confirm and seal the promises of the gospel to each individual believer. To all who receive these promises with open hearts, Christ comes with saving grace in the power of his Spirit.
As the Holy Spirit awakens faith by means of preaching, teaching and the personal witness of believers to Christ, so by means of the sacraments the same Spirit confirms our faith, binds us to Christ and through the faith that grows from the work of the Word through preaching and the sacraments in our lives, Christ establishes our salvation.
Jesus Christ alone saves. Just as no printed or spoken human words themselves can save, so no water, bread, wine or outward ritual can save us. Yet Christ chooses to come to us wrapped in human words and in the elements of water, bread and wine. As the very Word of God, Christ is the essential content of the sacraments, just as he is of Scripture, preaching and personal witness.
The spoken Word, experienced in the reading and preaching of the Word, in singing, worship, praise and prayer, constitutes our relationship with Christ. In the same way the sacraments make our faith relationship with Jesus stronger and more relevant to our lives, by making clear the message of God’s offer of grace. Only by trusting in God’s promise and assurance, signified by the sacraments, do we receive this saving grace that they promise and confirm to us.
Jesus chose to enter into this faith relationship with us through the faith that grows when we hear and believe his Word. Jesus therefore commanded us to celebrate his Supper, because he longs for an ever growing and more intimate relationship with us. May we be found faithful in answering his call
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Reading the Bible for personal application. (3)
We are currently learning about the personal application of what we read in the Bible. We already concluded that:
The Bible was written to others—but speaks to you too.
And, the Bible is about God—but draws you in. Your challenge is always to apply Scripture afresh, because God’s purpose is always to rescript your life through reading and contemplating his Word.
We already saw that we must be willing to listen and to fuse the passage with our own life situations. We also have to look for what the passage says about God and recognise why it is straightforward to you that this passage has relevance for you personally, today.
Before we tackle the difficult part of this process, where we read a passage that does not NOT seem to be so straightforward for personal application, let’s ask ourselves, how do we read a passage that is not known to you, but you still recognise as a straightforward passage? Typically these passages generalize or summarize in a way that they invite personal application and relevance.
Think, for example, about promises of God for all believers, especially those that we came to know as the Gospel promises – about salvation, redemption, forgiveness and reconciliation with God in Jesus. Also recognise joys and sorrows, moral principles and commandments in the Bible that present themselves as of everlasting and universal importance. Apply these universal promises of God for all believers to yourself. Or test your own life situations against the universal expectations of God for all believers.
Pay attention to how various scriptures specifically reapply the same promises and standards and that the whole Bible relates to these universal assurances and decrees. Then, look for the place in such a passage where these words come to you as a Christian, as a follower of Jesus, and are therefore applied differently by you, than by a non-Christian, such as a Jew or a Muslim. In simple terms, how do I apply this for and in my relationship with my Saviour, Jesus.
In matters of obedience, the Bible often proclaims a general truth without mentioning any of the multitudes of possible practical applications. When Jesus says, “You cannot serve God and money” – Luke 16:13, you are left to decide for yourself what “love for money” means in your life and in your culture. There are multitudes of similar generalised expectations of God addressed in Scripture.
These generalised cases, where the Bible speaks in large categories, addressing many different experiences, circumstances, and actions by only stating the principle, the universal truth must be applied to me – to my challenge, my concern and my sin!
Understanding what it specifically means in your life asks for self examination, prayer pondering and guidance of the Holy Spirit as to what you should take from those words in order to rescript your life in obedience to God’s Word.
The Bible was written to others—but speaks to you too.
And, the Bible is about God—but draws you in. Your challenge is always to apply Scripture afresh, because God’s purpose is always to rescript your life through reading and contemplating his Word.
We already saw that we must be willing to listen and to fuse the passage with our own life situations. We also have to look for what the passage says about God and recognise why it is straightforward to you that this passage has relevance for you personally, today.
Before we tackle the difficult part of this process, where we read a passage that does not NOT seem to be so straightforward for personal application, let’s ask ourselves, how do we read a passage that is not known to you, but you still recognise as a straightforward passage? Typically these passages generalize or summarize in a way that they invite personal application and relevance.
Think, for example, about promises of God for all believers, especially those that we came to know as the Gospel promises – about salvation, redemption, forgiveness and reconciliation with God in Jesus. Also recognise joys and sorrows, moral principles and commandments in the Bible that present themselves as of everlasting and universal importance. Apply these universal promises of God for all believers to yourself. Or test your own life situations against the universal expectations of God for all believers.
Pay attention to how various scriptures specifically reapply the same promises and standards and that the whole Bible relates to these universal assurances and decrees. Then, look for the place in such a passage where these words come to you as a Christian, as a follower of Jesus, and are therefore applied differently by you, than by a non-Christian, such as a Jew or a Muslim. In simple terms, how do I apply this for and in my relationship with my Saviour, Jesus.
In matters of obedience, the Bible often proclaims a general truth without mentioning any of the multitudes of possible practical applications. When Jesus says, “You cannot serve God and money” – Luke 16:13, you are left to decide for yourself what “love for money” means in your life and in your culture. There are multitudes of similar generalised expectations of God addressed in Scripture.
These generalised cases, where the Bible speaks in large categories, addressing many different experiences, circumstances, and actions by only stating the principle, the universal truth must be applied to me – to my challenge, my concern and my sin!
Understanding what it specifically means in your life asks for self examination, prayer pondering and guidance of the Holy Spirit as to what you should take from those words in order to rescript your life in obedience to God’s Word.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
God's promise of grace is my birthright.
Sometimes we call ourselves children of Abraham. Jesus was a descendant of Abraham and in Christ we too received all the grace promises God made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
It is God’s firm grace promises to be our God, our Saviour, our Protector, and our Lord. It is the promise that, through the death and resurrection of Christ, we are saved and received the Holy Spirit.
This is a precious birthright that our parents and grandparents, our church, and our Lord have entrusted to our keep. To lead a Christian home is both a wonderful privilege and a huge responsibility to hand the gospel to the next generation.
Our birthright is to own this precious faith of the martyrs who during the first centuries died for the Lord and still do until this day. It is the faith of the fathers and mothers of the Reformation during the 16th century till now, and it is the faith of our fathers who kept it, preserved it and carried it faithfully upto our generation.
It is, by God’s grace, our birthright and our inheritance to know that although I am a sinner in need of salvation, I am redeemed in and through Jesus, my Lord. It is the faith that says Jesus alone, by grace, can save me and help me. It is the faith that says the proper response to God's grace in Christ, is to lead a life of holiness, commitment to God and of gratefulness.
We have a duty to defend this faith, to keep this faith, to guard this faith that has been entrusted to us. We have a holy responsibility to carry the Good News far and wide, but most importantly, to hand it, safe and sound, to the next generation. And it is our duty, our privilege and our calling to keep it for our children’s and grand children’s sake. And for the sake of God and his Kingdom. And for the sake of the true church and those who will carry the light of God as the next generation of the followers of Jesus.
May we be blessed as we put God first in our lives and serve our Saviour Jesus with humble and devoted hearts. Let’s keep and defend our birthright with everything we do and are!
It is God’s firm grace promises to be our God, our Saviour, our Protector, and our Lord. It is the promise that, through the death and resurrection of Christ, we are saved and received the Holy Spirit.
This is a precious birthright that our parents and grandparents, our church, and our Lord have entrusted to our keep. To lead a Christian home is both a wonderful privilege and a huge responsibility to hand the gospel to the next generation.
Our birthright is to own this precious faith of the martyrs who during the first centuries died for the Lord and still do until this day. It is the faith of the fathers and mothers of the Reformation during the 16th century till now, and it is the faith of our fathers who kept it, preserved it and carried it faithfully upto our generation.
It is, by God’s grace, our birthright and our inheritance to know that although I am a sinner in need of salvation, I am redeemed in and through Jesus, my Lord. It is the faith that says Jesus alone, by grace, can save me and help me. It is the faith that says the proper response to God's grace in Christ, is to lead a life of holiness, commitment to God and of gratefulness.
We have a duty to defend this faith, to keep this faith, to guard this faith that has been entrusted to us. We have a holy responsibility to carry the Good News far and wide, but most importantly, to hand it, safe and sound, to the next generation. And it is our duty, our privilege and our calling to keep it for our children’s and grand children’s sake. And for the sake of God and his Kingdom. And for the sake of the true church and those who will carry the light of God as the next generation of the followers of Jesus.
May we be blessed as we put God first in our lives and serve our Saviour Jesus with humble and devoted hearts. Let’s keep and defend our birthright with everything we do and are!
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Psalm 130
Oppressed and lost, I’m calling,
in darkest night to God.
Downhearted, hopeless, ailing:
to die remains my lot.
O Lord, now hear my wailing.
I plead, I beg, depraved.
Remember me, Redeemer,
for only you can save.
My sin disgraced me, shamed me.
I cannot, Lord, face you.
Your holiness, LORD, broke me,
defeated, shattered me too!
Lord, will you still forgive me,
as you have always done?
I thirst for rest, for knowing:
a new day has begun.
As soldiers guarding a fortress,
wait for the sun to rise,
for countless, endless hours,
through nights with darkest skies.
So I wait on the Lord God,
I’m waiting long, its hard!
But God in grace and mercy,
will not my plea discard.
Have hope, have faith, God’s people,
and trust in God who saves.
With sunrise comes his mercy!
God rescues from the grave.
His love, his grace, his pity
bring light, create the day.
Absolve my sins, forgive me,
LORD, while I wait, and pray.
(Copy Right: AJ Combrink.)
in darkest night to God.
Downhearted, hopeless, ailing:
to die remains my lot.
O Lord, now hear my wailing.
I plead, I beg, depraved.
Remember me, Redeemer,
for only you can save.
My sin disgraced me, shamed me.
I cannot, Lord, face you.
Your holiness, LORD, broke me,
defeated, shattered me too!
Lord, will you still forgive me,
as you have always done?
I thirst for rest, for knowing:
a new day has begun.
As soldiers guarding a fortress,
wait for the sun to rise,
for countless, endless hours,
through nights with darkest skies.
So I wait on the Lord God,
I’m waiting long, its hard!
But God in grace and mercy,
will not my plea discard.
Have hope, have faith, God’s people,
and trust in God who saves.
With sunrise comes his mercy!
God rescues from the grave.
His love, his grace, his pity
bring light, create the day.
Absolve my sins, forgive me,
LORD, while I wait, and pray.
(Copy Right: AJ Combrink.)
Monday, August 2, 2010
Tell of God's awesome works of redemption!
In Ps. 145 David praises God for his greatness in the area of redemption. It is redemption that David has in mind in verses 4-7:
(Ps 145:4-7) One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts. (5) They will speak of the glorious splendour of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works. (6) They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds. (7) They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.
What kind of awesome works of redemption was David thinking about that revealed God’s greatness? Was David thinking of the day God sent a great and mighty flood, yet he saved and protected believing Noah and his family? Or when God gave an elderly Abraham and Sarah a child even though it was humanly impossible for Sarah to bear a child anymore?
Did David remember that God sent the ten plagues upon Egypt in order to force Pharaoh to let his people go. Or when God led his people Israel through the Red Sea on dry ground while in the same sea Pharaoh and his whole army drowned.
Did David consider that God made the walls of Jericho fall down. Or that God gave victory to Gideon and 300 men against a Midianite and Amalekite army of 140,000.
We look at the revelation of God's greatness in all of these acts of redemption and we have to say the same thing God said when Sarah laughed about bearing a child: "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" (Gen 18:14). Our God is so great, so strong and so mighty!
Tell of the power of God’s awesome works of redemption.
Since the days of David God has continued to show his greatness in the area of redemption. He let a virgin conceive and bear a son. On Good Friday he let three hours of darkness come upon the land at midday. He split the temple curtain from top to bottom. And, three days after Jesus died on the cross, God raised his Son from the grave.
We look at God's greatness in all of these acts of redemption and we have to say the same thing the angel said to Mary: "Nothing is impossible with God" (Luke 1:37).
Our God is so great, so strong and so mighty!
Tell of the power of God’s awesome works of redemption.
And today God has continued to show his greatness through his awesome works of redemption. He takes men and women who are dead in sin, and makes them alive in Christ Jesus.
Our God is so great, so strong and so mighty!
Tell of the power of God’s awesome works of redemption.
(Ps 145:4-7) One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts. (5) They will speak of the glorious splendour of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works. (6) They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds. (7) They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.
What kind of awesome works of redemption was David thinking about that revealed God’s greatness? Was David thinking of the day God sent a great and mighty flood, yet he saved and protected believing Noah and his family? Or when God gave an elderly Abraham and Sarah a child even though it was humanly impossible for Sarah to bear a child anymore?
Did David remember that God sent the ten plagues upon Egypt in order to force Pharaoh to let his people go. Or when God led his people Israel through the Red Sea on dry ground while in the same sea Pharaoh and his whole army drowned.
Did David consider that God made the walls of Jericho fall down. Or that God gave victory to Gideon and 300 men against a Midianite and Amalekite army of 140,000.
We look at the revelation of God's greatness in all of these acts of redemption and we have to say the same thing God said when Sarah laughed about bearing a child: "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" (Gen 18:14). Our God is so great, so strong and so mighty!
Tell of the power of God’s awesome works of redemption.
Since the days of David God has continued to show his greatness in the area of redemption. He let a virgin conceive and bear a son. On Good Friday he let three hours of darkness come upon the land at midday. He split the temple curtain from top to bottom. And, three days after Jesus died on the cross, God raised his Son from the grave.
We look at God's greatness in all of these acts of redemption and we have to say the same thing the angel said to Mary: "Nothing is impossible with God" (Luke 1:37).
Our God is so great, so strong and so mighty!
Tell of the power of God’s awesome works of redemption.
And today God has continued to show his greatness through his awesome works of redemption. He takes men and women who are dead in sin, and makes them alive in Christ Jesus.
Our God is so great, so strong and so mighty!
Tell of the power of God’s awesome works of redemption.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
How do I know how the Bible passage I read applies to me personally.
Our human self-centeredness often let us fall into a trap to misinterpret the Bible as if it was only written for me, for now. This may be evil’s most effective tool to disguise and turn what God wants to say into what we want to hear. And yet, without God speaking to me, to us, today, Bible reading will become a tedious task with no relevance and therefore one we would too easily neglect.
I was really excited when I came across articles by David Powlison about personal application of the Bible, and want to share the core truths of these articles with you during the next couple of Wednesdays.
Its about how to personally apply your Bible Reading in your life and your circumstances. There is a correct, legitimate way, that has the authority of God’s Word for you on the day you read it. There also are ways of doing this where we make the Bible say what we want to hear in stead of what the Spirit intended it to mean. That way of interpretation has no authority as God’s Word and leads to misunderstanding and misleading. Yet no believer should miss out on the miracle when the Spirit personally applies the Bible as God’s Word in our lives, today.
The words written in the Scriptures addressed the concerns of long-ago people in faraway places, facing specific problems, many of which no longer exist today. Yet they, the first, original readers, had no difficulty seeing the application for their lives and faith.
But nothing in the Bible was written directly specifically to us in the same way as it was to the first readers and their circumstances. In the Bible we are reading someone else’s mail. Yet, the Bible repeatedly verify that these words are also written for us:
Rom 5: 4 says “Whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction” (Also see Deut. 29:29, 1 Cor 10:11 and 2 Tim 3: 15 – 17.)
Application for our own benefit needs to discover the ways in which the Spirit reapplies Scripture in my present day to my present day needs.
Secondly we should also remember that the Bible is primarily about God, and not you and me. The subject matter of the Bible is the triune God as fully revealed in the life and work of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We read that when Jesus “opened their minds to understand the Scriptures” (Luke 22:45), he showed how everything written—creation, promises, commands, history, sacrificial system, psalms, proverbs—is really and ultimately, about him.
So we are not only reading someone else’s mail, but also someone else’s biography.
But it is also true that whatever we read about Jesus - and the whole Bible points to him - it includes a word for you and me. It has a message for you and me. Application of the Bible for my life and questions today happens when the Spirit “rescripts” my life by the revelation of who God is and what he is doing, and it is not about how my life and tribulations are rescripting the Bible for today’s issues, the trap we so easily falls into.
“Personal application” of the Bible proves to have the authority of God speaking to me, today, with divine authority, when I recognize the above facts and principles about Bible reading
The Bible was written to others—but speaks to you.
The Bible is about God—but draws you in. Your challenge is always to apply Scripture afresh, because God’s purpose is always to rescript your life, every day.
But how do we do this? Over the next 4 or 5 Wednesdays we are going to ask – How can I read the Bible in a way it personally applies to me, today!
May the God of grace through Jesus Christ our Saviour bless and keep you.
I was really excited when I came across articles by David Powlison about personal application of the Bible, and want to share the core truths of these articles with you during the next couple of Wednesdays.
Its about how to personally apply your Bible Reading in your life and your circumstances. There is a correct, legitimate way, that has the authority of God’s Word for you on the day you read it. There also are ways of doing this where we make the Bible say what we want to hear in stead of what the Spirit intended it to mean. That way of interpretation has no authority as God’s Word and leads to misunderstanding and misleading. Yet no believer should miss out on the miracle when the Spirit personally applies the Bible as God’s Word in our lives, today.
The words written in the Scriptures addressed the concerns of long-ago people in faraway places, facing specific problems, many of which no longer exist today. Yet they, the first, original readers, had no difficulty seeing the application for their lives and faith.
But nothing in the Bible was written directly specifically to us in the same way as it was to the first readers and their circumstances. In the Bible we are reading someone else’s mail. Yet, the Bible repeatedly verify that these words are also written for us:
Rom 5: 4 says “Whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction” (Also see Deut. 29:29, 1 Cor 10:11 and 2 Tim 3: 15 – 17.)
Application for our own benefit needs to discover the ways in which the Spirit reapplies Scripture in my present day to my present day needs.
Secondly we should also remember that the Bible is primarily about God, and not you and me. The subject matter of the Bible is the triune God as fully revealed in the life and work of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We read that when Jesus “opened their minds to understand the Scriptures” (Luke 22:45), he showed how everything written—creation, promises, commands, history, sacrificial system, psalms, proverbs—is really and ultimately, about him.
So we are not only reading someone else’s mail, but also someone else’s biography.
But it is also true that whatever we read about Jesus - and the whole Bible points to him - it includes a word for you and me. It has a message for you and me. Application of the Bible for my life and questions today happens when the Spirit “rescripts” my life by the revelation of who God is and what he is doing, and it is not about how my life and tribulations are rescripting the Bible for today’s issues, the trap we so easily falls into.
“Personal application” of the Bible proves to have the authority of God speaking to me, today, with divine authority, when I recognize the above facts and principles about Bible reading
The Bible was written to others—but speaks to you.
The Bible is about God—but draws you in. Your challenge is always to apply Scripture afresh, because God’s purpose is always to rescript your life, every day.
But how do we do this? Over the next 4 or 5 Wednesdays we are going to ask – How can I read the Bible in a way it personally applies to me, today!
May the God of grace through Jesus Christ our Saviour bless and keep you.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Through faith surrender everything
Heb 11:17-19 By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, (18) even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." (19) Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death.
Abraham had faith in God's power to raise the dead. Even if Isaac died at Abraham's hand, he believed that God would bring his son back to life again.
Abraham's faith was much more than words - much more than some creed pulled from a dusty shelve for times of trouble. His faith was not a profession of beliefs that meant nothing in his day to day living and cost nothing. Abraham backed up his faith by acting according to what he believed. Listen to what James says about this:
James 2:21-22: Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? (22) You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.
Abraham, in faith, was willing to surrender everything to and for God. He was even ready to give up his child, in spite of the promises that Isaac represented. Abraham realized that when we have everything except God, we have nothing; and, he realized that when we have nothing except God, we have everything. Abraham, in faith, was ready to sacrifice everything. Even his only, beloved Isaac.
How many of us are willing to make such sacrifices? If we, like Abraham, received God’s promise that he is and will be our God for ever, are we willing to surrender everything to and for him and his kingdom?
May God grant us a faith that makes us willing to surrender to him whatsoever is required from us!
Abraham had faith in God's power to raise the dead. Even if Isaac died at Abraham's hand, he believed that God would bring his son back to life again.
Abraham's faith was much more than words - much more than some creed pulled from a dusty shelve for times of trouble. His faith was not a profession of beliefs that meant nothing in his day to day living and cost nothing. Abraham backed up his faith by acting according to what he believed. Listen to what James says about this:
James 2:21-22: Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? (22) You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.
Abraham, in faith, was willing to surrender everything to and for God. He was even ready to give up his child, in spite of the promises that Isaac represented. Abraham realized that when we have everything except God, we have nothing; and, he realized that when we have nothing except God, we have everything. Abraham, in faith, was ready to sacrifice everything. Even his only, beloved Isaac.
How many of us are willing to make such sacrifices? If we, like Abraham, received God’s promise that he is and will be our God for ever, are we willing to surrender everything to and for him and his kingdom?
May God grant us a faith that makes us willing to surrender to him whatsoever is required from us!
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Revenge and retaliation!
Matthew 5:38-42: "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth!"
I The Law of Moses
Throughout our study of the Sermon on the Mount we have looked at the law of Moses, what the Rabbis said about that law, and then what Jesus said about that law. Since the Old Testament speaks in a number of places about "Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth" (Ex 21:24; Lev 24:20; Deut 19:21) many people think that the words of our text break this pattern; they think Jesus refers to the law itself rather than the explanation given by the Rabbis. This is not the case. Jesus again is setting his view against that of the Pharisees.
"Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth." In this law of Moses the Lord speaks to us of revenge. Unfortunately, we are all guilty of it. If any harm is done to us, the immediate natural instinct is to hit back. Not only that, but the immediate natural instinct is to hit back harder than we were hit in the first place. When natural man is injured he wants vengeance; he even wants to kill. We see this tendency to wrath and anger, to retribution and retaliation, everywhere. We see it among children and adults. We see it among families. We see it among nations and races. We see it among different religions.
People don't seem to realize how damaging the desire for revenge really is.
"Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth." The main intent of the law of Moses here was to control excess. The main intent of the law of Moses here was to control anger and violence and the desire for revenge. God wants equity and justice to rule. So, if a man knocks out another man's eye, he must not be killed for it. Rather, it is "Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth." The punishment must fit the crime.
II The Teaching of the Rabbi’s
"Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth." The Rabbis made this law a matter of personal revenge. They said that any person who had been injured could seek "Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth." They basically said that a man had the right to take the law into his own hands and seek revenge. Yet, this law of Moses does not apply to individuals. This is clear when we look at Leviticus 19:
(Lev 19:18) Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.
This law applies to judges and courts. Individuals do not have the right to punish people who have injured them. Only the authorities have this right. And, in exercising this right judges and courts have to apply the rule of "Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth." The punishment has to fit the crime. Judges and courts are restrained by this law from horrible excess.
The Rabbis were wrong in making the rule of "Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth" a matter of personal revenge. Instead, it was something to be carried out by judges and courts.
Not only that, but in their legalism the Rabbis said the law of "Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth" was a duty; it was something that was automatic; revenge was something the law required. But God’s law required nothing like that. The Rabbis took the law and turned and twisted it. The law said this: "Do not punish more than an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth." The Rabbis twisted this law into a statement which said: "You are to seek an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth."
III The Teaching of Jesus
Jesus, however, speaks about Kingdom living. About Christian life sanctified. And Christians do not take the law into their own hands; they know they are not civil judges. Christians do not automatically seek revenge. Jesus makes this point with three examples.
The first example mentioned by our Lord concerns a case of slapping. Jesus says,
(Mt 5:39) ... Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.
Slapping is normally done with the right hand. A man would use his right hand and with his palm slap someone’s left cheek. However, to slap the right cheek you had to use the backside of the right hand The Jews believed that slapping the face with the backside of the hand was far more offensive than slapping the face with the palm. What Jesus is saying is this: Even if you are utterly humiliated, you must not hit back.
I think we all realise that retaliation has no end. Each blow becomes more severe than the one before. Then it becomes a big fight. This can only be prevented if someone stops hitting back and is willing to suffer a blow without retaliation.
The best example of this is the Lord Jesus. He was before the Sanhedrin. One of the officials struck him in the face. Jesus' only response was to ask, "Why did you strike me?" (Jn 18:23). When we succeed in turning the other cheek, our lives become a living testimony to the Lord Jesus.
The second example mentioned by Jesus concerns tunics and cloaks. Jesus says,
(Mt 5:40) And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. When Israel's poor took out a loan they sometimes were obliged to give their cloak as a pledge. Yet, according to Deuteronomy 24:10-13, the creditor was not allowed to keep the cloak throughout the night. Because of the cold of the night he had to return the cloak before the sun went down. That way the poor debtor could sleep covered by his cloak and keep warm. However, some creditors were harsh. When they returned the cloak before sunset they immediately demanded another pledge in its place and said, "Give us your tunic."
Jesus said, "Do not protest if you are treated this way. Do not retaliate. Give him both your tunic and your cloak. Give him all your clothes, even though you may need them." In this way a court case. Christians should act in this way and embarrass the person who asks too much.
The third example mentioned by our Lord has to do with travel. Jesus says,
(Mt 5:41) If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.
It was an unwritten law in Israel that a traveler had the right to ask a village to provide one or more protecting companions as he continued his journey. The parable of the Good Samaritan shows us what could happen when someone travels alone – robbers and thieves will steal and beat and destroy. Now Jesus speaks of a traveler who demanded more than was customary. Maybe he was scared or lonely or was on the run. Whatever the reason he forced his protecting companions to go with him a mile further than was necessary. Instead of arguing in such a case, says Jesus, it is better to go the extra mile.
It is not Jesus' intention to tell us to give in to the demands of bullies. But we should extend Christian kindness to people who beg for more help than we are obliged to give.
Jesus is here not speaking to the nations of the world, to police officers, judges or magistrates. Because the government is called to resist evil. And countries should defend the safety of their citizens. Jesus is also not speaking to unbelievers. To anyone who doesn't believe in Jesus, these teachings are ridiculous.
Jesus is speaking to people who are made new in Christ; people who are born again; people who are filled with the Holy Spirit.
Such people, by the power of God, can find it within themselves not to seek revenge or bear a grudge, but to be humble and forgiving.
Blessed are the peace makers!
I The Law of Moses
Throughout our study of the Sermon on the Mount we have looked at the law of Moses, what the Rabbis said about that law, and then what Jesus said about that law. Since the Old Testament speaks in a number of places about "Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth" (Ex 21:24; Lev 24:20; Deut 19:21) many people think that the words of our text break this pattern; they think Jesus refers to the law itself rather than the explanation given by the Rabbis. This is not the case. Jesus again is setting his view against that of the Pharisees.
"Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth." In this law of Moses the Lord speaks to us of revenge. Unfortunately, we are all guilty of it. If any harm is done to us, the immediate natural instinct is to hit back. Not only that, but the immediate natural instinct is to hit back harder than we were hit in the first place. When natural man is injured he wants vengeance; he even wants to kill. We see this tendency to wrath and anger, to retribution and retaliation, everywhere. We see it among children and adults. We see it among families. We see it among nations and races. We see it among different religions.
People don't seem to realize how damaging the desire for revenge really is.
"Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth." The main intent of the law of Moses here was to control excess. The main intent of the law of Moses here was to control anger and violence and the desire for revenge. God wants equity and justice to rule. So, if a man knocks out another man's eye, he must not be killed for it. Rather, it is "Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth." The punishment must fit the crime.
II The Teaching of the Rabbi’s
"Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth." The Rabbis made this law a matter of personal revenge. They said that any person who had been injured could seek "Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth." They basically said that a man had the right to take the law into his own hands and seek revenge. Yet, this law of Moses does not apply to individuals. This is clear when we look at Leviticus 19:
(Lev 19:18) Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.
This law applies to judges and courts. Individuals do not have the right to punish people who have injured them. Only the authorities have this right. And, in exercising this right judges and courts have to apply the rule of "Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth." The punishment has to fit the crime. Judges and courts are restrained by this law from horrible excess.
The Rabbis were wrong in making the rule of "Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth" a matter of personal revenge. Instead, it was something to be carried out by judges and courts.
Not only that, but in their legalism the Rabbis said the law of "Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth" was a duty; it was something that was automatic; revenge was something the law required. But God’s law required nothing like that. The Rabbis took the law and turned and twisted it. The law said this: "Do not punish more than an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth." The Rabbis twisted this law into a statement which said: "You are to seek an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth."
III The Teaching of Jesus
Jesus, however, speaks about Kingdom living. About Christian life sanctified. And Christians do not take the law into their own hands; they know they are not civil judges. Christians do not automatically seek revenge. Jesus makes this point with three examples.
The first example mentioned by our Lord concerns a case of slapping. Jesus says,
(Mt 5:39) ... Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.
Slapping is normally done with the right hand. A man would use his right hand and with his palm slap someone’s left cheek. However, to slap the right cheek you had to use the backside of the right hand The Jews believed that slapping the face with the backside of the hand was far more offensive than slapping the face with the palm. What Jesus is saying is this: Even if you are utterly humiliated, you must not hit back.
I think we all realise that retaliation has no end. Each blow becomes more severe than the one before. Then it becomes a big fight. This can only be prevented if someone stops hitting back and is willing to suffer a blow without retaliation.
The best example of this is the Lord Jesus. He was before the Sanhedrin. One of the officials struck him in the face. Jesus' only response was to ask, "Why did you strike me?" (Jn 18:23). When we succeed in turning the other cheek, our lives become a living testimony to the Lord Jesus.
The second example mentioned by Jesus concerns tunics and cloaks. Jesus says,
(Mt 5:40) And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. When Israel's poor took out a loan they sometimes were obliged to give their cloak as a pledge. Yet, according to Deuteronomy 24:10-13, the creditor was not allowed to keep the cloak throughout the night. Because of the cold of the night he had to return the cloak before the sun went down. That way the poor debtor could sleep covered by his cloak and keep warm. However, some creditors were harsh. When they returned the cloak before sunset they immediately demanded another pledge in its place and said, "Give us your tunic."
Jesus said, "Do not protest if you are treated this way. Do not retaliate. Give him both your tunic and your cloak. Give him all your clothes, even though you may need them." In this way a court case. Christians should act in this way and embarrass the person who asks too much.
The third example mentioned by our Lord has to do with travel. Jesus says,
(Mt 5:41) If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.
It was an unwritten law in Israel that a traveler had the right to ask a village to provide one or more protecting companions as he continued his journey. The parable of the Good Samaritan shows us what could happen when someone travels alone – robbers and thieves will steal and beat and destroy. Now Jesus speaks of a traveler who demanded more than was customary. Maybe he was scared or lonely or was on the run. Whatever the reason he forced his protecting companions to go with him a mile further than was necessary. Instead of arguing in such a case, says Jesus, it is better to go the extra mile.
It is not Jesus' intention to tell us to give in to the demands of bullies. But we should extend Christian kindness to people who beg for more help than we are obliged to give.
Jesus is here not speaking to the nations of the world, to police officers, judges or magistrates. Because the government is called to resist evil. And countries should defend the safety of their citizens. Jesus is also not speaking to unbelievers. To anyone who doesn't believe in Jesus, these teachings are ridiculous.
Jesus is speaking to people who are made new in Christ; people who are born again; people who are filled with the Holy Spirit.
Such people, by the power of God, can find it within themselves not to seek revenge or bear a grudge, but to be humble and forgiving.
Blessed are the peace makers!
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Predestination
Romans 8:28-30: We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
In Christianity there is a school of thought that is known as Armenianism. People who hold this view typically believe that man cooperates with God by initiating their own salvation. They say we choose to believe in Christ when we are ready. They also believe that we can stop believing at any time and, thus, we become lost again. Basically, according to them, salvation is based upon the choice and will of man.
Then, there is a school of thought that is known as Calvinism that believes that we can only be saved by grace – through faith. Within Calvinism there are more than one interpretation of this truth. In extreme Calvinism it is believed that God elected some people for salvation and others for hell and that those elected have no say in the matter whatsoever. In extreme Calvinism, the free will of man is forfeited to the sovereignty of God. This is not the main stream view within the Reformed faith, although opponents of Presbyterianism often are mistaken about this and create the perception that all Presbyterians believe this.
But what does the Bible say? Romans 8: 28 - 30 deal with some of the Biblical teaching on election. It teaches that salvation is shaped by God and enjoyed by man; that salvation is one of those things that we, by ourselves, can not make a reality in our lives by ourselves. These verses also give us the strongest possible assurance of the unconditional, eternal security of whosoever believes in Jesus as Saviour and Lord.
As we dig into these verses we are walking in deep waters! Yet, for the assurance of salvation, these thoughts are of utmost importance to make our own.
In all things God works for the good of those who love him.
Life is filled with trials and troubles. It is comforting to know that everything is being worked out for our good according to the plan of a great God. God’s reputation depends on this verse being true, and it is! The Word does not say that all things are good, but that they will work for good. It is a promise that is as good as the God who made it!
When we experience troubles, we need to know that God is in control.
Yet this promise is not for everyone. According to verse 28 it is only for those who love God. If all things work together for the good of those who love God, the opposite is true for those who do not love him! For them everything that happens in their lives work towards their judgment and towards being lost for ever.
This often quoted and much loved verse must never be divorced from the verses that immediately follow it - 29-30: For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son.
God's purpose in turning everything to our good is to make us more like Jesus! God’s work in you was not completed at salvation. He will continue to shape you until you reflect his image perfectly. The whole purpose of Romans 8:28 is to teach us that God has an eternal plan and that nothing will ever be able to change that plan! God is busy preparing his people to become more and more like Christ and he will perfect this work in heaven.
God is working out an awesome eternal plan for the life of every child of God.
God's will can never be a prisoner of man's will. That can never happen! God will never be held captive to the whims of men. It takes away from the glory of God’s sovereign grace and of man’s complete inability to do good by himself, without the intervention of the Spirit.
So what does the Bible tell us about getting saved?
1. Man does not initiate salvation – Man’s ability to do this died as a result of sin. Therefore, he is incapable of coming to God on his own. As a result, salvation is dependent upon the sinner being called to come to God by the Spirit of God. Salvation always begins with God. He takes the initiative.
2. But, on the other hand, the Bible is clear that the death of Christ on the cross was for the sins of all men and women - When Jesus died, he was dying for the sins of the world, 1 John 2:2; 2 Cor. 5:21.
3. And only those who receive the atoning death of Christ through faith are saved by his blood - Eph. 2:8-9; Acts 16:31; Rom. 10:9-10; John 5:24; John 3:16.
4. There is also no escaping the fact that believers were chosen by God to be his own, before the world began - Eph. 1:4-6.
5. But, wait, the Bible says "whosoever will" may come, Rev. 22:17; Rom. 10:13!
Doesn't this mean that anyone can be saved?
Yes, anyone! If I have been called by the Spirit of God and responded to this call in faith, I will know that anyone can be saved, even me.
Verse 28 tells us that God is working out his purpose in us. What is that purpose? He is remaking us in the image of Jesus.
Verse 29 tells us that God has already decided that we will be like Jesus some day. It is a done deal!
Verse 30 uses several words to speak of our journey of salvation. In the past tense.
A. We were predestined for salvation. - Past tense.
B. We were called - Past tense
C. We were justified – meaning declared innocent on the grounds of Christ’s atoning work. - Past tense.
D. We were glorified - Past tense.
It means that if you are saved, you are saved forever. Nothing can or will derail the purpose of God concerning you. If you are in Jesus, you will be in Jesus forever.
But it does not say that anyone was predestined to go to hell!
Therefore, if you are not saved, know this, anyone who has the desire to be saved, can be. That desire is the voice of the Spirit of God calling you to come to him. If you feel that pull towards him today, then come to Jesus and you will be saved, forever.
Now bless the Lord by rejoicing in the words of Romans 8: 31 – 39:
31What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36As it is written:
For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. 37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
In Christianity there is a school of thought that is known as Armenianism. People who hold this view typically believe that man cooperates with God by initiating their own salvation. They say we choose to believe in Christ when we are ready. They also believe that we can stop believing at any time and, thus, we become lost again. Basically, according to them, salvation is based upon the choice and will of man.
Then, there is a school of thought that is known as Calvinism that believes that we can only be saved by grace – through faith. Within Calvinism there are more than one interpretation of this truth. In extreme Calvinism it is believed that God elected some people for salvation and others for hell and that those elected have no say in the matter whatsoever. In extreme Calvinism, the free will of man is forfeited to the sovereignty of God. This is not the main stream view within the Reformed faith, although opponents of Presbyterianism often are mistaken about this and create the perception that all Presbyterians believe this.
But what does the Bible say? Romans 8: 28 - 30 deal with some of the Biblical teaching on election. It teaches that salvation is shaped by God and enjoyed by man; that salvation is one of those things that we, by ourselves, can not make a reality in our lives by ourselves. These verses also give us the strongest possible assurance of the unconditional, eternal security of whosoever believes in Jesus as Saviour and Lord.
As we dig into these verses we are walking in deep waters! Yet, for the assurance of salvation, these thoughts are of utmost importance to make our own.
In all things God works for the good of those who love him.
Life is filled with trials and troubles. It is comforting to know that everything is being worked out for our good according to the plan of a great God. God’s reputation depends on this verse being true, and it is! The Word does not say that all things are good, but that they will work for good. It is a promise that is as good as the God who made it!
When we experience troubles, we need to know that God is in control.
Yet this promise is not for everyone. According to verse 28 it is only for those who love God. If all things work together for the good of those who love God, the opposite is true for those who do not love him! For them everything that happens in their lives work towards their judgment and towards being lost for ever.
This often quoted and much loved verse must never be divorced from the verses that immediately follow it - 29-30: For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son.
God's purpose in turning everything to our good is to make us more like Jesus! God’s work in you was not completed at salvation. He will continue to shape you until you reflect his image perfectly. The whole purpose of Romans 8:28 is to teach us that God has an eternal plan and that nothing will ever be able to change that plan! God is busy preparing his people to become more and more like Christ and he will perfect this work in heaven.
God is working out an awesome eternal plan for the life of every child of God.
God's will can never be a prisoner of man's will. That can never happen! God will never be held captive to the whims of men. It takes away from the glory of God’s sovereign grace and of man’s complete inability to do good by himself, without the intervention of the Spirit.
So what does the Bible tell us about getting saved?
1. Man does not initiate salvation – Man’s ability to do this died as a result of sin. Therefore, he is incapable of coming to God on his own. As a result, salvation is dependent upon the sinner being called to come to God by the Spirit of God. Salvation always begins with God. He takes the initiative.
2. But, on the other hand, the Bible is clear that the death of Christ on the cross was for the sins of all men and women - When Jesus died, he was dying for the sins of the world, 1 John 2:2; 2 Cor. 5:21.
3. And only those who receive the atoning death of Christ through faith are saved by his blood - Eph. 2:8-9; Acts 16:31; Rom. 10:9-10; John 5:24; John 3:16.
4. There is also no escaping the fact that believers were chosen by God to be his own, before the world began - Eph. 1:4-6.
5. But, wait, the Bible says "whosoever will" may come, Rev. 22:17; Rom. 10:13!
Doesn't this mean that anyone can be saved?
Yes, anyone! If I have been called by the Spirit of God and responded to this call in faith, I will know that anyone can be saved, even me.
Verse 28 tells us that God is working out his purpose in us. What is that purpose? He is remaking us in the image of Jesus.
Verse 29 tells us that God has already decided that we will be like Jesus some day. It is a done deal!
Verse 30 uses several words to speak of our journey of salvation. In the past tense.
A. We were predestined for salvation. - Past tense.
B. We were called - Past tense
C. We were justified – meaning declared innocent on the grounds of Christ’s atoning work. - Past tense.
D. We were glorified - Past tense.
It means that if you are saved, you are saved forever. Nothing can or will derail the purpose of God concerning you. If you are in Jesus, you will be in Jesus forever.
But it does not say that anyone was predestined to go to hell!
Therefore, if you are not saved, know this, anyone who has the desire to be saved, can be. That desire is the voice of the Spirit of God calling you to come to him. If you feel that pull towards him today, then come to Jesus and you will be saved, forever.
Now bless the Lord by rejoicing in the words of Romans 8: 31 – 39:
31What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36As it is written:
For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. 37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
The truth, and nothing but the truth - so help me God!
Within the church we have to make sure we never develop a credibility gap. We, of all people, should mean what we say and say what we mean. If truth cannot be expected from us, then it can be expected from no one.
Everything that a Christian does and says is important, because we are representatives of the Lord, Jesus Christ and we are being watched by and have an impact on others. It is especially important because all of life is lived in the presence of God and under his watchful eye.
In Matt 5: 34 - 37 Jesus tells us that our "tes" should be yes and our "no" should be no. Words should not come too easily out of our mouths or too quickly from our lips. We should always speak the truth.
I The Law of Moses
The law of Moses speaks a number of times about the words of our mouth:
(Ex 20:7) "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name."
(Ex 20:16) "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
(Lev 19:12) "'Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am the LORD."
(Deut 6:13) Fear the LORD your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name.
What is the purpose of these statements?
The main intent of these verses, is to restrain lying and broken promises. One of the greatest problems Moses had to deal with was the tendency of people to lie to one another and to deliberately say things that were not true. Life was becoming chaotic because people could not believe one another's words or statements.
Experts agree we lie – and are lied to – much more than we think. One recent survey showed 91% people lie routinely.
A two-year study of nearly 9,000 people, more than two-thirds of whom were in high school or college, found significant numbers of the students engaged in or willing to engage in lying, cheating and stealing.
* More than a third of the students claimed they would lie on an application or resume if necessary to get a job; 16 percent of the high-school group and 18 percent of the college crowd admitted that they had done so. And 21 percent of the students approved of falsifying a report if needed to keep a job. Of the older group of students, more than a third also said they have lied to bosses and customers during the past year.
The law of Moses attempts to control and check such lies. When we cannot depend on each other's words then we cannot trust each other. And when we cannot trust each other then community becomes almost impossible.
Another purpose of the law of Moses was to restrict oath-taking to serious and important matters. Oath-making is a serious matter; it should only be done in unusual situations and for serious matters. After all, when all of life is lived under the eye of God, all our words – and not just those under oath – must be faithful and true.
II The Teachings of the Pharisees
What did the Pharisees say? Jesus sums up their teaching in verse 33:
(Mt 5:33) Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.'
The Pharisees, as we have seen before, are more concerned with the letter of the law than with the spirit. As long as they could persuade themselves – and others – that they were keeping the letter of the law they were perfectly happy. They fooled themselves into thinking that as long as they kept certain kinds of oaths they were righteous, even though their lips were full of lies and their mouths were used to twist the truth.
The trouble with the Pharisees and the scribes was that they were legalists. And, in their legalism they reduced the law's meaning. They reduced the law's entire meaning to perjury. To say a lie in a Court of Law was to them a very serious and solemn matter; it was a terrible sin and they condemned it. Any other time, however, you could twist words, lie about the facts, and distort the truth and you were not guilty before the law as long as you did not commit perjury.
One final point about the Pharisees. They drew a distinction between oaths. You could swear by heaven, by the earth, by Jerusalem, or by your head. All these oaths, according to them, are not equal. Some are much more serious than others. They said, for instance, that swearing by the temple did not mean a thing, but swearing by the gold of the temple was very serious; in that case you were bound by your oath. If you took an oath by the altar you need not keep it; but if you took an oath by the gift on the altar then it was absolutely binding. Such distinctions make a mockery of oaths and oath-taking.
III The Teachings of Jesus
Let us turn now to the teachings of Jesus. What does he say about the words of one's mouth? Listen again to the words of our text:
(Mt 5:34-37) But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; (35) or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. (36) And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. (37) Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
What Jesus is saying is that oath-taking must be restricted. It must be used in unusual circumstances and on solemn occasions. Jesus forbids all oaths in ordinary conversation. There is no need to take an oath during an argument and you must not do so. In fact, oaths should never be necessary among believers. "Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No.'"
Jesus' point is that if all of life is lived under God, then all our words are binding and to them all of us must be faithful and true. God's children, you see, know that they are always in the presence of God. They confess that they live in fellowship with him. Therefore, when they deal with each other an oath is not necessary. It's understood that their simple "yes" and "no" are spoken with God as their witness. They realize that before God their "yes" and "no" has the value of an oath.
If all our words are said in the presence of God, if all of life comes under him, why then are oaths sometimes required? Jesus answers this when he says, "anything beyond this comes from the evil one." We live in a corrupt world, a world of sin. Swearing by the Name of God is sometimes necessary because of the fact of sin. Fallen people cannot be trusted or believed so sometimes we have to ask them to swear in God's name that they are telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
We must not lie. We must mean what we say and say what we mean. Our "yes" must be "yes" and our "no" must be "no." Our talk should not be cheap. Words should not come too easily out of our mouths or too quickly from our lips. We must never forget that all of life is lived in the presence of God and under his watchful eye.
Everything that a Christian does and says is important, because we are representatives of the Lord, Jesus Christ and we are being watched by and have an impact on others. It is especially important because all of life is lived in the presence of God and under his watchful eye.
In Matt 5: 34 - 37 Jesus tells us that our "tes" should be yes and our "no" should be no. Words should not come too easily out of our mouths or too quickly from our lips. We should always speak the truth.
I The Law of Moses
The law of Moses speaks a number of times about the words of our mouth:
(Ex 20:7) "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name."
(Ex 20:16) "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
(Lev 19:12) "'Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am the LORD."
(Deut 6:13) Fear the LORD your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name.
What is the purpose of these statements?
The main intent of these verses, is to restrain lying and broken promises. One of the greatest problems Moses had to deal with was the tendency of people to lie to one another and to deliberately say things that were not true. Life was becoming chaotic because people could not believe one another's words or statements.
Experts agree we lie – and are lied to – much more than we think. One recent survey showed 91% people lie routinely.
A two-year study of nearly 9,000 people, more than two-thirds of whom were in high school or college, found significant numbers of the students engaged in or willing to engage in lying, cheating and stealing.
* More than a third of the students claimed they would lie on an application or resume if necessary to get a job; 16 percent of the high-school group and 18 percent of the college crowd admitted that they had done so. And 21 percent of the students approved of falsifying a report if needed to keep a job. Of the older group of students, more than a third also said they have lied to bosses and customers during the past year.
The law of Moses attempts to control and check such lies. When we cannot depend on each other's words then we cannot trust each other. And when we cannot trust each other then community becomes almost impossible.
Another purpose of the law of Moses was to restrict oath-taking to serious and important matters. Oath-making is a serious matter; it should only be done in unusual situations and for serious matters. After all, when all of life is lived under the eye of God, all our words – and not just those under oath – must be faithful and true.
II The Teachings of the Pharisees
What did the Pharisees say? Jesus sums up their teaching in verse 33:
(Mt 5:33) Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.'
The Pharisees, as we have seen before, are more concerned with the letter of the law than with the spirit. As long as they could persuade themselves – and others – that they were keeping the letter of the law they were perfectly happy. They fooled themselves into thinking that as long as they kept certain kinds of oaths they were righteous, even though their lips were full of lies and their mouths were used to twist the truth.
The trouble with the Pharisees and the scribes was that they were legalists. And, in their legalism they reduced the law's meaning. They reduced the law's entire meaning to perjury. To say a lie in a Court of Law was to them a very serious and solemn matter; it was a terrible sin and they condemned it. Any other time, however, you could twist words, lie about the facts, and distort the truth and you were not guilty before the law as long as you did not commit perjury.
One final point about the Pharisees. They drew a distinction between oaths. You could swear by heaven, by the earth, by Jerusalem, or by your head. All these oaths, according to them, are not equal. Some are much more serious than others. They said, for instance, that swearing by the temple did not mean a thing, but swearing by the gold of the temple was very serious; in that case you were bound by your oath. If you took an oath by the altar you need not keep it; but if you took an oath by the gift on the altar then it was absolutely binding. Such distinctions make a mockery of oaths and oath-taking.
III The Teachings of Jesus
Let us turn now to the teachings of Jesus. What does he say about the words of one's mouth? Listen again to the words of our text:
(Mt 5:34-37) But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; (35) or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. (36) And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. (37) Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
What Jesus is saying is that oath-taking must be restricted. It must be used in unusual circumstances and on solemn occasions. Jesus forbids all oaths in ordinary conversation. There is no need to take an oath during an argument and you must not do so. In fact, oaths should never be necessary among believers. "Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No.'"
Jesus' point is that if all of life is lived under God, then all our words are binding and to them all of us must be faithful and true. God's children, you see, know that they are always in the presence of God. They confess that they live in fellowship with him. Therefore, when they deal with each other an oath is not necessary. It's understood that their simple "yes" and "no" are spoken with God as their witness. They realize that before God their "yes" and "no" has the value of an oath.
If all our words are said in the presence of God, if all of life comes under him, why then are oaths sometimes required? Jesus answers this when he says, "anything beyond this comes from the evil one." We live in a corrupt world, a world of sin. Swearing by the Name of God is sometimes necessary because of the fact of sin. Fallen people cannot be trusted or believed so sometimes we have to ask them to swear in God's name that they are telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
We must not lie. We must mean what we say and say what we mean. Our "yes" must be "yes" and our "no" must be "no." Our talk should not be cheap. Words should not come too easily out of our mouths or too quickly from our lips. We must never forget that all of life is lived in the presence of God and under his watchful eye.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
The Spirit groans too.
We saw that the creation groans, waiting on God’s children to be revealed in order to be set free from the curse of our sin. Christians also groan, longing to be changed from weak sinners, into the likeness of Christ.
The amazing truth is that the Comforter, God’s Holy Spirit also groans.
Rom 8: 26 – 27: The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.
We are taught that the Holy Spirit comes alongside us to help us to be Christians in this harsh anti-Christian world. Believers need this basic help and support every day. The Spirit knows our tendency to be evil and he helps us not to be! He knows that we often wander, and he helps us not to get lost. He knows that we grow tired of doing God’s will, and he helps us to remain faithful!
We are weak and we are sinners, but the Holy Spirit strengthens us so that we are able to live for God’s glory.
Yes, the Spirit prays for us. As a result of being sinful and weak, we are not able to pray in a manner that is according to the will of God. But the Holy Spirit knows the will of God, and he knows what we need. He takes our prayers, which are imperfect and self centred, and he tells the Father what we really need.
What a blessing! Who really knows how to pray about everything we need and the needs of others we hear about?
Who knows the mind of God well enough to know how to pray according to his will?
The Holy Spirit knows the mind of God, because he is God. He is able to translate our prayers into the perfect will of God. This is genuine, biblical praying in the Spirit!
There will be times when it is hard for us to worship, pray and do the work of God, but we have a Helper! We have One within us who is available to help us to meet the challenge of serving God according to his will and his purpose with our lives. He enables to live victoriously.
Whoever thought that it is easy to live the Christian life, is mistaken! Yet, it is never impossible!
Will we suffer? Yes!
Will we groan while we are here? Yes!
Will there be times when we feel like quitting being a child of God? Yes!
Will we feel that we do not have to go to church or bring the kids to Children’s Church? Yes!
When these things happen, remember that we have the Spirit of God within us and he remains diligent to keep us committed as we journey in this world toward God’s destination!
Take courage! The Spirit prays for you!
The amazing truth is that the Comforter, God’s Holy Spirit also groans.
Rom 8: 26 – 27: The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.
We are taught that the Holy Spirit comes alongside us to help us to be Christians in this harsh anti-Christian world. Believers need this basic help and support every day. The Spirit knows our tendency to be evil and he helps us not to be! He knows that we often wander, and he helps us not to get lost. He knows that we grow tired of doing God’s will, and he helps us to remain faithful!
We are weak and we are sinners, but the Holy Spirit strengthens us so that we are able to live for God’s glory.
Yes, the Spirit prays for us. As a result of being sinful and weak, we are not able to pray in a manner that is according to the will of God. But the Holy Spirit knows the will of God, and he knows what we need. He takes our prayers, which are imperfect and self centred, and he tells the Father what we really need.
What a blessing! Who really knows how to pray about everything we need and the needs of others we hear about?
Who knows the mind of God well enough to know how to pray according to his will?
The Holy Spirit knows the mind of God, because he is God. He is able to translate our prayers into the perfect will of God. This is genuine, biblical praying in the Spirit!
There will be times when it is hard for us to worship, pray and do the work of God, but we have a Helper! We have One within us who is available to help us to meet the challenge of serving God according to his will and his purpose with our lives. He enables to live victoriously.
Whoever thought that it is easy to live the Christian life, is mistaken! Yet, it is never impossible!
Will we suffer? Yes!
Will we groan while we are here? Yes!
Will there be times when we feel like quitting being a child of God? Yes!
Will we feel that we do not have to go to church or bring the kids to Children’s Church? Yes!
When these things happen, remember that we have the Spirit of God within us and he remains diligent to keep us committed as we journey in this world toward God’s destination!
Take courage! The Spirit prays for you!
Monday, July 12, 2010
El-Shaddai
In Gen. 17: 1, God appears to Abram and says, "I am God Almighty." In the Hebrew language this name is "El-Shaddai." This divine name appears forty-eight times in the Old Testament, and this name reveals to us that God is more than able to keep all his promises to Abram - and to us, because he is El-Shaddai - he is God Almighty.
How great is our God, El-Shaddai? How mighty is he? In Gen. 18 God promises a natural-born child to an elderly Abraham and Sarah. Sarah laughed when she heard this. El-Shaddai responded with these words:
(Gen 18:14) "Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son."
"Is anything too hard for the LORD?" The correct answer, the only answer, the answer that everyone knows, is this: No, nothing is too hard for the Lord. Because he is God Almighty.
How great is our God, El-Shaddai? Israel was in the wilderness where God provided them manna and water. They began to crave other food: meat, fish, cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, garlic. So they cried to the Lord and complained to the Lord. God promises the people would eat meat for a month. (Num 11:20). This time it was Moses who doubted the word of the Lord. Listen to the response of El-Shaddai:
(Num 11:23) "Is the Lord's arm too short? You will now see whether or not what I say will come true for you."
"Is the Lord's arm too short?" Do the Lord's arms not reach far enough is be able to help us when we are in need?
The only answer, the answer that everyone knows, is this: No, the Lord's arm is not too short. Because he is El-Shaddai.
Do you see what our God, what El-Shaddai, what God Almighty can do?
He can do anything, anything at all.
In Christ, we who are sinners are renewed. The old, weak, sinful person is buried and a new person rises through faith. We are declared righteous in God's sight. God can do this, because he is El-Shaddai. He is God Almighty. He can do anything, anything he wants to do.
How great is our God, El-Shaddai? How mighty is he? In Gen. 18 God promises a natural-born child to an elderly Abraham and Sarah. Sarah laughed when she heard this. El-Shaddai responded with these words:
(Gen 18:14) "Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son."
"Is anything too hard for the LORD?" The correct answer, the only answer, the answer that everyone knows, is this: No, nothing is too hard for the Lord. Because he is God Almighty.
How great is our God, El-Shaddai? Israel was in the wilderness where God provided them manna and water. They began to crave other food: meat, fish, cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, garlic. So they cried to the Lord and complained to the Lord. God promises the people would eat meat for a month. (Num 11:20). This time it was Moses who doubted the word of the Lord. Listen to the response of El-Shaddai:
(Num 11:23) "Is the Lord's arm too short? You will now see whether or not what I say will come true for you."
"Is the Lord's arm too short?" Do the Lord's arms not reach far enough is be able to help us when we are in need?
The only answer, the answer that everyone knows, is this: No, the Lord's arm is not too short. Because he is El-Shaddai.
Do you see what our God, what El-Shaddai, what God Almighty can do?
He can do anything, anything at all.
In Christ, we who are sinners are renewed. The old, weak, sinful person is buried and a new person rises through faith. We are declared righteous in God's sight. God can do this, because he is El-Shaddai. He is God Almighty. He can do anything, anything he wants to do.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Marriage is for life!
Marriage is forever!
What does Jesus say about marriage and divorce? (Read Matthew 5:31-32).
Firstly, we notice that marriage is forever. In Matthew 19 we see Jesus going behind the law of Moses to the law that was given by God at the very beginning of time. Jesus says,
(Mat 19:4-6) "Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,' (5) and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'? (6) So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."
Secondly, Jesus says divorce is not to be condemned if there is "marital unfaithfulness." Marital unfaithfulness means unrepentant unchastely acts.
We may not recognize this at first, but in allowing divorce for marital unfaithfulness our Lord shows him to be gracious and kind. Don't forget, in Old Testament Israel the penalty for adultery and other unchastely acts was death by stoning. Jesus now removes this death sentence and permits divorce instead. Furthermore, the Old Testament law of divorce often left women and children abused, neglected, and suffering in impossible situations because only the husband was permitted to seek a divorce. Jesus' command permits wives to also initiate action.
Thirdly, notice that God does not command anyone to divorce. As in the law of Moses, God permits divorce rather than commands divorce. The reason is simple: marriage is for life.
Even as God forgives us, so we must forgive each other as husbands and wives. Instead of commanding divorce, what God does command is forgiveness.
Fourthly, we have to compare what Jesus says to what is happening in our world today. In South Africa you now get a so called "no-fault" divorce. Like the Pharisees, our society allows divorce for any and every reason. This was never God’s intention and not what Jesus taught
And fifthly, Jesus reminds us of the basis for marriage. If it is marital unfaithfulness that breaks a marriage, then it is marital faithfulness that makes a marriage.
The basis for marriage, the foundation for marriage, is fidelity, faithfulness, commitment. Where there is this faithfulness, the marriage remains together even when love is difficult. Where there is this faithfulness, the two remain one-flesh. And, by the power of Christ, where there is this faithfulness, love can slowly grow and come alive again.
Lastly, the Bible does not know unforgivable sin, except the sin of not believing in Jesus as Lord and Saviour. Divorce can be forgiven, and we can start a new life after divorce! And God in his mercy may then grant us a marriage that is for life and that is based on true faithfulness and commitment!
What does Jesus say about marriage and divorce? (Read Matthew 5:31-32).
Firstly, we notice that marriage is forever. In Matthew 19 we see Jesus going behind the law of Moses to the law that was given by God at the very beginning of time. Jesus says,
(Mat 19:4-6) "Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,' (5) and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'? (6) So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."
Secondly, Jesus says divorce is not to be condemned if there is "marital unfaithfulness." Marital unfaithfulness means unrepentant unchastely acts.
We may not recognize this at first, but in allowing divorce for marital unfaithfulness our Lord shows him to be gracious and kind. Don't forget, in Old Testament Israel the penalty for adultery and other unchastely acts was death by stoning. Jesus now removes this death sentence and permits divorce instead. Furthermore, the Old Testament law of divorce often left women and children abused, neglected, and suffering in impossible situations because only the husband was permitted to seek a divorce. Jesus' command permits wives to also initiate action.
Thirdly, notice that God does not command anyone to divorce. As in the law of Moses, God permits divorce rather than commands divorce. The reason is simple: marriage is for life.
Even as God forgives us, so we must forgive each other as husbands and wives. Instead of commanding divorce, what God does command is forgiveness.
Fourthly, we have to compare what Jesus says to what is happening in our world today. In South Africa you now get a so called "no-fault" divorce. Like the Pharisees, our society allows divorce for any and every reason. This was never God’s intention and not what Jesus taught
And fifthly, Jesus reminds us of the basis for marriage. If it is marital unfaithfulness that breaks a marriage, then it is marital faithfulness that makes a marriage.
The basis for marriage, the foundation for marriage, is fidelity, faithfulness, commitment. Where there is this faithfulness, the marriage remains together even when love is difficult. Where there is this faithfulness, the two remain one-flesh. And, by the power of Christ, where there is this faithfulness, love can slowly grow and come alive again.
Lastly, the Bible does not know unforgivable sin, except the sin of not believing in Jesus as Lord and Saviour. Divorce can be forgiven, and we can start a new life after divorce! And God in his mercy may then grant us a marriage that is for life and that is based on true faithfulness and commitment!
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
The Christian also groans.
Last week we learned that all of creation groans, awaiting God’s children to reveal a brand new wonderful earth which is free from the curse of the sin of the human race!
Now this week we see that,
The Christian also groans.
Romans 8: 23 – 25: We ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
Along with creation, the child of God groans. Paul refers to our desire to be free from these weak, mortal bodies. But he also speaks of the indwelling ministry of the Spirit of God in the believer's life. Since we were saved, the Spirit worked in us in such a way that we began the process of seeing sin like God sees sin. The Spirit of God "sensitised" us to sin. We became sensitive to sin around us and in us.
As a result, we are distressed by the sins we commit and that we see others commit. If sin doesn't bother us, we have a serious spiritual problem! If we can witness sin and it does not affect us, something is amiss in our hearts!
This produces a longing within the believer. We want to be delivered from the sinful, weak, mortal bodies. We would do anything to be free from this weakness. Wouldn't it be a blessing if we never again had a wicked thought? Did a wicked deed?
But Paul tells us that we are saved by "hope". Hope in the Bible has a vastly different meaning than it does in the world today. When people use the word "hope" now, they are saying, "I wish", or "I want". But instead of hope only being a wish or desire, biblical hope is a deep settled knowledge based on the firm promises of God. Biblical hope is a conviction that salvation comes through faith in the shed blood and the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the sure knowledge that one day our Lord will come for us and will take us to heaven. It is the sure knowledge that we will be changed from weak, sinful creatures into new people made to be like Christ.
We, who are God’s children, groan because we want to be free from sin. We have a longing to be remade into the image of the Lord Jesus Christ. And that day is coming! One day, in God’s perfect time, this sinful flesh will breath its last and I will be remade in the image of my Saviour!
This is the hope of every child of God!
Now this week we see that,
The Christian also groans.
Romans 8: 23 – 25: We ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
Along with creation, the child of God groans. Paul refers to our desire to be free from these weak, mortal bodies. But he also speaks of the indwelling ministry of the Spirit of God in the believer's life. Since we were saved, the Spirit worked in us in such a way that we began the process of seeing sin like God sees sin. The Spirit of God "sensitised" us to sin. We became sensitive to sin around us and in us.
As a result, we are distressed by the sins we commit and that we see others commit. If sin doesn't bother us, we have a serious spiritual problem! If we can witness sin and it does not affect us, something is amiss in our hearts!
This produces a longing within the believer. We want to be delivered from the sinful, weak, mortal bodies. We would do anything to be free from this weakness. Wouldn't it be a blessing if we never again had a wicked thought? Did a wicked deed?
But Paul tells us that we are saved by "hope". Hope in the Bible has a vastly different meaning than it does in the world today. When people use the word "hope" now, they are saying, "I wish", or "I want". But instead of hope only being a wish or desire, biblical hope is a deep settled knowledge based on the firm promises of God. Biblical hope is a conviction that salvation comes through faith in the shed blood and the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the sure knowledge that one day our Lord will come for us and will take us to heaven. It is the sure knowledge that we will be changed from weak, sinful creatures into new people made to be like Christ.
We, who are God’s children, groan because we want to be free from sin. We have a longing to be remade into the image of the Lord Jesus Christ. And that day is coming! One day, in God’s perfect time, this sinful flesh will breath its last and I will be remade in the image of my Saviour!
This is the hope of every child of God!
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