Giving is an important and blessed part of Christian life!
I put together lots of scriptures from both the Old and New Testaments relating to giving and generosity, in the link below. There's nothing like the Word of God to fuel your faith, give you wisdom, and stir you to obedience! :)
Giving Scriptures
Sunday 17 November 2013
Monday 11 November 2013
Preach the Gospel with Actions or Words?
“Preach the Gospel at all times; use words only when necessary.” It’s an old saying, traditionally attributed to St Francis of Assisi, that is often used to emphasise how a Christian should be effective in his witness for Christ by not just preaching the Gospel, but living it out for all to see. But is it really a true statement? I decided to take a look at what the Bible says.
No-one can deny that it’s impossible to truly share the Gospel of Christ without communicating it somehow. The very word ‘preach’ implies using words. The gospel cannot be easily understood unless it is explained, and what better way than to use words?! Paul tells us clearly in Romans:
Peter did not teach anything contrary to the truth, and his words complement Pauls. He wasn’t denying that it would be necessary for the Gospel message to be heard in order to be saved, but he was saying that the person could be ‘won over’ by observing the godly conduct of a believer. In other words, his heart could be turned towards acceptance of the Gospel, because he sees the reality of Christ in someone’s life. He sees the change that has taken place. He sees the life, the joy, the godly living, the power of God, and he is won over – he realises it’s real and he wants to know more. Then, when his heart is open, he is ready to hear the message of salvation, and give his own life to the Lord.
You see, many times, before a person is willing to accept the message about Jesus, he needs to see the reality of the Gospel first. I love the work of Operation Blessing, part of the great ministry of the Christian Broadcasting Network, founded by Pat Robertson. One thing I especially love is that they go to various places throughout the earth bringing practical help to people in need. They drill wells in places where they have no easy access to clean water. They provide medical care to those who can’t afford it. They provide humanitarian aid and assistance in times of disaster. They focus first on helping people and demonstrating the love of God by their actions and good works. After this, the hearts of the people are warmed and opened to receive the good news about Jesus. Many times I have heard how people have opened their hearts to the Gospel and received Christ after they received help from Christians who cared and took practical steps to provide assistance in time of need. You see, they are won over by their godly conduct and practical demonstration of God’s love.
Jesse Duplantis says, “The only Jesus some people will ever see is the Jesus in you and the Jesus in me!” You can never underestimate the power in the testimony of a life lived in passionate obedience to Christ! Many people will read you before they will ever read a Bible! I have heard more than one testimony of people who had been imprisoned and beaten for their faith in Christ, who were able to win people to the Lord in prison because of their faithfulness to Jesus. Sometimes they were beaten often, yet because they remained true to the Lord, the strength of their faith had a real impact on the prison guards, so much so that they would ask about their God, and why they remained true to Him even when they were beaten and made to suffer for it. Many guards opened their hearts to the Gospel and received Christ for themselves because of the testimony of those believers’ faithful lives.
Paul tells us in Colossians:
Peter tells us:
On the other hand, if you are witnessing to people on the street, or preaching the gospel in public, then very definitely you want to use words, because you don’t have opportunity to build a relationship with those people. They can’t see a lot about your changed life in the short time you have with them. You may never see them again, so you want to share as much as you can with them about the gospel. Not in an aggressive or pushy way, but with zeal and passion that is tempered by gentleness and respect.
Ray Comfort is a noted evangelist and founder of the excellent ‘Way of the Master’ evangelism ministry. He does a lot of preaching in public places, and one on one. Once he was asked, is it really necessary to go so quickly into preaching the gospel with people on the streets? Shouldn’t he try to build a relationship with the person first? He replied no, because he may never see that person again, and that may be the only opportunity he will ever have to share the Gospel with them, and it may be the only opportunity that person will ever have to hear the gospel.
When the Apostle Paul went into a city to preach the gospel, his primary focus was not to build relationships with people and win them to the Lord through ‘friendship evangelism’, even though that is a legitimate and often effective method of evangelism. No he went to the public places, where the people gathered, and addressed them all by preaching the gospel of Christ, and not in words only, but also in power and with the demonstration of the Spirit (Romans 15:18,19). The Lord Himself bore witness to the validity of the message with signs and wonders and miracles of healings. If Paul had stayed in one place for a long time, he certainly could have built relationships with unbelievers and try to win them over with the testimony of his godly life. But he was called to travel and never stayed very long in one place, so his ministry was often more public. And remember that Jesus instructed his disciples to ‘Go into all the world, and preach the Gospel.’ (Mark 16:15)
So the type of evangelism you use depends very much on the situation. And in every case, the gospel message must be preached at some point in order for faith to come in the heart of the hearer. Even if a person is won over to the Lord by the testimony of your godly life, they still need to hear the message of the Gospel in order to believe it, and they must believe it with their own heart and confess Jesus with their own mouth to receive salvation (Romans 10:9,10). The Holy Spirit anoints words, but words must go forth for the Holy Spirit to use them. Remember Lot in the Old Testament. He was a righteous man living in a very unrighteous city. He thought he could influence them for God by his own godly life, but they were so given over to sin that it made little difference to them, and he only tormented his own soul with their ungodliness. In that city, a more effective way would have been to preach the Word of the Lord, as Jonah did in Nineveh. Maybe then they would have repented when they realised they were subject to the judgement of God!
So your godly life is an important testimony to an unbeliever, yet sharing the message of the gospel is absolutely essential for people to be saved.
Also consider that words just create pictures in your mind. In some exceptional cases where it is not possible to use words, you may have to use other means to communicate the message of Christ. The great evangelist Arthur Blessitt travelled the world by foot, carrying a large wooden cross, and preaching the Gospel everywhere he went! It was certainly an unusual method of evangelism, but it was something the Lord called Him to do, and what a great way to get people’s attention, walking through their cities, towns and villages carrying a huge cross! In one particular trip he walked from Panama City to Columbia in South America, and to get there he had to cross the very dangerous Darien jungle. He prepared a small team of people to help him make the journey, but as they progressed through the jungle, the team abandoned him, and he was left to get through the jungle alone! After many difficult days crossing the most impossible terrain, trusting only in the Lord to help him, he arrived at a small village. But with no translator, he couldn’t preach the gospel to them with words! Imagine going through so much to get the gospel to these unreached people, only to be unable to talk with them! So instead he demonstrated the gospel in a kind of drama, acting out the life of Jesus and the events of the cross. And the people were able to understand and many received Jesus! Praise the Lord!
Our God is a creative God, and there are many ways to share the gospel and spread the Good News about Christ. We need to have an attitude like Paul, who ‘became all things to all men’ so that he could win them (1 Corinthians 9:19-23). We should seek to employ every method and every means available to share His Good News, and try to find some common ground with everyone, so we can open a door to bring them the Gospel.
Sometimes we can win people by building relationship with them, by showing love to our friends and neighbours, and piquing their interest in the Gospel. Then we can invite them to cell groups, informal gatherings, church evangelistic events, or something that appeals to their interest and at the same time gives them an opportunity to discover Jesus. I know through the Vine church I attend that this method has been particularly effective in Brazil, where cell groups have quickly grown and multiplied through inviting friends and neighbours who come to know the Lord in these informal gatherings.
Or we can go to the streets and public places and events and preach the Gospel to many at once, or to individuals and small groups of people, where we don’t necessarily have to time or opportunity to build relationships with them, but we can preach the Gospel with love, boldness, authority and anointing and bring them the message about Jesus that they may never have heard. I remember some years ago I was cycling home from work, and thinking about how hard it was to ever witness to people in my everyday life, and how little opportunity I had. I was desperate as I asked the Lord in my heart, ‘How can we ever reach people?’ I heard the Lord speak back in my heart: ‘Go TO the people!’ I began to think about the book of Acts where Peter, Paul and the other apostles preached in the public places where many people gathered. You see, you can’t catch a fish if you never go fishing! And the fish won’t come to you – you must go to them! After this, I purposed in my heart to go into the town centre and share the Gospel with some people. The first time I ever did it I was very nervous, but the Lord really blessed it and gave me opportunity to speak with some people. I passed by a group of ‘winos’, and tried to pluck up courage to speak to them. But I didn’t do it. As I walked on, I felt a whisper in my spirit: ‘You just missed an opportunity.’ So I walked around the block wrestling with myself, returned to the group of winos and began sharing Jesus with them. And the Lord let me lead one of them to Christ, hallelujah! It was a great breakthrough in my life! Not everyone will receive the Gospel, but thank God for those who do! And even if they cannot be won on the day, the seed of the Gospel has been planted in their hearts and the Holy Spirit can water that seed. Sometimes we sow, and sometimes we reap, but in both cases we receive a reward!
To those who are not close to us, or a regular part of our lives, we can preach and present the Gospel of Christ, reasoning with them about Jesus (Acts 24:24,25). I know from my own experiences that although some people may never accept the Gospel, if you are willing to talk with people, show an interest in their life, pray for them if they will allow it, almost always you will get a positive response, even from complete strangers, and you open a door to their hearts which our wonderful Saviour can walk through. Oh what joy to lead even a single soul to Christ!
No-one can deny that it’s impossible to truly share the Gospel of Christ without communicating it somehow. The very word ‘preach’ implies using words. The gospel cannot be easily understood unless it is explained, and what better way than to use words?! Paul tells us clearly in Romans:
“’Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ But how can they call on Him to save them unless they believe in Him? And how can they believe in Him if they have never heard about Him? And how can they hear about Him unless someone tells them?”
Romans 10:13,14
In order to believe in Christ, a person must first hear the message about Him. Only then can faith for salvation come. If you’ve never heard, how can you believe? Paul says again:
“Yet faith comes from listening to this message of good news – the Good News about Christ…’The message of God’s creation has gone out to everyone, and its words to all the world.’”
Romans 10:17,18
Clearly the ‘words’ of the Gospel must be heard for faith for salvation to come.
However, Peter tells us that it’s possible to win people to Christ by not even using words:
“In the same way, you wives must accept the authority of your husbands, even those who refuse to accept the Good News. Your godly lives will speak better to them than any words. They will be won over by watching your pure, godly behaviour.”
1 Peter 3:1,2
So on the one hand, words must be used to communicate the Gospel message so that people can believe it. On the other hand, a person can be won over by observing the godly conduct of a close friend or relative, without the needs for words. Is it a contradiction? Of course not!
Peter did not teach anything contrary to the truth, and his words complement Pauls. He wasn’t denying that it would be necessary for the Gospel message to be heard in order to be saved, but he was saying that the person could be ‘won over’ by observing the godly conduct of a believer. In other words, his heart could be turned towards acceptance of the Gospel, because he sees the reality of Christ in someone’s life. He sees the change that has taken place. He sees the life, the joy, the godly living, the power of God, and he is won over – he realises it’s real and he wants to know more. Then, when his heart is open, he is ready to hear the message of salvation, and give his own life to the Lord.
You see, many times, before a person is willing to accept the message about Jesus, he needs to see the reality of the Gospel first. I love the work of Operation Blessing, part of the great ministry of the Christian Broadcasting Network, founded by Pat Robertson. One thing I especially love is that they go to various places throughout the earth bringing practical help to people in need. They drill wells in places where they have no easy access to clean water. They provide medical care to those who can’t afford it. They provide humanitarian aid and assistance in times of disaster. They focus first on helping people and demonstrating the love of God by their actions and good works. After this, the hearts of the people are warmed and opened to receive the good news about Jesus. Many times I have heard how people have opened their hearts to the Gospel and received Christ after they received help from Christians who cared and took practical steps to provide assistance in time of need. You see, they are won over by their godly conduct and practical demonstration of God’s love.
Jesse Duplantis says, “The only Jesus some people will ever see is the Jesus in you and the Jesus in me!” You can never underestimate the power in the testimony of a life lived in passionate obedience to Christ! Many people will read you before they will ever read a Bible! I have heard more than one testimony of people who had been imprisoned and beaten for their faith in Christ, who were able to win people to the Lord in prison because of their faithfulness to Jesus. Sometimes they were beaten often, yet because they remained true to the Lord, the strength of their faith had a real impact on the prison guards, so much so that they would ask about their God, and why they remained true to Him even when they were beaten and made to suffer for it. Many guards opened their hearts to the Gospel and received Christ for themselves because of the testimony of those believers’ faithful lives.
Paul tells us in Colossians:
“Live wisely among those who are not Christians, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and effective so that you will have the right answer for everyone.”
Colossians 4:5,6
Notice that Pauls talks first about how you live, and second about what you say. You see, it’s very important to an unbeliever how you live, not just what you say. If they see a hypocrite and someone who doesn’t practise what they preach, then they will close their ears to what you say, no matter how well you preach it! And notice it says to make the most of every opportunity. It implies that not every encounter will necessarily be an opportunity, but when one comes, we should certainly make the most of it! I heard about someone who was newly saved and very zealous for the Lord, and started preaching to everyone at his place of work. Eventually, he got fired because he preached too much, and worked too little! It was great that he had zeal for the gospel, but he didn’t live wisely among those who are not Christians, and it hurt his testimony as a result.
Peter tells us:
“And if you are asked about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. But you must do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak evil against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ.”
1 Peter 3:15,16
You see, when you are wanting to witness among those who are close to you , or with whom you have frequent contact, it’s wise to let your life do the talking first. Of course, we are looking for opportunities to win people to the Lord, and when you have opportunity, or when you are asked about it, you should be ready to testify about Jesus, but you shouldn’t preach to them constantly. If you do, you are likely to be considered a nag and an annoyance and may do more to put them off the Gospel, than open their hearts to it. I believe that’s why Peter instructed wives to live a godly life in front of their unbelieving spouse, so that they could be won over without even a word spoken.
On the other hand, if you are witnessing to people on the street, or preaching the gospel in public, then very definitely you want to use words, because you don’t have opportunity to build a relationship with those people. They can’t see a lot about your changed life in the short time you have with them. You may never see them again, so you want to share as much as you can with them about the gospel. Not in an aggressive or pushy way, but with zeal and passion that is tempered by gentleness and respect.
Ray Comfort is a noted evangelist and founder of the excellent ‘Way of the Master’ evangelism ministry. He does a lot of preaching in public places, and one on one. Once he was asked, is it really necessary to go so quickly into preaching the gospel with people on the streets? Shouldn’t he try to build a relationship with the person first? He replied no, because he may never see that person again, and that may be the only opportunity he will ever have to share the Gospel with them, and it may be the only opportunity that person will ever have to hear the gospel.
When the Apostle Paul went into a city to preach the gospel, his primary focus was not to build relationships with people and win them to the Lord through ‘friendship evangelism’, even though that is a legitimate and often effective method of evangelism. No he went to the public places, where the people gathered, and addressed them all by preaching the gospel of Christ, and not in words only, but also in power and with the demonstration of the Spirit (Romans 15:18,19). The Lord Himself bore witness to the validity of the message with signs and wonders and miracles of healings. If Paul had stayed in one place for a long time, he certainly could have built relationships with unbelievers and try to win them over with the testimony of his godly life. But he was called to travel and never stayed very long in one place, so his ministry was often more public. And remember that Jesus instructed his disciples to ‘Go into all the world, and preach the Gospel.’ (Mark 16:15)
So the type of evangelism you use depends very much on the situation. And in every case, the gospel message must be preached at some point in order for faith to come in the heart of the hearer. Even if a person is won over to the Lord by the testimony of your godly life, they still need to hear the message of the Gospel in order to believe it, and they must believe it with their own heart and confess Jesus with their own mouth to receive salvation (Romans 10:9,10). The Holy Spirit anoints words, but words must go forth for the Holy Spirit to use them. Remember Lot in the Old Testament. He was a righteous man living in a very unrighteous city. He thought he could influence them for God by his own godly life, but they were so given over to sin that it made little difference to them, and he only tormented his own soul with their ungodliness. In that city, a more effective way would have been to preach the Word of the Lord, as Jonah did in Nineveh. Maybe then they would have repented when they realised they were subject to the judgement of God!
So your godly life is an important testimony to an unbeliever, yet sharing the message of the gospel is absolutely essential for people to be saved.
Also consider that words just create pictures in your mind. In some exceptional cases where it is not possible to use words, you may have to use other means to communicate the message of Christ. The great evangelist Arthur Blessitt travelled the world by foot, carrying a large wooden cross, and preaching the Gospel everywhere he went! It was certainly an unusual method of evangelism, but it was something the Lord called Him to do, and what a great way to get people’s attention, walking through their cities, towns and villages carrying a huge cross! In one particular trip he walked from Panama City to Columbia in South America, and to get there he had to cross the very dangerous Darien jungle. He prepared a small team of people to help him make the journey, but as they progressed through the jungle, the team abandoned him, and he was left to get through the jungle alone! After many difficult days crossing the most impossible terrain, trusting only in the Lord to help him, he arrived at a small village. But with no translator, he couldn’t preach the gospel to them with words! Imagine going through so much to get the gospel to these unreached people, only to be unable to talk with them! So instead he demonstrated the gospel in a kind of drama, acting out the life of Jesus and the events of the cross. And the people were able to understand and many received Jesus! Praise the Lord!
Our God is a creative God, and there are many ways to share the gospel and spread the Good News about Christ. We need to have an attitude like Paul, who ‘became all things to all men’ so that he could win them (1 Corinthians 9:19-23). We should seek to employ every method and every means available to share His Good News, and try to find some common ground with everyone, so we can open a door to bring them the Gospel.
Sometimes we can win people by building relationship with them, by showing love to our friends and neighbours, and piquing their interest in the Gospel. Then we can invite them to cell groups, informal gatherings, church evangelistic events, or something that appeals to their interest and at the same time gives them an opportunity to discover Jesus. I know through the Vine church I attend that this method has been particularly effective in Brazil, where cell groups have quickly grown and multiplied through inviting friends and neighbours who come to know the Lord in these informal gatherings.
Or we can go to the streets and public places and events and preach the Gospel to many at once, or to individuals and small groups of people, where we don’t necessarily have to time or opportunity to build relationships with them, but we can preach the Gospel with love, boldness, authority and anointing and bring them the message about Jesus that they may never have heard. I remember some years ago I was cycling home from work, and thinking about how hard it was to ever witness to people in my everyday life, and how little opportunity I had. I was desperate as I asked the Lord in my heart, ‘How can we ever reach people?’ I heard the Lord speak back in my heart: ‘Go TO the people!’ I began to think about the book of Acts where Peter, Paul and the other apostles preached in the public places where many people gathered. You see, you can’t catch a fish if you never go fishing! And the fish won’t come to you – you must go to them! After this, I purposed in my heart to go into the town centre and share the Gospel with some people. The first time I ever did it I was very nervous, but the Lord really blessed it and gave me opportunity to speak with some people. I passed by a group of ‘winos’, and tried to pluck up courage to speak to them. But I didn’t do it. As I walked on, I felt a whisper in my spirit: ‘You just missed an opportunity.’ So I walked around the block wrestling with myself, returned to the group of winos and began sharing Jesus with them. And the Lord let me lead one of them to Christ, hallelujah! It was a great breakthrough in my life! Not everyone will receive the Gospel, but thank God for those who do! And even if they cannot be won on the day, the seed of the Gospel has been planted in their hearts and the Holy Spirit can water that seed. Sometimes we sow, and sometimes we reap, but in both cases we receive a reward!
“You know the saying, ‘Four months between planting and harvest.’ But I say, wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe for harvest. The harvesters are paid good wages, and the fruit they harvest is people brought to eternal life. What joy awaits both the planter and the harvester alike! You know the saying, ‘One plants and another harvests.’ And it’s true. I sent you to harvest where you didn’t plant; others had already done the work, and now you will get to gather the harvest.”
John 4:35-38
It is true that our lives must be a good example of the reality of Jesus in order for some people to believe in Him, and this is especially true for those who are close to us. For them, your actions can speak louder than your words, so it is wiser to be sure to live a blameless life before them, and to pray for them and for opportunity to witness to them. Then when opportunity comes, we must be ready to take it and share the Good News of Jesus with them. But don’t be a ‘gospel nag’ and overload them with your preaching, as this may push them away from, not draw them to, Christ.
To those who are not close to us, or a regular part of our lives, we can preach and present the Gospel of Christ, reasoning with them about Jesus (Acts 24:24,25). I know from my own experiences that although some people may never accept the Gospel, if you are willing to talk with people, show an interest in their life, pray for them if they will allow it, almost always you will get a positive response, even from complete strangers, and you open a door to their hearts which our wonderful Saviour can walk through. Oh what joy to lead even a single soul to Christ!
Monday 25 April 2011
The Divine Secret
Did you ever keep a secret? Maybe you planned a surprise birthday party for someone you love. You organised everything with friends and family but didn’t tell the person anything about it. Then, when the day came, you invited them over and ‘Surprise!!’ Everyone celebrates and the person is overcome because they didn’t know anything about it!
Did you know God keeps secrets too? Moses tells us:
'There are secret things that belong to the Lord our God, but the revealed things belong to us and our descendants forever.’
In fact, our eternal God kept a secret not just for days or weeks or months or even years, but for centuries. Ever since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, He gave hints and clues about something big that would happen in the future. He spoke to Moses, Abraham and David about it. He spoke through many of the prophets, who foretold of a Coming One who would save Israel from their sins. One they named the Messiah.
As wise men studied the Scriptures they came to understand that on the horizon of time there was a great King, who would be raised up among them, whose Throne and Kingdom was eternal and who would be the deliverer of all Israel. This Messiah was the great hope of every Jew, yet the fullness of God’s plan was still a secret. The details were hidden. For so long, no-one knew when this Messiah would come, who he would be, or what all these prophecies really meant.
The Apostle Paul continues the story:
‘But when the right time came, God sent His Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent Him to provide freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that He could adopt us as His very own children. And because you Gentiles have become His children, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, and now you can call God your dear Father.’
When the right time came, God sent His own Son as the promised Messiah, and suddenly now His secret plan was revealed! It was like God was shouting from Heaven, ‘Surprise!!’ As Jesus walked the earth, the great mystery of the ages was being made known. The hope of all Israel – who many had longed for – was now here!
As Jesus said to His disciples:
‘How privileged you are to see what you have seen. I tell you, many prophets and kings have longed to see and hear what you have seen and heard, but they could not.’
Paul tells us more about this divine secret:
‘God’s secret plan has now been revealed to us; it is a plan centred on Christ, designed long ago according to His good pleasure.’
‘I was chosen to explain to everyone this plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning.’
‘This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to His own holy people. For it has pleased God to tell His people that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too.’
So what is this great secret?
‘The mystery in a nutshell is just this: Christ is in you, therefore you can look forward to sharing in God’s glory. It’s that simple.’
The New King James version reads ‘Christ in you, the hope of glory.’
In Christ, both Jews and Gentiles are united into one church, so that both those who already knew God and those who didn’t know Him at all, could become His adopted children. When I accepted Christ as my Saviour, I died! Now it is no longer me that lives, but Christ lives in me.
‘I have been crucified with Christ. I myself no longer live, but Christ lives in me.’
I am never alone! Everywhere I go Christ is in me and I am in Christ. And because He is in me, I have a great hope.
Now biblical hope is a little different to the way we normally use the word hope in the modern English vernacular. For example, if I’m planning to go to the beach at the weekend, I might say, ‘I hope the weather will be good.’ I don’t really know for sure – I just hope. But biblical hope is different. It carries the idea of expectation. For example, I don’t just hope that Jesus will come back again, I firmly believe that He will because it is promised in Scripture. His return gives me hope – something to look forward to. It’s not a weak kind of hope but an expectant hope. Biblical hope is a joyful and confident expectation of good.
The writer of Hebrews instructs us:
‘Without wavering, let us hold tightly to the hope we say we have, for God can be trusted to keep His promise.’
Therefore Christ living in me gives me a joyful and confident expectation of sharing in God’s glory! God’s glory is the magnificence of all that He is and has and does. It is the majestic beauty and awesome wonder of Heaven. It is the splendour of His eternal Kingdom. It is the joy of a new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness reigns. It is the wonder of Christ and his amazing love and incredible salvation.
This is the great hope that we all share as believers in Jesus Christ! It’s not a myth or fantasy but an absolute certainty, for ‘the Word of our God stands forever.’ (Isa 40:8)
So let’s be encouraged by this hope and hold on to it.
‘We are God’s household, if we keep up our courage and remain confident in our hope in Christ.’
God’s secret is out! All is revealed and the time to be saved is now!
‘Indeed, God is ready to help you right now. Today is the day of salvation.’
So let’s not keep this amazing Good News to ourselves, but as we have opportunity share it with others who haven’t heard yet, that they too may have Christ in them, the hope of glory.
Amen!
Did you know God keeps secrets too? Moses tells us:
'There are secret things that belong to the Lord our God, but the revealed things belong to us and our descendants forever.’
Deut. 29:29
In fact, our eternal God kept a secret not just for days or weeks or months or even years, but for centuries. Ever since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, He gave hints and clues about something big that would happen in the future. He spoke to Moses, Abraham and David about it. He spoke through many of the prophets, who foretold of a Coming One who would save Israel from their sins. One they named the Messiah.
As wise men studied the Scriptures they came to understand that on the horizon of time there was a great King, who would be raised up among them, whose Throne and Kingdom was eternal and who would be the deliverer of all Israel. This Messiah was the great hope of every Jew, yet the fullness of God’s plan was still a secret. The details were hidden. For so long, no-one knew when this Messiah would come, who he would be, or what all these prophecies really meant.
The Apostle Paul continues the story:
‘But when the right time came, God sent His Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent Him to provide freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that He could adopt us as His very own children. And because you Gentiles have become His children, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, and now you can call God your dear Father.’
Gal. 4:5, 6
When the right time came, God sent His own Son as the promised Messiah, and suddenly now His secret plan was revealed! It was like God was shouting from Heaven, ‘Surprise!!’ As Jesus walked the earth, the great mystery of the ages was being made known. The hope of all Israel – who many had longed for – was now here!
As Jesus said to His disciples:
‘How privileged you are to see what you have seen. I tell you, many prophets and kings have longed to see and hear what you have seen and heard, but they could not.’
Luke 10:23, 24
Paul tells us more about this divine secret:
‘God’s secret plan has now been revealed to us; it is a plan centred on Christ, designed long ago according to His good pleasure.’
Eph.1:9
‘I was chosen to explain to everyone this plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning.’
Eph. 3:9
‘This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to His own holy people. For it has pleased God to tell His people that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too.’
Col. 1:26, 27
So what is this great secret?
‘The mystery in a nutshell is just this: Christ is in you, therefore you can look forward to sharing in God’s glory. It’s that simple.’
Col. 1:27 (The MSG)
The New King James version reads ‘Christ in you, the hope of glory.’
In Christ, both Jews and Gentiles are united into one church, so that both those who already knew God and those who didn’t know Him at all, could become His adopted children. When I accepted Christ as my Saviour, I died! Now it is no longer me that lives, but Christ lives in me.
‘I have been crucified with Christ. I myself no longer live, but Christ lives in me.’
Gal. 2:19, 20
I am never alone! Everywhere I go Christ is in me and I am in Christ. And because He is in me, I have a great hope.
Now biblical hope is a little different to the way we normally use the word hope in the modern English vernacular. For example, if I’m planning to go to the beach at the weekend, I might say, ‘I hope the weather will be good.’ I don’t really know for sure – I just hope. But biblical hope is different. It carries the idea of expectation. For example, I don’t just hope that Jesus will come back again, I firmly believe that He will because it is promised in Scripture. His return gives me hope – something to look forward to. It’s not a weak kind of hope but an expectant hope. Biblical hope is a joyful and confident expectation of good.
The writer of Hebrews instructs us:
‘Without wavering, let us hold tightly to the hope we say we have, for God can be trusted to keep His promise.’
Heb. 10:23
Therefore Christ living in me gives me a joyful and confident expectation of sharing in God’s glory! God’s glory is the magnificence of all that He is and has and does. It is the majestic beauty and awesome wonder of Heaven. It is the splendour of His eternal Kingdom. It is the joy of a new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness reigns. It is the wonder of Christ and his amazing love and incredible salvation.
This is the great hope that we all share as believers in Jesus Christ! It’s not a myth or fantasy but an absolute certainty, for ‘the Word of our God stands forever.’ (Isa 40:8)
So let’s be encouraged by this hope and hold on to it.
‘We are God’s household, if we keep up our courage and remain confident in our hope in Christ.’
Heb. 5:6
God’s secret is out! All is revealed and the time to be saved is now!
‘Indeed, God is ready to help you right now. Today is the day of salvation.’
2 Cor. 6:2
So let’s not keep this amazing Good News to ourselves, but as we have opportunity share it with others who haven’t heard yet, that they too may have Christ in them, the hope of glory.
Amen!
Monday 8 November 2010
Look What I've Got!
Have you ever bought something of great value? Maybe you saved up for a while, then when you had enough money you went out with joy to buy the thing you had been saving for. Did you ever notice how you treat that thing when you’ve bought it? You take great care of it, make sure it never gets damaged, and you even show it off to your friends!
I like to play piano, and several years ago I bought my first digital piano. It was a great joy for me, as I had played many years but never owned a piano of my own. When it got delivered I was excited! It was my pride and joy. I couldn’t wait to get home from work each day so I could play piano. I was inspired to write songs and record them, and give them to all my friends! I looked after it and if someone wanted to borrow it, well, I would have to think twice because, what if they didn’t take care of it?!
That piano meant a lot to me for two reasons:
1. I really wanted it!
2. It cost a lot of money!
Have you ever noticed how the more you pay for something, the more value it has to you and the more grieved you are if it gets damaged or lost?
Friends, the value you have to God is the price that He paid for you! Think about that! God gave His only Son to purchase our freedom, and there is nothing in all creation that had more value to Him than His Son. The price tag for our redemption was extremely high, but thank God that He was willing to pay it and as a result we are given eternal life by believing in Jesus Christ.
But did God pay such a high price to buy you, then put you up on a shelf somewhere in Heaven and forget about you? Of course not! If God were to sleep then He would get up every day excited to spend time with His new possession! Just as I had joy in my piano, God has joy in me! Remember the parable of the prodigal son? When the prodigal came home, the Father ran to meet him. He gave him the finest robe in the house, put a ring on his finger, killed the fatted calf and threw a party! In the same way, Heaven is filled with joy when a lost sinner returns to God.
God rejoices over every soul that comes to Him in repentance. But that joy doesn’t end there. The value you have to God will never diminish because the value of the Gift He gave to get you will never diminish. Do you know why you mean so much to God? Because 1 – He really wanted you, and 2 – you cost Him a lot!
How does God treat something that means so much to Him? Does He forget about it and go about His business? Of course not! To despise us, is to despise the price He paid to get us. In reality we are on His mind every day and He can’t wait to spend time with us.
I recently heard a testimony of a man who had a heart attack, and died and went to Heaven. When he got there, the Lord ran out to meet him! He put his arm round his shoulder, led him through Heaven and showed him off! Unfortunately the doctors managed to resuscitate him and he had to return to his body, but he was clearly moved by the love that the Lord showed him.
The Lord has no favourites and the way He treats one is the way He will treat all. The Lord loves you right now! You are His pride and joy! He wants to put His arm around you and show you off and say ‘Look what I’ve got!’
It’s time to believe the love that God has for us and to trust that He takes even better care of us than we would with our own things that we greatly value.
That’s why Jesus said:
‘So I tell you, don’t worry about every-day life – whether you have enough food, drink, and clothes…Look at the birds. They don’t need to plant or harvest or put food in barns because your heavenly Father feeds them. And you are far more valuable to Him than they are.’
He went on to say:
‘So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.’
Let’s not despise the great price God paid to purchase us, but understand that our value to Him is determined by what He was willing to give up in order to redeem us. Let’s understand that our salvation is a matter of eternal importance to God, and that, because of Christ, we are His daily joy! But let’s also make sure it stays that way by remaining faithful and continuing to do His will, as He warns us in Scripture:
‘A righteous person will live by faith. But I will have no pleasure in anyone who turns away.’
Amen.
I like to play piano, and several years ago I bought my first digital piano. It was a great joy for me, as I had played many years but never owned a piano of my own. When it got delivered I was excited! It was my pride and joy. I couldn’t wait to get home from work each day so I could play piano. I was inspired to write songs and record them, and give them to all my friends! I looked after it and if someone wanted to borrow it, well, I would have to think twice because, what if they didn’t take care of it?!
That piano meant a lot to me for two reasons:
1. I really wanted it!
2. It cost a lot of money!
Have you ever noticed how the more you pay for something, the more value it has to you and the more grieved you are if it gets damaged or lost?
Friends, the value you have to God is the price that He paid for you! Think about that! God gave His only Son to purchase our freedom, and there is nothing in all creation that had more value to Him than His Son. The price tag for our redemption was extremely high, but thank God that He was willing to pay it and as a result we are given eternal life by believing in Jesus Christ.
But did God pay such a high price to buy you, then put you up on a shelf somewhere in Heaven and forget about you? Of course not! If God were to sleep then He would get up every day excited to spend time with His new possession! Just as I had joy in my piano, God has joy in me! Remember the parable of the prodigal son? When the prodigal came home, the Father ran to meet him. He gave him the finest robe in the house, put a ring on his finger, killed the fatted calf and threw a party! In the same way, Heaven is filled with joy when a lost sinner returns to God.
God rejoices over every soul that comes to Him in repentance. But that joy doesn’t end there. The value you have to God will never diminish because the value of the Gift He gave to get you will never diminish. Do you know why you mean so much to God? Because 1 – He really wanted you, and 2 – you cost Him a lot!
How does God treat something that means so much to Him? Does He forget about it and go about His business? Of course not! To despise us, is to despise the price He paid to get us. In reality we are on His mind every day and He can’t wait to spend time with us.
I recently heard a testimony of a man who had a heart attack, and died and went to Heaven. When he got there, the Lord ran out to meet him! He put his arm round his shoulder, led him through Heaven and showed him off! Unfortunately the doctors managed to resuscitate him and he had to return to his body, but he was clearly moved by the love that the Lord showed him.
The Lord has no favourites and the way He treats one is the way He will treat all. The Lord loves you right now! You are His pride and joy! He wants to put His arm around you and show you off and say ‘Look what I’ve got!’
It’s time to believe the love that God has for us and to trust that He takes even better care of us than we would with our own things that we greatly value.
That’s why Jesus said:
‘So I tell you, don’t worry about every-day life – whether you have enough food, drink, and clothes…Look at the birds. They don’t need to plant or harvest or put food in barns because your heavenly Father feeds them. And you are far more valuable to Him than they are.’
Matt. 6:25-26
He went on to say:
‘So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.’
Luke 12:32
Let’s not despise the great price God paid to purchase us, but understand that our value to Him is determined by what He was willing to give up in order to redeem us. Let’s understand that our salvation is a matter of eternal importance to God, and that, because of Christ, we are His daily joy! But let’s also make sure it stays that way by remaining faithful and continuing to do His will, as He warns us in Scripture:
‘A righteous person will live by faith. But I will have no pleasure in anyone who turns away.’
Hebrews 10:38
Amen.
Monday 14 June 2010
An Example of Faith
Have you ever considered how helpful an example is? In so many things an example can deepen your understanding on a practical level of how things work. For example (proving the point!), secular education uses examples extensively to deepen your understanding. I remember during Science lessons at school, the teacher told us how certain elements react violently to contact with water. Then she took a strip of reactive metal, threw it into a bowl of water, and BOOM! – we learned by example! Another teacher explained how, because of their fixed atomic structure, many solids are impervious to other solids. Then she demonstrated this by trying to walk through the blackboard! Point taken, for sure.
Have you ever noticed how small children learn primarily by example? Before they even go to school, they learn certain words and behaviour primarily from their parents, and also their siblings and friends. They learn from the examples around them, which can have a powerful influence in their upbringing.
In the life of faith, examples can be extremely helpful. The Bible is full of examples. Some examples are not to be followed, but should be learned from nonetheless, such as in 1 Corinthians 10 where Paul described God’s judgement on the Israelites for their disobedience, concluding,
“All these events happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us, who live at the time when this age is drawing to a close.” (1Cor.10:11)
And there are examples we should follow. James tells us:
“For examples of patience in suffering, dear brothers and sisters, look at the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. We give great honour to those who endure great suffering. Job is an example of a man who endured patiently. From his experience we see how the Lord’s plan finally ended in good, for He is full of tenderness and mercy.” (James 5:10,11)
Of course, the Lord Jesus is always our ultimate example in everything, from suffering:
“Think about all He endured when sinful people did such terrible things to Him, so that you don’t become weary and give up.” (Hebrews 12:3)
to humility and servanthood:
“Since I, the Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.” (John 13: 14, 15)
to love:
“We know what real love is because Christ gave up His life for us. And so we ought to give up our lives for our Christian brothers and sisters.” (1 John 3:16)
Just as little children follow the example of their parents, we also should follow the example of our Father in Heaven:
“Follow God’s example in everything you do, because you are His dear children. Live a life filled with love for others, following the example of Christ, who loved you and gave Himself as a sacrifice to take away your sins.” (Ephesians 5:1,2)
It is also right to follow the godly example of other believers:
“Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing, and the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:9)
Examples can be extremely helpful when it comes to faith. The Old Testament is full of examples of people who achieved great victories through faith and Hebrews 11 lists many of them. There is Abraham and Sarah who had a child at 100 and became the Patriarchs of the nation of Israel, from which the Lord Jesus came. There is David who as a youth defeated the champion warrior of the Philistines who was nearly 10-foot tall, with just a slingshot! And Daniel who was thrown into a den of hungry lions and came out the next day completely unharmed.
There are New Testament examples too, such as the woman who received a complete healing by faith as she touched the hem of Jesus’ garment. In fact most of the miracles of healing described in Jesus’ ministry happened through the faith of the individual. And they are examples of how we, too, can receive from the Lord.
That’s why reading and hearing testimonies of other people’s victories are so important, because they strengthen and encourage our own faith, and give us a frame of reference about how victories can be received. Of course, we don’t base our faith purely in the experiences of others, but on the Word of God, because not all experiences are in line with the Word.
For example, I’ve had a couple of ‘faith failures’ in my life – times when I trusted God for something and it didn’t come to pass as I expected. Even though it was confusing and disappointing at the time, as I grew in the Lord I came to understand why it didn’t come to pass – because I had set a time-limit on God. It didn’t come to pass when I expected, so I quit! But God doesn’t operate on our time-limits, so I should have continued to believe God. It wasn’t that faith failed, it was that I didn’t believe God in the right way – I added something to it. Like one guy said, it’s not that you tried faith and faith didn’t work, faith tried you and YOU didn’t work!
I heard a great example from a well-known teacher who told of when he first got hold of the ‘faith’ message, he decided he would believe God for a new car. He chose what kind of car he wanted, brand new, and decided he would give God 30 days to bring it to pass. For 30 days he rejoiced in the Lord, encouraged himself in the Word of God, and was eagerly expectant that the Lord would bring it pass. However, after 30 days – no car! Disappointed, he quit his faith until a few months later, in a time of prayer, He asked the Lord about it. The Lord told him he was doing well until the 30th day when he quit his faith. He said he had let the hands of a clock keep him from receiving. He also said it wasn’t too late, and that he should pick it up again and see it through.
So this teacher resurrected his faith, and continued to believe for this car. 30 days went by. 3 months went by. A year went by. 2 years. 3 years. Finally, 5 years later, a guy called him up and offered to buy him a brand new car. They went to a car showroom and found the exact model he had been believing for. Long story short, he got the car!
At the time I heard this example, I was stirred in my own faith to also believe for a car! I looked around for a while and decided on the model I would like, and asked God for it according to Mark 11:24 and 1John 5:14,15. As far as I’m concerned, it’s a done deal, the Lord has granted the request, and it shall come to pass! That was two years ago, but I’m not at all concerned that I’m not driving around in the car yet. Why? Because not only do I have faith in the promises of God, but I also have an example. I know not to quit on my faith because it hasn’t come to pass yet. I intend to keep believing and trusting those promises until it does! The car is currently valued at around £40k new, and as the Lord said to one brother, “If you ask big, be prepared to stand long”. And as Kenneth Hagin used to say, if you’re prepared to stand forever, it won’t take very long!
So let’s be encouraged by the examples of those who have received victories through their faith in God. Let’s stand on the promises of God, and allow the testimonies and examples of others strengthen us. If you’re believing for healing, listen to testimonies of those who have received healing. If you’re believing for finances, listen to testimonies of those who have received finances.
Let’s not quit our faith, but see it through to completion, just as Paul admonished in Hebrews 6:12:
“Follow the example of those who are going to inherit God’s promises because of their faith and patience.”
Have you ever noticed how small children learn primarily by example? Before they even go to school, they learn certain words and behaviour primarily from their parents, and also their siblings and friends. They learn from the examples around them, which can have a powerful influence in their upbringing.
In the life of faith, examples can be extremely helpful. The Bible is full of examples. Some examples are not to be followed, but should be learned from nonetheless, such as in 1 Corinthians 10 where Paul described God’s judgement on the Israelites for their disobedience, concluding,
“All these events happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us, who live at the time when this age is drawing to a close.” (1Cor.10:11)
And there are examples we should follow. James tells us:
“For examples of patience in suffering, dear brothers and sisters, look at the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. We give great honour to those who endure great suffering. Job is an example of a man who endured patiently. From his experience we see how the Lord’s plan finally ended in good, for He is full of tenderness and mercy.” (James 5:10,11)
Of course, the Lord Jesus is always our ultimate example in everything, from suffering:
“Think about all He endured when sinful people did such terrible things to Him, so that you don’t become weary and give up.” (Hebrews 12:3)
to humility and servanthood:
“Since I, the Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.” (John 13: 14, 15)
to love:
“We know what real love is because Christ gave up His life for us. And so we ought to give up our lives for our Christian brothers and sisters.” (1 John 3:16)
Just as little children follow the example of their parents, we also should follow the example of our Father in Heaven:
“Follow God’s example in everything you do, because you are His dear children. Live a life filled with love for others, following the example of Christ, who loved you and gave Himself as a sacrifice to take away your sins.” (Ephesians 5:1,2)
It is also right to follow the godly example of other believers:
“Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing, and the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:9)
Examples can be extremely helpful when it comes to faith. The Old Testament is full of examples of people who achieved great victories through faith and Hebrews 11 lists many of them. There is Abraham and Sarah who had a child at 100 and became the Patriarchs of the nation of Israel, from which the Lord Jesus came. There is David who as a youth defeated the champion warrior of the Philistines who was nearly 10-foot tall, with just a slingshot! And Daniel who was thrown into a den of hungry lions and came out the next day completely unharmed.
There are New Testament examples too, such as the woman who received a complete healing by faith as she touched the hem of Jesus’ garment. In fact most of the miracles of healing described in Jesus’ ministry happened through the faith of the individual. And they are examples of how we, too, can receive from the Lord.
That’s why reading and hearing testimonies of other people’s victories are so important, because they strengthen and encourage our own faith, and give us a frame of reference about how victories can be received. Of course, we don’t base our faith purely in the experiences of others, but on the Word of God, because not all experiences are in line with the Word.
For example, I’ve had a couple of ‘faith failures’ in my life – times when I trusted God for something and it didn’t come to pass as I expected. Even though it was confusing and disappointing at the time, as I grew in the Lord I came to understand why it didn’t come to pass – because I had set a time-limit on God. It didn’t come to pass when I expected, so I quit! But God doesn’t operate on our time-limits, so I should have continued to believe God. It wasn’t that faith failed, it was that I didn’t believe God in the right way – I added something to it. Like one guy said, it’s not that you tried faith and faith didn’t work, faith tried you and YOU didn’t work!
I heard a great example from a well-known teacher who told of when he first got hold of the ‘faith’ message, he decided he would believe God for a new car. He chose what kind of car he wanted, brand new, and decided he would give God 30 days to bring it to pass. For 30 days he rejoiced in the Lord, encouraged himself in the Word of God, and was eagerly expectant that the Lord would bring it pass. However, after 30 days – no car! Disappointed, he quit his faith until a few months later, in a time of prayer, He asked the Lord about it. The Lord told him he was doing well until the 30th day when he quit his faith. He said he had let the hands of a clock keep him from receiving. He also said it wasn’t too late, and that he should pick it up again and see it through.
So this teacher resurrected his faith, and continued to believe for this car. 30 days went by. 3 months went by. A year went by. 2 years. 3 years. Finally, 5 years later, a guy called him up and offered to buy him a brand new car. They went to a car showroom and found the exact model he had been believing for. Long story short, he got the car!
At the time I heard this example, I was stirred in my own faith to also believe for a car! I looked around for a while and decided on the model I would like, and asked God for it according to Mark 11:24 and 1John 5:14,15. As far as I’m concerned, it’s a done deal, the Lord has granted the request, and it shall come to pass! That was two years ago, but I’m not at all concerned that I’m not driving around in the car yet. Why? Because not only do I have faith in the promises of God, but I also have an example. I know not to quit on my faith because it hasn’t come to pass yet. I intend to keep believing and trusting those promises until it does! The car is currently valued at around £40k new, and as the Lord said to one brother, “If you ask big, be prepared to stand long”. And as Kenneth Hagin used to say, if you’re prepared to stand forever, it won’t take very long!
So let’s be encouraged by the examples of those who have received victories through their faith in God. Let’s stand on the promises of God, and allow the testimonies and examples of others strengthen us. If you’re believing for healing, listen to testimonies of those who have received healing. If you’re believing for finances, listen to testimonies of those who have received finances.
Let’s not quit our faith, but see it through to completion, just as Paul admonished in Hebrews 6:12:
“Follow the example of those who are going to inherit God’s promises because of their faith and patience.”
Monday 10 May 2010
What's Your Perspective?
When I was young, around age 10 or 11, I was invited to take part in an athletics competition. The prize was a free place on a trip to a meeting in Belgium. I was already an active member of the Swindon Athletics Club (Mum made us go!) and for some reason at that age I was really good at sprinting. I beat everyone I raced. Once I competed against a guy who had the fastest 60m time in Wiltshire, and I beat him!
If I remember correctly, the competition was three main events: 60m sprint, high jump and long jump. In my age group, it was neck and neck between me and another kid for the high jump and the long jump, so the deciding event was the sprint, which I won (yay!)
So all the winning competitors travelled for hours by minibus deep into the heart of Belgium. However, the night before the meeting I didn’t sleep well and the next day I was very lethargic and not at my best. My first event was the sprint, but I performed really poorly and came about last :-( After that, I didn’t bother to compete in the other events since I was not likely to place.
At that time I had a choice to make. Understandably I felt really stupid for performing so poorly and losing a race I probably should have won, but I could either be dejected and depressed for the rest of the trip, or I could let it go and choose to have a good time anyway. Sure, it was disappointing to have come so far with high hopes, only to fail. But I was fortunate enough to win the free place, travel my first time abroad, make new friends and have fun on a long road trip. The perspective I chose would affect my attitude and whether I enjoyed myself or not.
One man who knew the power of a right perspective was the Apostle Paul. If anyone knew what it meant to suffer for the gospel, he did. Frequently he was beaten with whips and with rods and was thrown in jail, sometimes for long periods. He worked to exhaustion, travelled endless miles, went without food and water and even clothing. He was shipwrecked and one time he was even stoned and left for dead. Besides that was his burden of care for all the churches he had started, since there were false apostles who tried to deceive the churches and lead them away from the truth he had worked so hard to establish among them.
You would think that would be enough to make even the strongest-willed person think twice about himself. Yet he never gave up because he had an eternal perspective. He reveals it in 2 Cor. 4:17-18:
“For our present troubles are quite small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see right now; rather we look forward to what we have not yet seen. For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever.”
Amazing! He knew that even many years of suffering for the gospel’s sake was just a moment compared to the eternal reward he would receive for doing it. So he didn’t focus on the suffering, but on the reward. That’s what kept him going. How different would our own lives be if we had an eternal perspective? How much more patient would we be? If we really understood and believed that our reward for serving the Lord will last forever, we would serve Him all the more diligently, laying aside our entanglements with this life knowing they produce no lasting good and rob us from eternal joy.
We need to heed Paul’s advice in 2 Cor. 5:7:
“That is why we live by believing and not by seeing.”
As we live out our lives here below, let’s focus on what we believe, not on what we see. Let’s focus on joys forever instead of temporary suffering. Let’s focus on matters eternal instead of indulgence in a world that is passing away.
What’s your perspective?
If I remember correctly, the competition was three main events: 60m sprint, high jump and long jump. In my age group, it was neck and neck between me and another kid for the high jump and the long jump, so the deciding event was the sprint, which I won (yay!)
So all the winning competitors travelled for hours by minibus deep into the heart of Belgium. However, the night before the meeting I didn’t sleep well and the next day I was very lethargic and not at my best. My first event was the sprint, but I performed really poorly and came about last :-( After that, I didn’t bother to compete in the other events since I was not likely to place.
At that time I had a choice to make. Understandably I felt really stupid for performing so poorly and losing a race I probably should have won, but I could either be dejected and depressed for the rest of the trip, or I could let it go and choose to have a good time anyway. Sure, it was disappointing to have come so far with high hopes, only to fail. But I was fortunate enough to win the free place, travel my first time abroad, make new friends and have fun on a long road trip. The perspective I chose would affect my attitude and whether I enjoyed myself or not.
One man who knew the power of a right perspective was the Apostle Paul. If anyone knew what it meant to suffer for the gospel, he did. Frequently he was beaten with whips and with rods and was thrown in jail, sometimes for long periods. He worked to exhaustion, travelled endless miles, went without food and water and even clothing. He was shipwrecked and one time he was even stoned and left for dead. Besides that was his burden of care for all the churches he had started, since there were false apostles who tried to deceive the churches and lead them away from the truth he had worked so hard to establish among them.
You would think that would be enough to make even the strongest-willed person think twice about himself. Yet he never gave up because he had an eternal perspective. He reveals it in 2 Cor. 4:17-18:
“For our present troubles are quite small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see right now; rather we look forward to what we have not yet seen. For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever.”
Amazing! He knew that even many years of suffering for the gospel’s sake was just a moment compared to the eternal reward he would receive for doing it. So he didn’t focus on the suffering, but on the reward. That’s what kept him going. How different would our own lives be if we had an eternal perspective? How much more patient would we be? If we really understood and believed that our reward for serving the Lord will last forever, we would serve Him all the more diligently, laying aside our entanglements with this life knowing they produce no lasting good and rob us from eternal joy.
We need to heed Paul’s advice in 2 Cor. 5:7:
“That is why we live by believing and not by seeing.”
As we live out our lives here below, let’s focus on what we believe, not on what we see. Let’s focus on joys forever instead of temporary suffering. Let’s focus on matters eternal instead of indulgence in a world that is passing away.
What’s your perspective?
Friday 14 August 2009
The Richest Person in the World
Do you know who the richest person in the world is? Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft? Or Warren Buffet, the multi-billionaire investor? Actually neither one. If you are a born-again Christian, the richest person in the world is...YOU! That’s right, YOU. Let me tell you why...
Listen to this scripture:
“You know how full of love and kindness our Lord Jesus Christ was. Though He was very rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that by His poverty He could make you rich.” (2 Cor. 8:9)
Is anyone richer than God? Of course not. He owns the Universe and more besides. And if this same God calls you rich (by His own standards), and makes you so, you better believe that you are!
Now listen to this:
“How we praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we belong to Christ.” (Eph.1:3)
Notice it says ‘EVERY spiritual blessing.’ Every means the same as all. In other words, nothing has been left out. In the world people say, ‘You can’t have it all.’ But if you’re a Christian, you really do have it all!
Perhaps the greatest spiritual blessing is the forgiveness of sins. To be forgiven of sins is probably the most valuable benefit you can have in your spiritual wallet. Think about it: the Bible says that the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23). Why is that? Because God Himself is Life, and the author of all Life, and when we sin we separate ourselves from Him and from the Life that He has.
Sin is deadly. It will kill you. It’s more deadly than any poison, and more dangerous than the most powerful weapon. Yet why do we treat it so lightly? Those things can kill the body, but sin will kill the soul, banishing it eternally from the presence of God into a lake of fire. It’s far more terrible than we know.
But if your sins are forgiven, then boy are you blessed! In the world people say ‘If I can just get rich and have everything I ever wanted, then I’ll be happy.’ But the Bible says:
“Happy is the man who’s disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight.” (Ps.32:1)
The Amplified Bible describes ‘happy’ as ‘blessed, happy, fortunate and to be envied.’ Sounds like a rich person to me!
To be forgiven from sins is nothing less than life from the dead. Some people don’t believe that God still does miracles today. But if you’re a born-again Christian, you yourself have been raised from the dead!
You could be a multi-trillionaire and own half the GDP of the entire world, but if your sins are not forgiven you will lose every last penny you have, and then your own soul too. But if you’ve been forgiven then even if you own nothing and can’t even afford to pay for dinner tonight, you get to keep the thing that’s most important – for all eternity – your life itself.
As Jesus said:
“How do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose or forfeit your own soul in the process?” (Luke. 9:25)
When God forgives, He does a proper job! He literally has the power to forget what you’ve done and never bring it to mind again! The Bible says ‘He has removed our sins from us as far as the east is from the west.’ (Psalm 103:12) How far is that? To infinity, and beyond!
So today if you’re a Christian, never forget that the grace to be forgiven of sin makes you hands down the wealthiest person in the world. Really! Let us thank God for His amazing grace poured out in Christ Jesus.
And if you’re not a Christian run quickly to the Saviour today! Ask Him to forgive your sins, and let Him save your soul from the terrible punishment of Hell. Then you will be truly rich.
Listen to this scripture:
“You know how full of love and kindness our Lord Jesus Christ was. Though He was very rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that by His poverty He could make you rich.” (2 Cor. 8:9)
Is anyone richer than God? Of course not. He owns the Universe and more besides. And if this same God calls you rich (by His own standards), and makes you so, you better believe that you are!
Now listen to this:
“How we praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we belong to Christ.” (Eph.1:3)
Notice it says ‘EVERY spiritual blessing.’ Every means the same as all. In other words, nothing has been left out. In the world people say, ‘You can’t have it all.’ But if you’re a Christian, you really do have it all!
Perhaps the greatest spiritual blessing is the forgiveness of sins. To be forgiven of sins is probably the most valuable benefit you can have in your spiritual wallet. Think about it: the Bible says that the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23). Why is that? Because God Himself is Life, and the author of all Life, and when we sin we separate ourselves from Him and from the Life that He has.
Sin is deadly. It will kill you. It’s more deadly than any poison, and more dangerous than the most powerful weapon. Yet why do we treat it so lightly? Those things can kill the body, but sin will kill the soul, banishing it eternally from the presence of God into a lake of fire. It’s far more terrible than we know.
But if your sins are forgiven, then boy are you blessed! In the world people say ‘If I can just get rich and have everything I ever wanted, then I’ll be happy.’ But the Bible says:
“Happy is the man who’s disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight.” (Ps.32:1)
The Amplified Bible describes ‘happy’ as ‘blessed, happy, fortunate and to be envied.’ Sounds like a rich person to me!
To be forgiven from sins is nothing less than life from the dead. Some people don’t believe that God still does miracles today. But if you’re a born-again Christian, you yourself have been raised from the dead!
You could be a multi-trillionaire and own half the GDP of the entire world, but if your sins are not forgiven you will lose every last penny you have, and then your own soul too. But if you’ve been forgiven then even if you own nothing and can’t even afford to pay for dinner tonight, you get to keep the thing that’s most important – for all eternity – your life itself.
As Jesus said:
“How do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose or forfeit your own soul in the process?” (Luke. 9:25)
When God forgives, He does a proper job! He literally has the power to forget what you’ve done and never bring it to mind again! The Bible says ‘He has removed our sins from us as far as the east is from the west.’ (Psalm 103:12) How far is that? To infinity, and beyond!
So today if you’re a Christian, never forget that the grace to be forgiven of sin makes you hands down the wealthiest person in the world. Really! Let us thank God for His amazing grace poured out in Christ Jesus.
And if you’re not a Christian run quickly to the Saviour today! Ask Him to forgive your sins, and let Him save your soul from the terrible punishment of Hell. Then you will be truly rich.
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