Category Archives: Christian life

CHRIST IN ME, THE HOPE OF GLORY

Christian life,

have travelled slowly through Paul’s letter to the Colossians, stopping at every new point to examine each truth and draw from them the life lessons that Paul built into them to guide his readers through some treacherous waters. Though he did not know them personally, he knew that false teachers were assaulting their simple faith in Jesus as Lord. He also knew that they needed solid grounding in the Word because, as new Gentile believers, they had no background knowledge of the Old Covenant and its significance for the New.

Paul carefully steered them back to the supremacy and sufficiency of Jesus for faith and life. All the additions and subtractions of unscrupulous false teachers did nothing but confuse and distract these new believers from one simple truth, that God sent Jesus, His own Son, to redeem them from sin…to restore His presence in them.

Paul slowly builds the picture until he reaches the zenith of his message… “Christ in you, the hope of glory! “

An alternative translation clarifies Paul’s disclosure, the secret hidden from their understanding until this moment.

Colossians 1:26-27 NLT
[26] This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to God’s people. [27] For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.”

God has finally ended the hatred between Jew and Gentile. This was His plan from the beginning of time, to unite all people under one Head, Jesus, and to put His own Spirit in them as a guarantee that each one would be recreated in His image.

Paul fleshed out this goal, but not in so many words, in his instructions to the men and women in Colossae who made up God’s household in that city…wives, husbands, children, slaves and masters. Each had a role to play in God’s divine order. How were they, ex-pagan, new-born believers in God’s family, to live by God’s impossibly high standards?

Paul’s answer is simple, unimbellished and powerfully possible. Jesus Christ is in you by His Spirit. His life in you makes possible God’s predetermined outcome. Wives can submit to their husbands gladly and willingly because Christ is in them. So too, husbands can love their wives; children can submit to and obey their parents; fathers can teach and train their children without provoking them; slaves and masters can run the household without resistance or conflict because…CHRIST IS IN THEM.

For us too, and all believers for all time, this is the one truth and reality that makes this life possible, despite the ungodly environment in which we live. Jesus is not only the centre of the universe and the centre of our personal world but also the very power by which we are energised to live His life while we are here.

What if this truth dominated our thoughts every moment as we navigate the temptations and tests of everyday life? What if we managed every choice and decision by this thought, “Jesus Christ is in me!”?

Paul seems to have got it right.

Galatians 2:20 NLT
[20] “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Since Paul’s “old self” was dead, he was no longer obliged to take notice of it. Dead people don’t respond! He was infused with a new nature and a new life. He had a new driver in his vehicle. NOT I BUT CHRIST IN ME!

What an amazing difference it would make to us, to our families, our workplaces, our churches, and to the world around us if we were to live our this truth, Christ in me, the hope of glory.

Paul’s statement has in it a powerful reassurance. Since Christ resides in our spirits by His Spirit, we have the guarantee that God will achieve a seemingly impossible purpose. He will transform these sin-riddled, stubbornly independent, rebellious slaves of the devil into perfect replicas of His own Son. How will He do this? By putting the Spirit of His own Son in us!

Paul tells us, in his letter to the Ephesians, that the Holy Spirit is God’s “deposit”, His promise, like an engagement ring, that He has redeemed us, that we belong to Him, and that He will finish what He started. How will He do this? By Christ in us. “Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory…(becoming exactly like Him).”

Ephesians 1:12-14 NLT
[12] “God’s purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God. [13] And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. [14] The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.”

So, John could write,

1 John 3:2 NLT
[2] “Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that WE WILL BE LIKE HIM, for we will see him as he really is.”

We receive this assurance by faith. We believe what God says, do what He tells us, experience His grace, and the end result is guaranteed.

Do you get it?

PARTNERSHIP THROUGH PRAYER

Christian life, ,

I have copied and posted this article in total, gladly acknowledging its source because I believe that this is the recovery of a powerful “tool” in the hands of the church today.
“We often think about the relationship between the Apostle Paul and the New Testament churches as a one-way street. Paul’s impact on the churches is obvious, as his letters instruct them about God’s truths. But we don’t think the other way round, about how the churches impacted Paul’s life and ministry.

“Recently, I had an opportunity to study Philippians. As I studied the core message and the context of this letter, I realized how much Paul’s success in ministry was dependent on the churches that he wrote to. I can see that these churches impacted his ministry greatly. That’s why, in all his letters, he commended them for such great support. In Philippians, he called that a partnership in the gospel. What does a true partnership look like? There are two elements— material support and prayer—and they go both ways.

“Paul wrote the letter to the church in Philippi while he was in prison in Rome. He started by saying, “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now” (1:3-5). This partnership they had with Paul was “both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel” (1:7-8).

“He appreciated them so much that at the end of his letter he repeated with an emphasis, “And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only.” By the way, the core message of Philippians is about partnership, not joy as I used to think.

“This church not only partnered with him by sending gifts to meet his need but also in prayer. When they knew that Paul was in prison for the sake of the gospel, they prayed earnestly for his deliverance. Paul knew about this through Epaphroditus, whom they sent to help Paul (4:18). And now Paul sent him back with the letter (2:25). In verse 19 of chapter 2, he said, “Yes, and I will rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance.”

“Often, we think that material support is more important than prayer. We are happy to cut a check every month for a ministry, but spending time to pray for them is more difficult for us. We can see immediate result of our material support, while prayer takes time. Often we are not patient enough, so we focus on the first one.

“In all Paul’s mission trips, everywhere he went, he faced a lot of hardship and persecution, especially from the Jews, even believing Jews. Paul knew the importance of prayer, as he urged believers to pray for his deliverance, acceptance, and fruitful result. “I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. May the God of peace be with you all. Amen” (Romans 15:30-32). Interestingly, he used the word strive to describe prayer, which means struggle or fight vigorously. Partnership through prayer requires hard work and humility.

“The call for prayer and intercession for ministry is so clear in Paul’s letters. To the Corinthians, who had problems with Paul because they listened to false teachers, he said, “Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us. On Him we have set our hope that, He will deliver us again. You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many” (2 Corinthians 1:10-11). Prayer heals relationships and brings hope; it shows our dependence on God’s power.

“To the Hebrews, Paul wrote, “Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way. I particularly urge you to pray so that I may be restored to you soon” (Hebrews 13:18-19). Prayer is one way for us to connect with God and be cleansed.

“And there are many more verses like these throughout the New Testament.

” Our organization is working in many countries with unique challenges and needs, and they are not often material. In those circumstances, your prayers are what we need, more than anything else. I believe that our faith will increase as we see God’s power and glory revealed through your prayers in tough situations. I believe whether we are in the mission field or staying at home, we are all together for the Kingdom of God and that we can partner in the way God showed us in His Word.”

Acknowledgement

https://reconciledworld.com
Article: Parnership Through Prayer

About the Author: Nam
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Nam is the International Director of the Truth Centered Transformation program which keeps him moving. He spends 40 weeks a year on the road! Beyond seeing the world, his great passions are coffee and photography.

FREELY YOU HAVE GIVEN, FREELY RECEIVE

Christian life, ,
  1. Lord, speak to me that I may speak
    In living echoes of Thy tone;
    As Thou hast sought, so let me seek
    Thy erring children, lost and lone.
  2. Oh, lead me, Lord, that I may lead
    The wand’ring and the wav’ring feet;
    Oh, feed me, Lord, that I may feed
    Thy hungry ones with manna sweet.
  3. Oh, teach me, Lord, that I may teach
    The precious truths Thou dost impart,
    And wing my words that they may reach
    The hidden depths of many a heart.
  4. Oh, fill me with Thy fullness, Lord,
    Until my very heart o’erflow
    In kindling thought and glowing word,
    Thy love to tell, Thy praise to show.
  5. Oh, use me, Lord, use even me,
    Just as Thou wilt, and when, and where,
    Until Thy blessed face I see,
    Thy rest, Thy joy, Thy glory share.

(Author: Frances Ridley Havergal (1872)
Song available on My.Hymnary)

Sometimes, God speaks a word that rebukes and corrects, which we don’t easily receive. We may say or do things in ignorance until He speaks. Then we have a choice to make, to obey or not to obey.

The Lord has been speaking to me about an issue that, done in ignorance or out of a sense of false humility, needs to be addressed to prevent unnecessary offence.

“Freely you have given, freely receive.”

No, I have not misquoted Jesus’ words! I have deliberately reversed them to highlight the issue to which I am referring.

I have noticed how often God’s children, including me, can be generous givers but reluctant receivers. Now this may seem like a humble spirit but, in actual fact, it is quite the opposite to God’s way. You see, Jesus was both a generous giver and a grateful receiver.

Let’s look at a few examples of the ways in which Jesus received the ministry of those to whom He ministered.

Luke 7:37-38, 44-48 NLT
[37] “When a certain immoral woman from that city heard he was eating there, she brought a beautiful alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume. [38] Then she knelt behind him at his feet, weeping. Her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them off with her hair. Then she kept kissing his feet and putting perfume on the feet….
[44] Then he (Jesus) turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Look at this woman kneeling here. When I entered your home, you didn’t offer me water to wash the dust from my feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. [45] You didn’t greet me with a kiss, but from the time I first came in, she has not stopped kissing my feet. [46] You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume. [47] “I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me MUCH LOVE. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.” [48] Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.”

Jesus neither rebuked this “sinful” woman for touching Him nor did He push her away for wetting His feet with her tears. Instead, He accepted her action as evidence of her love for Him.

Wealthy women accompanied and supported Jesus and His disciples out of their resources. Did He reject their help and turn them away? After all, His Father would take care of them! No! He received their attention although, according to Jewish culture, they were only women and inferior to men.

Luke 8:1-3 NLT
[1] “Soon afterward Jesus began a tour of the nearby towns and villages, preaching and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom of God. He took his twelve disciples with him, [2] along with some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases. Among them were Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons; [3] Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s business manager; Susanna; and many others who were contributing from their own resources to support Jesus and his disciples.”

Jesus even craved His disciples’ companionship during His most agonising hours.

Mark 14:36-37 NLT
[36] “Abba, Father,” he cried out, “everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” [37] Then he returned and found the disciples asleep. He said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour?”

Likewise Paul, who was often in prison and depended on the support of his fellow believers, received the money from the the Philippian Church more than once. However, Paul recognised their generosity as something much more than merely meeting his needs. He was comfortable with any circumstance, as he said…

Philippians 4:13-15, 17-19 NLT
[13] “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. [14] Even so, you have done well to share with me in my present difficulty. [15] As you know, you Philippians were the only ones who gave me financial help when I first brought you the Good News and then traveled on from Macedonia. No other church did this…
[17] I don’t say this because I want a gift from you. Rather, I want you to receive a reward for your kindness. [18] At the moment I have all I need—and more! I am generously supplied with the gifts you sent me with Epaphroditus. They are a sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God. [19] And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.”

… But Paul saw the Philippian Church’s gift first as an act OF loving worship acceptable to God, and for that he praised God and, after that, what they gave was a way to help him.

Mary of Bethany worshipped Jesus by giving Him her best gift…

John 12:3-8 NLT
[3] “Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance. [4] But Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would soon betray him, said, [5] “That perfume was worth a year’s wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.” [6] Not that he cared for the poor—he was a thief, and since he was in charge of the disciples’ money, he often stole some for himself. [7] Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. She did this in preparation for my burial. [8] You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”

… which Jesus received, and He defended what she did against Judas Iscariot’s criticism.

In these examples, we see that those who gave made no show of false humility or sign of rejection of the gift, or obligation to the giver, and Jesus received their gifts without reluctance. They gave out of pure love for Jesus.

Let’s look at some of the implications of the ways we receive gifts of any kind.

First, by giving to His people,we give to God. Our worship to the Lord includes giving.

Deuteronomy 16:16-17 NLT
[16] “Each year every man in Israel must celebrate these three festivals: the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Harvest, and the Festival of Shelters. On each of these occasions, all men must appear before the Lord your God at the place he chooses, but they must not appear before the Lord WITHOUT A GIFT for him. [17] All must give as they are able, according to the blessings given to them by the Lord your God.”

Since God needs nothing, what we give to Him we give to His children as to Him because we love Him.

Second, Paul urged the Corinthian Church to give with the right attitude, but according to their means, because God would return their generosity with more to give.

2 Corinthians 8:12 NLT
[12] “Whatever you give is acceptable if you give it eagerly. And give according to what you have, not what you don’t have.”

2 Corinthians 9:10 NLT
[10]”For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you.”

Third, what we do for people, we do for the Lord.

Does this mean that every time we are generous to another person, we are giving to the Lord? I think so!

Matthew 25:34-40 NLT
[34]“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. [35] For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. [36] I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ [37] “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? [38] Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? [39] When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ [40] “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were DOING IT TO ME!’ “

Perhaps it would be good for us to remember in whose kingdom we live. We must never forget that, in whatever we do, not matter how small or insignificant it may be, we are worshipping the Lord in our doing.

1 Corinthians 10:31 NLT
[31]”So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

Fourth, to reject a gift by receiving it reluctantly or remonstrating against it shows ingratitude and robs the giver of the joy of giving and the opportunity to worship the Lord.

2 Corinthians 9:7 NLT
[7] You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”

Fourth, to receive a gift reluctantly is to rob ourselves of the opportunity to worship the Lord because of another’s generosity.

2 Corinthians 9:13 NLT
[13] “As a result of your ministry, they will give glory to God.”…

Fifth, receiving a gift joyfully, not reluctantly, acknowledges the giver’s obedience to the Lord.

… “For your generosity to them and to all believers will prove that you are obedient to the Good News of Christ.”

Sixth, whatever we give away comes back with interest so that the giver will have more to give. Therefore, we must receive with gratitude so that the giver will be blessed.

2 Corinthians 9:8 NLT
[8] “And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.”

As I have moved on in my understanding of the Christian life, I began to realise that, to learn, I had to unlearn first.

In my growing-up years, I learned that receiving a gift meant that I must give something in return. I could never receive anything without returning the favour. Do you see what this means? Giving becomes a tit-for-tat exercise rather than a happy worship experience.

For me, then, to receive a gift with reluctance was to show my “humility” and my responsibility to give back. I had no clue about “paying it forward”

I had to unlearn that lie. Giving must be a joyful offering of love and worship first to the Lord and then a blessing to the receiver, expecting nothing in return. Receiving a gift must never put the recipient under obligation to the giver. Let it be a free expression of love, nothing more.

Giving to people isn’t just random acts. God wants us to give ourselves first to Him. Then what we give to others becomes a part of who we are and expresses our worship to the Lord. In other words, whatever we do for someone else always has God in the mix. Whether we pay for lunch, do someone a favour, or give a birthday gift, it’s about loving the Lord first.

2 Corinthians 8:1, 5 NLT
[1] “Now I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, what God in his kindness has done through the churches in Macedonia…
[5] They even did more than we had hoped, for their first action was to give themselves to the Lord and to us, just as God wanted them to do.”

Romans 12:1 NLT
[1]”And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.”

God always gives something back to the giver. Sacrifice of any kind is never a loss. It’s always an exchange. Whatever we give to God by giving to someone else always comes back in some form or another. This may not, should not be our motive but it happens. This is the law of the harvest.

Galatians 6:7-9 NLT
[7] “Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. [8] Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. [9] So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.”

Luke 6:38 NLT
[38] Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”

So, what should we do? Let’s reverse what we don’t do. If we are generous givers but reluctant recipients, let’s learn to receive with joy, opening ourselves and our givers to all the blessings God intends. If we are happy recipients but stingy givers, let’s open our hearts to the Lord’s generosity to us, giving us the opportunity to give because of His favour and the harvest of His goodness to us.

HOPE – 1

Christian life, ,

Hope, what is hope? A beautiful name for a baby girl? Wishful thinking, like sportsmen or women hoping to win the game? A family hoping for good weather for their day at the beach?

In the world’s eyes, hope is nothing more than a hit-and-miss expression of desire, or anticipation of something that may or may not happen.

Outside of God, hope is insecure, based on chance or on the efforts of those who hope for success.

Paul evaluated the destiny of the Gentiles who had no faith in God and were without hope. He was referring to another kind of hope.

Ephesians 2:11-12 NLT
[11] “Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders…. [12] In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope.”

In God’s way, hope is the rock-solid reality of what is yet to happen because God has promised. So reliable are God’s promises that Paul called God Himself “the God of hope”.

Romans 15:13 NIV
[13] “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

The New Living Translation calls Him “God, the source of hope”. This means that any real hope we might have in this world starts with God. Any expectation of good things to come flows from God and is expressed in His promises, His intention to do what He says.

So, the letter to the Hebrews tells us that we have hope by faith. We attach faith to God’s promises that make what we hope for, happen.

Hebrews 11:1 NLT
[1] “Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.”

Our faith in God’s promises is the proof that WHAT He has promised is real and will happen.

Let me explain with a simple illustration. I decide to bake a cake, so I find a recipe which is illustrated by a picture of the cake I want to bake. The picture represents my “hope”. I gather my ingredients, and mix them together by following the recipe. By doing what the recipe says, I prove my “faith” in the recipe that will take me to the picture, until I finally reach my goal.

So, faith is confidence in God’s promise, the hope that keeps me going as I faithfully follow the “recipe” in God’s Word that will get me to the “picture”… God’s promise fulfilled.

Many times, in Paul’s letters, he joins hope to faith and love that are the three enduring characteristics of God’s children. For example,

1 Corinthians 13:13 NLT
[13] “Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.”

To the Thessalonians, Paul wrote…

1 Thessalonians 1:3 NIV
[3] “We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”

… three qualities that set them apart as God’s children.

Why do we need this kind of hope?

There is nothing more soul-destroying than to live without hope. The worst thing about having no hope is that people give up. When they give up, they stop living. Some take the “easy” way out – they take their own lives. Others vegetate, even in psychiatric facilities, no longer taking responsibility for themselves. Still others kick over the traces by turning to crime.

God has provided a fool-proof way out of this predicament. He did something greater than any human could have done. He gave us hope! How did He do this? By changing our direction and destiny!

He brought us back from spiritual death, caused by sin, by a spiritual resurrection through His power.

He changed our direction which was away from Him because of the great barrier of sin between us and God. We kept running from Him because we were afraid of His judgment.

He changed our destiny from hell to heaven by removing the sin-barrier that separated us.

Ephesians 2:11-13 NIV
[11] “Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)— [12] remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. [13] But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”

He changed our hopeless situation into hope, the picture of the end product. Instead of a black hole in the future, we now have the hope of eternal life as members of His forever family in His eternal kingdom.

This means that this kind of hope produces perseverance and endurance, great qualities for coping with a world gone crazy. Without hope in a secure and certain future, it’s no wonder so many people are fearful and depressed!

We can only acquire this kind of hope when we turn to the Lord, believe in Jesus and what He did for us. We will receive His gift of eternal life and the Holy Spirit who will guide us safely to our eternal destiny.

To be continued…