Monthly Archives: November 2020

HE DID IT FOR HIMSELF

Bible Study, ,

HE DID IT FOR HIMSELF

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will – to the praise of His glorious grace, which He freely gives us in the One He loves (Eph. 1: 3-6).

Today I have the pleasure of directing your attention to something Paul wrote that the church has either largely ignored or forgotten. In a popular Christian magazine published in my country, the editor wrote in her editorial, three reasons for needing Jesus: We need forgiveness, we need a friend and we need a future.

This is a typical symptom of the humanistic Jesus and the humanistic gospel that is prevalent in the church today. God the Father and Jesus the Son have been downgraded to those who are here to meet our needs. Although it is true that God does meet our needs, is that the reason He had such a daring plan in sending His Son into the world?

Church groups and denominational and independent evangelists often visit my town, and prepare their arrival by putting up large, brightly coloured posters announcing their campaigns with words such as “Come and get your miracle”! This may be a “seeker-friendly” way to attract people, but is this the message of the gospel?

By the way, I have also noticed how much of Christian “prayer” treats God like a celestial “slot machine”. Drop your prayer into the slot, push the button and out comes the answer – a practice disguised by the words, “I’m believing God for . . .” What happened to the trust, submission and obedience that are the hallmarks of a son or daughter? Jesus taught us to pray, “Your will be done,” not, “My will be done . . . and I have told you what I want!”

Strangely enough, Paul mentions none of these motives for believing in Jesus in his letter to the Ephesian church. He paints a very different picture for believing in Jesus from the one presented by much of our modern-day evangelism. His outburst of praise flowed from his understanding of God’s heart. Why did God send Jesus? So that we can escape hell and go to heaven? So that God can take away all our problems and give us health and wealth to enjoy this life?

Paul repeatedly incorporated a six-word phrase into his expression of praise, which says it all! God did everything through Christ “to the praise of His glory.” Before Paul’s arrival, Ephesus was a city of paganism, idolatry and witchcraft and the evil practices accompanying these false beliefs. The people worshipped Diana, a many-breasted goddess, through cult prostitution with the priestesses at Diana’s temple.

Paul’s letter to a church in this city is proof enough of the power of the gospel of Jesus to rescue people from the “gates of hell”. Through His power, He changed their lives from idol-worshippers to sons and daughters of the Most High God, whom He had called to be “holy and blameless in His sight.” Wow!

But what did Paul preach? Come to Jesus to have your sins forgiven. He will be your friend and you will have a future in heaven? A thousand times, no! Paul and Peter preached the same message. Paul wrote:

For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ (2 Cor. 4: 5-6).

And on the Day of Pentecost, Peter declared:

Therefore, let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah (Acts 2: 36).

It was God’s plan from the beginning, not just to take us to heaven when we die, but to transform us from rebel sinners into sons and daughters, recreated in the image of our Creator and refashioned into the image of His Son. His plan was that we should reflect His glory by being replicas of His Son on earth.

For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed (Rom. 8: 19).

Paul stated with great vehemence to the Galatian church:

But even if we or an angel from heaven, should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be under God’s curse (Gal. 1: 8).

Dear reader, beware! Do not fall for a gospel that dethrones Jesus. Jesus died in obedience to the Father so that the Father’s mercy (the glory) could forever be put on display. Anything less than that is not the gospel. It is a lie!

Oh the depths of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His paths beyond tracing out . . . for from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever! Amen (Rom. 11: 33; 36).

Scripture is taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Have you read my first book, Learning to be a Son – The Way to the Father’s Heart (Copyright © 2015, Partridge Publishing)? You’ll love it!

ISBN: Softcover – 978-1-4828-0512-3,                                                                           ebook 978-4828-0511-6

Available on www.amazon.com in paperback, e-book or Kindle version, on www.takealot.com  or order directly from the publisher at www.partridgepublishing.com.

My second book, Learning to be a Disciple – The Way of the Master (Copyright © 2015, Partridge Publishing), a companion volume to Learning to be a Son – The Way to the Father’s Heart, has been released in paperback and digital format on www.amazon.com.

Have you read my blogs on www.learningtobeason.wordpress.com ?

 

 

HELLO, EPHESIAN BELIEVERS!

Bible Study, ,

HELLO, EPHESIAN BELIEVERS!

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to God’s holy people in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (Eph. 1: 1-2).

I wonder if we will even appreciate the significance of these words of greeting, or even the letter Paul wrote to this church in Asia Minor.

A Roman writer once called Ephesus Lumen Asiae, The Light of Asia. Ephesus, with a population of 300,000, was the chief commercial city of the province and the centre of the mother goddess worship of western Asia. In the New Testament era it was the fourth greatest city in the world, after Rome, Alexandria in Egypt and Antioch of Syria . . .

The apostle Paul first visited Ephesus on the return from his missionary journey where he “entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews” (Acts 18:19-21).

On his second journey, Paul came to Ephesus and taught the twelve disciples who knew only the baptism of John (Acts 19:1-7) and “went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God” (Acts 19:8). He later taught in the school of Tryannus for two years, and as a result, “all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks” (Acts 19:9-10).

Ephesus was full of wizards, sorcerers, witches, astrologers, diviners of the entrails of animals and people who could read one’s fortune by the palm of the hand. And yet, after the preaching of Paul, the magicians publicly burned their books, “so the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed” (Acts 19:19-20). Timothy and Erastus were with Paul, but he sent them to Macedonia, while “he himself stayed in Asia for a time” (Acts 19:22) . . .

The disturbance over Diana of the Ephesians is one of the most prominent stories in the book of Acts (Acts 19:23-41). There were 33 temples in the Greco-Roman world where Diana was worshiped. After Paul’s preaching in Ephesus had harmed the local silversmiths who made statues of Diana, Paul’s companions, Gaius and Aristarchus, were dragged into the theatre. The disciples would not allow Paul to go into the assembly . . .

“The goddess who had largely given Ephesus its wealth and importance — so that it was a kind of Lourdes of the ancient world — was at the core of so much human thinking. She derived from those early manifestations of religious belief, the mother-goddess figures to be found from Asia Minor to the Cyclades, and westward to Sicily. The embodiment of the female principle, she represented not only fertility but resurrection in the shape of new birth, the eternal return of life to the earth and, as found in a number of early carvings, the ‘Tree of Life’. As Isis she bore the divine son, Horus; and as Artemis she was the Mother of Wild Things, the goddess of all animals. The Isis-Artemis conception embraced everything. It could be taken at any level; from the simple peasant’s conception of the divinity who would ensure that his beasts and land were fruitful, to the intellectual idea of an all-creating mother who sustained the whole universe.” (Ernle Bradford, Paul The Traveler, pp. 194-195).

http://www.biblelandhistory.com/turkey/ephesus.html – retrieved December 2015

Paul challenged Diana worship, not by doing “spiritual warfare” or preaching against her in the city but by declaring the truth about Jesus, despite opposition and personal danger. The outcome was startling. The worship of Diana was in tatters. When the many people who were involved in witchcraft, received Jesus as Lord, they burned their occult paraphernalia. The silversmiths, let by Demetrius, rioted because they had lost their business selling Diana images.

The power of the gospel had broken the evil deception of Diana, just as Jesus had told His disciples it would during their visit to Caesarea Philippi (Matt. 16: 13-19).

How marvellous that Paul could write words like “to God’s holy people in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus,” to a group of people who were once pagan idolaters! They had worshipped the image of a goddess whose history goes back to the time of Nimrod, the rebel king who, together with his wicked wife, Semiramis, led a revolt against Yahweh and set up the first organised false religious system of sun-worship, symbolised by the tower of Babel.

How tragic that the church today, in the name of Jesus, has unwittingly reincorporated so much of the pagan mythology of Diana-worship into the worship of Jesus, especially in the so-called “Christian” festivals of Christmas and Easter. We have swallowed the lies of the Roman Catholic Church by following their deceptive “Christianising” of the worship of the sun-god, Baal, through the incorporation of the many symbols of Baal-worship into our celebrations in the name of the one who expressly forbade the practice.

God has entrusted to His people the rich treasure of His Word. He asked us to preserve it intact and teach it as the truth, not to add or subtract anything. He will hold us accountable for what we do with it because His Word is the embodiment of Himself.

Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once of all entrusted to the saints (Jude 1: 3).

Scripture is taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Have you read my first book, Learning to be a Son – The Way to the Father’s Heart (Copyright © 2015, Partridge Publishing)? You’ll love it!

ISBN: Softcover – 978-1-4828-0512-3,                                                                              eBook 978-4828-0511-6

Available on www.amazon.com in paperback, e-book or Kindle version, on www.takealot.com  or order directly from the publisher at www.partridgepublishing.com.

My second book, Learning to be a Disciple – The Way of the Master (Copyright © 2015, Partridge Publishing), a companion volume to Learning to be a Son – The Way to the Father’s Heart, has been released in paperback and digital format on www.amazon.com.

For more details, check my website:

http://luellaannettecampbell.com/

Have you read my blogs on www.learningtobeason.wordpress.com ?

26 – ENGAGING THE POWERS OF THE KINGDOM –THE POWER OF THE WORD

Christian Life, ,

26 – ENGAGING THE POWERS OF THE KINGDOM –THE POWER OF THE WORD

It is fitting that we should conclude our studies on the powers of the kingdom, at least for a while, with a closer look at what the Bible has to say about itself. After all, if this book is not authentic, then everything we believe and live by is a lie, and we are all witnesses to something that is not and never has been true.

Every religion has an originator and sacred writings that claim to be the truth. What makes our faith unique? We claim to have a written record of what God has spoken that is infallible, indestructible, powerful, and eternal.

“For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” Hebrews 4:12 NLT

This is the witness of God’s Word about itself and the reason for people’s differing responses to this book.

The Bible is either loved and revered by those who believe it and are transformed by its truth or hated and feared by those who claim allegiance to other gods.

The story of the Bible is amazing. Despite every attempt to destroy this book, God has protected it to the extent that its words and influence have infiltrated the entire planet. Since it has been translated and disseminated across the globe in written and digital form, it would now be impossible to eradicate it from the earth.

During the most repressive of regimes, especially in China and Russia, the Word lived on and even single pages of the Bible have brought people to living faith in Jesus.

We call the Bible God’s Word. According to Hebrew scholars, the Word is a manifestation of God in another form. In other words, God has revealed Himself to us in written form, using the words that people can understand to explain what we need to know about Him in order to believe in Him.

The Bible contains words in three forms

  1. The LOGOS

In essence, the “logos” is everything God has  revealed in written form, that enables us to connect with Him.

  1. The RHEMA

Rhema is the Greek word for “word” which reflects the spoken word or utterance. The whole Bible is God’s “logos” but there are times when God speaks a specific “rhema” word to our situation or need. The Holy Spirit quickens the Word that is in us to give us light, or to provide wisdom or a weapon against the devil’s lies.

“But Jesus told him (Satan), “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word (rhema) that comes from the mouth of God.’ ” Matthew 4:4 NLT

“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.  He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me.  All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’ ” John 16:13-15 NLT

  1. JESUS, the living Word

God spoke words through His prophets in the Old Covenant, but His final word came in the form of a person, Jesus, who is the embodiment of everything God has revealed about Himself. Jesus is the living LOGOS, God’s final word.

“Long ago, God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe. The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven.” Hebrews 1:1-3 NLT

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT ITSELF?

Apart from the many millions whose lives have been changed by reading the Bible, we have the witness of the Bible itself to its power to work in people’s lives, either to judge and condemn or to save and transform.

PROPHECY AUTHENTICATES THE TRUTH OF SCRIPTURE

Let’s start with prophecy because prophecy is God’s trump card that witnesses to the Bible’s authenticity.

Many so-called prophets, both in and outside the Bible, claim to speak for God. How do we know that what they say is the truth?

“I have not sent these prophets, yet they run around claiming to speak for me. I have given them no message, yet they go on prophesying. If they had stood before me and listened to me, they would have spoken my words, and they would have turned my people from their evil ways and deeds.” Jeremiah 23:21-22 NLT

False prophets tell people what they want to hear. True prophecy speaks the truth whether it is palatable to the hearer or not.

“Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish.” Isaiah 46:10 NLT

“Then Jeremiah the prophet said to Hananiah, “Listen, Hananiah! The Lord has not sent you, but the people believe your lies. Therefore, this is what the Lord says: ‘You must die. Your life will end this very year because you have rebelled against the Lord .’” Two months later the prophet Hananiah died.” Jeremiah 28:15-17

Jesus is the final proof is the truth of Old Testament prophecy . Since everything that was prophesied about His first coming was fulfilled, we can safely believe that everything prophesied about His second coming will also be fulfilled.

“God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.’ 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10 NIV

GOD’ S WORD IS PERFECT

“And the words of the Lord are flawless, like silver purified in a crucible, like gold refined seven times.” Psalms 12:6 NIV

There is nothing we can add to or take from the Bible to make it a better revelation of God. If we do so, we only bring judgement on ourselves.

“I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.” Revelation 22:18-19 NIV 

THE BIBLE IS SPIRIT-INSPIRED

“Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding,  or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.” 2 Peter 1:20-21 NLT

THE BIBLE IS FOOD FOR OUR SOULS

“And he said to me, “Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the people of Israel.” So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat.  Then he said to me, “Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it.” So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.” Ezekiel 3:1-3 NIV  

“The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.  The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.  The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous.  They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb.  By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward. “Psalms 19:7-11 NIV

THE WORDS OF SCRIPTURE HAVE THE POWER TO EXPOSE THE HEART

“For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.” Hebrews 4:12-13 NLT

“Let the prophet who has a dream recount the dream, but let the one who has my word speak it faithfully. For what has straw to do with grain?” declares the Lord . “Is not my word like fire,” declares the Lord , “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?” Jeremiah 23:28-29 NIV

FAITH COMES BY HEARING THE WORD

“So, faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.” Romans 10:17 NLT

WE ARE BORN AGAIN THROUGH THE WORD OF GOD

“For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.” 1 Peter 1:23 NLT

WE ARE WASHED BY THE WORD

3″You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.” John 15:3

“…Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word…” Ephesians 5:25-26

THE BIBLE IS A MIRROR IN WHICH WE SEE OURSELVES

“But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.” James 1:22-25 NLT

ALL SCRIPTURE IS PROFITABLE

“You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.” 2 Timothy 3:15-16 NLT 

GOD’S WORD GIVES US HOPE

Two promises that I cling to that I know God will keep

“And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” Phil. 1:6 NLT 

“Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.” 1 Corinthians 13:12 NLT

The Bible has so much to say about itself that we could go on discovering the treasures of God’s Word forever.

Since we can’t do this here, I would like to conclude this series with what the Master Himself has to say about His Word.

  1. God’s Word is truth

“Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth.”John 17:17 NLT

  1. God’s Word is authoritative

“Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ” Matthew 4:4 NIV

  1. Jesus’s words give life

“The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” John 6:63 NLT

  1. Jesus speaks God’s words

“I don’t speak on my own authority. The Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to say it.” John 12:49 NLT

  1. Jesus’ words are the standard of judgement

“If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.  There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day.” John 12:47-48 NIV

THE GLORY OF JESUS, GOD’S FINAL AND PERFECT WORD

“The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven.” Hebrews 1:3 NLT

“Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself. He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God.” Revelation 19:11-13 NLT

NO OTHER BOOK CAN CONFIDENTLY PROCLAIM A MESSAGE LIKE THIS ONE

“Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” John 20:30-31

“And they sang a new song with these words: “You are worthy to take the scroll and break its seals and open it. For you were slaughtered, and your blood has ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.” Revelation 5:9 NLT

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

All Scripture quotations in this series

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

25 – ENGAGING THE POWERS OF THE KINGDOM – THE POWER OF OUR INHERITANCE

Christian Life, ,

25 – ENGAGING THE POWERS OF THE KINGDOM – THE POWER OF OUR INHERITANCE

As God’s Son, Jesus is the heir to the Father’s entire estate, the universe and everything in it.

“And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe.” Hebrews 1:2 NLT

JESUS IS GOD’S SON

“For God never said to any angel what he said to Jesus: “You are my Son. Today I have become your Father. ” God also said, “I will be his Father, and he will be my Son.” Hebrews 1:5 NLT

  1. Made like us

“Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people.” Hebrews 2:17 NLT

“So, now Jesus and the ones he makes holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters.” Hebrews 2:11 NLT

  1. Confirmed to be God’s Son by His resurrection

“The Good News is about his Son. In his earthly life he was born into King David’s family line, and he was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 1:3-4 NLT

  1. Heir of the Father

“In these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.” Hebrews 1:2 NIV

WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR THIS INHERITANCE?

There are three privileges that children in a family enjoy that orphans, slaves and servants do not experience.

  1. Children have a name.

A child born into a family takes the father’s name which gives him/her an identity and access to all the benefits of that family. Since we are “in Christ”, we have access to everything that Jesus owns “in His name”.

“You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father.  Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!…” John 14:13-14 NLT

“Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?” Romans 8:32 NLT

  1. Children have a home

As part of the family, every child has a right to live in the father’s home.

“There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?  When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.” John 14:2-3 NLT

  1. Children have an inheritance

In Hebrew culture, children were heirs of their father’s estate. Jesus told a story about two sons, the younger of whom demanded his inheritance before his father’s death.

“The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons.” Luke 15:12 NLT

HOW DO WE QUALIFY FOR AN INHERITANCE WITH JESUS?

We are God’s children…

  1. By faith in Jesus

“But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.” John 1:12-13 NLT

  1. Called brothers and sisters

After the resurrection, Jesus called His disciples  “brothers”.

“The women ran quickly from the tomb. They were very frightened but also filled with great joy, and they rushed to give the disciples the angel’s message. And as they went, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they ran to him, grasped his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid! Go tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there.” Matthew 28:8-10 NLT

“So now Jesus and the ones he makes holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters.” Hebrews 2:11 NLT

  1. We have the witness of the Spirit

“So, you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.”  For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.” Romans 8:15-16 NLT

  1. The discipline of the Father

“As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all.” Hebrews 12:7-8 NLT

  1. The new nature in us

“Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous…. Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God.” 1 John 3:7, 9 NLT

“And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.” 2 Peter 1:4 NLT

  1. The promise of an inheritance

“And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.” Romans 8:17 NLT

WHAT IS OUR INHERITANCE?

We are co-heirs with Jesus of an inheritance that is both for the present and the future.

THE PRESENT

The “present” part of  inheritance is the “divine nature” with which Adam was created, but was marred at the Fall. As we have learned over many weeks, God has provided the means and the power, in the New Covenant, to restore His nature in us as His children to prepare us for our eternal life with Him in His family.

God uses different means to work in us, to train us to overcome the old nature by nurturing our new nature. He uses the disciplines of hardship and suffering, as we have already studied, to put to death, through the Spirit, our sinful flesh and to strengthen our confidence in His love.

In the context of our inheritance, He has given us powerful tools in His Word to enable us to “grow in grace”.

“And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.” 2 Peter 1:4 NLT

By engaging this “power” of the kingdom, we embrace every promise God has given us, endorsed by Jesus, by a hearty “Amen!” We  speak our “Yes” to the words that empower us through the Spirit to think and act like God and not like the world.

“For Jesus Christ, the Son of God, does not waver between “Yes” and “No”… and as God’s ultimate “Yes,” he always does what he says. For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory.”2 Corinthians 1:19-20 NLT

THE FUTURE

God is preparing us for our future inheritance by restoring His nature in us in this life, in the midst of the darkness and sin all around us. We need this worldly environment with its hardship and suffering to build character, to strengthen our faith, and to teach us patience, perseverance and endurance because only those who endure to the end will be saved.

All of our life experiences are moving us towards our future inheritance.

  1. Salvation

“Therefore, angels are only servants—spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation.” Hebrews 1:14 NLT

What does “salvation” imply?

We tend to focus on one aspect when we speak of salvation. To us, it means having our sins forgiven so that we can go to heaven when we die. This is only a minute part of the rich meaning of salvation.

“Salvation” in its fullest meaning, implies “wholeness” – the completeness that Adam was created to be, before he sinned.

“So, God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them…. Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good! And evening passed and morning came, marking the sixth day.” Genesis 1:27, 31 NLT

“VERY GOOD” was God’s verdict on all creation including the first two human beings… “perfect and fully functional”, everything meshed together in perfect harmony.

future inheritance, then, implies restoration to the completeness and full functionality that Adam and Eve enjoyed in the beginning.

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”… I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light…. Its gates will never be closed at the end of day because there is no night there…. Nothing evil will be allowed to enter, nor anyone who practices shameful idolatry and dishonesty—but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.” Revelation 21:4, 22-23, 25, 27 NLT

  1. Eternal Life

“One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?” Luke 10:25 NLT

What is eternal life?

Jesus gave a simple yet profound definition of eternal life…

“Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” John 17:3 NIV

There is only one verse in Scripture that gives insight into what it means to “know” God.

“But a beautiful cedar palace does not make a great king! Your father, Josiah, also had plenty to eat and drink. But he was just and right in all his dealings. That is why God blessed him. He gave justice and help to the poor and needy, and everything went well for him. Isn’t that what it means to know me?” says the Lord.” Jeremiah 22:15-16 NLT

Knowing God is more than casual acquaintance. Many people glibly say, “I believe in God.” but it means no more than saying,  “I believe in the sun.” To believe in God and to know God implies knowing in the most intimate sense of the word.

If eternal life is to “know God”, it involves a knowing that deeply affects the whole of one’s life.

“And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life.” 1 John 5:11-12 NLT

Therefore, for us to have this gift, this inheritance of eternal life, not only a life that never ends but also a life that continually grows in personal and intimate knowledge of Jesus, we make it our aim to know Him now.

“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.”2 Peter 3:18 NIV

 John gives us a simple way to know God… we must love one another.

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.” 1 John 4:7 NIV

HOW DO WE ACCESS OUR INHERITANCE?

  1. Put off and put on…

“Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.” Colossians 3:9-10 NLT

We have been given unconditional access to all of God’s promises in the New Covenant which enable us to put on (activate) our new nature which God has given to us through our faith in Jesus.

“And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.” 2 Peter 1:4 NLT

  1. Say “yes” to every promise that meets our need

“For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory.” 2 Corinthians 1:20 NLT

  1. Learn faith and endurance by loving others…

“Our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true. Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God’s promises because of their faith and endurance.” Hebrews 6:11-12 NLT

  1. Through sharing Jesus’ suffering

“And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.” Romans 8:17 NLT

I don’t think Paul meant that we must suffer for Jesus in order to share in His inheritance. I think he meant, not THAT we suffer but HOW we suffer. Everyone suffers in one way or another but our attitude to suffering makes all the difference.

Jesus suffered with humility and obedience.

“You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges ; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.” Philippians 2:5-8 NLT

Jesus suffered with submission and faith in the Father.

“For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps. He never sinned, nor ever deceived anyone. He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly.”1 Peter 2:21-23 NLT

Jesus suffered with a purpose

“God, for whom and through whom everything was made, chose to bring many children into glory. And it was only right that he should make Jesus, through his suffering, a perfect leader, fit to bring them into their salvation.” Hebrews 2:10 NLT

God’s purpose for our suffering is to be “participants in the divine nature”.

“And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said, “My child, don’t make light of the Lord ’s discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you. For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.” Hebrews 12:5-6 NLT

“For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness.” Hebrews 12:10 NLT

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” Romans 8:28-29 NLT

Getting to know Jesus, then, includes having the same attitude as He had to His suffering, humbly submitting to the Father’s will, trusting in Him to work for our good, knowing that He is conforming us to the image of His Son.

WHAT ARE THE POWERS OF OUR INHERITANCE?

  1. A powerful motivation to live holy lives

“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. And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure.” 1 John 3:2-3 NLT

  1. A joyful anticipation of future glory

“All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.” 1 Peter 1:3-7 NLT

  1. A great salvation we must not neglect

“So, we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it….  What makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation that was first announced by the Lord Jesus himself and then delivered to us by those who heard him speak?” Hebrews 2:1, 3 NLT

CONCLUSION

We have an important part to play if we are to share in this glorious inheritance with Jesus.

Salvation, the sum total of our inheritance, is not only a done deal but also a day-by-day participation with the Holy Spirit in becoming who we are… sons and daughters of God.

“Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” Philippians 2:12-13 NLT

“As God’s partners, we beg you not to accept this marvellous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it. For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.”  2 Corinthians 6:1-2 NLT

Salvation is guaranteed to those who endure to the end. Those who turn back show that they were never a part of us anyway.

“They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.” 1 John 2:19 NIV

We learn to overcome the world and to live as God’s sons and daughters as we fully embrace our inheritance both for now through His promises and for eternity through His gift of Jesus who is both salvation and eternal life to us.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

All Scripture quotations in this series

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

 

24 – ENGAGING THE POWERS OF THE KINGDOM – THE POWER OF MEDITATION

Christian Life, ,

24 – ENGAGING THE POWERS OF THE KINGDOM – THE POWER OF MEDITATION

What is meditation?

Meditation is like chewing the cud. Animals that chew the cud are called “ruminants” because they regurgitate and rechew their food to get the most nourishment out of it.

One meaning of “to ruminate”, therefore, means “to think deeply about…”, to do with our thoughts what ruminants do with their food.

Some religions and philosophies are big on meditation. It’s a good practice BUT… it’s value lies, not in its practice but in the content of the meditation. False religions focus on some mantra or facet of religious belief for spiritual power or enlightenment.

Since meditation in false religions is such a wide and varied practice, we will turn our attention to what the Bible commands us to do.

“Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.” Joshua 1:8 NLT

“Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom … “ Colossians 3:16

God’s command to Joshua has in it the principles by which we, as children of God’s kingdom, should conduct our lives in an ungodly world. The Bible is our constitution for life in the kingdom but we will never live in the fullness of kingdom power if we don’t know the requirements and benefits of its constitution.

Firstly, unlike all other religious meditation, we have two infallible “ingredients” for discovering the truth.

  1. We have the Bible which is the infallible Word of God.

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.” 2 Timothy 3:16 NLT

2.  We have the Holy Spirit who always works in tandem with the Word.

“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.  He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me.  All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’ ” John 16:13-15 NLT

Secondly, let’s look at what it means to think deeply about…

“To meditate is to reflect on, to ponder, to mull over, to talk about, to re-read, to re-hear, to say to others, and to hear from the lips of others.” (au.thegospelcoalition.org)

Our aim is to die to sin and live righteously every day as God’s children in an evil world. God has provided the means to change us into the image of His Son – the Bible. However, the power of God’s Word will be ineffective in us if we casually read and forget.

“But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.” James 1:22-25 NLT

God has promised blessing on those who meditate on His Word regularly and faithfully, the blessing of a life that is unaffected by outward circumstances, that is stable and fruitful in all seasons and all weather.

“Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord , meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.” Psalms 1:1-3 NLT

One of the provisions of the New Covenant is a promise that God will write His Word on our hearts.

“But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel after those days,” says the Lord . “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.” Jeremiah 31:33 NLT

However, this cannot happen through casual reading. Continual thought, meditation and application will cut a pathway of thought in one’s mind that will gradually eradicate old patterns of thinking by replacing them with the Word.

Biblical meditation does not aim at emptying the mind. Indeed, it cannot. We can only replace patterns of destructive thinking by filling our minds with God’s Word.

FIVE WAYS TO WRITE THE WORD ON OUR HEARTS

There are 5 ways to apply the practice of meditation in such a way that it becomes the instrument of transformation. However, we must remember that we always do this in partnership with the Holy Spirit, trusting Him to use the Word to do what God has promised He will do.

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT

“For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” Hebrews 4:12 NLT

THE WORD MUST BE

  1. In your mind and heart

To write God’s word on our hears requires diligence and discipline.

There is great benefit in dwelling on a passage of Scripture for several days or even weeks. I call it “inching” my way through the Word.

Writing down thoughts, understanding and revelation helps to fix the Word in one’s mind and encourages acting on what the Word says.

Memorising Scripture, especially key verses or passages, gives the Holy Spirit fuel to fire the heart when the need arises.

A valuable way to increase our understanding of what the Word says is to compare Scripture with Scripture. I find that the Holy Spirit reminds me of verses and passages that are already in my heart that build on or awaken my understanding of some truth I am exploring.

Ask questions. God loves to respond to our sincere desire to know Him through the Word. He will answer your questions, not always immediately but eventually if you stay alert and expect an answer.

  1. In your eyes

We remember what we see. Use whatever visual aids you can that help you to remember the words of Scripture – pictures, flash cards, fridge magnets, etc.

  1. On your lips – to yourself

Hebrew words usually get their meaning from the context. The word “hagah”, translated “meditate” is often translated by a word that includes repetitive sound, e.g., to murmur or mutter. So, to meditate is to mutter God’s Word over and over until it is fixed in your mind.

By muttering the Word, you hear as well as see the words of Scripture which will help to write them on your heart.

  1. On your lips – to others

This may not always be easy depending on the responsiveness of the hearer. Speaking God’s Word over and over to your children is a valuable way of getting the Word into them. Use the Word to reinforce wisdom as you guide them through the challenges of life.

This was God’s instruction to Israel…

“And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.” Deuteronomy 6:6-7 NLT

We can do the same with the promises of the New Covenant.

  1. In your ears – from the lips of others

Again, this is an activity of committed believers with one another. How valuable to counsel and encourage one another with the words of Scripture rather than the words of human wisdom!

WHY DO WE NEED TO MEDITATE ON THE WORD?

Meditating on God’s Word is a powerful and effective way to change our thinking from the way of the world to the way of the Word. We must take the “l” out of world for the following reasons:

  1. The world loves LAWS. The world is governed by laws, rules and regulations which people regularly break. This is what law does to the unbeliever. It awakens the rebellion that is in the heart.

“And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway…. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me.” Romans 7:18-19, 23 NLT

  1. The authorities that rule the world are not LEGITIMATE. The world, and the god of this world has usurped the authority to rule that belongs to God alone.

“We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one.” 1 John 5:19 NLT

When we fill our minds with the Word, we come under its authority and live by its power rather than the illegitimate authority of ungodliness.

  1. The world demands our LOVE. We cannot love the world and God at the same time. God’s Kingdom and the kingdoms of the world are opposed to each other.

“Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you.” 1 John 2:15 NLT

CONCLUSION

Our minds process and filter what comes in from the outside. We choose what we will reject and what we will retain, and what we retain will form the belief system that governs our attitudes and behaviour.

Without God’s Word in our minds and hearts, we will be like a rudderless ship, at the mercy of every influence, good or bad, that blows us through life.

God has graciously given us gifted people who minister God’s Word to us to build us up in our faith and conduct…

“This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.” Ephesians 4:13-15 NLT

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

All Scripture quotations in this series

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.