Monthly Archives: January 2024

WHERE IS GOD?

Christian life, ,

An insignificant incident happened that answered this question for me.

I think of Job in his tragic and painful circumstances. He searched for God but couldn’t find Him. He cried out to God but his cries were unanswered.
His friends accused him of secret sin which he vehemently denied. He wasn’t interested in theological or philosophical answers to his dilemma. He wanted God, and God was strangely silent, even absent in his time of need.

‭Job‬ ‭23:3‬ ‭NLT‬
[3] “If only I knew where to find God, I would go to his court….
[8] I go east, but he is not there. I go west, but I cannot find him. [9] I do not see him in the north, for he is hidden. I look to the south, but he is concealed.”

Sometimes, we need God in huge crises and sometimes we call on Him in small but irksome situations. Sometimes God seems farther away than the outer limits of the universe and sometimes He feels very near.

My little need was infinitessimally small compared with other people’s experiences but… the answer that came made a huge impression on me.

I had been shopping for weekly requirements which included shopping for an elderly friend. It’s my practice to put all the till slips into a plastic sleeve to reconcile my bank statement with my spending tracker when I got home. I also needed the till slips to claim a refund for my friend’s weekly needs.

Came the time to do the reconciliation, my little plastic packet of till slips was nowhere to be found. I searched all the places it could have been in my home but it was missing. I looked outside to see whether I had dropped it on my way in but…nothing.

I whispered a prayer to the Lord and, instantly, I had a clear impression in my mind, not words, just a thought. “Look in the dustbin.” I had disposed of some trash from my car on my way inside. Did I perhaps throw it into the bin with the trash?

Then the penny dropped. I knew it was there before I even before lifted the dustbin lid! Fortunately, the dustbin bag had just been renewed – it was almost empty. All I did was open the dustbin, move a few items, and there it was!

I was overwhelmed with the intimacy of that moment. Yes, the Holy Spirit was so near, in fact, right within me. He heard my thought-prayer and back came a thought-answer, as insignificant as my need happened to be.

Why did the Holy Spirit answer me? It was not that He answered me that matters. It’s the reason He answered me that is so special. He cares! It mattered to Him that I needed those till slips. Really? Yes, God is so intimately involved in our lives that He cares about the smallest details that affect us.

Where is God? Out there in the universe somewhere? No, He is wherever you want Him to be. He is nearer than you breath or as far away as you have pushed Him. He will never intrude if you shut Him out.
You take the initiative.

‭James‬ ‭4:8‬ ‭NLT‬
[8 “Come close to God, and God will come close to you…. ”

David’s meditation in Psalm 139 produced an awareness of God’s nearness and tender care of His child that overwhelmed him. What captured David’s heart was God’s infinite love in blessing, guiding and supporting him through all of life’s doings regardless of his failing fallen humanness.

So it is with us. God know us deeply, intimately, thoroughly, yet He accompanies and supervises every detail of our lives, intervening to meet every need and adjust our direction so that we will arrive at last at our desired destination – His presence forever.

He has planned and recorded every day before we live it. His thoughts about us are inestimably innumerable. We can never count them or get to the end of them.

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭139:17‭-‬18‬ ‭NLT‬‬
[17] “How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! [18] I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!”

So, let’s just throw ourselves on Him where we are safe.

WHAT ABOUT ISRAEL?

Bible Study,

Psalms‬ ‭135:4‬ ‭NLT‬
[4] For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself, Israel for his own special treasure.
[6] The Lord does whatever pleases him throughout all heaven and earth, and on the seas and in their depths.

‭Proverbs‬ ‭30:5‬ ‭NLT‬
[5] Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection.

Micah 7:11-12,15-27 NLT
[11] “In that day, Israel, your cities will be rebuilt, and your borders will be extended. [12] People from many lands will come and honor you— from Assyria all the way to the towns of Egypt, from Egypt all the way to the Euphrates River, and from distant seas and mountains….
[15] “Yes,” says the Lord, “I will do mighty miracles for you, like those I did when I rescued you from slavery in Egypt.” [16] All the nations of the world will stand amazed at what the Lord will do for you. They will be embarrassed at their feeble power. They will cover their mouths in silent awe, deaf to everything around them. [17] Like snakes crawling from their holes, they will come out to meet the Lord our God. They will fear him greatly, trembling in terror at his presence.”

The world waits with bated breath to see what will come of this conflict between Hamas and Israel. It seems that Hamas has the support of millions around the world. Despite Hamas’ atrocities and their despicable policy of using civilians to shield their terrorist fighters and their arsenal of weapons, the world believes that their demands and their purpose are legitimate.

When we read the Bible, we see a very different side to Israel’s defence of its territory. A constant theme runs through the prophecies of the Old Testament. Despite Israel’s failure to abide by God’s covenant and their stubborn practice of worshipping idols, and God’s punishment by war, famine, and exile, God promised to preserve a remnant and to return and resettle them in their own land. The nation and the land are inseparably joined together as God promised Abraham.

‭Isaiah‬ ‭61:4‬ ‭NLT‬
[4] “They will rebuild the ancient ruins, repairing cities destroyed long ago. They will revive them, though they have been deserted for many generations.
[8] “For I, the Lord, love justice. I hate robbery and wrongdoing. I will faithfully reward my people for their suffering and make an everlasting covenant with them. [9] Their descendants will be recognized and honored among the nations. Everyone will realize that they are a people the Lord has blessed.”

The Apostle Paul negates the theory that God is finished with natural Israel. “Replacement theology” teaches that the church has replaced Israel as the new Israel but…

Paul makes clear that salvation comes to the Jew in the same way as to the Gentile, through faith in Jesus. However, there is a season of grace for Gentiles since Israel’s unbelief has opened the door of salvation to the whole world but…

That door will close when the number of the Gentiles is complete. Then Israel’s opportunity will to be saved will come.

‭Romans‬ ‭11:1‭-‬2‬ ‭NIV‬
[1] “I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. [2] God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don’t you know what Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he appealed to God against Israel:
[11] Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious….
[25] I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, [26] and in this way all Israel will be saved. As it is written: “The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. [27] And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.” [28] As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, [29] for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable. [30] Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, [31] so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God’s mercy to you. [32] For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.”

‭Micah‬ ‭7:18-‬20‬ ‭NIV‬
[18] Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. [19] You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea. [20] You will be faithful to Jacob, and show love to Abraham, as you pledged on oath to our ancestors in days long ago.”

Yes, salvation will come to the Jews only through faith in Jesus but, in God’s mercy, He will lift the veil of unbelief and reveal to the Jews that Jesus is their Messiah, as Zechariah prophesied..

Zechariah‬ ‭12:2‭-‬6‬ ‭NIV‬
[2] “I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem. [3] On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves. [4] On that day I will strike every horse with panic and its rider with madness,” declares the Lord. “I will keep a watchful eye over Judah, but I will blind all the horses of the nations. [5] Then the clans of Judah will say in their hearts, ‘The people of Jerusalem are strong, because the Lord Almighty is their God.’ [6] “On that day I will make the clans of Judah like a firepot in a woodpile, like a flaming torch among sheaves. They will consume all the surrounding peoples right and left, but Jerusalem will remain intact in her place….
[9] On that day I will set out to destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem. [10] “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son…..

‭Zechariah‬ ‭13:1‬ ‭NIV‬
[1] “On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity.
[9]…. I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.’ ”

‭Ezekiel‬ ‭38:14‭-‬18‬ ‭NIV‬
[14] “Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: In that day, when my people Israel are living in safety, will you not take notice of it? [15] You will come from your place in the far north, you and many nations with you, all of them riding on horses, a great horde, a mighty army. [16] You will advance against my people Israel like a cloud that covers the land. In days to come, Gog, I will bring you against my land, so that the nations may know me when I am proved holy through you before their eyes. [17] “ ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: You are the one I spoke of in former days by my servants the prophets of Israel. At that time they prophesied for years that I would bring you against them. [18] This is what will happen in that day: When Gog attacks the land of Israel, my hot anger will be aroused, declares the Sovereign Lord….
[21] I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Sovereign Lord. Every man’s sword will be against his brother. [22] I will execute judgment on him with plague and bloodshed; I will pour down torrents of rain, hailstones and burning sulfur on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him. [23] And so I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord.’

And so, dear brothers and sisters, let’s not toss Israel aside as some do. Let’s pray fervently that God’s will for His covenant people will be fully accomplished through their salvation, that God’s true Israel may be complete. Then the world will know that the God of Israel is the only true God.

‭

ACCOUNTABILITY IS THE NAME OF THE GAME

Christian life, ,

Recently, I listened to a pastor, on a video clip, explain the reason for the first verse in Genesis 1. Why does the Bible start with the record of the way God brought order to a chaotic planet? Not only did He create the earth but He also prepared it for human habitation.

He lit up the planet to expose the chaos then, step by step, He restored functionality on every level. He made plants and animals and, when everything He made was “good”, functional, He fashioned a human pair to set the process of inhabiting the earth in motion under His authority.

All the details of this process point to one fact,

‭Psalms‬ ‭24:1‬ ‭NLT‬
[1] “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him.”

Ownership! And… ownership means accountability. However much people hate, deny, and run from accountability, they can never escape the fact that everyone is answerable to God for what they do and the way they live.

The Bible is adamant that everyone must stand before God.

‭Romans‬ ‭14:11‭-‬12‬ ‭NLT‬
[11] “For the Scriptures say, “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will declare allegiance to God.’” [12] Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God.”

‭Hebrews‬ ‭9:27‬ ‭NLT‬
[27] “And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment..”

‭Revelation‬ ‭20:11‭-‬12‬ ‭NLT‬
[11] “And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide. [12] I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books.”

It was Adam, the first man, who chose to reject accountability to God and strike out on his own but… his decision did not automatically cancel God’s ownership of the human race yet to come. It only heightened the guilt of all who deny their answerability to the God who made them.

On what grounds then, does God judge every person who either submits to or denies their accountability to God?

God’s right to judge is enhanced by His solution to man’s rebellion.

‭John‬ ‭3:16‬ ‭NLT‬
[16] “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”

By paying the debt for every person’s rebellion, the incarnate Son of God, Jesus, gives everyone who believes in Him, i.e., submits unconditionally to His supreme authority, a new beginning. Their disposition is transformed from rebel to son. They recognise and accept their accountability, live by His instructions, fix their gaze in Him, and move in the direction of eternal life.

Those who reject God’s solution and continue to express their rebellion by living in purposeful contradiction to God’s instructions, must accept the consequences.

‭John‬ ‭3:18‭-‬20‬ ‭NLT‬
[18] “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. [19] And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. [20] All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed.”

The only sin for which people will be judged is their refusal to accept accountability to Jesus, who is their judge because He paid their debt.

‭Acts of the Apostles‬ ‭17:24‭-‬26‬ ‭NLT‬
[24] “He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn’t live in man-made temples, [25] and human hands can’t serve his needs—for he has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need. [26] From one man he created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries….
[30] “God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him. [31] For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead.”

There is a day coming when every person will stand before Jesus, the Judge, and give an account of his/her accountability. No excuse will acquit the guilty.

The standard of God’s Word will be the measure by which people will be judged and that standard is clear and inescapable.

‭Psalms‬ ‭119:130‬ ‭NIV‬
[130] “The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.

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

Everyone must answer the same question,

Matthew‬ ‭16:15‬ ‭NLT‬
[15].. “But who do you say I am?”

PSALM 150

Devotion, ,

Praise the LORD.
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens.
2 Praise him for his acts of power;
praise him for his surpassing greatness.
3 Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
praise him with the harp and lyre,
4 praise him with timbrel and dancing,
praise him with the strings and pipe,
5 praise him with the clash of cymbals,
praise him with resounding cymbals.
6 Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.
Praise the LORD.

Psalm 150

Hallelujah!  Hallelujah!

Heaven and earth in God rejoice:

Glorify Him in His temple,

Angels, laud Him in the heavens,

Sing to Him with heart and voice.

Hallelujah!  Hallelujah!

All His works call forth our praise:

Praise Him for unequalled greatness,

Trumpet, lute, harp, drums and dancing

Symphonies of joy we raise!

Hallelujah!  Hallelujah!

Instruments of wind and string,

Cymbals, yes, loud, crashing cymbals

Join the mighty celebration,

All with breath, give praise and sing!

PSALM 149

Devotion, ,

Praise the LORD.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
his praise in the assembly of his faithful people.
2 Let Israel rejoice in their Maker;
let the people of Zion be glad in their King.
3 Let them praise his name with dancing
and make music to him with timbrel and harp.
4 For the LORD takes delight in his people;
he crowns the humble with victory.
5 Let his faithful people rejoice in this honor
and sing for joy on their beds.
6 May the praise of God be in their mouths
and a double-edged sword in their hands,
7 to inflict vengeance on the nations
and punishment on the peoples,
8 to bind their kings with fetters,
their nobles with shackles of iron,
9 to carry out the sentence written against them—
this is the glory of all his faithful people.
Praise the LORD.

Psalm 149

Hallelujah!  Praise Jehovah!

Sing to God a brand new song:

Glorify Him, your Creator;

Honour Him, He is your Maker,

Worship, praise Him all day long.

Sing His praises in the night time,

On your beds let joy ascend

Like the fragrance of your morning offering;

O adore Him, He is worthy,

Every heart before Him bend.

Praise is like a potent weapon,

Twin-edged sword, His mighty word;

Punish rebel nations with it,

Bind with chains their kings and leaders:

Awesome is your glory, Lord!