Monthly Archives: March 2024

GOD’S “ENGAGEMENT RING” – 3

Bible Study, ,

Ephesians 1:13-14 NLT‬
[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.”

How happy Paul was to explain to his readers that they, the Gentiles, had been given an equal share in the benefits of the gospel! However, could they be sure that they, as well as the Jews, were included in God’s salvation plan?

Yes! God has also given the Gentiles a pledge (Greek – arrabon), a downpayment, like an engagement ring, His Holy Spirit, to guarantee that He will complete the transaction.

History and the Bible tell us that God chose Abraham and his descendants from among all the nations to belong to Him. He redeemed them from slavery, led and protected them on their journey from Egypt, and settled them in the Promised Land by many miracles.

God promised them a Saviour, His Messiah, who would come in person to redeem them from sin. However, when He came, they rejected Him because they refused to accept His credentials or believe the evidence of His power and authority.

So, according to His plan, God gave Paul the task of taking the good news of salvation to the Gentiles.

‭Acts of the Apostles 9:10-11 NLT‬
[10] “Now there was a believer in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, calling, “Ananias!” “Yes, Lord!” he replied. [11] The Lord said, “Go over to Straight Street, to the house of Judas. When you get there, ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is praying to me right now….
[15] But the Lord said, “Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel.”

His plan from the beginning was to include the whole world in His salvation, prophesied many times through His Old Covenant prophets…

‭Isaiah 49:6 NLT‬
[6] “He says, “You will do more than restore the people of Israel to me. I will make you a light to the Gentiles, and you will bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.”

So, on his first missionary journey, when the Jews in Antioch of Pisidia refused to listen to him, Paul turned to the Gentiles.

‭Acts of the Apostles 13:44-48 NLT‬
[44] “The following week almost the entire city turned out to hear them preach the word of the Lord. [45] But when some of the Jews saw the crowds, they were jealous; so they slandered Paul and argued against whatever he said. [46] Then Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and declared, “It was necessary that we first preach the word of God to you Jews. But since you have rejected it and judged yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we will offer it to the Gentiles. [47] For the Lord gave us this command when he said, ‘I have made you a light to the Gentiles, to bring salvation to the farthest corners of the earth.’” [48] When the Gentiles heard this, they were very glad and thanked the Lord for his message; and all who were chosen for eternal life became believers.”

Paul reasoned that the refusal of the Jews to believe in Jesus triggered the next phase of God’s plan – the inclusion of Gentiles in His merciful offer of salvation.

‭Romans 11:11-16 NLT‬
[11] Did God’s people stumble and fall beyond recovery? Of course not! They were disobedient, so God made salvation available to the Gentiles. But he wanted his own people to become jealous and claim it for themselves. [12] Now if the Gentiles were enriched because the people of Israel turned down God’s offer of salvation, think how much greater a blessing the world will share when they finally accept it. [13] I am saying all this especially for you Gentiles. God has appointed me as the apostle to the Gentiles. I stress this, [14] for I want somehow to make the people of Israel jealous of what you Gentiles have, so I might save some of them. [15] For since their rejection meant that God offered salvation to the rest of the world, their acceptance will be even more wonderful. It will be life for those who were dead! [16] And since Abraham and the other patriarchs were holy, their descendants will also be holy—just as the entire batch of dough is holy because the portion given as an offering is holy. For if the roots of the tree are holy, the branches will be, too.”

God’s plan came together, piece by piece, until the gospel message of salvation was carried to every part of the civilised world.

Jew and Gentile, reconciled through the cross to become God’s new nation, which God secured and guaranteed by the gift of His Spirit, was God’s great purpose from the beginning.

‭Ephesians 2:11-14 NLT‬
[11] “Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts. [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. [13] But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ. [14] For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us.”

Through His death, Jesus opened the door to Jew and Gentile alike. He obliterated the hatred between them by removing the” wall” – the law that separated them, replacing law with grace, including all who believe in Him in the New Covenant.

The Jews’ refusal to receive God’s grace meant that the Gentiles who believed Paul’s message, were welcomed into God’s kingdom.

‭Romans 11:28-32 NLT‬
[28] “Many of the people of Israel are now enemies of the Good News, and this benefits you Gentiles. Yet they are still the people he loves because he chose their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. [29] For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn. [30] Once, you Gentiles were rebels against God, but when the people of Israel rebelled against him, God was merciful to you instead. [31] Now they are the rebels, and God’s mercy has come to you so that they, too, will share in God’s mercy. [32] For God has imprisoned everyone in disobedience so he could have mercy on everyone.”

For Peter, preaching to Cornelius, a Roman Centurion, and his household, the matter was forever settled when the Holy Spirit fell on these Gentile believers as He fell on the disciples on the day of Pentecost.

‭Acts of the Apostles 10:34-35 NLT‬
[34] Then Peter replied, “I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism. [35] In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right.
[44] Even as Peter was saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the message. [45] The Jewish believers who came with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles, too. [46] For they heard them speaking in other tongues and praising God. Then Peter asked, [47] “Can anyone object to their being baptized, now that they have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?”

And the Spirit in us testifies to our sonship, both Jew and Gentile.

‭Romans 8:15-16 NLT‬
[15] “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.” [16] For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.”

Jew and Gentile, then, share equally in the gracious gift of God’s Spirit as His down payment, guaranteeing the completed transaction, eternal life through the Lord Jesus Christ.

CHOSEN AND PREDESTINED – 2b

Bible Study, ,

Now that we have a better understanding of “chosen”, let’s take a closer look at “predestination”.

‭Romans 8:29 NIV‬
[29] “For those God foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.”

‭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.”

I have decided to present an entire quote from “gotquestions.com” because I cannot explain predestination any better than this.

“Many people have a strong hostility to the doctrine of predestination. However, predestination is a biblical doctrine. The key is understanding what predestination means, biblically.

“The words translated “predestined” in the Scriptures referenced above are from the Greek word proorizo, which carries the meaning of “determining beforehand,” “ordaining,” “deciding ahead of time.” So, predestination is God determining certain things to occur ahead of time. What did God determine ahead of time? According to Romans 8:29-30, God predetermined that certain individuals would be conformed to the likeness of His Son, be called, justified, and glorified. Numerous scriptures refer to believers in Christ being chosen (Matthew 24:22, 31; Mark 13:20, 27; Romans 8:33, 9:11, 11:5-7, 28; Ephesians 1:11; Colossians 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 1:4; 1 Timothy 5:21; 2 Timothy 2:10; Titus 1:1; 1 Peter 1:1-2, 2:9; 2 Peter 1:10). Predestination is the biblical doctrine that God in His sovereignty chooses certain individuals to be saved.

“Predestination is an explicitly biblical doctrine. Yet the determination of predestination is not disconnected from the rest of God’s unchanging character (Malachi 3:6). It is connected to His foreknowledge (Romans 8:29, 11:2), His love (Ephesians 1:4-5), and His plan and pleasure (Ephesians 1:5). God’s desire is that all would be saved and come to repentance (1 Timothy 2:4, 2 Peter 3:9). Predestination is personal and relational, not capricious.

“The most common objection to the doctrine of predestination is that it is unfair. Why would God choose certain individuals and not others? We must remember that no one deserves to be saved. We have all sinned (Romans 3:23) and are all worthy of eternal punishment (Romans 6:23). As a result, God would be perfectly just in allowing all of us to spend eternity in hell. However, God chooses to save some of us. He is not being unfair to those who are not chosen, because they are receiving what they deserve. God’s choosing to be gracious to some is not unfair to the others. No one deserves anything from God; therefore, no one can object if he does not receive anything from God.

An illustration would be a man randomly handing out money to five people in a crowd of twenty. Would the fifteen people who did not receive money be upset? Probably so. Do they have a right to be upset? No, they do not. Why? Because the man did not owe anyone money. He simply decided to be gracious to some.

“If God is choosing who is saved, doesn’t that undermine our free will to choose and believe in Christ? The Bible says that we have the choice—all who believe in Jesus Christ will be saved (John 3:16; Romans 10:9-10). The Bible never describes God rejecting anyone who believes in Him or turning away anyone who is seeking Him (Deuteronomy 4:29). The truths of God’s sovereign predestination and also man’s responsibility are not mutually exclusive. Somehow, in the mystery of God, predestination works hand-in-hand with a person being drawn by God (John 6:44) and believing unto salvation (Romans 1:16). God predestines who will be saved, and we must choose Christ in order to be saved. Both facts are equally true.

Romans 11:33 proclaims, “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!”
(got questions.com, article “What is predestination?”)

For the Apostle Paul, then, predestination is not about God being unfair but merciful. Without His mercy, no one has a chance. His mercy provides the motive for everything that Jesus made available to us through His death. Those God chose to be conformed to the image of Jesus form the forever family God wanted He saved because of His mercy.

‭Ephesians 2:4-5 NLT‬
[4] But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, [5] that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)”

So, predestination has to do with the DESTINATION of those He CHOSE – to be recreated in the image of His Son.

‭Colossians 3:9-10 NIV‬
[9] “Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices [10] and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.”

https://bible.com/bible/111/col.3.9-10.

However, we have not reached the pinnacle of God’s purpose for election and predestination until we realise that it’s all about shining the light on God Himself. Only when God’s glory fills the horison of our thoughts and actions can we understand more clearly what God is about when He acts so graciously towards us.

How can we ever fathom the depths of who God is unless He does what is unfathomable to reveal the measure of His love? All He has done should lead us, first to an outburst of praise….

‭Romans 11:33-36 NLT‬
[33] “Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways! [34] For who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to give him advice? [35] And who has given him so much that he needs to pay it back? [36] For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen.”

… And then to a prayer…

‭Ephesians 3:14-19 NLT‬
[14]”When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, [15] the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. [16] I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. [17] Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. [18] And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. [19] May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.”

CHOSEN AND PREDESTINED – 2a

Bible Study, ,

Ephesians 1:11-12 NIV‬
[11] “In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, [12] in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.”

God has written some things in His book that are incomprehensible or even distasteful to some people. For example, theologians have tried to argue away or justify the fact that God chooses people. “Since God knows everything,” they say, “He knew who woud believe in Jesus, so He chose them to be saved.”

However, such reasoning is one-sided and incomplete and does not therefore, fit in with Scripture. Instead, it compromises God’s absolute sovereignty and puts people’s freedom to choose as the reason behind God’s choosing. Humans try to explain away God’s apparent unfairness since they think that He is unfair if He arbitrarily chooses some and sends the rest to hell (so it seems)!

Is this true of the God of the Bible? Can we legitimately accuse Him of a travesty of justice like this? If so, then He is no longer God and we can no longer trust His love.

There must be a way to understand the issue of choice without putting God on trial.

First, we must understand the PURPOSE and MOTIVE of His choices. It is not primarily about destination – who goes to heaven and who goes to hell – but about the REASON for predestination.
So, for what purpose does God choose people?

Let’s allow the Apostle Paul to explain.

‭Romans 8:29 NIV‬
[29] “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.”

Let got “questions.com” explain for us.

“The words translated “predestined” in the Scriptures referenced above are from the Greek word proorizo, which carries the meaning of “determining beforehand,” “ordaining,” “deciding ahead of time.” So, predestination is God determining certain things to occur ahead of time. What did God determine ahead of time? According to Romans 8:29-30, God predetermined that certain individuals would be conformed to the likeness of His Son, be called, justified, and glorified. Numerous scriptures refer to believers in Christ being chosen (Matthew 24:22, 31; Mark 13:20, 27; Romans 8:33, 9:11, 11:5-7, 28; Ephesians 1:11; Colossians 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 1:4; 1 Timothy 5:21; 2 Timothy 2:10; Titus 1:1; 1 Peter 1:1-2, 2:9; 2 Peter 1:10). Predestination is the biblical doctrine that God in His sovereignty chooses certain individuals to be saved.

“Predestination is an explicitly biblical doctrine. Yet the determination of predestination is not disconnected from the rest of God’s unchanging character (Malachi 3:6). It is connected to His foreknowledge (Romans 8:29, 11:2), His love (Ephesians 1:4-5), and His plan and pleasure (Ephesians 1:5). God’s desire is that all would be saved and come to repentance (1 Timothy 2:4, 2 Peter 3:9). Predestination is personal and relational, not capricious.

“The most common objection to the doctrine of predestination is that it is unfair. Why would God choose certain individuals and not others? We must remember that no one deserves to be saved. We have all sinned (Romans 3:23) and are all worthy of eternal punishment (Romans 6:23). As a result, God would be perfectly just in allowing all of us to spend eternity in hell. However, God chooses to save some of us. He is not being unfair to those who are not chosen, because they are receiving what they deserve. God’s choosing to be gracious to some is not unfair to the others. No one deserves anything from God; therefore, no one can object if he does not receive anything from God.

An illustration would be a man randomly handing out money to five people in a crowd of twenty. Would the fifteen people who did not receive money be upset? Probably so. Do they have a right to be upset? No, they do not. Why? Because the man did not owe anyone money. He simply decided to be gracious to some.

“If God is choosing who is saved, doesn’t that undermine our free will to choose and believe in Christ? The Bible says that we have the choice—all who believe in Jesus Christ will be saved (John 3:16; Romans 10:9-10). The Bible never describes God rejecting anyone who believes in Him or turning away anyone who is seeking Him (Deuteronomy 4:29). The truths of God’s sovereign predestination and also man’s responsibility are not mutually exclusive. Somehow, in the mystery of God, predestination works hand-in-hand with a person being drawn by God (John 6:44) and believing unto salvation (Romans 1:16). God predestines who will be saved, and we must choose Christ in order to be saved. Both facts are equally true. Romans 11:33 proclaims, “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!”
(Copied from gotquestion.com, article entitled “What is predestination?”)

What is foreknowledge?

Once more, we look to the Bible to explain itself.

“Foreknowledge is knowing things or events before they exist or happen. In Greek, the term for “foreknowledge” is prognosis, which expresses the idea of knowing reality before it is real and events before they occur. In Christian theology, foreknowledge refers to the all-knowing, omniscient nature of God whereby He knows reality before it is real, all things and events before they happen, and all people before they exist…. “

“The Bible teaches that God’s children were chosen beforehand, and God’s foreknowledge was involved. The elect are those “who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father” (1 Peter 1:2). “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters” (Romans 8:29).

However…

“The foreknowledge of God is farther than His ability to “see the future”; His foreknowledge is a true “knowing” of what will come to pass, based on His free choice. He decrees what will come to pass. In other words, foreknowledge is not just intellectual; it is personal and relational.”
(gotquestion.com, article entited “What is foreknowledge in the Bible?”)

What the Bible is saying, then, is that
God chose people to be conformed to the image of Jesus because it gave Him pleasure to do so. He also chose them, called them, and conformed them to the image of Jesus because He knew and decided it would happen before it happened.

‭Ephesians 1:11 NLT‬
[11] “Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makesp everything work out according to his plan.”

God’s foreknowledge and predestination is reason, then, not to complain but to celebrate as a revelation of His mercy and grace.

BLESSED WITH EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING – 1

Christian life, ,

Ephesians 1:3 NLT‬
[3] “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.”

Three little words, “has blessed us…” should change our perspective from what God wants us to do (according to the Old Covenant) into what God has already done (in the New Covenant).

In Paul’s magnificent letter to the Ephesian church, he explains, in detail, what God has done, through Jesus, to reverse the consequences of Adam’s rebellion.

Engaging His attributes as God – love, mercy, sovereignty, and power – He set in motion a process to undo what Adam did and to restore what He set out to do from the beginning.

God wanted a family of sons and daughters like Himself with whom He could fellowship. He also designed humans to rule in His kingdom, equipped with His authority to carry out His will on a redeemed earth as it is done in heaven.

We know that His plan went awry when Adam chose to side with the devil. However, God had already built in a way to overcome Satan and neutralise his power over humans before He set about preparing the earth for human habitation.

Paul assures his readers that, from God’s perspective, what He planned was already complete before He began the process.

‭Ephesians 1:4-5 NLT‬
[4] “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. [5] God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.”

Nothing took God by surprise. Nothing fazed Him when Adam went astray. Since God is omniscient, He knew the end from the beginning. His rescue plan was foolproof because He entrusted the outworking of His plan to His Son.

How desperately we need that assurance as we navigate a world dedicated, under Satan’s rule, to derail us and take us down with God’s enemy. Unfortunately for us, we still have a part of us that sides with the devil. He has a foothold through the evil desires, directed towards doing our own selfish stuff, that lurk within us.

God has designed it this way because life on this earth is our training ground for life with Him in eternity. We are on probation. We are apprentices, learning to rule over our wayward hearts before we can rule over His earth when we live with Him in glory.

However, we also have a powerful ally living in us, God’s own Spirit. He is dedicated to putting all the provisions of God’s rescue plan into effect so that most important of all His attributes, His “chesed” – His covenant love, (an untranslatable word in English), would be clearly seen, especially by the principalities and powers that oppose Him.

God wants us to know His power in us before He can use His power through us to do His will on earth around us.

For us, it means that the operative word in the New Covenant, “done!”, applies to us. This assures us that nothing can derail God’s mission. He has done what He set out to do and nothing can change that! We are already safely entrenched in Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, and living in His kingdom.

‭Colossians 1:13 NLT‬
[13] “For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son.”

There are several blessings that flow from our union with Jesus.

‭Ephesians 1:4-5 NLT‬
[4] Even before he made the world, God loved us and CHOSE us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. [5] God decided in advance to ADOPT us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.
[7] He is so rich in kindness and grace that he PURCHASED OUR FREEDOM with the blood of his Son and FORGAVE our sins.

Chosen, adopted, freed, and forgiven! Can there be any greater blessings in a world controlled by fear, evil behaviour, and chaos than these? Can we be that secure in the midst of insecurity that nothing moves us? The answer is, “Definitely! For sure!” if we believe God’s Word.

Now let me come to the crux of my thought. If God has reassured us that everything He needed to do for us is done, why do we still pray for God to do what He has already done?

Much of our prayer is still coming from our confusion between Old and New Covenants. The value of the Old Covenant lies in the revelation of God’s holiness and the total inability of Israel (and all people) to measure up to His perfection.

‭Romans 3:23 NLT‬
[23″For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.“

This conclusion leaves us without a leg to stand on. Without God’s intervention, we are done! However, God DID step in. He Himself took care of the problem by taking our place in Jesus, the man, facing the Father’s wrath against sin, fully paying sin’s debt, and then transferring all the benefits of what He did for us, to us as a gift.

‭Romans 6:23 NLT‬
[23] “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”

So, what is left for us to do?

We keep complicating what God made simple. God requires only two responses to everything He accomplished for us in Jesus… believe in Jesus and love one another.

‭1 John 3:21-24 NLT‬
[21] “Dear friends, if we don’t feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence. [22] And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him. [23] And this is his commandment: We must BELIEVE in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and LOVE one another, just as he commanded us. [24] Those who obey God’s commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us because the Spirit he gave us lives in us.“

Something amazing flows from this faith that does what God REQUIRES, praise, gratitude, thanksgiving, WORSHIP. Isn’t that what God wants from us above all else?

‭John 4:23-24 NLT‬
[23] But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. [24] For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

God isn’t looking for people who will invent new ways to worship Him, in music, dance, rituals, whatever foolish people think up. Again, He has only two criteria… spirit (heart, attitude, focus) and truth (based securely on what is written in His Word).

So, where does prayer fit in to God’s requirements? Again, God has made it simple.

‭2 Corinthians 1:20 NLT‬
[20] “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.”

This assurance also puts prayer squarely in the middle of God’s Word; do what God says!

For our daily physical, material, and financial needs, God has given us a promise…

‭Matthew 6:33 NLT‬
[33]”Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously (generously), and he will give you everything you need.”

When we live under God’s authority, always being generous in our attitude towards others, meeting needs when and where we can, God takes care of our needs without our having to ask.

So that takes care of much about which we focus on in prayer!

…and for our spiritual growth and development…

‭2 Peter 1:4 NLT‬
[4] “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.”

‭‭Hebrews 6:12 NIV‬
[12] “We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.”

Can you see, then, that prayer in the New Covenant is a confident “amen!” to all God’s promises because Jesus has already approved and fulfilled them all. This “amen” must always be accompanied by heartfelt expressions of gratitude and praise because whatever we need has already been granted.

‭1 John 5:14-15 NIV‬
[14] “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. [15] And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.”

The Holy Spirit taught me years, ago, not to ask for a miracle but to ask for a word. Miracles are open-ended, according to God’s will which we don’t know for sure. When God gives us a word, we know He will honour His promise. So…

We can encapsulate our entire Christian experience in four words, DONE! THANK YOU! and AMEN! .

MOLLY AND ME – CINDERELLA’S COACH IN REVERSE

Christian Life, ,

As children, we loved fairy stories that captured our imagination. A pumpkin turned into a golden coach and mice transformed into prancing horses! Cinderella, adorned in a beautiful ball gown and wearing glass slippers, the girl from the ashes dancing with the Prince! What could be more magical than that!

Well, for Molly and me, it’s quite the opposite. When we haven’t walked for a few days, for her the territory is brand new and everything on our route must be re-examined in minute detail.

The result is that I am transformed into a donkey and she becomes the wagon the donkey pulls. Progress up the hill is slow because the “wagon’s wheels” refuse to turn any faster than the exploring and inquisitive nose will allow. If I don’t pull her at times, our trip around the block would take all day!

So much for fairy tales!

How much like Molly we are when God gives us clear instructions to do or not to do according to His Word. We still insist on sniffing out other possibilities and looking for ways to do what we we choose to do without getting into too much trouble.

Take the young couple who knows it’s wrong to fornicate before marriage. “It’s okay,” they say, “because, after all, we are going to get married.” But that’s not what God said. “Marriage first, then union.” Then they wonder why things go horribly wrong.

Why are we like wagons that have to be pulled before we move? We are so much like Jonah. God said, “Go to Ninevah,” so he went to Tarshish. God had to pull him hard before he went in the right direction.

God is looking for people like Abraham or David who do what they are told to do without having to be pulled like a wagon.

There are no fairy tales with magical happy endings in God’s scheme of things,only loving obedience to a faithful and glorious Father who has done so much for us. All we can is to love Him in return by doing His will – gladly and spontaneously.