Monthly Archives: September 2024

FREELY YOU HAVE GIVEN, FREELY RECEIVE

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

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

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

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

“Freely you have given, freely receive.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A LAMP FOR MY FEET AND A LIGHT FOR MY PATH

Christian Life,

Many of David’s psalms are autobiographical poems set to music. He had so much to record about his life as a child of God that what he experienced became the theme of his songs. Big things, little things, he wrote and sang, all so real in his life, laced with God’s presence and God’s love, so that we can also identify with what he has preserved for us.

One of his great songs, Psalm 119, is an epic poem about the perfection and purpose of God’s law. This Psalm represents, for us, the entirety of the Word of God as the constitution of His kingdom that He has given us to navigate our perilous journey through life.

David makes some simple yet profound statements that set a course and promise assistence on our way to the Father.

Take, for example, verse 105

Psalms 119:105 NLT
[105]”Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.”

I have a headlight that has two functions. It has a strip light that illuminates a broad area of the garden, lighting up what I need to see around me, and a spotlight that shines brightly on a specific area ahead of me.

What an apt illustration of God’s Word!

When we put on the “headlight” of Scripture, we engage God’s Word in our minds to set the direction of our lives. We wear the light that illuminates the area around us and shows us the path among many paths on which we should walk, “a light for my path”.

We are faced with many options and many choices in our daily walk. The path of truth is narrow. Sometimes the path leads us through tricky and dangerous terrain. Our choices range between one way of truth and many devious ways to escape trouble. God’s Word gives clear direction that will keep us on the path. Every other way will lead us into the wilderness.

The strip light reveals not only where the path is that we are following but also the dangerous terrain on either side of the path. We must know the alternatives and their consequences if we are not to walk blindly along an unknown way.

1 John 2:15-17 NLT
[15] “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. [16] For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. [17] And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.”

The Word provides both the alternatives and the solution to keep us from wandering mindlessly along the path of life. We must know both our destination and the way to reach it. God’s Word is the road map and the light.

We need the spotlight of the Word to give us direction in the specific details of our daily walk, “a lamp for our feet.”

“Knowing the truth”, said Jesus, if we are His disciples who are determined to follow His teachings, “will set you free.” From what do we need to be free? We need to be free from the sin that trips us up, catches us unawares, and hides along the way to ambush us when we are unwary.

Hebrews 12:1 NLT
[1] “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.”

We have the light of the Word that shines the spotlight at our feet to keep us from stumbling over the obstacles that lie directly in our path. We have a flesh nature to which we habitually give way if we are caught off guard. Anger, revenge, retaliation, harsh words, judging…these slip out without thinking. We must practise the new nature until its way becomes our spontaneous response. The lamp shining at our feet will clearly show us the ways of the God’s nature at work within us.

Colossians 3:12-15 NLT
[12] “Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. [13] Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. [14] Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. [15] And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.”

The qualities of the Holy Spirit in us do not come automatically. To change the metaphor, Paul said that we must put off the old garments of sinful responses and dress up in the garments of righteousness, responding and doing what is right in each situation, even loving even those who don’t love us.

So, we walk along the path towards God, one step at a time. This is not a Formula 1 rally. This is a slow and steady, lifelong way, from birth to death, towards God. If we are to reach our destination, we must follow the map and let the light guide the path we choose and the lamp guide our footsteps until we reach our journey’s end.

A final word…if we don’t use God’s Word to light our path, nothing else will. Without God’s light to shine on our way, the world is in utter darkness. You see, God is the source of all light.

Psalms 36:9 NLT
[9] “For you are the fountain of life, the light by which we see.”

John 1:4-5, 9 NLT
[4] “The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. [5] The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.
[9] The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.”

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.”

1 John 1:5-7 NLT
[5]” This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. [6] So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. [7] But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.”

Isaiah 50:10-11 NLT
[10] “Who among you fears the Lord and obeys his servant? If you are walking in darkness, without a ray of light, trust in the Lord and rely on your God. [11] But watch out, you who live in your own light and warm yourselves by your own fires. This is the reward you will receive from me: You will soon fall down in great torment.”

John 8:12 NLT
[12]”Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”

“And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year:

‘Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.’

And he replied:

‘Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.’

So I went forth, and finding the Hand of God, trod gladly into the night. And He led me towards the hills and the breaking of day in the lone East.”

(The Gate of the Year – Minnie Louise Haskins (1875-1957))

HOPE – 2

Christian Life,

“.. Biblical hope is a confident expectation or assurance based upon a sure foundation for which we wait with joy and full confidence. In other words, “There is no doubt about it!”. (GotQuestions.org)

First, the hope we have is anchored in Jesus, and His work for us on the cross. God made a promise, anchored it with and oath, and secured it in Jesus who is our Mediator, Intercessor, and High Priest.

Hebrews 6:16-20 NLT
[16] “Now when people take an oath, they call on someone greater than themselves to hold them to it. And without any question that oath is binding. [17] God also bound himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind. [18] So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. [19] This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. [20] Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.”

Second, our hope has various facets that are all part of our hope for the future. Each facet is anchored in God’s promise.

The hope of glory

God promises that we will be perfected in the image of Jesus, through His presence in us now.

Colossians 1:27 NLT
[27]”For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.” (“Christ in you, the hope of glory” NIV).

The hope of eternal life

God has promised us that we will inherit eternal life through our faith in Jesus because He has forgiven our sin and declared us not guilty of all the sin we have ever committed.

Titus 3:7 NIV
[7] “so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.”

Titus 1:1-2 NIV
[1] “Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ to further the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness— [2] in the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time,”

The hope of Christ’s return

All our hope in God for everything He has promised to do for us and to give to us is anchored in Jesus’ promise that He will come back to complete what He started.

Titus 2:13 NIV
[13]”… while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ… “

The hope of resurrection

We shall be given perfect, new bodies just like Jesus’ body because He overcame death by rising from the dead.

1 Peter 1:3 NIV
[3]” Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…”

The hope of adoption

We will finally be part of God’s forever family, eternally sons and daughters of the living God. We have the hope of salvation, restoration to wholeness,

Romans 8:23-25 NIV
[23]”Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. [24] For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? [25] But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.”

Hope in God’s promises produces the one quality we need to gain the prize – endurance, stickability.

Romans 5:3-5 NLT
[3] “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. [4] And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. [5] And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.”

https://bible.com/bible/116/rom.5.3-5.NLT

Romans 4:18-21 NLT
[18] “Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have!” [19] And Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead—and so was Sarah’s womb. [20] Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. [21] He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises.”

https://bible.com/bible/116/rom.4.18-21.NLT

All this and much more is part of our living hope of life in God’s eternal kingdom when we relocate to glory.

Faith, hope, love… three enduring characteristics that must be entwined in the lives of all who have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. These are all gifts of God’s grace but we grow them by believing, loving, and hoping for what He has promised in the confidence that He will do everything He has promised.

HOPE – 1

Christian life, ,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

To the Thessalonians, Paul wrote…

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

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

Why do we need this kind of hope?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

To be continued…

THE REAL EVOLUTION

Christian Life, ,

Psalms 23:1 NLT
[1] “The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.”

The Hebrew word translated “need” or “want” as in, “I shall not want”, can also mean “diminished” Did you get that? As long as we are in the Good Shepherd’s care, He will never allow us or do to us anything that makes us less than who we are. On the contrary, everything He allows or uses in our lives works towards recreating us into the image of Jesus.

Evolutionists believe that creatures are evolving upwards, based on the “survival of the fittest” theory. Despite their observation that some animals, for example, certain reptiles, are unchanged after “millions of years”, according to the evolution theory, everything is getting better.

Well, I’m not sure how that is working in reality when all we see is change and decay!

However, in God’s realm, creation and God’s people have His promise that everything will be better. Trouble is, creation and people don’t get better by evolving, but will be transformed only by His power.

You see, sin intervened after God created a perfectly functional planet, populated by perfectly functional animals and people. Sin messed up everything. God didn’t introduce the process of evolution to correct the problem. Death was the judgment and the outcome of sin. Death can only be reversed by the death of a sinless person dying in the place of sinners to pay the penalty for all the sin of every person that wrecked God’s plan and ruined creation.

Once the sin question had been settled… God’s own Son came to earth, lived sinlessly and died as a sinner… God could resume His plan to recreate humans into the likeness of His Son.

It’s a slow, lifelong process, spiritual evolution if you like, but instaneously completed when Jesus returns.

What’s the process of upward evolution?

2 Corinthians 3:18 NIV
[18] “And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”

2 Corinthians 3:18 NLT
[18] “So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.”

Seeing…contemplating…gazing…

Hebrews 12:1-2 NLT
[1]”Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. [2] We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.”

This is God’s evolutionary process in a nutshell. Say an emphatic “No!” to the sin that ensnares us and keep contemplating Jesus who is the way to the Father. Slowly changing, then instantaneously transformed!

1 Corinthians 15:51-58 NLT
[51] “But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! [52] It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. [53] For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies. [54] Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: “Death is swallowed up in victory. [55] O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” [56] For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. [57] But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. [58] So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.”

So, says Paul, never give up. It will happen. God said so.

Scientists’ evolution is only a theory. It isn’t happening. God’s evolution is a fact. It is happening because God doesn’t lie. He guarantees that it is and will happen because He is doing the changing in us as we gaze, contemplate, see Jesus.

Philippians 1:6 NLT
[6] “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.”

Romans 8:28-29 NLT
[28] “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. [29] 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.”