Tag Archives: blessing

LIFE LESSONS FROM JACOB

Christian Life, ,

Just as Abraham had learned life lessons from his walk with God, so Jacob, too, learned valuable lessons from his failures and God’s faithfulness that helped him to be a good finisher.

Despite God’s promises to him in his dream at Bethel, Jacob spent many years trying to make things happen by manipulation, trickery, and deception. Only when he was in a jam so tight that there was no way of escape, did he surrender himself to God at Peniel.

How like Jacob we are! Instead of trusting God and allowing Him to work out His will in us we, like Frank Sinatra, say, “I did it my way!” Our way often leads us on detours that waste the weeks, months, or even years we could have been doing God’s will.

Yet, as Jacob learned, God’s patience never runs out. He will wait until we come to the end of ourselves and find out that His way is always best.

As his life drew to a close, Jacob was fully committed to the destiny of his descendants. He was in line with those whom God had chosen to be the builders of His nation. Jacob blessed his grandson, Ephraim, Joseph’s younger son, ahead of Manasseh despite Joseph’s protest. Did he have prophetic insight into the
destiny of Ephraim, as he did when he blessed each of his own sons on his deathbed?

His faith in God’s promises inspired him to request burial in Canaan in the cave his grandfather had bought for the burial of Rebekah and other family members. So, Jacob had learned to trust God’s promises implicitly as did Abraham and Isaac before him.

We would do well to take a leaf from Jacob’s book. God’s promises are His insurance policy for our past, present, and future. Without His promises, we have no guarantee that our destiny in Him is secure. Earthly insurance policies promise to step in when disaster strikes. God’s insurance policy guarantees a past forgiven and blotted out, a present filled with His presence, intervention, favour and blessing, and a future beyond our wildest imagination.

‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭2:9‬ ‭NLT‬
[9] “That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.”

We must be thankful that God has preserved the record of the lives of these Old Testament saints. Their stories are full of both warnings and encouragement for us to follow as we traverse the road they have already travelled.

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE – INVITE THE MISFITS

Bible Study, ,

INVITE THE MISFITS

‘Then He turned to the host. ‘The next time you put on a dinner, don’t just invite your friends and family and rich neighbours, the kind of people who will return the favour. Invite some people who never get invited out, the misfits from the wrong side of the tracks. You’ll be – and experience – a blessing. They won’t be able to return the favour, but the favour will be returned – oh, how it will be returned! – at the resurrection of God’s people.'” Luke 14:12-14.

Today my contribution is in the form of a testimony. Several years ago, the leadership of my church caught this vision and decided to do exactly what Jesus said, invite those who were ‘from the other side of the tracks’. The combined churches of our town run a soup kitchen, so we gave formal invitations to those who came regularly for their soup and bread.

The church members ‘came to the party’ with great enthusiasm. Donations of food poured in – a beast from a farmer and sacks of vegetables were turned into a sumptuous banquet for the down-and-outs. There were ice creams for everyone, a warm ‘beanie’ hat and fruit to take ‘home’ after the party (and who knows where ‘home’ was?). The young people made the church hall into a festive dining room with balloons and streamers, and then, on the appointed day, the people came streaming in, ragged, dirty and smelly but very excited and orderly.

And in with them came the awesome sense of God’s presence in such power that some of us were weeping and others trembling as the people filed in. It was almost as though Jesus Himself had come to grace the party. And He had, for did He not say, ‘If you have done it to the least of these, my brothers, you’ve done it to me’?

The people were seated in a circle and served as though they were royalty. Never had they received such a welcome and been treated with such honour. It was all about them and we, the ones who were so used to having the good things and being served, tasted the joy of turning the tables for an afternoon, serving without any anticipation of a return invitation.

The food disappeared at lightning speed – some enjoyed up to three and four helpings of delicious stew cooked over an open fire. Adults and children ate until they were ready to burst. Together with their meal came a simple gospel message told by a man whom God had rescued from the gutter and given another chance at life.

What a memorable day! At the end of it we were bone-weary, deliciously happy and filled with a deep sense of God’s pleasure. He was there and we felt it. We were smitten with a vision and experience which has never left us. Since that first banquet, which we dubbed our ‘kingdom extravaganza’, our church has held several more banquets and a party for the children of AIDS-infected and affected families.

‘Misfits from the other side of the tracks’ may be our opinion of the unfortunate ones who were not born with a silver spoon in their mouths, but to Jesus they are His brothers. To Mother Teresa who served the homeless and dying from the streets of Calcutta, they were ‘the face of Jesus in a disturbing disguise.’

Isn’t it time the church of the Lord Jesus climbed down off her high horse and put on the apron of servanthood and, like her Master, knelt down and washed feet instead of engaging in useless rituals which have nothing to do with the reason why Jesus came?

He said, ‘Follow me’, that’s all. We made up the rest.

Learning To Be A Son – Chapter Ten – The Father’s Blessing

Book Reviews, , , ,

LEARNING TO BE A SON

CHAPTER TEN

THE FATHER’S BLESSING

Unlike slaves who have no rights in the house, a son has a right to his father’s name, his father’s home and his father’s inheritance.  As children of God the Bible teaches us that we have these rights.

The Father’s name

It was Jesus’ mission to do two things – to reveal the Father and to take us to the Father. Jesus took pains to teach His disciples the true nature of the Father, both by what He said and by what He did. He was in constant conflict with the religious authorities because He insisted that the law of God was more about mercy than about rules.

In His high priestly prayer on the eve of His death, He assured the Father that He had revealed His name to His disciples – not the names by which He was known in the Old Covenant but by the name “Father” which was foreign to them because they did not understand the fatherhood of God.

Adam and Eve lost their rights by rebelling against God, and became slaves to fear through Satan’s deception. By His death Jesus would reconcile those who believe in Him to the Father and they would be “adopted” into His family as His beloved children, restoring to them everything they lost at the Fall and especially the fellowship He intended from the beginning.

His first message to His disciples through Mary after His resurrection was:

Go . . . to my brothers and tell them, “I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ (John 20:17b)

His death had brought about a new status. From God’s perspective they were now on a par with Jesus – He was not ashamed to call them brothers (He. 2: 10). Everything that Jesus was as a son was potentially theirs as well. The Father loved them just as He loved Jesus. They were given the Spirit of adoption, and the witness of the Spirit that they were children of God, as are all those who believe in Jesus.

Jesus not only told them about the Father; He also showed and taught them how to relate to the Father as His sons and daughters in loving submission and obedience. He gave them the right to use His name as their authority for approaching the Father. He revealed the nature of His Father enshrined in His name.

The Father’s house

It was the Father’s desire from the beginning of time to dwell with His people. Even when sin drove the first pair from God’s presence, He still desired to live among them. The tabernacle was His way of showing them His desire and at the same time, making it clear that they could not approach Him except through animal sacrifices. These were a picture of what He had promised – one who would crush the head of Satan and bring them back into fellowship with Himself.

The temple was the permanent structure in Jerusalem which took the place of the tabernacle for the same purpose. But even the temple was symbolic of something better. God cannot be contained in a building, but He has chosen to make His dwelling in the inner shrine of His human temples. All those who have been bought by the blood of Jesus are indwelt by the Holy Spirit.

Satan targets what is most precious to God – our fellowship with Him. Sin and all its spin-offs, independence and its fruit, i.e., making our own rules, cuts us off from fellowship with the Father.

But not only does He want to have continuous fellowship with us through the Holy Spirit, as sons our role is to “continue the house”. As His sons and daughters, it is our role both to reveal who He is and to bring others back into the household of God.

The Father’s inheritance

As the children of God we have a legal right to His inheritance. As co-heirs with Jesus we have an inheritance which is far superior to material things. Our inheritance comes to us through what God has promised (Heb. 6:12; 2 Cor. 1: 20). What had God promised? He has promised that we become partakers of His divine nature (2 Pet. 1: 3-4)

The problem is that the earth and all mankind have been corrupted by sin. God is untainted by corruption and He cannot have fellowship with that which is corrupt. God took care of the problem by sending His Son to deal with our sin and to restore His nature in us so that we can escape the corruption that is in the world. Just as Adam passed on his corrupted nature to every generation, Jesus has restored His nature in all who believe His promises, the perfect nature of the Father which He refines and purifies in us through the discipline of hardship and suffering (Heb. 12: 10)

The inheritance is already ours because the testator, Jesus has already died. It is our responsibility to make the promises of God ours through faith and patience, not what we want to make our lives cushy and comfortable, but to form in us the fullness of God’s nature in the likeness of His Son.

He calls us to leave the world and it corrupting influences and be separated to God. He has promised to dwell with us and to be our Father and we will be His sons and daughters                                                                      (2 Cor. 6: 16-7:1).

The Father’s nature

God is holy love. He is separated from everything that has been corrupted by sin. As His children, He insists that we be separated from sin to Himself. God is generous. He requires that we show who He us by our generosity, not only with our resources but with our attitudes.

The manifestation of God’s sons

Sin corrupted the whole universe which is waiting in pain for the manifestation of the sons of God (Rom 8: 19-21). This will be the sign that everything will be restored, including the heavens and the earth. Jesus’ return will be the cue for the restoration of all of creation and the final judgement of the rebellious angels who followed Satan. They will be condemned when God is vindicated.

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.

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), 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 ?

 

 

 

 

.

Jesus Did Not Say That Wealth Is A Sign Of God’s Blessing

Apologetics, , ,

JESUS DID NOT SAY THAT WEALTH IS A SIGN OF GOD’S BLESSING

In fact, He told His disciples exactly the opposite. From where, then, does the idea come that being wealthy and being blessed are synonymous?

This was the dilemma that Job struggled with when his wealth and possessions were ripped from him in one day. What did God have against him that he was stripped of everything, even his children, and finally even his health? He was not aware of the dialogue that had taken place behind the scenes between God and Satan, in which Satan accused Job of being opportunistic in his relationship with God.

“Strip him to the bone,” he sneered, “and see what he will do then.” Satan accused Job of the worst possible motive for worshipping God – selfishness, what he could get out of it. Would Job still honour and worship God if He took away all his material blessings? In two encounters with Satan, God replied, “Try him, and you’ll see that his love for me is genuine.”

Satan did just that; he stripped Job of everything. Even Job’s wife turned against him. He was reduced to a pathetic shadow of himself, sitting on the ash heap and utterly miserable, bereft even of the fellowship he had with God. His friends accused him of secret sin which Job vehemently denied. His dilemma was clear – he thought that his prosperity was the evidence of God’s favour on him, according to the philosophy of the day; it was stripped from him when he had done nothing wrong. Why? And God refused to speak to him.

In spite of God’s eventual response to Job’s questions, the philosophy still persists in the church today, and especially among the pastors and preachers who build the superstructure of their lives on the same erroneous supposition – and boast about it – that their wealth and acquisitions are the sign of God’s favour.

What did Jesus have to say about the matter?

On one occasion, a rich man approached Him with a question. “What one thing must I do to be assured of eternal life?” He believed he was “righteous” because he claimed to have kept all the commandments from his youth. But he was aware there was still something missing. He had the idea that he could secure his entrance into eternal life by doing one good deed that would earn him God’s acceptance once and for all.

He sounds like so many today who are offered eternal life if they “accept Jesus as their personal Saviour” or answer an “altar call” or even sign a “decision card”. What they are actually wanting is an insurance policy so that they can get into heaven when they die. They can go on living as they like right now because they “have” eternal life as though it were a product they could keep in their pocket to produce like a passport to get into heaven.

Jesus’ response was unnerving, to say the least. “Get rid of the very thing you consider to be the evidence of God’s favour – your money.” But why should he do that? How could he repudiate the reason for his confidence in God? The disciples were baffled when Jesus commented that it was hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God. That was not what they were taught and what they believed. After all, wasn’t their ancient ancestor Abraham a very wealthy man, and he was called a friend of God?

Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, ‘Who then can be saved?’ Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’ (Matt 19: 23-26)

What was the core of Jesus’ response to the young man’s question? “Get rid of your money because it stands between you and me!” It was not his money that was the problem. It was what he did with it that showed where his heart was.

Money in and of itself is amoral. What we do with our money is evidence of who we really love. Jesus taught His disciples a very important lesson.

No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. (Matt. 6: 24).

Jesus used a rabbinic teaching method called a “chiasm”. The central thought is flanked, in this chiasm, by a supporting thought which leads up to and away from the main idea. The main idea in this teaching is not that it is impossible to serve two masters at the same time but that you will serve the master you love.

The rich man in this incident showed clearly by his response that he loved his money more than God because he refused to use his money to serve God by sharing his wealth with the needy. Generosity with his money and possessions would have shown Jesus where his allegiance lay. Zacchaeus had acquired his wealth through dishonesty but, when he met Jesus his heart was so transformed that he willing let go of his money for the privilege of following Jesus. Not this man!

When a preacher of the gospel claims that his wealth, which is often milked from his congregation or TV viewers through guilt, is the evidence of God’s blessing when he uses it to acquire things and live in luxury through it, he has got it all wrong. The Apostle Paul had a serious warning for those who used the gospel to run after money:

If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. (1 Tim. 6: 3-10)

He had serious counsel for wealthy believers:

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant or to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. (1 Tim. 6: 17-19)

How important that we be careful of those who preach “prosperity” as a cover-up for their own greed. The way we handle our money is the ultimate test of who we really love.

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.

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 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), 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.

To order your 0wn copy of either book, contact

Toll free – 0800 990 914 (South Africa)

orders.africa@partridgepublishing.com

www.partridgepublishing.com/africa  or

+44 20 314 3997 (outside South Africa)

ISBN: Hardcover – 978-1-4828-0891-9                                                                                     Softcover 978-1-4828-0890-2                                                                                                              eBook 978-1-4828-0889-6

Check out my Blog site – www.learningtobeason.wordpress.com

 

 

 

The Way Of The Master

Bible Study, , ,

THE WAY OF THE MASTER

Finally, all of you be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.

For, ‘Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech. They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.’ (1 Peter 3: 8-12)

Peter, you have learned your lessons well! Peter’s thoughts and counsel are thoroughly Hebrew and steeped in the Old Testament Scriptures.

If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. In doing this you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you. (Prov. 25:21)

Lesson number one – be generous, not vindictive, towards your enemy.

The Old Testament principle was called “heaping burning coals” which, in Hebrew culture was not a form of retribution – quite the opposite. In those times, everything was carried on the head, as many African people do today. They learned to do it with perfect balance, leaving the hands free to do other things. If a woman carried an empty brazier on her head, she had not means to cook or warm her house. It would be an act of generosity to heap burning coals into her empty brazier; it would mean warmth, food and almost life itself for her in her need.

Lesson number two – do the right thing and you will receive a supernatural blessing.

Peter said, ‘Repay evil with blessing.’ What does he mean? There are two words for blessing in Hebrew: baruch, which is the supernatural blessing of God, and asher, which is the blessing of which Jesus spoke in Matt. 5 – the sense of peace and well-being that comes from making the right choices and doing the right thing.

In this situation, when people treat you as an enemy: with contempt, disdain or worse – insult, abuse or physical violence – the right thing to do is to do something positive in response so that you do not compound their sin with your own.

What lies behind the attitude of non-retaliation that expresses the kingdom way of living, a passage which Peter quoted in part? David gives us the answer in Psalm 34:11-14:

Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies. Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

Our motivation for doing the right thing should always be the fear of the Lord. That does not mean being afraid of punishment if we do the wrong thing. It means, very simple terms, taking God seriously. To fear the Lord is to have such reverence and respect for Him that we obey Him without question because He is God and because we cannot escape or hide from Him. He knows everything about us including our thoughts and motives.

Said Solomon after exhaustively exploring the meaning of life:

Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil. (Eccl. 12: 13, 14)

On the authority of Scripture, Peter told his readers that the right thing to under injustice and cruelty is to respond with kindness and generosity because that was the right thing to do. It is evidence that the child of God sincerely fears Him by living according to the standards and principles of the kingdom. God will respond with supernatural favour.

This is the way of the Master and evidence that we fear the Lord.

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.