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LUKE’S GOSPEL…BE FAITHFUL – 33

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“Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak…You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭12‬:‭35‬-‭38‬, ‭40‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus often taught his disciples to be ready for His return. What did He mean by “be ready”? 

Some people think that to be ready means to prepare for a siege…clothes packed, provisions gathered, in a safe place somewhere in the mountains! 

When we read Jesus’ story, being ready is not about being equipped to face what might happen. It’s about getting on with the job at hand. “Faithfulness” is the operative word. His coming, whenever it happens, must interrupt us while we are busy doing our duties. We are not to sit down and wait for His coming. We are to carry on with the work He has given to do, that is, taking care of His household, whatever form that may take. 

Jesus honours faithfulness. He often spoke of faithfulness as being what pleases God. The Greek word “pistis” and its Hebrew counterpart, “emunah”, can mean fidelity, steadfastness, reliability, and in the context of Hebrews 11…illustrating verse 1…

“Now faith(fulness) is (evidence of the) confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭11‬:‭1‬ ‭NIV‬‬

…faithfulness under pressure was what commended the ancients.   

“Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭24‬:‭12‬-‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For, “In just a little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay.” And, “But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭10‬:‭36‬-‭38‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭11‬:‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Faith can either mean adherence to a creed or constancy in relation to the truth of the creed. When we believe what God says and live faithfully by what He says no matter what pressures our faithfulness encounters, God is pleased and rewards our faithfulness. 

Consider Jesus’ parable about the talents. 

“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey… “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭25‬:‭14‬-‭15‬, ‭19‬-‭21‬ ‭NIV‬‬

It was not the amount of money the first two servants gained that the master applauded. It was their faithfulness to use what he had entrusted to them to gain more. 

When we are faithfully doing whatever Jesus has given us to do in taking care of His household, it does not matter what time of the day or night He returns. We will be ready to receive Him and joyfully to hand over to Him what we have done. 

Serving God’s people takes many forms. Jesus assigns us tasks in keeping with the gifts and talents He has given us. No task is greater or more important than another because, together, we form the team that fulfils the task. If one person fails, some needs remain unmet. How important, then, that each member of the family does and sticks faithfully to his/her own task. 

“The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭12‬:‭42‬-‭43‬ ‭NIV‬‬

When Jesus returns, will He find you, me, ready to give an account because we have been hard at work to ensure that our part of the task He has assigned us is done faithfully?

To be continued…

WHAT IS “FAITHFULNESS”?-1

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We don’t have to look very far for an example of supreme faithfulness that sets the standard and the tone for what the Lord requires of His children…God Himself is faithful.

As always, who God is and what He does is the foundation of our response to Him. If He requires faithfulness in His children, He is first faithful to us in specific ways as God.

First, God is faithful to Himself…to His character and His ways. He is predictable when it comes to who He is. God is holy/love. This means that He fits perfectly and always, in His Words and works, into these two absolute qualities. Whatever He says and does matches who He is.

He is holy meaning, first, that He is absolutely separate from sin and, second, He is always consistent with who He is. He will never deviate from His perfect purity and He will never act out of character.

Moses’ encounter with the pre-incarnste Jesus at the burning bush gave him opportunity to ask Him His name. Why was this significant? In Biblical thought, a name is “a prophetic utterance of character”, (so I learned). Babies were often named according to the circumstances of their birth and/or in anticipation of who they would become.

So, Moses asked for much more than the title, the name by which the Deity he met would be known. He wanted to know who this God really was.

The reply was enigmatic, yet explanatory at the same time, YHWH in Hebrew, implies the absolute certainty of His being. In three tenses, Jesus was saying, “I am who I am,”, ” I was who I was,”, and “I will be who I will be!” This simple name was much more than a handle. It was a guarantee that He would never change. He would always be faithful to Himself in nature and function.

Scripture endorses the significance of that name in all the stories and records of His dealings with humans, both His own people, and the nations surrounding them. Whether He dealt with them in mercy or judgment, He was faithful to His name. Some people even added to that name a hyphenated description of who He was to them in their experience, for example, to Abraham Yahweh became YHWH-JIREH, Yahweh who provides. To Moses and the Israelites, He was YHWH-NISSI, Yahweh our banner, etc.

Hebrews 13:8 NIV
[8] “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

2 Timothy 2:13 NLT
[13] “If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny who he is.”

What security in the assurance that God is not influenced by our circumstances. He will always be faithful to Himself…the God who is holy love.

Second, God is faithful to His Word. Again, I learned that God’s Word is “the manifestation of Himself in another form”. How true this is in the incarnation of Jesus! He came to earth as God’s Word in person.

John 1:14 NLT
[14] “So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.”

Jesus not only spoke God’s Word. He WAS the Word. He declared two fundamental truths about the Word…

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

John 14:6 NLT
[6] “Jesus told him, “I am the way, the TRUTH, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”

So, Jesus was and is God’s final and complete message to the world and perfectly consistent with who He is…

Hebrews 1:1-2 NLT
[1] “Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. [2] And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe.”

Third, Jesus was faithful to His calling.

Hebrews 3:1-2 NLT
[1]”And so, dear brothers and sisters who belong to God and are partners with those called to heaven, think carefully about this Jesus whom we declare to be God’s messenger and High Priest. [2] For he was faithful to God, who appointed him, just as Moses served faithfully when he was entrusted with God’s entire house.”

Jesus lived for and obeyed the Father even to the cruel death He suffered on the cross.

Psalms 40:6-10 NLT
[6]”You take no delight in sacrifices or offerings. Now that you have made me listen, I finally understand— you don’t require burnt offerings or sin offerings. [7] Then I said, “Look, I have come. As is written about me in the Scriptures: [8] I take joy in doing your will, my God, for your instructions are written on my heart…”

Part of Messiah’s role on earth was to reveal the true nature of the Father.

“…[9] I have told all your people about your justice. I have not been afraid to speak out, as you, O Lord, well know. [10] I have not kept the good news of your justice hidden in my heart; I have talked about your faithfulness and saving power. I have told everyone in the great assembly of your unfailing love and faithfulness.”

So, He did the Father’s will…

Philippians 2:7-8 NLT
[7]” Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, [8] he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.”

Fourth, Jesus, the Son of God, is faithful to His “house”.

Hebrews 3:5-6 NIV
[5] “Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house,” bearing witness to what would be spoken by God in the future. [6] But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory.”

Jesus is head of the church, His house or household of redeemed people. He is in charge of all things, i.e.,

Ephesians 1:22-23 NLT
[22]”God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. [23] And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.”

He loves, leads, and serves the church as His bride-to-be in preparation for and inticipation of His return.

Ephesians 5:25-27 NIV
[25]”…Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her [26] to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, [27] and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.”

Fifth, Jesus is faithful to His promises.

2 Corinthians 1:19-20 NLT
[19]” For Jesus Christ, the Son of God, does not waver between “Yes” and “No.” He is the one whom Silas, Timothy, and I preached to you, and as God’s ultimate “Yes,” he always does what he says. [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.”

Jesus’ faithfulness…to Himself, His calling, His work, His people, and His promises…forms the solid foundation for His requirement of faithfulness to Him in all the facets of our lives and service.

“What a celebration of who you are, Jesus, what you have done, and what you are doing as God-made-flesh so that we can become replicas of who you are! Every detail of my faithfulness to you, tattered and shredded as it is because of who I am, is a glad celebration of You, or not at all!”

THE CYCLE OF GOD’S GRACE

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All sin is the fruit of unbelief. However, for God to judge sin and punish sinners, unbelief must be confirmed by sinful behaviour. So, I ask the question, “Why is sinful behaviour increasing on the earth, as Paul predicted? Is God preparing the ungodly for the day of judgment when the full extent of sin in the hearts of sinners will exposed, and God’s justice will be vindicated?”

Where does God’s mercy fit into His dealings with humans?

Throughout the Bible, it is clear that God chose Israel to be His special people. Above all other nations, Israel belonged to God and is still His treasured possession. He set up a legally binding covenant with them in which He gave detailed instructions for them to obey as their part of the agreement.

Israel was not left in doubt about the way God would treat them if they failed to observe the terms of His covenant. Yet, despite the ministry of His prophets throughout their history, Israel persistently rebelled against the Lord, defied His instructions, and paid the price for their disobedience.

God chose to prepare Israel to bring His Messiah to earth through them. He gave them the Promised Land as their eternal possession, from where Jesus will rule when He returns to redeem the earth and to set up His kingdom.

No other nation on earth has ever received God’s promises of restoration as Israel has received despite their unfaithfulness. Every prophecy of judgment against God’s people is concluded with a promise of return to their own land and renewal of their relationship with God and the destruction of their enemies.

Why is God so adamant about restoring His people despite their rejection of His covenant? Many thousands of Jews have perished at the hands of their enemies but God has always preserved a remnant for Himself.

The answer… His covenant with Abraham which overrides all other covenants and was fulfilled by the coming of Jesus. Not only did God set up a covenant with Abraham’s physical descendants but also with Abraham’s descendants through faith in Jesus.

‭Galatians‬ ‭3:26‬ ‭NLT‬
[26] “For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus…
[29] And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and the promise to Abraham belongs to you.”

Even the covenant God made with Israel at Mount Sinai has an expiry date.

‭Hebrews‬ ‭8:7‭-‬8‬ ‭NLT‬
[7]” If the first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no need for a second covenant to replace it. [8] But when God found fault with the people, he said: “The day is coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah….
[13] When God speaks of a “new” covenant, it means he has made the first one obsolete. It is now out of date and will soon disappear.”

So, for all who have faith in Jesus, there is a cycle of grace into which we have entered, which guarantees our eternal salvation if we remain faithful to the one who bought us with His own blood. Yes, God rescued His covenant people from extermination and extinction over and over again as His enemies were determined to wipe Israel from the earth – the Egyptians, the Amalekites, the Philistines, the Assyrians, the Babylonians, Haman the Agagite, Hitler, and even Hamas in the current war against Israel… but God! His promise still stands.

How much more, then, will He keep His promise to those who have been saved by His grace through Jesus. The world hates God’s people, Jews and Christians of every tribe and language. The world would love to wipe us out.
But God…

He has promised an eternal home with Him to all who have entered His rest in by faith in Jesus. His favour is a shield of protection around us. Whatever the circumstances of our lives, good or bad, He is working for our good to recreate us to be like Jesus.

So, take heart, dear family of God. You are safe in the circle of God’s favour, now and forever, as you hold fast, faithful and steadfast, to your Lord, and remain in union with Him. Israel’s story will always remind us that God is who He says He is, and always does what He says He will do. Judgment or salvation? God is faithful.

IMITATORS OF JESUS!

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IMITATORS OF JESUS!

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practise hospitality.

“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.”  Romans 12:12-15.

This is where the rubber meets the road!

How should this magnificent salvation, which God thought up and brought about through Jesus, make a difference in the daily lives of those who believe in Him?  God told the Israelites what He expected of them after He rescued them from slavery in Egypt. Because of what He had done for them, He wanted them to be kind to one another and He spelled it out in the details of their everyday lives.

In the same way, Paul described the ways in which the followers of Jesus should respond to the ups and downs of life. God has rescued us from slavery to sin, a far worse kind of slavery than bondage to another person because it destroys the soul from the inside.

In response to God’s mercy, our first response is to give Him our bodies and our minds, allowing His Spirit, through His word, to change us by changing the way we think. We are no longer in competition with one another, but free to become who we are, and to grow our gifts through serving one another. In the atmosphere and bond of love, we can take our rightful places in Christ’s body, living and working together in harmony, showing the people in the world around us what God is like.

We need zeal and fervour – passion – to energise us, motivated by Jesus’s love for us and loving Him in return. Whatever we do for others, we do for Him. Our passion will grow as we keep gazing at Him, learning to interpret life’s experiences, good and bad, from His perspective, “seeing Him who is invisible.” Hebrews 11:27.

We have three groups of people to whom we relate – ourselves, our brothers and sisters in the church and the people around us in the world.

First of all we need to bring our own hearts into line with the Holy Spirit in us. When we allow Him to lead us. He will teach us how to respond to the difficult situations that arise in our lives as well as to the needs of other people, those in His family and even those who abuse us because we follow Jesus.

Since we are part of a family of God’s sons and daughters, we belong to each other. This means that we do life together and are part of each other in our ups and downs. Our resources do not belong exclusively to us. They are for us to share with any family member who falls on hard times. In this way, our generosity helps to maintain equality in the family and keeps the resources circulating.

Then we must get away from the idea that it does not matter how we treat unbelievers because they are enemies and not “of us”. It matters very much because we are the windows through which they see Jesus. Remember that, when His enemies were killing Him, Jesus said, “They don’t know what they are doing.” Don’t call down curses. Do the right thing – bless them and pray for them. You can go even further than that. You can come alongside them and identify with them in their joy and sorrow.

In order to relate properly to our brothers and sisters and to outsiders, we need first of all to bring our own spirits into submission to Jesus. Instead of complaining about every little thing that goes wrong, build a picture in your imagination of how it will all be when Jesus returns. Then celebrate! It will be a million times better than that!

However, you need to keep your feet on the ground. Jesus warned that “stuff” will happen. Don’t blame the devil. He started it but God is still in charge. He’s busy reshaping you through the difficult times to look like His Son. This means that He wants you to learn to respond as Jesus did when life throws bad things at you. Instead of whining and moaning, and “taking authority over the devil”, keep in touch with God. You’ll be amazed at what He is up to!

What about the way we treat our church “family”? Paul said, “Be like your Father – generous. You’ll never be a loser if your do.” The more you share, the more will come back to you. That’s how it is with God. Have an open house and an open heart.

Paul put it like this: “Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are His dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered Himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.” Ephesians 5:1 (New Living Translation).

Acknowledgement

Honesty Is The Key

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HONESTY IS THE KEY

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His word is not in us. (1John 1: 8-10)

I had a recent experience when this Scripture came home to me very vividly. I was in a group of believers and told a story which contained a lie. It came out so unexpectedly that I was caught out and could not wriggle out of it without great embarrassment. On reflection I tried to tell myself that it was nothing and that it didn’t matter, but I could not shake it off my conscience.

This passage of Scripture came repeatedly to my mind. It was not the content of the story that mattered but the fact that I had embellished it with a lie that bothered me. Not even confession to the Lord and taking responsibility for what I had done would give me peace. I knew that I had to own what I had done to a trusted fellow believer.

I am very close to my pastor and I chose to write a letter of confession rather than speak to him because I am able to express myself more freely in a letter. His response was kind and gracious. He said something like this: “Don’t you just love the Holy Spirit? He so gently does everything He can to protect our fellowship with the Father.” That’s it, my dear readers! And the moment I received his message and knew that I had acknowledged my sin to another person, God’s peace once again flooded my heart.

How difficult it is for us to face our sin and own it! Why are we so reticent to acknowledge what we have done when we leave the path of God’s Word and go our own way? John said that we deceive ourselves. Self-deception is just as damaging as Satan’s lies because they have the same source – the devil; and his intention is to disturb our fellowship with the Father and keep us away from enjoying our union with Him.

From God’s perspective, it is not our sin that is the problem – He has taken care of that through the death of His Son. It’s our unwillingness to own it and to come clean with Him. Why do we keep lying to ourselves and to God when we know that He knows our deepest and most intimate thoughts and actions? Pride keeps us from being honest with ourselves and God and robs us of the fellowship we could and should enjoy with Him.

He did everything possible to restore us to Himself so that we could return to the state of innocence and righteousness that Adam and Eve enjoyed before they chose their way above His. It cost Jesus His life to bring us back to the Father. Why do we forfeit the honour of closeness to Him just because we won’t acknowledge that we have sinned?

God is not demanding that we drag up everything we have done since birth. That’s not the issue although some people tag the same refrain onto their prayers over and over again, “And forgive my sins,” as a blanket statement just in case they have forgotten something that God might be holding against them.  Have they forgotten that God has cleaned the record, once for all?

John’s first chapter is about fellowship. What is it that gives us the confidence that we can have fellowship with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ; and what disturbs our fellowship with Him?

We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ. 1 John 1: 3

Did you get that? We have fellowship with one another and with the Father and the Son because we know and believe the truth about Jesus. What disturbs our fellowship with one another and with God? Not our sin but our dishonesty. We are still in the flesh and in a fallen world. Sin will still be a part of us until we shed this body and depart for the realm where we are no longer subject to sin.

The Holy Spirit does not convict us of sin; He convicts us of righteousness (John 16: 8-10). He holds up God’s standard of righteousness so that we can come back into line with God’s Word. When we are honest enough to take responsibility for our sin, He responds by washing away our unrighteousness and restoring our fellowship with the Father.

Isn’t that worth a little bit of humility?

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.

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