Tag Archives: God’s Word

PUT ON THE WHOLE ARMOUR OF GOD – 3

Christian Life, ,

Ephesians 6:13-14 NLT
[13] “Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. [14] Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.”

The belt of truth…this is the most significant piece of armour to which every other piece is attached, holding each piece in place and protecting every vital part of our person from attack.

Unless we know, and believe the truth of the gospel, we have no protection against the devil’s subtle and convincing lies. Satan’s design is to cast doubt on what God has said and done in us, and to undermine our faith in His character, His faithfulness and reliability.

So, what God has said about righteousness, salvation, and all the benefits of Jesus’ death are written in His Word, and His Word in its entirety, is truth.

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

It’s only through God’s Word that we can be saved, made holy, and be protected from Satan’s onslaughts. Without God’s Word, we have nothing to keep us from falling away.

How can we “put on” the belt of truth? To put on means to wear as we would put on and wear our clothing. Wearing implies keeping the garment on to cover our nakedness and vulnerability.

We can only “wear” the belt of truth if we make it a permanent part of our spiritual clothing. Every day, we take off our used clothes, and put on fresh garments. So, we need, constantly, to “take off” and discard our old ways of thinking by replacing them with God’s truth.

Romans 12:2 NLT
[2] “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

Learning to think differently requires much more than reading the Bible. We must “put on” those qualities of which the Bible speaks.

We must read, then think about what we have read until we believe what God has said and act accordingly.

Colossians 3:2-3 NLT
[2] “Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.
[3] “For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.”

Thinking, then, must lead to application. If we have died to our old way of thinking and have read and thought about our new life in Christ and the way He lived out His character as, rife perfect Son, we must do as He did. We must put on the ways in which the Bible teaches us to love one another.

We will slowly become what we think and believe as we practise putting on love.

Colossians 3:10, 12-15 NLT
[10] “Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.
[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.”

The outcome is amazing, the miracle of God’s nature slowly becoming part of us.

Now, the evidence of God’s nature in us is what Satan hates. He wants to lure us back into sin so that he can discredit God both to ourselves and to others.

God’s Word in us and practised in our thinking, behaviour and responses, will keep the other pieces of our armour in place. They will guard our vital organs by reminding us of the truths we believe, deflecting the lies that would lure us away from our safety in Christ Jesus. God’s truth must become so much a part of us that it will keep us in His will and out of harm’s way.

To be continued…

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“PROMISES ARE LIKE PIE CRUSTS…”

Christian Life, ,

… Made to be broken.” That’s, what my mother used to say.

‭Numbers‬ ‭32:23‬ ‭NLT‬
[23] “But if you fail to keep your word, then you will have sinned against the Lord, and you may be sure that your sin will find you out.”

How often this statement is misread; not “Be sure your sin will be found out,” but “Be sure your sin will FIND YOU OUT.”

In the statement “be sure your sin will find you out” is revealed the mystery of sin. The nature of sin is such that, whether or not others discover your sin, your sin will “discover you.” You cannot run from sin’s consequences. Sin carries within itself the power to pay the sinner back, and sin’s payback is hell. Don’t even think about toying with sin. It cannot be tamed, outrun, or shaken off. No matter how safe you think you are, if you are a sinner, your sin will find you out. Your heart will be exposed for what it is.

‭Jeremiah‬ ‭17:9‭-‬10‬ ‭NLT‬
[9] “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? [10] But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.”

Moses’ warning to the tribes of Israel, in our verse, “be sure your sin will find you out,” is echoed by Paul: “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life” (Galatians 6:7–8). In the context, when we fail to support those who teach us God’s word, our selfish “flesh” will reap its fruit, like the law of the harvest.

The only way to escape sin’s consequences is to be forgiven by faith in the death and resurrection of Christ (Romans 10:9; 1 John 2:2; Revelation 1:5) and to receive a new heart and a new spirit.

‭Ezekiel‬ ‭36:26‬ ‭NLT‬
[26] “And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.”

The context of our verse puts a specific sin into perspective. Two tribes, Reuben and Gad, requested territory on the east side of the Jordan River, during their conquest of the Promised Land. Moses interpreted their request as a way of dodging their obligation to fight alongside the rest of the tribes to take possession of their inheritance.

The leaders of these two tribes promised Moses that they would fight once their families were settled in the land they requested.

Reassured by their promise, Moses gave them what they wanted but warned them of the consequences, should they fail to keep their promise. In this context, he said,

“… You may be sure that your sin will find you out.”

Two principles emerge from this warning.

  1. Broken promises expose a sinful heart.
  2. Broken promises are sin against God.

Why is it so important to God that we honour our word? What God says is precious.

‭Psalms‬ ‭19:7‭-‬11‬ ‭NIV‬
[7]”The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. [8] The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. [9] The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous. [10] They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb. [11] By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward.”

‭Psalms‬ ‭138:2‬ ‭NLT‬
[2]”I bow before your holy Temple as I worship. I praise your name for your unfailing love and faithfulness; for your promises are backed by all the honor of your name.”

God’s word is everything to God and to us. He works through His word.

‭Psalms‬ ‭33:6‬ ‭NLT‬
[6] “The Lord merely spoke, and the heavens were created. He breathed the word, and all the stars were born.”

‭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.

God Himself came in the person of the Son to be the living Word.

‭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.

Since God cannot lie and since His word is His bond, we can trust Him to do what He promised.

‭Numbers‬ ‭23:19‬ ‭NLT‬
[19] “God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?”

Therefore, when we make promises we have no intention of keeping or for some reason we cannot or do not keep , we are lying. As God’s children, we are to live in keeping with His character and grow in our likeness to our Creator.

‭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.”

So, Jesus said,

Matthew‬ ‭5:37‬ ‭NLT‬
[37] “Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one.”

We need to be careful of what we say and what promises we make because there is no room in God’s kingdom for liars.

‭Revelation‬ ‭22:14‭-‬15‬ ‭NLT‬
[14] “Blessed are those who wash their robes. They will be permitted to enter through the gates of the city and eat the fruit from the tree of life. [15] Outside the city are the dogs—the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idol worshipers, and all who love to live a lie.”

THE KINGDOM OF “PAY IT FORWARD”

Christian Life, ,

THE KINGDOM OF “PAY IT FORWARD”

Many of you have watched the movie “Pay it Forward” and were moved by the idea and the sacrifice Trevor made to carry out the idea that cost him his life.

Did you know that “pay it forward” is built into the very fabric of our lives as believers in Jesus?

God’s people in the Old Covenant were constantly reminded to show their gratitude to God by ‘paying it forward” to their fellow Israelites and the strangers within their borders in response to God’s mercy to them.

Jesus confirmed the same principle in the New Covenant when He gave His “new commandment” to His disciples shortly before His death. “Love one another as I have loved you.”

However, it must not stop there.

God’s love is a giving love. He gave us Jesus and, with Him, everything we need for this life and the next. We show our love and gratitude to Him when we “pay it forward” by taking care of the needs of His children.

Let me share a testimony with you. As the Holy Spirit began to impress on me the responsibility of being a faithful steward of God’s goodness to me, He identified a little family that was in great need of help. I began to give towards the support of a precious little girl whom a dear granny had been given to care for and raise.

The family went through very difficult times during lockdown. By God’s grace, I continued to have enough and to share. We limped through the hard times and, when lockdown was eased, a new opportunity opened up for this loving granny, together with a new home and a lifting of the financial burden.

I wa delighted, when I received confirmation of my latest contribution, that this “pay it forward” principle is now a part of their lives as they share their blessing with another family in need. This news made me even more determined to continue my support because it frees them up to help another family by paying it forward.

“Paying it forward” sets up a current that keeps God’s provision flowing and opens the way for more of His goodness to come back to us so that we can continue to share our resources with others.

So, no matter how tough life is at times, we always have something for which to be thankful. As we express our gratitude to God in tangible ways, the current of God’s goodness will carry on and will also come back to us and enable us to keep that current flowing.

Apart from our tangible gifts to bless others, what is the greatest treasure we can share that costs us nothing in rands and cents but cannot be measured in terms of eternal value? God’s Word is that treasure and the insights the Holy Spirit gives us to put that Word into practice.

God’s Word is a seed. As we give it away, it takes root and bears fruit in the good soil of those who believe. What greater blessing can we impart as, we “pay” God’s Word “forward” and nourish the souls of those around us!

Did You Know (7)

Apologetics, , , , ,

DID YOU KNOW (7)

…That God always works through His Word.

According to Hebrew thought, God’s Word is a manifestation of Himself in another form. God and His Word are inseparable. He reveals Himself to us through what He has said and what He did and does. However, we cannot know or understands His works unless He reveals their meaning to us through His Word. There is ample evidence in Scripture that God’s Word is the vehicle of revelation and that He accomplishes His will through His Word. When He speaks, it is done.

When Jeremiah was still a child, God called him to be a prophet to the nations. Jeremiah was appalled at the prospect and remonstrated with Him until God explained to him that He selected him for the job while he was still in his mother’s womb. Jeremiah could not fail because God had spoken and He would ensure that His Word would come to pass.

“Ah, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.”

But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’” …Then the Lord reached out His hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I have appointed you over the nations and kingdoms…I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled.” (Jer. 1:1-12).

God called the universe into being through His word and reconstituted it as He wanted it after the chaos the devil caused on the earth by his presence.

David recognised the purpose and value of God’s Word. Although he did not have the complete Bible as we have it today, he had enough to know that God had spoken; through the recorded history of his people, he already had an understanding of the ways of God. He longed to know more and prayed a simple, yet profound prayer that God would teach him His way.

Teach me you way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart that I may fear your name (Psa. 86:11).

The anonymous psalmist of Psalm 119 expressed his love for and confidence in God’s word to be the all-round guide, instructor and protector of his life as long as he adhered to and obeyed what it said. Like a lamp that shone on the path and a light that lit up the way ahead, God’s Word was all he needed to keep him heading in the right direction to find his way home.

The Apostle John took up the theme and shone the full light of revelation on Jesus whom he recognised as God’s Word, clothed in flesh, filled with the glory of God’s truth, who came to live among us that we might fully understand God’s message to the world.

The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son who came from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14).

Jesus was not only God’s Word expressed in human form; He was also the speaking Word of God. Everything He did was the expression of God’s Word and will.

For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it. I know that His command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say (John 12:49-50).

God’s Word has the power to accomplish many things:

  1. God’s Word always accomplishes what He sent it to do – Isaiah 55:10-11.
  2. God’s Word heals – Psalm 107:20.
  3. God’s Word exposes the thoughts and intentions of the heart – Hebrews 4:12.
  4. God’s Word produces fruit when it falls into good soil – Mark 4:20.
  5. God’s Word lights our path – Psalm 119:105
  6. God’s Word is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness – 2 Tim. 3:16.
  7. God’s Word is a powerful weapon against the devil’s lies – Ephesians 6:17.
  8. God’s Word protects us from sin – Psalm 119:11.
  9. God’s Word keeps us pure – Psalm 119:9.
  10. God’s Word produces faith – Romans 10:17…

…and many more.

When we fill our minds and hearts with God’s Word, we have all the equipment we need for living godly lives, pleasing the Father and enjoying all the benefits of eternal life.

Scripture is 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

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Outsiders In – Insiders Out

Bible Study, , ,

OUTSIDERS IN – INSIDERS OUT

“Paul and Barnabas didn’t back down. Standing their ground they said, “It is required that the Word of God be spoken first of all to you, the Jews. But seeing that you want no part of it — you’ve made it clear that you have no taste or inclination for eternal life — the door is open to all the outsiders. And we’re on our way through it, following orders, doing what God commanded when He said,

‘I’ve set you up as alight to all nations. You’ll proclaim salvation to the four winds and seven seas!’

“When the outsiders heard this they could hardly believe their good fortune. All who were marked out for real life put their trust in God — they honoured God’s Word by receiving that life. And this Message of salvation spread like wildfire all through the region.” Acts 13:46-48 (The Message).

What is this thing called “God’s Word”? According to ancient rabbinic teaching, God’s Word is a manifestation of Himself in another form. This means that what God says is who He is in words that humans can understand. His Word, therefore, carries the same authority as God Himself.

Unlike humans who can say one thing and be something else, God’s Word cannot contradict Him and therefore what He says is what He is. He cannot lie because He cannot say anything contrary to who He is. That makes God’s Word reliable, trustworthy and unchangeable and allows us to understand what He requires because He has made His will known to us through the medium of language.

Paul and Barnabas were dealing with two groups of people. The Jews who were God’s covenant people were custodians of God’s Word entrusted to them in a covenant relationship sealed with blood. The Gentiles were associated with the Jewish religion but were considered “outsiders” because they had no claim to the covenant or the promises of God.

Written into the Old Covenant was the promise that the time would come when Messiah would open the door to Gentiles to have a share in the covenant and in the blessings promised to Abraham. Because of Jewish prejudice, this group of Jews and many others that Paul encountered on his journeys, refused to honour God’s Word by believing the message and receiving their Messiah. They pooh-poohed Paul’s teaching and turned violently against him with full intention of killing him.

The Gentiles, on the other hand, gladly received their message and honoured God’s Word by believing the truth and entering into all the benefits of this new life. Part of the Jewish resistance to the message must surely have been their refusal to accept that Gentiles could share in this salvation on equal terms with them.

When Paul announced that, because of their persistent rejection of the good news he was proclaiming, he would no longer waste his time preaching to deaf ears, and offering God’s gift of salvation to people who had no desire for it, they went ballistic. How dare he take what they thought was exclusively theirs and give it away freely to the despised “outsiders”!

But that is exactly what God intended them to do from the beginning and which they failed to do because they did not honour God’s Word themselves and they thought that they were better than everyone else. Instead of embracing God’s grace and gladly sharing it with anyone who would believe, they shut themselves out of the new covenant and all the blessing promised to them through their revered ancestor, Abraham.

God’s Word gives us glimpses into His big heart. When we take what He says seriously and act on it, we both honour Him and we also gain access to everything He has said. What fools we would be to pass that up in favour of our own paltry opinions!