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Revelation 4 depicts believers as the new divine council, “Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads...And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; For You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth” (Revelation 4:4; 5:9-10). It would seem that not only will believers replace the current divine council consisting of angelic ‘sons of God’, but we will also rule on earth during the Millennium, effectually replacing some of the ‘gods’/watcher angels who were placed over the nations, as recorded in Genesis.
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One day believers will judge the angels/elohim, some of whose roles we will be assuming as members of God’s Divine Council, “Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life!” (1 Corinthians 6:2-3). The Greek word for “judge,” krino, also means “to rule or govern.” This strongly implies that we will have authority over the holy angels, for they have no sin for which to be “judged” in the sense of “condemned.” Most likely, the meaning of this passage is that believers in heaven will take part in the judgment of the fallen angels and exercise some authority over the holy angels. Christ has been exalted above all the angels, and it seems reasonable that believers will share in His authority, including His authority over the angels.
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This Life is the training ground for future rulers and decision makers. Christ wants trained believers to be future rulers along with Him. He trains us through the agency of the Holy Spirit working inside of us individually and through the assembly of believers. Christ has provided gifted people to the assembly to help with this training; and He has also given each individual believer gift(s)--manifestations of the Holy Spirit--to aid in the perfection and edification of the body. The goal is maturity in Christ, “We proclaim Him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ” (Colossians 1:28).
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The Bible makes reference to believers receiving rewards according to their faithfulness. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil” (2 Corinthians 5:10). Though we tend to view rewards as something we can hold in our hand--like a literal crown--the biblical perspective of rewards has to do with a change in position: either being elevated or demoted; receiving more responsibility or having authority removed. We can have a peek of how this judgement is going to play out in Luke 19: 16-19. The faithful servants were given positions of responsibility and authority...not ‘stuff’! They were given a ‘place’--a position of honor and responsibility. Wicked, unfaithful servants, however, will be removed from service.
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In the book of Revelation, the word ‘place’ is used in the same way we might use the word ‘position’, “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent” (Revelation 2:5). The Greek word for ‘place’ is ‘topos’ #5117 which means “a place, region, seat; an opportunity”. Metaphorically: the condition or station held by one in any company or assembly: “filling the place of the uninstructed” (1 Corinthians 14:16); “the place in this ministry” (Acts 1:25), etc.
During the last days, after Satan and the fallen angels are kicked out of heaven, they will no longer have a place/position in heaven, “Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven” (Revelation 12:7-8). They will be replaced by believers: the 24 Elders and the 144,000 of Israel!
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From a human perspective, it would appear that the church has replaced Israel as God’s sons. However, during the last days, God will restore Israel’s sonship. They will be His new ‘sons’, who may replace US as we become the Bride. “And the One seated on the (Great White) throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” Then He said, “Write this down, for these words are faithful and true.” And He told me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give freely from the spring of the water of life. The one who overcomes will inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he will be My son” (Revelation 21:5-7).
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God’s word is a living organism. It is alive. When it is spread and planted in fertile soil, it produces abundant life. “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). The term ‘active’ means “effective, powerful, producing or capable of producing an intended result.” The Word of God is vibrant, dynamic, energizing, and productive. It is fully capable of accomplishing its purpose. May we let God’s Word be a lamp to guide our feet and a light to illuminate our path through this life.
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We like to categorize people and things and activities in order of their importance in our society. And granted, some things are only superficial and need to be acknowledged as such. Here is an inspiration for us: every step given to the leading of the Holy Spirit carries eternal value, even though it might look foolishness to man. Jesus lived 33 years on earth. Not every day, every chore, or every word made the headlines. Yet each built upon another and carried immeasurable value in the whole. May we give ourselves fully to each moment, seeing them as God does.
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If you are trying to measure success, it really depends on whose definition you want to use. The world measures success by what you have and what you can accomplish. Jesus was born out of wedlock to an ordinary mother (Luke 1:26-2:7). He was adopted by a simple carpenter named Joseph from Nazareth—and everyone knows that nothing good ever came out of Nazareth (John 1:46). Jesus had no external majesty or beauty that made Him desirable (Isaiah 53:2). He didn’t even have a place to lay His head (Matthew 8:20). If all this weren’t enough, He died in the most shameful way imaginable, as a convicted criminal by way of crucifixion (John 19). Success for Jesus is not measured according to the world’s standard because Jesus is not of this world. But by being not of this world, Jesus is the perfect Savior for this world. "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).
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If Adam and Eve turned the world upside down when they grasped for equality with God, it was Jesus who turned the world right side up by “not counting equality with God a thing to be grasped.” If Adam and Eve turned the world upside down by being puffed up with pride, it was Jesus who turned the world right side up by “emptying himself, by taking the form of a servant.” If Adam and Eve turned the world upside down by disobeying the commandment of God, it was Jesus who turned it right side up by “becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Phil. 2: 6-8).
The most successful man who ever lived looked like a failure in the world’s eyes, but in the eyes of God, Jesus was a true success. For God “highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name” (Phil. 2: 9).
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If you are well-off and self-sufficient, but not rich towards God; then you have nothing except what this world may offer you just temporarily. It is very easy for anyone of us to take our eyes off the spiritual to concentrate on the temporal. We need to constantly be reminded of what Jesus said in Luke 12:15, " for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." Jesus is saying the things of the world are passing away, while the things of heaven are eternal. A person enters the world with nothing and will leave with nothing (1Timothy 6:7). The poorest person is not the one without money. It is the one without God.
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What does a man's life consist of? What is life really for? These are some of the most basic questions every person should ask. If you do a bit research, you’ll see that it has been answered in many ways. The hedonistic philosophy of life is to "eat, drink and be merry", but this only results in futility as the parable of the rich fool in the Book of Luke demonstrates. Some say that life consists in doing good works for others and for society. This too results in futility, because we live in an evil world of sin that cannot be changed permanently by any amount of altruism or social action. The wars that have been fought and the atrocities that have been wrought even in this supposedly enlightened modern era, demonstrate how futile it is to live just for the betterment of mankind. One existentialist French philosopher named Sartre was so disillusioned by all this that he concluded that human life is simply absurd. There is no meaning in life! Human life consists of nothing! But not according to Apostle Paul, He said in Philippians 1:21, “For to me to live is Christ." God must be very much included in your life if you are to find any meaning and joy in it.
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I read a quote that said "Interpret your circumstances by God's love, not God's love by your circumstance." There’s a huge difference when we reverse the order of things. This quote reminds us to view our circumstances through the lens of God's unconditional love, rather than judging His love based on our circumstances. Trials will come for all of us and there will be seasons of refreshing. We need to trust that no matter what the circumstances are, God is with us and He is always working on us to make us more like Him. Even when we can’t feel it, we can see it. Don’t go by our feelings. Look at the cross. There’s the solid proof of His love there!
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‘Only God can satisfy our soul’. This is one overriding truth that it is indisputable. The soul is the part of our being that consists of our thoughts, our emotions, and our unique personality. Jesus asked this ominous question, "What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul" (Matthew 16:26)? Here, Jesus clearly warns not to just focus on securing physical health, beauty, and worldly things, but to consider this question fully, am I potentially forfeiting my soul? Unlike the popular view out there that we will just "dissolve into dust along with your body with nothing more at all", Jesus clearly taught and demonstrated that our souls go on after death. This means that our thoughts, emotions, and unique personality will continue.
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From Bible Hub, we learned that "soul" in Scripture often refers to the life force or the essence of a person. It encompasses the mind, will, and emotions, and is sometimes used interchangeably with "spirit". The soul is what animates the body and is the eternal aspect of a person. In Genesis 2:7, we read, “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” This passage illustrates the divine origin and eternal nature of the soul. Adam does not have a soul; Adam is a soul (i.e., a person, a living being). The late G.W. Moon says “In Christian theology the soul carries the further connotation of being that part of the individual that partakes of divinity and survives the death of the body.”
Jesus also spoke of the inestimable value of the human soul (and simultaneously taught that soul and body will be reunited for either eternal life with or, in that case, without God): “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28).
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Deuteronomy 6:5 and Matthew 22:37 call us to “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all our mind and with all your strength”. Essentially, to love God with all parts of us or everything that we are. What does that look like? When we love God with all our hearts, that means we want to spend time with Him. Loving God with all our soul would mean being driven by the things that move Him, pursuing the things He pursues. Loving God with all our mind is the desire to seek deeper for the knowledge of the characters and actions of God and allowing that knowledge transform us into Christ’s likeness. Loving God with all our strength is the easiest to understand among the four. We are called to give God our all, and to hold onto the hope God provides no matter how hard things get.
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We all know that a foundation is the lowest parts of a building structure. It is used to provide supports and anchors the superstructure of a building and transmits its loads directly to the earth. The Christian life is also built upon a foundation, and that foundation is Christ, “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1Corinthians 3:11). I really like this quote, ‘Building a close relationship with God requires heart work.’ How true is that! It is not a religious routine, and it is not about behaving as a perfect Christian. It is about connecting with God. God enjoys our intimate relationship with Him, rather than a perfect performance. For any relationship to be considered close, the two parties would have had to take time to share their true thoughts, feelings, and desires, and to listen to and respect each other's voice as well. It is no different with God.
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How costly is our sin? Sin begins in our hearts and minds, originating as a seed of intention or desire. It travels through our thoughts, influencing our perceptions and decisions. Sin often seems cheap in the moment, a little envy, a little lust, a little white lie; but it leads to spiritual separation from God and a sense of emptiness in our hearts. Sin may be overlooked in our world, but the God who sees all things cannot ignore unrighteousness. If God ignored sin, He would cease to be God because He would have to deny His nature. The angels who ever worship God proclaim, “Holy, Holy, holy is the LORD of hosts” (Isaiah 6:3 AV). God’s holiness necessitates that sin be punished.
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Let us consider the cost of our redemption today. Apostle Peter tells us that even silver and gold, which seem to us pretty substantial, cannot pay for our redemption of sin. Why is that? It is because silver and gold are a part of this world’s system, and it is perishable, “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed…” Instead, “You were redeemed from the empty way of life . . . with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect” (1Peter 1:18). Peter didn’t mean the blood of Christ in the literal sense either, because the physical red liquid that flowed in Jesus Christ’s veins and was shed on the cross is also perishable. It doesn’t exist anywhere anymore. There’s no physical element with God in heaven. Everything with Him is spiritual in nature. The spiritual significance of Jesus’ blood and the crucifixion is precious, and it can atone for all the sins of this world. It is not of this world, it is eternal.
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Paul makes an important point in his first letter to the church in Corinth, “I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 15:50). By flesh and blood, Paul means the corrupt, temporary bodies that are of the earth. So, what does blood signify on a deeper spiritual level? “The life of the body is in its blood” (Leviticus 17:11). Blood represents life. Jesus is the Life (John 11:25). He is the author of life (Acts 3:15). And He came to give His life for us and to us. Amazingly, the author of life Himself made the way for us to have life through his death. Jesus proclaimed in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me”. In other words, there are no options on the route to eternal life—there is only one way, and Jesus is that way. Just like Jesus, our old body will be gone and a new, glorified body will take its place. My friends, ask Jesus to take away your sin (Hebrews 9: 28), to be your Saviour, follow Him and you will have life eternally.
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“Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it…but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live” (Romans 8: 12-13). Jesus sacrificed His own physical body. He relinquished the outward appearance of what life is, so much flesh, blood, and bones. Humanly he died on the cross. Spiritually, he did not. Jesus’ spiritual essence or identity as the Son of God, could never die. Jesus has opened the door for us to partake in our divine, spiritual heritage as children of God, “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God” (Romans 8: 14). He proved the true essence of life which is spiritual. Our sins can be, are, and will be forgiven and washed away because Jesus has overcome this life “according to the flesh,” and resurrected. We are redeemed by Jesus’s victory over sin and death. By His resurrection, Jesus showed beyond doubt that our life is spiritual and eternal.
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The eschatology is the foundation of all Christian theology. The believe in the rule and reign of Christ on earth and the eternal state is the foundation of everything else. We are being saved for the end, for what God has for us in the end. If we don't value the end, we will get lost somewhere in a mediocre, half-baked lukewarm Christian life where we’re just living for the present. We’d think this world is where everything has to be achieved. The end state actually is what we're living for and eschatology tells us the ultimate destiny of the individual, humanity, and the world. Knowing what is to come should motivate our walk with God now! All Christian doctrine needs to be understood in the light of the end goal which are three-folds: 1. God dwelling with men. 2. God obtaining Sons. 3. Christ obtaining a bride, and how will all of that come about.
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I am forever indebted to the Holy Spirit who led me to Brenda Weltner’s end-times bible study channel. I'll be sharing what I learned about the theme of sonship throughout the whole bible from Brenda's bible study.
The very first beings who are called sons of God were actually called sons of God before there was any people who were made and this is in Job 38 6-7, “On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?” We know that “sons of God” here is “angels”, and “morning stars” from other translations. The very first sons of God were the angels.
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In the Old Testament, the sons of God only ever refer to angelic beings. They never refer to people. we know that when God created Adam, He created him in His image and that Adam is a son of God. We don't learn that from the Genesis story though, we do see it in Luke 3:38 in the genealogy of Jesus that traces Jesus’ lineage all the way back to Adam, “…the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.” But as far as that phrase ‘the sons of God’ goes, it is reserved for angels in the Old Testament only.
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According to Ephesians 3:14-15, “... for this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name”, we learned that God actually has two families. He has a heavenly ‘family’ and a earthly ‘family’. God’s heavenly ‘family’ is represented by the ‘sons of God’ in the Old Testament.
These spiritual ‘sons’ were often denoted by the Hebrew word, ‘elohim’ or gods. The ‘elohim’ existed before creation. Though somewhat different in meaning, the word, ‘angel', is often used interchangeably with the ‘sons of God’/elohim. Another term--found in Daniel--is the term, ‘watcher’. Each angel/son of God is an individual creation of God. God created every one of myriads and myriads of angels and gave each of them their names, their assignments, their roles and areas of responsibility in His creation. “For who in the heavens shall be compared to the Lord? and who shall be likened to the Lord among the sons of God?” Psalm 89:6.
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God rules the universe through a Divine Council. The current ‘council’ consists of spiritual beings referred to as ‘elohim’, or ‘sons of God’. They act as advisors to God. They also implement His will, exercising responsibility over various domains; and they also engaged in decision making. Sometime before the creation of man, Satan rebelled and an undisclosed number of angels followed him. Even though the fallen angels were no longer operating with God’s highest interests at heart, God didn’t remove these angels from their positions of dominion and authority. God still has fallen angels--including Satan--as members of His council.
One of the purposes of the end times is to remove the fallen angels and Satan from heaven, relieve them of their duties and replace them with glorified saints in the millennium.
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An ‘elohim’ is simply a class or kind of spirit being who exercises dominion: whether the Most High God, an angel, a spiritual ‘son of God’, or a Watcher.
“For the LORD is a great God (El), and a great King above all gods (elohim)” (Psalm 95:3).
“For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe” (Deuteronomy 10:17).
“God has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods he holds judgment” (Psalm 82:1).
“The heavens praise Your wonders, O LORD— Your faithfulness as well— in the assembly of the holy ones. 6For who in the skies can compare with the LORD? Who among the heavenly beings is like the LORD? 7In the council of the holy ones, God is greatly feared, and awesome above all who surround Him” (Psalm 89:5-7).
According to Deuteronomy, God divided up the nations according to the ‘sons of God’, “When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, when He divided the sons of man, He set the boundaries of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God” (Deuteronomy 32:8).
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These ‘sons of God’ became equated with the territorial ‘gods’ of the nations - most ended up rebelling against the Lord. The ‘gods’ of the nation's wield spiritual power on earth, influencing the decisions and destiny of nations. We can see an example of this in Daniel Chapter 10, ““Do not be afraid, Daniel,” he said, “for from the first day that you purposed to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. However, the prince of the kingdom of Persia opposed me for twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia. Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision concerns those days” (vv. 12-14)
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Though the nations were ruled by lesser ‘gods’, the Most High God reserved the nation of Israel for Himself, and Michael became the ‘prince’ of Israel. God chose Israel to be His First-Born Inheritance, “ ‘Now if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, you will be My treasured possession out of all the nations—for the whole earth is Mine. And unto Me you shall be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you are to speak to the Israelites” (Exodus 19:5-6). It is also stated in Deuteronomy 32:9 that, “…But the LORD’s portion is His people, Jacob His allotted inheritance.”
God’s intention was to rule the world through the nation of Israel. They were to be the conduit of blessing to the nations.
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Israel is God’s firstborn. The nation of Israel is God's son. Exodus 4:22-23, “Then you shall say to Pharaoh, "Thus says the Lord, Israel is my firstborn son. And I say to you, let my son go that he may serve me. And if you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son." It's in Exodus 19, we learn that this chosen son, God's firstborn, is also to be a kingdom of priests to God the Father. So, we're not talking about a bride here, at Sinai, which a lot of people will take that passage in Exodus 19 and turn it into some kind of a betrothal. But what we have here is actually God's declaration that He wants to make this nation His sons. God’s plan was to make the nation of Israel to be His sons and a kingdom of priests.
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Jesus made a curious statement about the ‘elohim’ status of Israel, “Jesus answered the Pharisees, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, “you are gods”’? If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? (John 10:34-36). The “gods” here are human magistrates, judges, and rulers who have been granted dominion over the earth. They are mortal and must eventually give an account to God for how they use that authority.
Man...and only man...was created in the image of God and given dominion over the earth—and everything in it. Neither the angels nor the ‘sons of God’ nor any other heavenly creature was created in the image of God, and none of them were give dominion over the earth. Man as an ‘image bearer’ was something totally unique in ages past: a corporeal ‘elohim’. In addition, those created in the image of God--consisting of the union of male and female--were given the power, the ability and the command to be ‘fruitful’ and multiply. In effect as a team, the man and the woman would exercise a unique god-like ability: the creation of other ‘elohim’.
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Man would reproduce ‘after their kind’. Their offspring, made in their image, would also be spiritual beings clothed in an earth suit, also bearing the image of God: “elohim”. If mankind kept reproducing, more and more ‘elohim’ would be born, and eventually the fallen ones would be out-numbered.
Something had to be done and Satan’s plan for humanity began with the fall of man. Satan tempted the woman, humanity fell, and death entered the world. However, it was precisely because man could die that he could be salvaged. The death which would come on all men, which seemed like a curse, became the blessing through which they could be brought back into right relationship with God. It would be through death, that man would be saved: the death of Jesus Christ.
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Today is Thanksgiving Sunday in Canada. However, listening to many news around the world these days reflects this proposition that many people thinks either there’s no God, or God is dead. Psalm 14 tells us that anyone who says in his heart that there is no God is a fool. Jesus confirmed this in His prayer, “…Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God” (John 17:3). God is supernatural. Christian walk is also supernatural. Someone put it this way, "God is speaking to us if we just humble ourselves.” Yes, God longs to be gracious to us and show us compassion. He is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him, Isaiah 30:18.
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God declared that He was going to bring an end to the angelic insurrection through a chosen One who would come through the seed of the woman; through the earthly ‘elohim’! How could Satan and the fallen ‘sons of God’ exploit this piece of information to suit their own purposes and ensure their continued existence? The fallen ‘sons of God’ understood that man was actually a kind of ‘hybrid’: a spiritual being housed in a ‘dust suit’. What if they created their own ‘hybrids’? What if they used the ‘seed of the woman’ themselves? Could they thwart the plan of God, by creating their OWN ‘elohim’, their OWN legion, and eventually out-number, over-power and usurp dominion of the earth from humanity altogether? Would they be able to over-power the Most High? Ephesians tells us that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12). The fallen ones fell for this strategic plan.
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Genesis 6:1-4 tells us that some of these ‘sons of God’ assumed human form and had children by the ‘daughters of men’, “When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose. Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.” The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown.” Eventually, the earth was filled with violence on account of the Nephilim--the giants. This race of usurpers pitted themselves against true humans in an effort to totally annihilate the race of the ‘image bearers'. They were so successful that, with the exception of Noah and his family, the world was overrun by the “earth-born” --the fallen children of the fallen ‘sons of God’.
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So, God sent the flood. The giants were destroyed and their spirits were left to roam the earth seeking a body to inhabit. The ‘sons of God’ who fathered the mutant Nephilim were chained into the Pit/Tartarus awaiting their judgment during the end times, “And the angels who did not stay within their own domain but abandoned their proper dwelling—these He has kept in eternal chains under darkness, bound for judgment on that great day” (Jude 6).
Even though the original fallen sons of God were placed in chains in Tartarus, there were more incursions after the flood. When the Israelites entered the Promised Land, they were commanded to destroy all the inhabitants of the land. Why? Because they were infected with the genome of the fallen ‘elohim’. We can find them in Numbers 13: 32-33, “So they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out, saying, “The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height. And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.”
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Genealogies were very important in ancient times, especially among the Jews. The Jews needed to be able to trace their lineage back to Adam, a ‘real’ human being and image bearer of God. We can find a record of this lineage in Genesis 5: 1-5, “This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them Man when they were created. When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth. The days of Adam after he fathered Seth were 800 years; and he had other sons and daughters. Thus, all the days that Adam lived were 930 years, and he died” (Genesis 5:1-5).
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Jesus’ genealogy traces his ancestry back to Adam. We can find this record in Luke 3: 23, 36-38, “Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as legally calculated) of Joseph, the son of Heli, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph... the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan, the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.” Jesus was a true human, and only a human can take this role of substitutionary of death for us, “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil” (Hebrews 2:14).
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The Jews needed to understand their position in the earthly family of God. Were they a descendent of Abraham through Isaac and Jacob? Which of the 12 tribes were they a part of? If of Levi, were they a descendent of Aaron and part of the priestly line? Were they of the tribe of Judah and part of the royal line? The Jews were given revelation about the lineage of their Messiah King: the seed of the woman. They could know His family tree, His birthplace, and even the timing of His arrival.
The prophet, Daniel, foretold the exact time of their King’s arrival: 70 sabbatical years after the decree of Artaxerxes which permitted the Jewish exiles to leave Babylon and rebuild Jerusalem. “Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time” (Daniel 9:25). Christ was anointed with the Holy Spirit at the beginning of the 70th sabbatical, during the fall feast days, 483 years after the decree was issued--exactly when He was expected to arrive.
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The Daniel 9 prophecy also stated that the Jews would reject the Messiah when He came: “And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing” (Daniel 9:26a). Matthew recorded what Jesus said in the Book of Matthew that confirmed Daniel’s prophecy, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling! Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you that you will not see Me again until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord’” (Matthew 23: 37-39). And later Jesus also prophesied, “Do you see all these things?” He replied. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down” (Matthew 24:2).
20
When the Jews rejected Jesus as their Messiah, Israel’s spiritual Inheritance was transferred from Israel to another group of ‘sons’: believers, “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed” (Matthew 21:43-44).
The Spiritual Kingdom of God was been opened up to Believers: “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light.” 1 Peter 2:9
“...and He has made us a kingdom, priests to His God and Father--to Him be the glory and the dominion to the ages of the ages. Amen.” Revelation 1:6
“For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything. What counts is a new creation. Peace and mercy to all who walk by this rule, even to the Israel of God” (Galatians 6:15,16).
21
Even though the spiritual promises made to Israel were transferred to believers, the promises relating to an earthly Kingdom remain intact for the sake of the patriarchs: “I ask then, did God reject His people? Certainly not! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin... Regarding the gospel, they are enemies on your account; but regarding election, they are loved on account of the patriarchs. For God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable” (Romans 11:1,28-29).
22
The current divine council consisting of both holy and fallen heavenly ‘sons of God’. The fallen ones will one day be replaced by believers. Paul referred to these beings as those exercising dominion, “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and firstborn from among the dead, so that in all things He may have pre-eminence. For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through the blood of His cross” (Colossians 1: 15-20).
23
The Cross must have appeared to be a huge success to Satan's evil forces, but it was short-lived. Christ's sacrificial death, glorious resurrection, and triumphant ascension into heavenly places, disarmed the principalities and powers of darkness, destroying the one with power over death and dismantling Satan's armies of all their powers. “Don't let anyone fool you by using senseless arguments. These arguments may sound wise, but they are only human teachings. They come from the powers of this world (RSV “elemental spirits”) and not from Christ...And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” Colossians 2:8,15 (Contemporary English Version)
(“The RSV however renders stoixeia as "elemental spirits," i.e. spiritual powers or "cosmic spirits" (DNTT, 2, 828). This views #4747 /stoixeíon ("elements") as ancient astral beings associated with the very beginning (make-up) of the earth.]”)
24
God’s eternal plan is that the Church will one day rule over principalities and powers in the coming ages, “His purpose was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to the eternal purpose that He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Ephesians 3:10 -11). There is an invisible audience out there, those rulers and authorities in heavenly places. The term “rulers” is the Greek word arche. This word has as its basic meaning “beginning”. When it refers to persons, it has the idea of those who are in first place, those who have power, those who have preeminence, those who have rulership. Here he is talking about the princes and the chiefs. The term “authority” is the Greek word exousia. Now arche, is the one who has the power to delegate authority, but the word exousia, is the one who carries it out and executes that authority, that power. In other words, they have the right and the might.
As believers, our battle is against spiritual forces, especially those who will relinquish their authority to glorified humanity, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12).
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Hebrews 2: 5-8, “For it is not to angels that He has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. But somewhere it is testified in these words: “What is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You care for him? You made him a little lower than the angels (Psalm 8:5 angels=‘elohim’); You crowned him with glory and honor and placed everything under his feet.” ‘The elemental spirits’ may be a reference to the, elohim, the ’sons of God’ of the Old Testament--the ones who make up God’s divine council--some of whom were assigned to the nations as ‘gods’ in the Torah. The ‘elohim' are the ‘thrones, dominions, rulers and authorities’ which will one day be replaced by new ‘elohim’--glorified believers.
26
When God subjected all things to Jesus, He left nothing outside of His control. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to Him. “But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone” (Hebrews 2:9). Jesus' death was not an ordinary death or an accident. It was the suffering of death - a unique, agonizing death that Jesus experienced in all its fullness. Jesus' death means that He took upon on Him the full punishment for sin. He endured the wrath of God and separation from God that, sinners like you and I, deserve. The entire purpose of Jesus’ incarnation was in order for Him to suffer death, but a death that would lead to eternal life for mankind. We will never experience its full agony and punishment. We simply fall asleep. Because Jesus died, believers will one day be crowned with glory and honour. We will reign with Christ during the millennium.
27
Humanity is tempted, and so was Christ, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin” (Hebrews 4:15). Humanity faces death, and so did Christ, “…because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone” (Hebrews 2:9). This means that, as Christ was raised from the dead, so will those who believe in Him be raised, “knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence” (2 Corinthians 4:14).
28
In Hebrews 2:10, Jesus is called the “author” of salvation. However, the word archegos (ἀρχηγός) can also be understood here as “pioneer” (NET) or “a leader”. Christ went first to lead His people to salvation, meaning He pioneered salvation. It is fitting and proper that God “perfected” Jesus in bringing many sons to glory, “For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings” (Hebrews 2:10).
But how exactly was the Son of God “perfected”? This Greek verb used here (τελειόω) means to be made “perfect” or “complete.” Surely this is not saying that Christ was lacking in some moral quality. Rather, it is best to understand this in a vocational manner. That is, Jesus suffered so as to become fully equipped for His office as high priest. Suffering did not make our Lord more divine, but it perfected Him in relation to us who are brought to glory.
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There were many heresies in the early church that denied that Christ was fully human. Some said He only appeared to be human (Docetism). Yet one heresy affirmed that Christ had a human body but denied that He had a human soul/mind (Apollinarianism). Apollinarians noted texts like Hebrews 2:14 that only speak of “flesh and blood.” However, Hebrews 2:17 says Christ was “made like His brethren in all things.” Christ had to be made like us. He “partook” of “flesh and blood” and “was made like His brethren in all things”—meaning He was incarnated—in order to render the devil powerless and make propitiation for sin (Hebrews 2:14, 17). The mystery, of course, is that Christ was and is also fully God. He is both. He is one person (the Son) with two natures (human and divine).
30
In order to help Abraham’s seed, the Son of God had to come in the form of Abraham’s seed, “Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people” (Hebrews 2:17). Jesus is the God-Man, who by God's grace, tasted death for every member of the human race so that by faith in His sacrificial death for the forgiveness of sin and His glorious resurrection for life everlasting, we might be redeemed and adopted into the family of God and become part of the body of Christ, “For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers” (Hebrews 2:11).
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God’s inheritance--according to the flesh--belonged to Israel. When the chief priests and elders rejected Christ, God chose new ‘sons’, who by faith, would be conformed to the image of Christ, to act as God’s new divine council. “For He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in His presence. In love, He predestined us for adoption as His sons through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the Beloved One” (Ephesians 1:4-6).
1
Walking with God sounds idyllic, elusive. Actually, it is not so! God wants to share life with us. How do we know? After the Millennium, the new Jerusalem is going to come down onto earth and God is going to dwell with men (Revelation 21:3). But we don’t have to wait until then. Genesis 5:24 describes Enoch, a descendant of Adam: “Enoch walked faithfully with God…” Some suggested this verse (along with Hebrews 11:5) shows that God and Enoch were so close that God did not let Enoch die; rather, God simply “took him away” to be with Him always. What a legacy! So next time when you pray, stop trying to say the right words…just spend time with God.
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Enoch is a type of the raptured saints who will not see death...ever! What was it about Enoch that made him ‘rapture ready’, that actually qualified him to go into heaven? Hebrews 11:5 lend us some insight, “…For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.” In the Septuagint translation, we also learned that “Enoch walked (was well-pleasing to) with God…” (Genesis 5:24). So, walking with God is just another way of saying that he pleased God.
3
Hebrews 11 is perhaps the most famous passage on faith in the Bible. The author of Hebrews is not talking about saving faith in this chapter. In other words, it is not talking about the faith that we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and we’re born again. Faith in the New Testament has several definitions, including the idea of fidelity and faithfulness. With Enoch’s faith, we are talking about being faithful and having fidelity and integrity toward God. “For by (faith) the people of old receive commendation of praise from God” (Hebrews 11:2). Today when we decided to live by faith, we will also receive commendation from God one day.
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Hebrews 11: 3, “By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.” God created everything! Those of us who believe in Jesus believe that God made it all. We weren’t there at creation. We didn’t witness it when He was doing all these. But we believe it was true. We believe that God created everything out of nothing except for His Word. When He spoke it, it came into existence. And that’s what the author of Hebrews was saying. God’s Word cannot be seen but yet when He spoke, all of a sudden, all the things we see with our eyes came into existence. We understand therefore, looking backward, that this is how it happened.
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“Faith is…the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:3). There's a kind of invisibility of God’s reality that is in our future. That in the same way we can understand from the past, now we have to look into the future too and see that there’re things going to be happening that are not visible. We don’t see them yet. They’re not part of our current reality. But just like we see the world around us, because God created it, eventually we are going to see the reality of the things that are currently invisible or haven’t been brought into existence yet.
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“By faith (the assurance and conviction of things we don’t see), Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks” (Hebrews 11:4). From Genesis 4:4, we learned that Abel brought the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. Abel offered his first born, his best. He wasn’t culling scrawny runts, offering animals he didn’t want (as in Malachi 1:13). What made his sacrifice pleasing to God? Faith. God loved the faith with which Abel offered his gift to God.
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“By faith (by reason of the assurance and conviction of things not seen), Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death…” (Hebrews 11:5). This is how Enoch is a type of believer who will never die. Enoch was taken that he should not see death. Enoch is like us, he’s a type of raptured person who will never taste death, “…and he was not found because God had taken him’ (Hebrews 11: 5). Apparently, there were people who were looking for Enoch but they couldn’t find him because God took him. Before Enoch was taken, he was commended as having pleased God.
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Hebrews 11:6, “Without faith (without the assurance and conviction of things not seen)…”, and in our case, of things not seen in our future, things that we can’t see right now, but we’re convinced of it. We’re assured that these things are going to take place. Without that kind of faith, “…it is impossible to please God. For whoever would draw near to God (that is, you want to be in God’s presence, you want to be close to Him) you have to believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.” When we seek Him, we will find Him. When we find Him, we find our purpose. When we find our purpose, our life is fulfilled...and more. What a reward that is!
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What does the life and translation of Enoch tell us about being raptured ready? If we pay attention, you’ll sense that there’s something that God wants to tell us about Enoch’s faith, about Enoch’s life of faith, about Enoch’s ability to see things that other people couldn’t see. There’re things that Enoch could see about what God had for him, about rewards in the future if he continued in this. This is the FULL assurance and confidence in God. Enoch’s translation is strongly correlated with faith. He was raptured because of the assurance that he had, and because of his faith.
10
What characterized Enoch’s faith, and also the others that are mentioned in Hebrew 11, is not about eternal security kind of faith. It’s not talking about being saved from our sins. We are talking about the kind of faith that allows us to see things that are coming and to be convinced of them, even though we don’t see them yet. Enoch’s faithfulness was not tied to any particular good work or anything that he did on a checklist. Enoch walked with God, and nothing more was mentioned. That’s the clue, if we want to be raptured ready. It is our walk with God that pleases Him!
11
The author of Hebrews is not trying to tell us that Enoch’s saving faith kept him from going to the Lake of Fire. What Enoch had was a life of faithfulness. Enoch’s rapture event is in the context of endurance and faithfulness. All believers are actually described as God’s righteous ones in Hebrews 10. God has righteous ones who persevere, who walk in faith and faithfulness and we know that there are those who do not. They will shrink back when Christ comes at His appearing. We’re assured that Christ coming is going to take place. The author says that “For, “yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay, but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.”” (Hebrews 10:37). There is a life of faithfulness that God is looking for. There’s a day coming when Christ is not going to delay. When He comes, He expects that we’re going to be found living faithfully.
12
From a worldly standpoint, there’s a kind of faith that doesn't make sense. We can see that in the world around us where people just want to believe in a big bang theory of how things came into their existence. But it’s by faith that we believe God is the one who created all things. And so, there’s a lot of ridicule that can be directed toward people who believe that God created the world. Faith requires us to be able to see the invisible hands of God at work. We do see God’s invisible hands at work in the universe. God’s word just spoke something into existence when before there was nothing. The universe came out of what looked like nothing. It requires faith to believe!
13
Let us talk about our future. We have in front of us, the future version of what happened in the past that God has a world that’s out there for those who through faithful and endurance, holding fast their faith in God until the end. It can seem a little bit unreasonable or kind of like fantasy or unrealistic that we believe in the world to come and even more fanciful that we believe in a rapture that we are going to be taken or translated into God’s presence without dying. Even Christians will mock this idea of a rapture or being caught up into God’s presence. But Enoch we read, was raptured by faith. Enoch is a type of the raptured saint who will not see death...ever!
14
“Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him” (Genesis 5:24). What does it mean to ‘walk with God”? It means that we intentionally cultivate a personal relationship with God. Enoch walked with God and he pleased God. It’s his relationship with God that made all the difference. There were people in Enoch’s day who saw that Enoch walked with God and actually they went to look for him after he sort of disappeared and they couldn’t find him. They knew this about Enoch that he lived in this close relationship with God and he was faithful to God. Enoch has a reputation of pleasing God.
15
There’s another passage in Genesis 17 where God asked Abram to walk with Him, “When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; Walk [habitually] before Me [with integrity, knowing that you are always in My presence], and be blameless and complete [in obedience to Me]” (v. 1, Amplified Bible). So, God was looking for people who will walk with Him and He is still looking for people who will walk with Him till this day. People who will have an intimate relationship with Him. God is not going after our good deeds, but rather our undivided love. That’s the command He gave, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:5). We should seek to please Him, seek to know Him. That’s the heart of God. He wants to be known. What is your respond?
16
James tells us in James 4:8, “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” Enoch was taken to heaven, not because he has saving faith. He was taken to heaven because he regularly drew near to God. He continuously sought the Lord. The author in Hebrews 11:6, “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” God is looking for people who are seeking Him, and there is a reward for all those who seek Him. What is the reward for people who seek Him? Jeremiah 29:13, “You will seek me and find me when you search me with all your hearts.” What was Enoch’s reward? This is really simple. It is God. God Himself is also our reward when we seek Him with all our hearts.
17
Believers are actually described as God’s righteous one in Hebrews 10: 38, “But my righteous one shall live by faith.” We are declared righteous when we accepted Jesus into our lives. It is because of Jesus’ work of salvation that we are now pronounced as the righteous one, but we need to live by faith from that time onward. God has the righteous one who persevere, who walk in faith and faithfulness; and also those who do not. There are those who walked a certain distance of their faith, and they stopped. If we looked back on the Israelites, we found that more Israelites decided it was not worth the fight to enter Canaan than those who took God’s promise all the way. “Therefore, do not throw away your confidence which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance so that when you’ve done the will of God you may receive what is promised.” Let us endure, so that when we’ve done the will of God, we may receive what is promised to us.
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A major area of truth revealed in the Scriptures is that we are living in a fallen world, which is under the influence and power of the evil one. This is a universal problem, and everyone is included in it. Ephesians 2: 2 puts it this way, “in which you once walked, following the course of this world…”. The ‘course of this world’ in verse 2 refers to the trends, values, ways and perspective of this world. Do you know that this world, the lust of it all, is passing away, as were told in 1 John 2:17? It will ultimately perish, and we must not be preoccupied with it. “…But the one who does the will of God lives forever” (1 John 2:17)
19
It was love, and not nails that held Jesus on that cross. He could have avoided it by appealing to His Father to send more than twelve legions of angels to the rescue (Matthew 26). Jesus could have walked away, but He obeyed His Father to the end, “But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen this way?” (Mathew 26: 54). Isaiah prophesized more than 700 years ago that Jesus would one day bear our griefs, and carry our sorrows.
Jesus lived a life that we could never live. He endured what we could not. He suffered so that we wouldn’t have to. He died so that we might live. Thanks be to God for His love for us.
20
The Bible talks a lot about love. In the New Testament two Greek words are used for love: The first is agape (noun), and agapao (verb). The second is philos (noun), and phileo (verb). From 1 John 4 we learned that, “…love is from God…God is love” (vv. 7-8). The word ‘love’ here is the Greek word agape. The Greek word agape describes a divine love that gives and gives, even if it’s never responded to, thanked, or acknowledged. Agape love is sacrificial, undeserved, not self-serving, and unconditional. We see this agape love through the cross of Jesus. This love saves and restores humanity in the face of sin and death.
21
What does it mean for a Christian to love? In Deuteronomy 6 God tells Israel to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart all your soul and all your strength”. The commands to love God, each other, neighbors, and even our enemies are central in the teaching of Jesus. Agape love does not come naturally to us in our sinful state. However, it does come naturally to God and is an integral part of Him. Agape love of God is released through man by the indwelling Holy Spirit – “rivers of living water will flow from within you” (John 7: 38), refers to the Holy Spirit flowing out of those who are true believers. That Spirit is God Himself, manifesting Himself into the world through us as agape love – we are releasing the Kingdom of God into the kingdom of the world when we agapao the world. The world will know Jesus by our agapao.
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How do we agapao, put love in action, the world around us? These Bible verses are a few ideas:
“Love patiently and passionately bears with others for as long as patience is needed.…” (1Corinthians 13:4)
“Keeps no record of wrongs” (1Corinthians 13:5)
“Bears all things” (1 Corinthians 13:7)
“Gives generously” (2 Corinthians 9:7)
“Forgives freely” (Ephesians 4: 32)
“Serves others” (Galatians 5:13)
“Sacrifices oneself” (John 15:13)
“Prays for enemies” (Matthew 5:44)
We find the source of our love in 1 John 4:7, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God…”, and that is unfailing!
23
In our everyday life, let us take Psalm 90: 12 to heart, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” There’s an element of ‘rush’ in this verse with a sense of urgency. Each day is precious and we don’t know about tomorrow. The psalmist here is not trying to instill fear in us, but rather for us to gain a heart of wisdom. Our ordinary day, the moment that you and I are sitting in right now, counts in the drumbeat of both our earthly and spiritual lives on earth.
24
Even though we may think we are just ordinary people, but to God none of us is ordinary. We are all created in God’s likeness. Genesis 5: 1-2, “When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God…” We are God’s representatives to the world, reflecting His image till the ends of the earth. There’s more to this life than living. There’s more than just trying to get ahead. We are not the centre of our own universe. For “in Him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of His glory” (Ephesians 1:11-12). We were made to glorify God. If you are in Christ, you are no ordinary!
25
Back in the Garden of Eden, God commanded Adam and Eve not to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. For in the day that they eat of it they shall surely die. But the serpent tempted Eve and said to her, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3: 4-5). And so, the lie here was not that people could be like God but that being Godlike which meant that it was all about knowledge, knowing good and evil.
26
Being like God means we have the characters of God, have the DNA of God inside of us . That’s what being like God means. This was a promise and has always been in God’s mind in Christ. There would be a race of God-men and that’s what we’re going to be, for those who belonged to God. It sounds too good to be true but it is true! Here is the problem, we think that being like God means that we know the good from evil and we know how to handle everything. That’s not the case! Being like God means we have the nature of God, such as His joy, His love and His forbearance. These are what make us children of God according to what Paul said in Ephesians 5:1, “Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us…”
27
There were two trees mentioned in the Garden of Eden, the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. God told Adam and Eve the day they ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil they’ll surely die. These two trees represent two ways of life. We can operate life spiritually by eating from the tree of life or we can operate in this world through applying the knowledge of good and evil. One thing we need to understanding though, this life is not about choosing good over evil but about life and death. When we make things in the world being about judging whether or not they are good or they are evil, and operate our life base on the things that we feel are good; we actually operate under a system that Satan wants us to operate under. There are things even though good but still lead to death. When we eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, it leads to death. When we eat from the tree of life, it leads to life.
28
As long as we are on this plane that we’re in right now of operating from the knowledge of good and evil, we won’t be able to understand what is going on around us because our life is spiritual. The tree of life is a spiritual tree. When we operate from a spiritual centre through the Holy Spirit - the life of Christ within us, we then can go beyond the things that we can see with our physical eyes. The mind of Christ gives believers discernment in spiritual matters (1 Corinthians 2:15). We then will be able to discern with our natural eyes and our natural mind when we are given the mind of Christ. We can think in spiritual terms and understand things from a spiritual perspective.
29
In order to have the mind of Christ, we must first have the Saving faith in Christ (1John 5:12). After salvation, we live a life under God’s influence. The Holy Spirit indwells and enlightens us, infusing us with wisdom—the mind of Christ. We then bear a responsibility to yield to the leading of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:13), and to allow Him to transform and renew our mind, “… Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will….” (Romans 12:1-2).
30
God gave Israel the law which Paul says was good but it doesn't bring life. God gave Israel the law to help them to see at least two things. The first thing is that no one can keep all of it, and that no one can earn righteousness with their deeds. You can't earn anything by being good enough because sin is at work in us. Secondly, there is no life in the law. The Ten Commandments is just a set of rules and it's better for everyone if we obey them. Where do we get life? The last time we see the Tree of Life is in Revelation 22, “…On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.” The river there is a representation of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said in John 7: 37-39, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them. By this he meant the Spirit…” Anyone who eats from The tree of Life will have God’s Spirit living in them. That is the true life! This is a spiritual picture of a reality that we can live in right now.
1
As we age, we go through life seasons. It is a natural part of life. God will take each of us through a series of events that will test our true devotion. We can be doing all the 'right' things, such as attending church, reading the bible and praying. The deeper question is, do we long for things more than God Himself? Jesus said, "What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?" (Matthew 16:26). I confessed I let significant relationships mean more to me than I should. These were important people. They meant no harm. God had to teach me—and He is still teaching me—that no one and nothing else will fill the void in my heart but Him. He has to take the throne of my heart. As God said to Abram, "I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward” (Genesis 15:1) - not riches or things or marriage or success or children but God Himself; He is saying it to me. May you also view God as your greatest reward.
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When Jesus visited Martha and Mary in Bethany, Martha “was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made” (Luke 10:40). Jesus called Martha by her name, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her” (vv. 41—42). Martha, for all her good intentions of serving Jesus, was worried and upset. There was no peace in her heart. Jesus rebuked her for worrying about her activities, not the activity itself.
When we are in the right place at the right time, doing the right thing as far as the Lord is concerned, there will be peace and serenity inside of us. (Jill Briscoe)
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When we engage in 'doing' a work, an assignment or a project of any kind, we build in a desire for significance and satisfaction. However, 'being' is much deeper. It relates to character, who we are, and how we make a life – these are things that make little sense from a worldly perspective. From a kingdom perspective though, they breed life. The focus of the Christian life should not be deeds and actions, but a relationship; it is NOT centered on a product, but on a Person. It is a matter of abiding in Christ Jesus (John 15:1-10) rather than fulfilling tangible goals determined by achievements and accomplishments.
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In the pages of the bible, we know that 'doing' is part of our Christian walk, "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves" (James 1: 22). Twice in Colossians 3 we read, "Whatever you do . . . whatever you do . . ." (vv. 17, 23). It makes no difference what the task is, wherever you work at it. We need to pay attention to the 'being' part that follows: being thankful, being considerate, being obedient, being sincere, being diligent.
"Both being and doing are scriptural and interrelated but the biblical order is critical: what we do should flow out of who we are, not the other way around." (Reconciled World)
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Over His years, Jesus "kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and people. (Luke 2:52). Notice the “ing” in Jesus’ growth. He was, is, and will mature, increase, and grow. Jesus exhibits an active posture of continual growth. Jesus is God, and God knows all things. How could Jesus learn if He was God? In Philippians 2, we learn that when Jesus Christ came in the flesh, He gave up, He willingly surrendered. He emptied himself, "but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men" (Philippians 2:7), of some of what it means to be God. He did not ever become less than God. He was always fully God. But when He came in the flesh, He wanted to fully understand what it was like to be human, and so He had to give up certain aspects that would interfere with being human. One of these was His omniscience—His knowledge of all things.
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Growth is significant in the lives of all believers. Just as Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and people; Christians are called to “grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ” (Ephesians 4:15). We can look to Jesus, as our path to growing like Him, ultimately becoming the people God has called us to be in Him. What is the beginning of wisdom? Proverbs 4:7, "The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom." Think of all the things you could get in this world. God's word could not be any clearer to you and me right now. Whatever else we could get today, we should ask for wisdom.
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What’s the difference between being smart and being wise? Someone who is smart most likely knows a lot! They probably have a lot of answers when questions are asked. A person who is wise knows what to do with what they know. Wisdom is spiritual, it begins with the fear of the Lord, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom...' (Proverbs 9:10). Wisdom comes through understanding and obeying the leading of the Holy Spirit. If we want to become wise we must see the Bible as our manual for living.
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Our process of growth is exemplified by the ways that Jesus grew: in wisdom, in stature, in favour with God and others. The word stature has a literal and physical meanings – Jesus grew up! But it also refers to someone’s reputation or character. Jesus grew in stature allowing Him to engage with the world around Him meaningfully. Peter has implemented this growth plan for us in 2Peter 1:5-11, "make every effort...in increasing measure..." Our goal is to attain maturity, "to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:13).
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Jesus wasn't born as a man in a babe's body, He actually grew up and matured. Jesus grew in favour with God. The best definition of the word favor is “demonstrated pleasure.” The favour of God can be described as “tangible evidence that a person has the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life" (Strongs). When Jesus came out of the water after His baptism, "And behold, a voice out of the heavens, saying, "This is my Son, the beloved, in whom I was well pleased"" (Matthew 3:17).
God shows favour to the ones who delight in, connect with, and give honour to Him. Isaiah 66:2 says, “These are the ones I look on with favour: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who [reverently] trembles at My word and honours My commands.” Let us seek God's favour more than we seek the favour of anyone else, even ourselves.
10
We cannot simply talk about being a Christian, we must live it out in our everyday lives. 1Peter 2:12, "Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us." The world is watching as we are not isolated. We see them and they see how we live. Peter noted that those in the world will accuse Christians of doing wrong things. Jesus had told Peter and the other disciples that the world would hate them because, in part, they weren't belong to the world (John 15: 18-25). We should not be surprised, then, when we are falsely accused by unbelievers. However, we do have a powerful defence: we can focus on leading good lives, making good choices. Jesus 'grew in favour with man' by being a friend who touches lives for good! We are called to follow Jesus, though we may suffer, in His footsteps (1 Peter 2:21).
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Is following Christ all about following a whole bunch of rules? This is what it sounds like, "Since I have been reconciled to God and my sins are forgiven, what I should do now is to live by a set of dos and don'ts in Christianity." After a while, adherence to the list becomes our lifestyles dangerously making us to believe that this is how to make us holy. When we come to Christ, we are also given the Holy Spirit. And Paul tells us that we all should "live by the Spirit..." (Ephesians 5:16). Live by the Spirit means letting the Holy Spirit sets our priorities. Paul goes further in Romans 8 that it is the Holy Spirit Himself who "testify with our spirit that we are God's children..." (v. 14). Our job is: willing to be led, willing to obey in humility, for what the Holy Spirit coaches us to do.
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At salvation Jesus invited us to come to Him, but after that He invites us to remain with Him, "Abide in Me and I will abide in you" (John 15:2). We nurture this abiding relationship not by outward performance of tasks, but by taking time for communion and conversation with Him, meditating on His Word, listening to His Spirit, worshiping Him in our hearts through praises and hymns. Jesus affirmed the importance of this aspect of our Christian life by His words to Mary, "Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her" (Luke 12:42). What was the thing that will not be taken away from Mary? It is the blessedness of the personal presence of Christ. Let us respond to Jesus' invitation today!
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Apostle Paul prays "“that Christ may dwell in (our) hearts...” (Ephesians 3:17). We cannot get anything closer than to have it in our hearts. The heart is the best room in the house. As long as Jesus is in our hearts, we'd have no choice but to be all in for Him. In the same verse, we know that this relationship cannot be in existence except by faith , "That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith." Faith must be strong or love will not be fervent. So we need to pray that we will always trust Christ in order that we may always love Him.
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One thing we can trust God is this: God is good, just, and kind. These are character traits of our eternal God. Nothing that happens to us ever changes these attributes. Someone had said, “Never judge God by your circumstances, but judge your circumstances according to the character of God.” The Love of God is more than the human mind can comprehend and it Knows No Bounds! The Power of God is inexhaustible, and it CAN NOT BE MATCHED! How can we not trust him?
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The Bible is clear that God communicates with those who belong to Him through any and every means possible. Isaiah 55:3, "Incline your ear, and come to me; hear..." God loves to speak. He isn’t silent. He isn’t distant. As a good Father, he longs to engage with us in continual conversation. He longs for us to live with the knowledge of his love and perfect will. The question isn’t whether God speaks. The question is, will we listen?
Father God, thank you for initiating this relationship that I can have with you in Jesus Christ. Through the gift of the Holy Spirit, I believe I can hear You 24/7. Please help me to recognize and respond to Your voice attentively. Teach me to trust in Your guidance and grow in my relationship with You until I see You face to face. In Jesus' wonderful Name I pray. Amen.
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Jesus said we would be known for our love for one another. 1Corinthians 13, also known as “The Love Chapter”, has been used in nearly every Christian wedding, hung on the walls of our homes and quoted to people in Love about how they should love their spouse. The truth is that it has nothing to do with loving our spouse. It’s about loving people with God’s love that’s in us in order to point them to Him. We can do all sorts of things for people that bring us glory, but if we don’t love them in a way that points to Jesus, it’s pointless.
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The Bible tells us that God has a specific plan for each one of us. The question therefore becomes, “How do I know God’s plan?” The answer is that we do not know God’s foreordained plan for the details of our life, at least we don’t get to know it in advance. The apostle Paul tells us that “the righteous shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17), not by knowing what God’s plan is. But when we look back, out the rearview mirror we can often discern much of God’s plan – although probably not as much or as clearly as we think – but out the windshield in the front, it is all faith!
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God loves us and He has a wonderful plan for those who love Him. We usually want to know God’s plan because we have decisions to make, for the here and now. But from God's perspective, He is aiming for His glory and ours as well through the refining of our faith and the conforming of our life to Jesus Christ.
When you seek God's direction in your life, are you seeking for success and comfort and temporal happiness? For Apostle Paul, He considered "that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us" (Romans 8: 18). We should be grateful that God is not going to set aside His plans for the sake of ours.
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Many people want to know God's plan for their lives, but they overlook the fact that 98% of His Will is already spoken carefully through His Word. Rick Phillips writes: When the Bible speaks of God’s plan, it relates it to the sphere of his sovereignty and not to the sphere of our responsibility. We do, however, have quite a bit of knowledge about God’s will, not in terms of the details of our lives but in terms of what obedience to him demands. Paul says this explicitly in 1Thessalonians 4:3: “It is God’s will that (we) should be sanctified.”
20
Peter identified Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah who would rescue the Jews. When Jesus felt too crowded on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, Peter willingly took Jesus onto his boat. They cast off from shore so people could better hear Christ's teaching. If Peter were here today, we would see Peter being right there giving his all for Jesus' sake.
When Jesus told Peter to launch out into the deep waters and let down their nets for a catch of fish, Peter must have smiled inwardly. He was a well-weathered fisherman who knew that, that was not the time of day when fish would be netted. But what happened next caused him and the others to be utterly astonished by the huge quantities of fish that were caught. This was how Peter responded, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord" (Luke 5:8). Rather than departing from Peter, Jesus overwhelmed him in His grace. Rather than departure, a fellowship began between the Lord and His people. It is that kind of fellowship that Jesus is seeking to have it with you and me.
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Our heavenly Father took the punishment of all our sins and put it on His Son, Jesus, who perfectly bore all that pain as our substitute. Yet He allows suffering into our lives. All too often when times are “good,” it is easy for us to forget about God. Our prayer lives can be reduced to mumbles at mealtimes. But suddenly when bad things happen, we open up the bible searching for comfort and purpose in the pages of Scripture. We can ignore pleasure, but pain cannot be ignored. As Christians, we want to be imitators of Jesus out of thanks for His grace, but becoming more like Jesus can be painful. 1Peter 1:6-7, "In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honour at the revelation of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 1:6-7)
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Most of us, if not all, appreciate benefits in life, especially when they are up close and personal. Listen to Psalm 103: 1-5, "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s." God comes with these divine benefits package deal because He is a good God. But it is so easy for us to separate these benefits from God and love these benefits more than we love God. What’s more, there are people who decide to follow God for the sake of those benefits. Remeber what Jesus said, "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things (benefits) will be added to you" (Matthew 6:33).
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God is omnipotent, which means God is "all-powerful". God's power is limitless as Jeremiah expressed in Jeremiah 32:17, "Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you." In God's limitless power, He has established rhythm and order to His creation that ultimately points to His character. This is the key to understand our all-powerful God, that God can do anything that is consistent with His character. Nothing is impossible for Him!
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God is omniscience, which means God is "all-knowing". When we think of this attribute of God, we often associate it with His knowledge of the big, eternal picture. Yet He also knows the very deepest corners of our hearts. However, at some stage in the Bible, it seems that God doesn’t know everything – in the Old Testament story of Abraham, for example, and his son Isaac. Why would an all-knowing God need to “test” people if He has foreknowledge of their responses, thoughts, and hearts? God already knew of Abraham’s faithfulness. After all, in His sovereignty, God already had a ram in waiting to be sacrificed (Genesis 23:13). Could it be that, the tests are not meant to prove anything to Heaven as much as they are meant to prove the potential of greatness of Abraham to Abraham himself? This is not about God gaining new knowledge, but it marks a moment where Abraham’s actions confirm his faith outwardly, though God already knew his heart.
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God is omnipresence, which means God is with us, in us, before us and behind us every moment of our lives. When we take our eyes off the truth that God is always with us, we tend to forget that we are in His love. We begin to look to friends, family, or other things to fulfil our heart, but as real and as permanent as loneliness feels, the only true remedy is to get close to God, and to fill our heart with the love of God. So let us "keep (ourselves) in the love of God, looking forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life" (Jude 1:21).
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When our strength are still within our reach, our prayers can be just a list of our plans to God for His stamp of approval. We often tell God what we would like Him to do and how we want Him to accomplish it. When we are no longer in control, our prayers come from a different perspective altogether, revealing our deepest dependence on Him. Prayer is an expression of our trust in God's omnipotence, omniscience and His omnipresence 24/7.
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Many of us are living in our own strength. In Western society, we’re often encouraged to be “self-made”—to strive for success by relying on our own human strengths, though it is very limited. But that is not how God wants us to live. God wants us to always remember He is there for us. It is He who sustains us, and that we can do nothing apart from Him. This is something Paul emphasized at the Areopagus when he said, “In Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28).
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Very often we don’t see or understand what God is doing in our lives. It’s easy to get frustrated and begin to question his character. In one sentence, Jesus captures a profound reality that is our frequent, and to some extent continual, experience as Christians, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand” (John 13:7). What is crucial here is this, we don’t need to know what God is doing now to follow Him faithfully. Whether “afterward” means within a few minutes, or in the age to come; Jesus has our best interests in mind. It is a necessary, humbling part for us to continue to “walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).
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When cracks show up in our lives, remember this verse in Isaiah 64:8, “O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay. You are the Potter; we are the work of Your hand.” God’s work as our Potter began at creation and He has never stopped. The clay, our life, is never out of contact with the Potter’s hands. He is in constant touch, molding, shaping and bringing the clay along through His loving guidance. Without weakness in our life, the power of God and the love of God can never surface to catch our attentions.
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“This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24). Life is made of ordinary days. As we participate in our daily activities, let us continue to put our trust in God. Through the normal course of events, our character is formed, faith is strengthened, hope is increased and endurance is developed. There is more to our earthly existence than the meaningless round of duties called life. For every day is a gift from a loving God. Any day could be our last. This day is an opportunity to minister to others and bring glory to Christ. Someday we shall stand before the Lord for the days we were given to live on this earth.
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For the things that we have, we should use them wisely and enjoy them fully; but only hold them loosely. All the things of this life, however good they may be–it’s so easy to let them take over our life, and so we lose sight of the big picture. This world is passing away, and this life is not going to last. So let us set our sights on what will last for eternity, and adjust our present life accordingly.
Missionary martyr Jim Elliot expressed it this way: "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."
1
This world worships and praises those of high influence and status. But Isaiah asked, "Why hold them in esteem?" The reason is because, they "have but a breath in their nostrils." (Isaiah 2:22). Nevertheless, It is easy to look to people for strength and help, rather than trusting the Lord for His help. The palmist in Psalm 121 realized when he lifted his eyes to the mountain that his help comes not from the mountains, the creation; but from God, the creator.
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This morning I camped on this little phrase from the Book of Lamentation, "...His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning..." In all the changes we experienced in our life time, even day to day or moment by moment for some, we all can bank on this one certainty that God's mercy is always there for our disposal. Nothing about life is designed to stay steady. But each change and every new challenge has been sovereignly ordained by our unchanging God who is good. Our struggles will change and we will probably fail several times along the way, but remember God's mercies are new and extended to us every morning.
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God has a perfect track record. He has always been faithful. Asaph in Psalm 77, took some practical steps to demolish his doubts. “But then I recall all you have done, O Lord; I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago. They are constantly in my thoughts. I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works" (Psalm 77: 11-12). In a sense, Asaph is moving his gaze from his present circumstance and looking back at God’s track record. He can’t make sense of who God is and what he’s doing simply by looking at what’s happening to him now. But he knows that God has proved Himself to be faithful throughout history. We can hold on to Jesus because He has never failed and He's not about to start now.
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Jesus gave us this promise of irrevocable joy in John 16:22, “…No one will take your joy from you.” Andrew and I have been married for 38 years to this date. Looking back, we were young and adventurous, believed that somehow everything will turn out the way we wanted. We don’t need God to dream big, but we sure need God when we have to let go of our control. For 38 years, we held on to God’s promises for our life and our future. I realized that the goal in our marriage is not about making ourselves known. The goal in our marriage is about making Christ known. As we surrendered ourselves to God through many trials, we found lasting love, joy and peace. We are just as joyful as ever, even to this day.
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The disciples were heading into an uncertain future when they learned that Jesus was about to be betrayed and that He was going somewhere they could not follow. We can certainly feel the anxiety that these disciples would naturally be feeling at that moment in time. All of them gave up their livelihood to follow Jesus, despite of what people might have said of them. Our trouble and anxiety obviously are not the same as theirs and of each other, but what Jesus said to the disciples is also for all of us at all time. Jesus said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in Me” (John 14:1). In fact, Jesus displayed the ultimate trust, as He went to lay down His own life on a cross because He had full assurance that the Father was going to be there for Him. Jesus Himself modelled the very trust that He was asking from His disciples, and us.
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One of God's last promises in the Bible is that He is going to make all things new, "And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new” (Revelation 21:5). Our God is a God of new beginnings and He likes doing new things; it is all over creation specially with breathtaking beauty in every spring! And yet, whenever God begins doing new things in our lives, we resist it. Why is that? I think it is because we are tempted to hold on to the life we know where everything is familiar to us. Many bible accounts demonstrate to us that God’s new plans in many people's lives are exceedingly and abundantly better than anything anyone can ever imagine. So next time when changes appear in our life, embrace it!
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We sometimes hear that Jesus is “old fashioned” and out-of-date. I'm glad I found this quote, "The ways of Christ are not old-fashioned for the past, but God-fashioned for eternity". As more and more people want to become their own god, our society drifts further and further away from the moral and spiritual values we once enjoyed. Instead, many people no longer live according to the way God has given us in His Word, the Bible, in this modern world. This is how God fashioned it for eternity, "Jesus answered, I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). The choice is ours, and the time is now. I pray that you choose Jesus this day, and stick with Him.
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We want the God who can do all things to fix our problems, so that we can move on to our life we say. When the problems persist, we start to doubt God’s love for us or His ability to fix it. I remembered when I was younger, I wondered if I’d ever get married one day. This verse settled my perplexing mind, “The LORD will perfect that which concerns me” (Psalm 138:8, NKJV). The psalmist uses the word “perfect” as a verb here not as an adjective, like an artist working to perfect a masterpiece or a musician working to perfect a performance. In the same way, God is working in our lives to perfect the things which concern us. If something is concerning or upsetting to you right now, know that God will take care of it.
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We read about a man who was born blind in John 9. He was identified by his affliction, “a man blind from birth,” without a name. But the powerful truth is that our affliction does not need to be our identity. In fact, we are all created to reflect the image and the glory of God and the good news is that Jesus gives us a new identity in Him. Yes, we know that in this fallen world we don’t reflect God’s image perfectly. Jesus alone was the perfect image of God. As followers of Christ, we are called to reflect Jesus’ example by “…not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2).
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There was a man who boasted about tomorrow in the Bible in Luke Chapter 12. We are all in danger of putting our faith in ourselves. We live a pretty good life. We’re here in America, living a blessed life, working hard, raising families, and even going to church. We know how to speak the Christian language. We look really nice on the outside. It took Howard Rutledge locked up in solitary confinement as a Prisoner of War to realize how empty life was without God. In his memoir he stated, "I had completely neglected the spiritual dimension of my life...Now I wanted to know about that part of me that will never die." Let us stop trying to be good enough for God and humbly ask Jesus to live in us.
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Jesus is the manifestation of what God is like. Just as God formed man from the dust of the ground in Genesis 2:7, Jesus did the very same thing in the life of the man born blind. John 9:6-7 tells us, “[Jesus] spat on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. Everything that Jesus did was intentional, with a purpose. There is a reason behind what God is doing because there is a work that only He can do in our life. After Jesus put the mud on the man's eyes, He said to him, "Go... wash in the Pool of Siloam’ (this word means ‘Sent’). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing” (John 9: 7). When God's way is different than our way, we can trust this truth: so that the work of God might be displayed (John 9:3).
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"For we live by faith..." (2Corinthians 5:7). What does it mean to live by faith? Before we were born again, we did nothing from faith. After we are born again, we live by faith in Jesus as our Redeemer, faith in God as our Father-provider, faith in the Holy Spirit as the power that enables us to do things. We lean on the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit to do their work in regard to our life. How do we live our life by faith, as opposed to not living by faith? Paul gives us an example in Abraham's life, “[Abraham] grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God" (Romans 4:20). When we walk in faith, we focus on giving our attention to the glory of God’s grace and power in our life, in all that we do.
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When Jesus began His public ministry, Apostle John described to us this way, Christ “manifested His glory” (John 2:11). God was manifested in the flesh; truly God, not God humanized, but God as God. One theologian, Graham Cole, puts it like this. He says, “Jesus is the window into the heart of God. To hear Jesus is to hear the Word of God; to see Jesus is to see the character of God; to watch Jesus is to see God in action.” When by faith, we believe how much God wants to make Himself known to us on a personal level will satisifies, corrects, comforts, leads, and empowers us. Everything flows from His presence. To have Jesus is to have it all!
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It doesn't matter how much we look after the flowers placed in a vase, all we can do is prolonging their life by a few days. In the end it is futile, because they have been cut off from their source of life. Jesus paints a similar picture in John 15, when He talks about Himself as the grapevine and His followers as the branches. If we remain in Him, we will flourish and bear much fruit, but apart from Him we can do nothing. It isn’t that we could do no activity without Jesus. We can still be active without Him, as were the enemies of Jesus and many others. Yet we could do nothing of real, eternal value without Jesus.
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I've set goals many times but failed to accomplish them just as many. Every time I have good intentions of reaching those goals, but quit before reaching them. When I reflect on it, I realize that I wasn't clear on what l wanted, so I let hindrance sets in.
In our Christian walk with Jesus, there are many hindrances. However, Hebrew 12:1 lays it out for us on the get go, "let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles..." And what is the goal? Standing in God's throne room and to receive our full inheritance prepared for us with all the like-minded saints in glory. For that goal I am still on it. I hope you are too.
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Knowledge is always shown to be from God in the scriptures, "Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe in your commandments" (Psalm 119:66). The increase in knowledge would be an increase in understanding of God and his Word. We would need to search and study the scriptures diligently like a student studying for the final exam. Seeking God is a personal endeavour that we will all be individually held responsible for. As we draw closer to God and get into His presence, we become changed into more of the image of His Son, Jesus Christ.
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As followers of Christ, we need to align our desires with God's rather than expecting God to conform to our desires. We live in a world full of choices, we can virtually customize everything to satisfy how we want it. But be careful we don't carry the same mentality into our spiritual lives. When things do not turn out to the way we see fit, we can easily let go of God altogether and just follow our own inclinations. God is very clear about this, Isaiah 55: 8-9, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD..." There's no need for a struggle here, all we need to do is to ask God to transform our thoughts according to His.
18
Have you had times that when you felt sadness overwhelmed you? I love the account of Jesus’ appearing on the road to Emmaus to these bewildered believers as they struggled to comprehend the events of the previous few days. In the midst of their sadness, unanswered questions, doubt and despair, “Jesus himself approached and began to accompany them” (Luke 24: 15). What comfort this is for us to know that in our trials and sorrows, in the times we cannot understand what God is doing, when all hope seems lost, Jesus walks with us. Whatever you are facing, God sees and knows and cares. Jesus opened the scriptures and reminded these two believers what was written in it, and their hearts once again were burning within them. We have the same assurance of the presence of our powerful, compassionate Savior walking with us, listening to our doubts and fears, speaking peace to our troubled hearts, and pointing us to the promises in His Word. Thank you, Jesus!
19
It seems impractical for a shepherd to leave his entire flock in order to save one sheep, and even harder to imagine that a shepherd would sacrifice his own life to save his sheep, but Jesus was not speaking about just any ordinary shepherd. He was speaking about Himself (John 10:11). Is it practical then, for Jesus to die for sinners?
It is not that Jesus did die for us, but that He would die for us, and there is a difference. We might say that we would die for our children or spouse, but would we say it to someone who opposed us or robbed us? Probably not, but Jesus would. “Lord Jesus, Your love never ceases to astound me. May it be so forever!"
20
The most valuable and most precious thing in the life is neither riches nor our achievements. It is our eternal life that is received in Jesus Christ. Paul says in Philippians that we should "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12). So many Christians fall into legalism because they misunderstood this passage. They think that after they received Jesus Christ into their hearts, they need to do more in order to have the assurance that they are saved. In NLT translation, it actually brings us more clarity, "Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear." What it means is that we are to bear the fruit of our salvation when we have a healthy fear of the Lord and the desire to obey Him above all else.
21
God loves to give good gifts to us, and we want to be the receivers of His good gifts. That's why we should bring all our requests to Him, big or small. But there's a caveat we tend to overlook sometimes, and it is found in James 5:14, "...that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” Sure, we ask God for our requests, but what is our true motivation? Is it for our own gain or is it to bring glory to God in all we do? So let us go before our Heavenly Father for all our needs. Ask Him to grant our desires — if they are in His will —But if it is not, be willing to align our will and desires with His. Our greatest desire should be bringing Him glory, for He hears us.
22
It’s a struggle to understand the ways of God sometimes. In one moment Peter, James and John saw Jesus' divine glory on the mountain; in another moment Jesus confirmed to them that He must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that He must be killed and after three days rise again. Not only for the disciples, but for us as well, how can we fit these two together? C.H. Spurgeon put them together this way: The cross must be carried before the crown can be worn. We must follow our Lord in his humiliation, or we shall never rest with him in glory. Indeed, the three disciples who witnessed Christ’s glory would follow in His footsteps. What does all this mean for you and for me today?
23
Our Shepherd leads us through the valleys. Valleys are the low points in life. Jesus didn’t want us to be surprised by difficult times, so just before He died on the cross, He warned us, “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows” (John 16:33b, NLT). It’s not a matter of if; it’s a matter of when. But be encouraged that valleys are temporary. Our Shepherd will get us to the other side, where we ‘will dwell in the house of the Lord forever’” (Psalm 23)
24
One of the reasons why Christianity is not appealing is that people want power to do away with their weaknesses so that they can have a comfortable life. On the other hand for Christians, we have power in weakness, “The power of Christ is made perfect in weakness” (2Corinthians 12:9), not for us to escape our affliction but to make it livable. God’s power will give us the strength to live and endure and often even to thrive in the midst of many weaknesses. Let us learn from Paul then, be content with our weaknesses, for Christ sake (2Corinthians 12:10).
25
We like to think of freedom as we can do whatever we want, but that's not true freedom according to Jesus. True freedom, defined by Jesus, is about being liberated from the chains that only bind us - the bondage of sin. Just like a bird was meant to soar in the sky, we were created to live in fellowship with God. When sin enters our lives, it's like clipping that bird's wings - we lose our ability to fulfill our true purpose. God's truth isn't meant to constrain us but to set us free to become who we were created to be.
26
Do you know that God wants His people to enjoy a good life? He has spoken in Isaiah1:19, "If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land..." Our spiritual freedom is directly correlated to our physical quality of life as well. What Isaiah teaches us is that when we are obedient, we ultimately gain. We are better off listening to God’s Word instead of our own impulsive feelings. True freedom comes in our obedience to God.
27
Here is the paradox: our freedom in Christ is tied directly to our obedience. Those who aren't obedient to Christ think that they’re free, but really, they’re in bondage to sin. Those who obey Christ may at times feel constrained, but they’re in freedom, no longer enslaved to the impulses of a sinful nature. The greater our obedience, the greater our freedom. As we walk in obedience to God’s law, we will discover true freedom that revives our soul, bringing unending joy and unimaginable blessing along the way.
“If you continue in my word, you really are my disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32).
28
I struggled with the concept of sanctification for a long time. Is it a work of God that's done through His power or is it something that we must be doing? Is it a process by which we can legitimize our faith? The Bible clearly presented to us that it's not Abraham's work that 'saved' him, it's by his faith that he made it to heaven with God. I come to understand that our sanctification is not our work, nor do we work with God in this process. What is required of us, and the only requirement, it is for us to obey the leading of the Holy Spirit living inside of us. That's it!
29
Putting our faith in Jesus means we surrender our life to Him. When we choose to love the Lord first, the things of the world will not seem as important. Jesus Himself told His disciples to leave anything that had mastery over them. Jesus asks us to do the same thing today. He does not want us to teeter-totter on the fence. We cannot be halfway in or even 99% in. We have to make sure the only Master in our life is God.
30
The Greek word translated “despise” is kataphroneō (Strong’s #2706 καταφρονέω), and it has a range of meaning that encompasses looking down on someone or something with contempt or aversion; considering something not important and thus disregarding it; and not caring about, or ignoring, someone or something. However in Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, the much more well-known use of “despise” is this: strong dislike to loathing.
Hebrews 12:2 says, "Looking to Jesus, ... who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame," It was indeed a shameful thing to be crucified, but Jesus did not “hate” it, he ignored it. In doing that he set a wonderful example for us to follow. Many times we will find that if we are to be true followers of Jesus, we will have to ignore the things that will impoverish us in our relationship with Him. Ignoring all the other things, even if the things we end up ignoring are important or things we enjoy doing. Last but not the least, we will have to ignore the shame and mistreatment, and endure. God bless!
31
How do I describe my life in Christ? Jesus used the metaphor of a tiny bird, sparrows, to encourage the disciples. I think it is the best way for us as well. Jesus said, "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father's care (without the knowledge of your Father) ... So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows" (Matthew 10: 28-31). Unlike the colourful ones like Cardinals, Goldfinches, Blue Jays, Red-Winged Black Birds, and Baltimore Orioles, sparrows are considered tiny with only plain brown and tan flecked feathers. And yet, sparrows were and still are a symbol of confident trust in God’s care. Jesus reminded His disciples, and us, to focus on eternity and not on the temporary. We can be bold, like the sparrows fly thousands of kilometres; and take shelter in Jesus in the storms. We don't need to be afraid about what was going to happen, because God is in control of eternity and our life would not end even beyond the grave. His eyes is on the sparrow.
Just like this hymn:
Why should I feel discouraged?
Why should the shadows come?
Why should my heart be lonely
And long for heav’n and home,
When Jesus is my portion?
My constant Friend is He:
His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me.
1
Our life is a gift from God. We don't have to search for its meaning, like King Solomon. He tried the care-free life, enjoying wine and being lazy. He tried a successful life of wealth. He gained greater wisdom and knowledge than any other king, but he realized that none of it mattered. Why? Because we are made for more, "He has planted eternity in the human heart..." (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Our spirit within us knows we are made for eternity in the Kingdom of God. This short time we have on earth is only a part of that bigger future. It doesn’t matter if people notice or not. It doesn’t matter where you are in the process. Set your heart on the day when your Father in Heaven say to you, "‘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!"
2
We can see, YES, but there’s something wrong with our spiritual capacities to discern the beauty and value of what we see so that we always wind up preferring other things over God. “Seeing they do not see,” Jesus said (Matthew 13:13). We want to be all seeing, rather than living in the light of the One who sees all (Spirit in The Desert). Maybe we need to have some mud thrown into our eyes, so we can no longer see things in the light of our own beliefs and value, and begin to see things “In light of Christ…”. Along with the blind man, we can declare, “One thing I do know, that though I was blinded by my own vision, now I see in the light of Christ.”
3
'Circumstance' and 'circumference' lead us to understand that circumstances are the objective facts surrounding us. Happiness depends on circumstantial facts. This comes naturally, whether you are a Christian or not!
But what about when our happiness is threatened by painful circumstances? Jesus prayed in Gethsemane with a bitter cup sat in His circumference. Why pursue this torturous path? It is for “the joy that was set before him” (Heb. 12: 2). While happiness depends on happenings, joy depends on Jesus, and the hope we have in Him. That's supernatural!
4
The Bible speaks of two kinds of peace. The first type is peace with God, where it is a legal relationship into which we have been brought and nothing will separate us from God. Paul tells us, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand” (Romans 5:1-2).
The second type is peace of God, which is a subjective day by day experience. Paul describes it in Philippians 4:6-7, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” The peace of God is not something that we can attain, but something we cultivate day by day, moment by moment. As we present our situations to God in prayer, the peace of God will guard our hearts and minds no matter what happen out there.
5
By the end of King David's life, he had wealth beyond measure. But David is not best remembered for his net worth. Instead, he is remembered as the “man after God’s own heart.” Yes, God created the world and everything that fills it – even you and me, completely. Any wealth, power, or strength we have originated with God. Any gift or talent we have – the same is true. Even our ability to give generously comes from our selfless God. Everything we have, and everything else that exists, is all His. And yet he shares it with us, sacrificing not only his ownership rights but also sacrificing Himself.
God owns us nothing, but He gives us everything.
6
The lack of prayer in any Christian’s life is not healthy. Prayer is where we become intimate with God, and He with us. Not just faith and prayer, it also requires obedience and action. God calls us to follow His calling wherever He leads.
7
We tend to think a blessed life is about physical comforts and material possessions. While those can be part of God’s blessings, there are people who don’t have those things. Are they going to see themselves as being less blessed? The Bible points to something far greater—who we are and what we have in Jesus, "All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ." Do you value these spiritual blessings as much as what He’s given to you in a physical form?
8
It’s easy to think God desires what we desire: a lovely house, a reliable car, a good education and a successful career. Are those things God desires for us? Jesus assures us that our heavenly Father is actively meeting our physical needs, and we’re not to concern ourselves with those things (Matthew 6: 25-33). So what does God desires for us? Philippians 2:13 says, “It is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” The Greek word translated as “at work” is energon, meaning “energize.” It is God who is energizing us, giving us the power and desire to accomplish His purpose in us.
9
"Faith" does not mean if you believe hard enough that God will do something, then that something will happen. When we believe that God is only faithful to us when we receive what we define as good things, we are relating to Him as a prosperity God. Faith is believing God, not just believing in God. 'Believing in God' is an affirmation of faith. 'Believing God' is faith itself. There are many people who 'believe in God' and yet whose hearts have turned away from the living God. 'Believe in God' can be an evidence of nothing more than a mere intellectual assent. When we believe God, we are saying that He is right about everything. This is where God wants to be. This is where we hand control of everything to Him. This is where He is no longer just a god in our lives, but our God.
10
Prayer is not meant for us to escape from trouble. Ephesians 6:18 tells us to “…pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” Pray when everything works IN our favor; and pray just the same when nothing works OUT in our favor! We are to pray on all occasions, with all kinds of prayers, and all kinds of requests, because prayer is our LIFESTYLE, not our LIFELINE!
11
"The LORD is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made" (Psalm 145: 9). The Bible is full of stories about people who received God’s grace and steadfast love, despite committing 'big' sins. King David for one, although God confronted his sin through Prophet Nathan, God did not turn away from him. The Lord convicts us of sin so that we can see it, acknowledge it, and then turn from it. That is the process of repentance. While King David would experience the consequences of his sin, the Lord stayed close and continued to work in his life. What an awesome demonstration of God’s grace, steadfast love, and redemption!
12
When we study early church history, we see that to follow Christ is to embrace suffering, "...to this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer kindly” (1 Corinthians 4:9-13). It was full of risk, full of danger, and yet, full of adventure. All this changed when Emperor Constantine passed the Edict of Milan in 313 A.D., which state-sanctioned the church and provided protection for Christians. We enjoy the freedom of Christianity since then, in the same token we also lost the true meaning of being the followers of Jesus Christ.
13
Even though we have a 'safe' place called home, trusting in the Lord is the only secure place we have in this world. The psalmist tells us this is how we should live our days, "Trust in the Lord,…Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness” (Psalm 37: 3). What is the land God has given us? It’s being in relationship with Him. When we dwell in the land God has given us, we consider God and His way of life our home, and we’re not always looking around at society to see if the grass is greener.
14
It is so easy for us to take someone for granted. That means we fail to acknowledge the source of our blessings and to show them our gratefulness they deserve. But when someone takes us for granted, we notice it right away. Many people take God for granted for the many things that He has given them because they have become too familiar with Him, His blessings, and all the things He has done for them. We can be so used to what He does for us or the blessings we enjoy from Him that we assume that these are our rights. We feel that we deserve them. We are so used to them that we behave as if they are normal things we should have. The bible reminds us that all the good things are meant for us to “...remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth..." (Deut 8: 18-20).
15
On this Father's Day, let us don't take our Father in heaven for granted.
F Forgiveness is part of our relationship with God, our Father in Heaven
A Our Father in Heaven is always available for us
T Our Father in Heaven is trustworthy
H Our Father in heaven sent us the Holy Spirit to live inside of us as our helper
E Our Father in Heaven loves us with everlasting love
R Our Father in Heaven is "righteous; he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold his face." (Psalm 11: 7)
16
There are for sure many things we don't know. Undoubtedly, life is unpredictable and far different from what we anticipate. In the hymn 'For I Know Whom I Have Believed', Daniel W. Whittle wrote about what he didn't know. The four main ideas in the hymn: 1. He does not know why God’s wondrous grace was made known to him. 2. How this saving faith was imparted to him. 3. How the Spirit moves. 4. When the Lord will return. However, he does know this, 'But I know Whom I have believed,
And am persuaded that He is able
To keep that which I’ve committed
Unto Him against that day.'
17
One thing Paul was very confident of, "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" (Philippians 1:6). His confidence was not based on the strength of the faith of these members of the church in Philippi. Paul’s certainty rested on the relationship he had with God. This verse highlighted that Jesus, the second person of the Trinity, is a worker. God begins the supernatural work of regeneration in us when we first come to faith in Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit will also indwell in us, which causes us to increase in Christ-likeness and maturity over time as we consistently trust and obey and learn to walk with God, abide in Christ. He continues to transform us internally for the rest of our lives until Jesus returns.
18
We can be sure that Jesus takes notice of our obedience. He took notice of the poor widow, whom Jesus said she gave out of her poverty. Obedience means personal involvement. If we are in love with our Lord, we must let the cost be paid.
19
Have you experienced difficulties in life, more than what you think you can handle? God does say He won’t allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear and that He always provides a way out (1 Corinthians 10:13). But that’s not the same as God not giving us more than we can handle. He allows things to happen, and He sometimes will allow more and more trials. The Apostle Paul wrote: “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure..." What we need to know is that God doesn’t expect us to “handle” everything we’re facing. He wants us to hand it over to Him, "...But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead” (2 Corinthians 1:8-9).
20
Have you ever felt alone and unsupported? Even though you are by yourself, you can approach God in your spirit with confidence, through our High Priest. God’s throne is a throne of grace, where you will find your identity, your worth, His understanding, His words for comfort and strength in your time of need (Hebrews 4:14-16). God’s grace is given based on your need at that moment. The supply of God’s grace you have in Christ will not run out tomorrow—or ever!
21
It seems to us that we can do a lot of things in our own strength. Then it begs me the question of what do we need Jesus for in our everyday life. It energized me when I read about God's power overshadowed the young virgin Mary and allowed her to carry Jesus. Scripture leaves no doubt that our God is a God of great power. God’s divine power is available to us. It is available to you and me, right now, through the knowledge of His Son, Jesus Christ, that we find everything we need to live a godly life against this dark world and the spiritual forces of evil.
Peter tells us know that godliness in the midst of great darkness is possible. Because of Jesus, we can escape “the corruption that is in the world” (2 Peter 1:4, ESV) with God’s power.
22
It is not enough to know that Jesus died for us; we must also understand that we died with Him. “For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God,” explains the Apostle Paul in Colossians 3:3.
What does that mean? It means we are in Christ, and we are in God; nothing can reach us unless it comes through God and through Christ. We are here in the flesh, but our lives are not in this visible world. We may go through many difficulties and pressures in these clay vessels, but we have a life that is eternal, incorruptible, and indestructible. No matter what comes, when we are in Christ we are in the secret place of the Most High, protected from all harm and all danger (see Psalm 91:1–2). And the door to the secret place is the cross. Our Christian life is not about Jesus Christ; it is Jesus Christ.
23
When children played hide and seek in a big field, finding a place to hide was proved to be the more challenging part of the game. In Paul’s letter to the Colossians, he wrote about another way to hide, and it seems much simpler and more secure than the hide and seek game. Paul tells us our lives are hidden with Christ in God. Hide ourselves in Christ means His righteousness becomes our righteousness. An exchanged has been made. We then learn to seek the things of God and think the thoughts of God. Don’t let the things of this world and its corrupt powers distract you. Instead, seek the glory of God in Christ and be captivated by him. The more you seek Him, think His thoughts, and focus on His glory, the more you are transformed to resemble that glory, the more you reflect His righteousness in your life. Blessings!
24
When we surrender our lives to Christ, we will experience the goodness - grace, mercy, benevolence, and providence - of God in our lives in the present, and embrace a real and lasting hope for eternity. A relationship with Jesus cannot be defined, described or measured from the outside, "The proof is in the pudding".
25
It takes courage to follow Jesus. Jesus walked hard roads, denying his own flesh. Jesus stepped down out of heaven. He emptied Himself of His divine glory and power in order to become a human being. Everything He endured was hard. Everything He suffered was real. Judas’ betrayal hurt. Peter’s denial broke His heart. Every lash of the whip caused Him unbelievable pain. His trial and condemnation before those He came to save wounded Him deeply. I cannot fathom the pain He felt as He hung on the cross. It took an unbelievable amount of courage for Jesus to face His death, to die for me. I would never want to forget that!
26
Jesus laid His life down for me is more than I can ever ask for or imagine. All I can do is fall on my knees before His throne. Love Him back all that I am, follow Him with courage, all that I have to use for His purposes in the world, and all that He has prepared me to do in eternity.
27
Courage is defined by the absence of fear in the presence of things that would normally produce uncertainty. Peter had a lot of self-confidence, and that got him out of the boat. But that self-confidence could not get him where he needed to be, to Jesus. Jesus caught Peter when he was about to lose his footing and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” Yes, Peter’s little faith was directed toward the wrong object too. He was trusting in his own power to do what Jesus told him to do. True courage comes from putting our faith in Jesus, not ourselves. When Peter reached out his hands to Jesus, he had a lot of faith on Jesus and no longer self-confidence on himself. He then was saved!
28
What does it look like to truly live? Having enough financial prosperity to live the rest of our days in comfort and ease? Living in a democratic society with the freedom to do what we want without being controlled? Is it loving relationships (with spouse, family, and friends)?
The Apostle Paul is very clear on this subject matter, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). We can find secrets to Christian living that transcends worry, fear, death and loss in this verse. This Christian life is personal. It is “to me,” and involves an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. It is practical, “to live”, the more Christ is revealed through us, the more reasons we have for living. It is resourceful, “is Christ”, who is the source of all things. And finally, it is eternal, “to die is gain”. We move on to greater things that we cannot begin to know in this life. Amen!
29
We don’t have to beg for an experience with God. The psalmist 16:11 paints this heavenly scene for us, “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore,” that we can enjoy here and now. All that we have to do is quiet our hearts, align ourselves with the truth that He is here and available to us, and receive Him.
30
“Now set your mind and heart to seek the Lord your God” (1 Chronicles 22:19). We do not seek God because He is lost. Nevertheless, He is often hidden. Veiled. The verb means "to seek with care, with diligence." Here in the context of this passage in the First Chronicles, it seems also to have the sense of "worship." This verse also gives us the clue of when to seek the Lord - it is 'now'. Now is the only time worth having, because indeed it is the only time we ever have. It is a word which comprehends the whole calendar, every day in the week, good or bad, all the year round. May we live a life of worship to our God from now into eternity.
1
The Bible is God's living word for all of us. “Nobody ever outgrows Scripture; the book widens and deepens with our years.” -Charles Spurgeon
When we open our heart and mind to the leading of the Holy Spirit, we will encounter God right where we are. God’s Word provides wisdom for decision-making, comfort in times of distress, and hope for the future. Just like our muscles grow and get stronger only after a workout, when they’re rested and recovered; the trials in our life tear us apart, our faith grows stronger when we find rest and rejuvenation in God’s Word.
Whoever believes and follows His Words is blessed.
2
If we are not hungry at dinner table, it is probably because we have indulged ourselves with other things already. "If you’re not hungry for God, you’re probably full of yourself." After we come to Christ for salvation, we still have choices to make everyday. We can choose to dine in God's Word or let the world steal away our appetite. We fool ourselves thinking that the things we see, we touch, we feel and we hold should take the higher priority. As we grow closer to the Lord, the more we desire to sit at His table of righteousness. This is because Jesus is the source of all life on this earth. Nothing in this world can ever satisfy like Jesus. Those who receive from Jesus will become channels of the Holy Spirit to bless and refresh others.
3
You might think that a blessed life is a pain-free life. Apostle Paul would see it differently. Paul lived through all kinds of tribulations of this world, yet he persevered. How? Because he's blessed!
A blessed life is a life with inner strength. Christ was everything to Paul, and it was the Spirit of Christ that defined Paul, led and empowered Paul, and comforted Paul.
A blessed life is a life with opportunities to witness for Christ. Paul seized every opportunity to tell others about Jesus, even when he was locked up in prison.
God can bring the greatest blessings through the toughest times.
4
The Bible is God's Word, but we have to understand God did not physically write it. Does this somehow diminish the Bible’s authority? Not for a second! Every word of the Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit, "Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit" ( 2 Peter 1:20-21).
Apostle Paul often opened a letter stating that, "This letter is from Paul" rather than "This letter is from God". So Paul is not merely a worker for Jesus but a messenger from Jesus. We do not live our lives merey for God, we live our life with God. We do not work for Jesus, we work through Jesus. Our life and our message are one in the same.
5
Jesus could not have been more clear: treasures in heaven are more worthy of our time and pursuit than treasures of earth. Everyday we face decisions that require us to determine our priorities and what we value the most. “The kingdom of heaven [that is, the kingdom of God] is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field” (Matthew 13:44)
In this parable the man sells everything he has so that he can have the kingdom. In Philippians 3:8, Paul suffers the loss of all things that he may gain Christ. Those are virtually identical realities.
6
Jesus valued you and me enough that He paid it all on the cross to have us for His own. “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:28).
If you had nothing else but the Lord, would He be enough for you?
If you had to give up all your possessions, relationships with people in your life and even your dreams, would you still be content?
When we prize Him above all, everything else pales in comparison.The meaningless things of the world lose their grip on us. "And you have been made complete in Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority" (Colossians 2: 10).
7
The word 'treasure' brings to mind as silver and gold, heirloom and jewelry. These are earthly riches. But perhaps an even more valuable treasure is knowing the all-powerful God of the universe is working even when we don't see. "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves...” (2 Corinthians 4:7). Most often, it’s in the darkest moment that we discover God is there all along.
8
Once we become a Christian, our life is not our own...it belongs to Christ. In our spiritual journey, perseverance is crucial. God definitely can change circumstances as He chooses to when we pray, but God always uses difficult circumstances in our lives. You may ask, why is that? Let Joseph's answer inspires us today, “It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering” (Genesis 41:52). God can surely use the pain, if we cooperate, to grow some of the fruit of the spirit in us – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self control. These are the fruit we can present to God one day.
9
Apostle Paul admonishes us in Colossians 3:16 this way, "Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly..." The Word of God:
Refreshes the soul
Makes the simple wise
Brings joy to our hearts
Enlightens our eyes
Is pure and enduring
Can be trusted
Is more valuable than fine gold
Adds sweetness to our hearts
Warns us of danger
Bestows a special reward
Reveals error in our lives
Keeps us from presumption
Guards us from becoming enslaved by sin.
Sets our spirit free
(Psalm 19:7-13)
"Dear God, what will you show me about You in Your Word today?"
10
God has spoken! He was not silent. God communicates. He means to connect with us. We actually have the words of God. The Word , the Bible, is His voice! It’s His love letter to mankind—the greatest love letter ever written. If we're going to know anything about God, we'll learn it from what He has revealed in the Bible. God speaks through His Word and through it He invites us to come find Him. And in finding Him, our knowledge about Him grows and our minds are gradually transformed—often in a quiet way—from glory to glory. "God has spoken plainly, and I have heard it many times: Power, O God, belongs to you" (Psalm 61: 11)
11
God’s purpose for every relationship we have, including motherhood, and every circumstance of our lives, is to bring us further up to God and further in to Himself. We can be wrapped up so tightly in the expectations of seeing the good results from our hard work. Remember, our temporary roles and relationships on this earth don’t define who we are. Only one relationship defines us: our relationship with God. For example, if we focus on godly motherhood, instead of God Himself, our wells will run dry. If we keep our focus on knowing God better through the circumstances He presents to us in motherhood, godly motherhood is the natural outflow of the sanctification that occurs in our hearts through growing closer to God and knowing Him intimately.
12
I heard many times when people adviced me that I should let go. I should let go when I have done all that I can in those situations. I should let go when my influence is no longer effective. It was hard for me to let go because i didn't know what I should let go of. Then I realized what I should let go of is my own agendas, whatever it is.
There was a time, in Luke 8: 19-21, when Jesus did not accept His family's agenda; of which those near him accepted. It amazed me that Jesus did not change direction in what He was doing and make their priority His priority. Jesus made His choice. He let go of one, and valued His spiritual family first. God had to widen the lens for me, to see His larger purpose. We can only pick up God's agenda when we choose to lay down our own. God is always at work and is looking for us to partner with Him.
13
Majesty, worship God's majesty. Singing praises to God is our way to express God's greatness. Proverbs 25:2 tells us "It is the glory of God to conceal a matter." There are many things God has concealed...for a time, and this is one expression of His glory. It is one of God’s ways to say, “You are amazed by what you see; yet what you don’t see, what I have concealed, is even greater.” Think about Jesus and His statement that much of what He said would be in parables, so that seeing they would not see and hearing they would not hear. The Bible is filled with truth that we cannot see or understand with human wisdom...until God reveals them to us.
14
Our journey with God is one that of seeking and knowing Him. This was Apostle Paul's expression when he understood one small point of God, "Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them?” For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen" (Romans 11: 33-36). I can imagine Paul fell on HIs knees at this point! We too, can humbly go to the God of heaven and seek wisdom and understanding from Him. He will not let us down.
15
"But the glory of kings is to search things out" (Proverbs 25:2). If you accepted Jesus into your life, you are a child of God. You are a member of the royal family: a family of prophets, priests, and kings. God in His grace has shown us many things, through nature, through our inner conscience, and through His God-breathed Word, but there still remains many secret things that are hidden beneath the surface.
It is the joy of kings - truth seekers, to go through the Word diligently, to look for gems and gain knowledge. In that process we not only gain wisdom and understanding, but also grow in grace. It is a glorious pursuit.
16
'Christ in you' is not about some ooky-spooky New Age concept where Christ is in everyone and everyone is Christ! It is something far greater and far more rewarding than just 'trying your best for Jesus!' God wants the riches of His mystery revealed which is: Christ in us.The central message of the Apostle Paul and the New Testament is 'not I but Christ', 'It is no longer I that live but Christ that lives in me.' Jesus Christ has given us Himself because we do not have what it takes to live the Christian life. Admitting that we cannot even live for Christ on our own, we'd be so grateful for Jesus. It is not a mental exercise, it is empowering the Holy Spirit to mold us to becoming more Christ-like.
17
The word 'hope' sounds like elusive, not real or it's something only existed in our head. But "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27) is not about wishes and dreams; it is a promise. The glory that Jesus promises is not based on our own effort. It’s based on His accomplishment. Living in our hearts, Jesus is eager to show us His glory. Through the gift of His Spirit, He is at work every day, seeking to make that glory so clear to us that we would be willing to devote our lives to it. He'll never leave us, all the way into His eternal glory. The fullness has yet to come. That's our hope in Christ Jesus our Lord.
18
Jesus said to His disciples that "it is to your advantage that I go away." This statement was not only difficult for the disciples to understand, but to us also. Like the disciples, if Jesus were here, we would constantly depend on Him to direct us, or to answer our questions. Our own thoughts and conscience would perpetually be pushed aside, in favour of asking Jesus for His judgment. But Jesus explained, " for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you" (John 16:7). Jesus' ascension was not the end of the story, but part of God’s bigger story extended to all of us. Everyone who repents of their sin and puts their faith in Jesus Christ receives the Holy Spirit. The ministry that Jesus once did in Galilee and Jerusalem and elsewhere, He now does by the Holy Spirit who is with us. Let us join God in His pursuits.
19
It’s human nature to worry about the future. Those two words “what if” have a way of sending us spiralling down a black hole of anxiety. A long time ago, the Israelites grappled with this similar challenge. God sent the prophet Isaiah to speak these comforting words of truth to them and to us, "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland’” (Isaiah 43: 18-19). May we filter our future through this truth and face the days ahead with a hope that gives us peace and strength.
20
How do we overcome our circumstances? We rise above them. David in Psalm 69 found himself sinking, "Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in deep mire..." Can you relate to that kind of suffering? David got through that situation by waiting on his God. (Psalm 69: 1-3)
David's God is our living God, "who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist" (Romans 4: 17), sets us up to rise above our storms. Instead of looking at the situation with our physical eyes, we speak life and truth over it. Our God reigns, blessing and honour, glory and power, unto our God forever and ever!
21
Jesus taught His disciples about the Kingdom of God, and they also did life together for three and a half years. The disciples walked with Jesus, talked with Jesus, ate with Jesus – they did everything with Jesus. In this process, the disciples were able to ‘catch’ what Jesus was trying to show them. This is why it’s so important that our actions match our words as Christians. Faith is caught, by what is observed than what is heard.
22
When we seek God, we have to be ready to surrender our life for Him. When we truly understand what happened at salvation, "We were dead in trespasses and sins", it will lead us to see this new life we are living is no longer ours. Understanding the depth of this will enable us to seek God with our whole heart, in order to be transformed into the image of Christ. One day we shall see our Lord Jesus as He is in us.
23
Even though Jesus is God, He is also a person. Knowing Jesus is about entering a relationship with Him. There were people in Jesus day who thought it was good enough for them to know about His teaching, applauded the miracles and fascinated in some of the things He said. Today there are thousands who know about Jesus—that is, they know some facts about Him, they might commit some Bible verses to memory, and perhaps they even attend church. But they have never allowed the facts to become their personal reality. We can appreciate the facts of Jesus’ death and resurrection, but until we have made Him our Lord, the facts do us no good.
24
Time is a gift entrusted to us by God, and we all received it equally. It is a finite gift here on this earth, meant to be used intentionally and wisely. Time is the one thing that once it's gone, we can never get back or recycle. Recognizing that every moment is a precious opportunity to glorify God helps us approach time with a sense of gratitude and responsibility. Ephesians 5: 16, "Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days." We are not to live for this age and its desires, but for doing the will of God as we look forward to the age to come.
25
The purpose of our Christian living is not about doing our best for God. We live in a world where what we do tends to define us. However, to pursue God’s ways is to be people of being over people of doing. Doing is tied in closely with activity, accomplishments, and tangible things. Being, on the other hand, has more to do with intangibles, the kind of people we become down inside, much of which can't be measured by objective yardsticks and impressive awards.
'What we want to do is not nearly as important as what we want to be.' - Charles Swindoll
26
Love without faith loses its power. The kind of love that God requires from us comes only from one thing in our lives – and that is faith. Some people tend to exalt love at the expense of faith. Their attitude is, "The only thing that matters is love. Don’t talk to me too much about faith." For when we encounter challenges, it is faith that will sustain us. At the times we don’t feel love, our faith will point us back to the truth. The truth of His love for us, “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them...But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful (Luke 6: 32-35). There’s no other way to reproduce God’s love, but by faith in God.
27
Every day we are faced with many choices, in a positive or negative manner. "So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives," Paul in Galatians 5:16 gives us his counsel. God will show us the choice to make, but it is still up to us to act on that choice. We make our choices, and our choices will make us.
28
The inner person, who is the real us, sees and knows things that are not identical with what the eyes of the body can see. We can impress others all we want, but something looks good and beautiful does not mean it is. Just because something looks less impressive does not mean that lying below the surface there are not depths of beauty and goodness. Real beauty and strength and wisdom and integrity and leadership is not found upon the surface but far deeper where no eye can see or camera can photograph. "Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed" (Psalm 34:5)
29
To this world, time is money. In God's economy, time is life. Spending time with God will shape our spiritual life into His image. In fact, God wants to spend time with you and me so badly that He paid in order to get it. He sent Jesus to remove every barrier, tear down every wall and unlock every door so we could have a personal relationship with Him. Not only that, He gave us His Word so we could hear from Him constantly and consistently. Spending time with God in His Word should be our top priority everyday. So today … set aside time to spend with the One who is above all time. It will be time well spent.
30
Our kingdom must go if we want to inherit the Kingdom of God. God’s Kingdom presents a challenge to how our flesh and this world tell us to live because it is “not of this world”. This world is preoccupied with the visible, the carnal, materialistic, the temporal, outward show and achievements, earthly power and status. The kingdom of God emphasizes that which is invisible, spiritual, eternal, inner reality, what is of the heart, the development of the inner man and relying on the spiritual power. Paul is exhorting us to focus on the realities in the spiritual realm that are eternal and unseen, rather than on the things in the physical realm that are visible and temporal and will pass away. As we seek to serve God faithfully, let us not be discouraged by the trials and difficulties that may appear to be adverse from the temporal perspective. Instead, let us learn to view life from the eternal perspective of God's kingdom and rejoice in the development of our inner man and in the enduring fruit of a faithful journey. (2 Corinthians 4: 16-18)
31
A major area of truth revealed in the Scriptures is that we are living in a fallen world, which is under the influence and power of the evil one. This is a universal problem; everyone is included in it. Ephesians 2:2 puts it this way, “in which you once walked, following the course of this world…”. The “course of this world” in this verse refers to the trends, values, ways and perspective of this world. Do you know that this world, the lust of it all, is passing away, as were told in 1 John 2:17? It will ultimately perish, and we must not be preoccupied with it. “…But the one who does the will of God lives forever” (! John 2:17)
1
This short phrase from Colossians 3 stood out today, "When Christ, who is your life..." Jesus doesn’t simply give Christians life through His atonement on the cross and resurrection. The Word declares that Jesus is our life. If we’ve been raised with Christ, we should “seek the things that are above”, where Christ is, seated at God's right hand. This plainly refers to heavenly things. Our reward for believing in Christ doesn’t consist in earthly treasures that one day perish and fade away. Our reward, rather, consists in heavenly treasures that we will enjoy for all eternity. Try to picture this, when Christ appears, "...we will appear with Him in glory" (Colossians 3:4). Everything else pales in comparison!
2
Do you want to have more of Jesus? I know I do. After all these years, after all strives; only Jesus can satisfy, only He can fill. "I have tasted and seen that the Lord is good"—and I want more! How can I get more of Jesus? Here is how, "We will have to give more of ourselves," like King David. This is what God testified about David, "...he will do everything I want him to do" (Acts 13:22).
3
From a human perspective, we are attracted to something that shows results. We often hear this question, "Does that work?" But that's not the way of God. We don’t show Jesus we love Him by doing things that we think work. We show Him we love Him through our obedience. Jesus said, “Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them” (John 14: 21). Jesus told us in His Word that if we keep His commands He will show Himself to us. What an amazing truth. The results then, are up to God and God alone!
4
Understanding the depth of who we were before Jesus came into our life will enable us to seek God with the new life we've been given. "You were dead in your transgressions and sins" (Ephesians 2:1). In other words, as far as God is concerned, we had no life before Jesus came in.
This world tells us to go after the tangible things in this world; but if we know how this life was given to us, we'll seek God daily and truly live.
5
This thought just blew me away. We are a finite being with our days numbered, yet God takes great care of each one of us. He is infinite, He cannot be tempted with evil and He is trustworthy. Psalm 91:10 tells us that, "no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent." Does it mean that we are promised safety then? Why is it that we are still faced with the reality of human suffering? Does the Bible give us the formula to stay out of harm’s way, in a world where mankind takes it upon themselves to step outside of God’s perfect will; where people decided to do whatever they like, based on their own inclinations? May we take heart with this truth: The security of our soul is worth far more than the safety of our lives.
6
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). The most common understanding of this verse, including myself, as falling short of God’s righteous standard. But not only that, we see in Romans 4:20, that Abraham gave God glory. The Gentiles glorifying God in Chapter 15:9, and the final doxology of the letter in Chapter 16:27 where glory was given to God. So,"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" may also mean we have failed 'to give God the glory He deserves'.
7
How much was God's Word to King David? He wrote this in Psalm 119:2, "Blessed are those who keep His testimonies (laws, statues), who seek Him with their whole heart". What is it in the Word of God, that caused David to treasure it and love it? David saw God in the laws of God.
Now in the New Testament, we see that Christ is the Word of God (John 1:1, Rev. 19:13).
Lord, open our eyes to see You in Your Word today!
8
God is omniscient, all knowing. He sees us in secret. We are living in a world where people work on appearing acceptable to others, to our community. This desire to look good to others and to impress people doesn't impress God. "...Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” Jesus turns this upside down and warns that if the opinion of other people is the only motive, God will not reward such actions. God is the only audience that matters.
"Lord, I come as needy as I am, thank you for making my heart your home."
9
We can learn this faith lesson in 2Kings 6: 16-17 from Elisha's servant. He couldn't see what Elisha saw, and he was afraid. I can certainly relate to that feeling. "Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” (2 Kings 6:16-17, NIV). What and how we see makes all the difference in the world. Wouldn’t it be nice to see with our natural eyes all the ways God is working behind the scenes? But through the eyes of faith, we can have the same certainty.
Be encouraged: There’s more to life than what we can see!
10
When our dog Penny pants, we know water would help calm her down. "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God." Here is a true picture of our relationship with God, that we cannot survive apart from Him. We might pretend we can still continue on, but only for a little while. In our pursuit of God, we discover that more than meeting our needs, He delights in revealing Himself to us. As we draw near to God, he draws near to us, filling our hearts with love, joy and peace.
11
“And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last” (Mark 15:37). Let us not forget that scene as Jesus took the judgement that you and I deserve in our sin. All that Jesus went through, in the four Gospels, was for us. He paid the price so that we can press on to win the prize for which God has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus. For the longest time I didn't know what prize was Paul talking about in Philippians 3:14. But there's a prize "through faith in Christ - the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith...I may attain to the resurrection from the dead" (Philippians 3:10-11). That prize was not only for Paul, Paul said, "but to all who crave His appearing." (2 Timothy 4:8)
12
This word 'resurrection' from Philippians 3:11, in Greek it only appeared once in the New Testament. It is the Greek word 'exanastasis', a special, distinct or out of the ordinary kind of resurrection. It is not the general kind of resurrection for all believers. This 'exanastasis' qualifies that this person would rule and reign with Christ in the Millennium. This is a promise that every believer is entitled to, but not every believer will get it. Paul knew at the end of his journey that he is going to receive this 'exanastasis' as he wrote to Timothy in 2 Timothy 4: 7-8, "...From now on there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but to all who crave His appearing."
Let us be faithful to our Lord Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit. Otherwise, we may disqualify ourselves.
13
Our wants and our needs are sometimes not the same. For example: The Israel wanted her King to come, but what they really needed was a Saviour. During passion week, we hear the echo, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord,” as the people of Christ’s day recognized Jesus as the long-awaited One.
In His mercy, God gave the crowds not what they wanted, so shallow and frivolous, but what they—and we—needed most.
14
On the day Jesus entered into Jerusalem on a donkey, this is how it was recorded, "And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (Matthew 21:9). It was a celebration, a moment of profound joy and expectation. Jesus was in the centre of it all. The people recognized Jesus not just as a teacher or miracle worker but as the promised Messiah, the Son of David. How poignant it is that as Jesus entered the city, He was heralded as King by those who had longed for liberation, unaware that His kingdom was not of this world and that His ultimate calling was one of spiritual salvation.
15
The term translated “blessed is” comes from the Hebrew word barukh (literally “to bless”) and is most often used of God. But in Psalm 118:26 it speaks of the king figure who comes in God’s authority. Faithlife Study Bible explains that barukh “describes bestowing someone with special power or declaring Yahweh to be the source of special power. In that regard, it means praising Yahweh for who He is” (Barry, J. D., et al, entry for Psalm 103:1, Lexham Press, 2012, 2016).
Are we ready to accept Jesus' kingship over our lives? Apprehending Him as King means laying down our own plans and expectations. It requires us to relinquish control over our lives, accepting His perfect will instead of pursuing our own agendas.
16
Pilate's question, “What is truth?” is one of the most important questions one can ask. As a Roman governor, perhaps the only truth that mattered to Pilate was power. If you are able to kill or spare anyone you want, what does ‘truth’ really mean? In order to keep imperial order Pilate had to play politics to manage local tensions. He wanted to avoid being embroiled in religious disputes but he also needed to manage the Jewish leaders, and the volatile crowd.
Like politicians, we often want to protect ourselves and our reputations, and provide our own ‘spin’ on events that we are involved in.
17
Barabbas was a dangerous man, notoriously known throughout the land as an insurgent. Jesus on the other hand, healed their sick, touched those people no one else would touch, associated with sinners and befriended the outcasts. Yet, to Pilate’s amazement, the crowd called for Barabbas to be released. As for Jesus, they yelled, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” (Matthew 27:22). Have you wondered why was there such a disturbing response to Jesus? Perhaps that's the only way "not have this man to reign over us” (Luke 19:14). They thought the Kingdom of God would appear immediately. This Jesus was not what they expected. So what would we do when Jesus didn't appear to our liking? That choice is with us!
18
God formed Adam and breathed His Spirit of life into him. He then offered a choice to Adam and Eve, by planting two trees that represent these life-or-death options. Adam and Eve probably never intended to leave the garden, but they didn’t take God’s words seriously and trusted the wisdom of a sneaky deceiver instead of God. We know that they had to leave the Garden where God resides. Outside the garden, the world still has beauty, goodness, and life, but it also has expiration dates.
We too, often decide to choose life as defined by our own wisdom, embracing our own self-ruin. Often these choices seem as innocent as eating tasty, good-looking fruit. But when those choices oppose God’s intended purposes for us, they corrupt life and bring death.
19
In Genesis 2:17, we read that God gave this command to Adam, "...but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” Adam and Eve both ate from that tree, and they both died. Is death the end? If this were the end of the story, it would be the ultimate tragedy, as it seems like God is cutting ties with humanity altogether.
Rather, God, in the persson of Jesus Christ, joins us in the dust, showing us that true life is about unity with God and that our death is a temporary tragedy, not our ultimate end.
20
"But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). You might not think this is a big deal, but it is! Jesus' 3 1/2 years ministry on earth only attracted a handful of people. He suffered the most excruciating pain , the sinner's death, when He died. All of these is pointing us that no pain in this world He couldn't understand. Most of all, God has engineered a kind of death that does not ultimately destroy the human. It’s a death that overcomes death, "He is not here, for He is risen!" (Matthew 28:6)
21
Have you ever wondered: if Jesus died, and He did not come back to life? There are still people who deny Jesus's resurrection to this day, for they also deny the possibility of afterlife altogether.
In 1Corinthians 15, Paul gave us 5 implications that which would be true if Jesus is dead.
1. Our faith is empty (15:14).
2. We'd be all lying about God(15:15).
3. We are still in our sin (15:17).
4. Death would have dominion (15:18)
5. "If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied." (15:19)
But, in fact, "Christ has been raised from the dead..." (15:20) Turn vv. 14-19 around, to see what is true since the resurrection really happened. Be blessed!
22
There are reasons to reject the resurrection account, but they all come to a dead end. But there’s a reason to believe it apart from fact, and it’s this:
Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live...
and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die." (John 11: 25-26) Choose life!
23
What does a life without Jesus is like? You might say, "No different than yours!" Let us look at how Ecclesiastes 6 describes it for us. In verse 1, it tells us that a man can have wealth, possessions, and honor, and he lacks nothing of all that he desires. Though he has all these things, yet in verse 2 says that God does not enable him to enjoy them. "He might live a thousand years twice over...but fail to enjoy his prosperity. And since he must die like everyone else—well, what’s the use?" (6:6)
Life without reference to God, life that doesn’t center around God; is not a full, abundant life. On the contrary, it is meaningless at the end.
24
Why does a life with Jesus worth living? Because we are called to live a life worthy of the Lord, "so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way...being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might" (Colossians 1: 10-11). As we put our trust and faith in Jesus, we are joined in His resurrection. He alone can give us the value that we're looking for - a part of a greater story to come. Amen!
25
Jesus' resurrection is not an after the fact event, rather it is a fulfillment of prophecy according to the Scriptures. In the Bible, the term “Scriptures” always refers to the Old Testament. We can locate one such Old Testament reference in Psalm 16, "You will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful (or holy) one see decay” (16:10). King David spoke here, perhaps not knowing what he was speaking of, that the Messiah would not see decay in the grave and that he would rise from the dead.
26
'Jesus is the only way to God' sounds arrogant, intolerant; and often gets pushback throughout history. Actually the real question is not, “Why is Jesus the only way?” but “Why is there any way at all?” Believing in Jesus is not a matter of religion or belief system, it is a matter of our soul and our eternity. Jesus Christ has reconciled us to God, “...justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). It is only by God’s mercy and grace that He has made a way for us to be right with Him, and that act of mercy is found in Jesus alone.
27
“Nothing is lost in the sight of God” was a grandmother’s favourite sayings. We may have misplaced our car keys or our glasses sometimes, but how comforting it is to know that we are never lost in God's sight. Even when our eyes wander away to our own thoughts, or our own versions of what life is about; His eyes are on us. Did you take a step back? He never leaves! God never loses sight on you and me.
28
Many people find it difficult to put their trust in God because they can't see Him. Just think about when we're in an airplane, we don't feel like it's moving at all when there is no turbulence. Feelings are not good detectors of what's actually happen now. Only God knows what He is doing and what He will do. By faith, we trust that He is moving by His power and working in our lives.
Take heart to Jesus' word in John 13:7, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” We might not feel God is working, but He is!
29
"Let us press on...", even when we lose hope. Hosea was reminding the Jews and us, "Let us press on to know him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring.” For many of us, our faith waxes and wanes. How easy would it be to worship a God when life goes so smooth. We might even just put Him on the shelf. But how much more of a testimony could we be to others when we are found faithful despite the hardships He allows?
30
God is all knowing. He knows more about me than I know about myself. No matter what path I walk down, God is one step ahead. The Lord is always going before me and preparing me for what is to come. He is known for caring and perfecting so many people for their tomorrows. He walks ahead to fight the battles they fear they can't win. He calms the seas they're convinced they can't beat. He softens the blows they worry will take them down. He knows our road. He knows how to lead us through it. "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand" (Isaiah 41:10).
1
Proverbs 25:2, "It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out." God is infinite in His wisdom and understanding, and His ways are past finding out. When we accepted Jesus into our lives, He has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve His God and Father, after the order of Melchizedek. We are instructed to search out the truth as we read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest the whole counsel of God so that we may grow in grace, mature in the faith, and discover the hidden things of God.
2
When we follow Jesus, we still live our life, we still go about our life day in and day out. The world around us does not change, but what is different now is that we have been changed, we have been transformed on the inside.
This way of living led me to the scene where Jesus was transfigured on the mountain just before He was led to crucifixion. Jesus’ transfiguration made his face shine like the sun. Peter, James, and John got to witness the glory of God in Jesus. This is what he will look like when we are in heaven. The real miracle here wasn’t that Jesus shined like the sun, but that He could contain this glory every day without it coming out. In the same way, we are also being transformed from the inside out that we keep our old self inside and live out the new life we found in Jesus.
3
Salvation is free for anyone who believes, "For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved." This gift of salvation certainly brings eternal rejoicing. But there's much more, for we were justified and made righteous, sanctified, and glorified. We were adopted as sons of God and predestined to become exactly like the Lord Jesus. As sons, we were given an eternal inheritance and made joint-heirs with Christ in His heavenly kingdom. Jesus, as God's Son, showed us how to stay faithful to the very end in order to keep His inheritance, "fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:3). This verse tells us that while salvation is free, to keep the inheritance is not. We have to stay faithful as sons of God, like Christ. Let us take exhortation from the next verse from the same passage, Hebrews 12:4, "Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."
4
How big is God? God is not made of “stuff”; therefore, He has no dimensions, and spatial descriptions do not apply to Him. God is not “made” at all but is preexistent, eternal, with no beginning and no end (Revelation 22:13). He is existence, and without Him nothing else can exist. God exists outside of and independent of His creation. He is “big” enough to make the universe and “small” enough to know and love us.
5
Selah is a Hebrew word which means "pause and think about this". I want to pause and think about this verse, "Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory! Selah" (Psalm 24:10). In our world, there are many kings, those who call themselves kings, and also those who would be kings. I am exhilarated because our Jesus is not only King, He is the King of Glory. And so let us stop and think about it. We take a break in His presence. We stand in His glory that is unmatched, “The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness”. Nothing is going to change that!
6
Helpless, weak, no strength, powerless, aren't these words describing someone who is paralyzed? Many of us do not realize we are spiritually paralyzed. You see, God’s plan for all of us is that we be holy, but we don’t have the strength to be holy. We don't have what it takes to live a holy life. "While we were still helpless [powerless to provide for our salvation], at the right time Christ died [as a substitute] for the ungodly" (Romans 5:6). In His strength; we can now live a holy life, "not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God” (verses 3–5).
7
Jesus responded to simple faith. How about that! The four friends had this kind of simple faith when they carried their paralytic friend onto and through a roof to see Jesus.They didn't get Jesus' attention through the complex religious system of that day, or years of theological training. “Jesus saw their faith,” says Mark, and responded to their need. Jesus put first thing first, first healing the man's relationship with God, then their friend's physical ailment. Does Jesus see our simple faith by our action?
8
We don't want to see wars, any kind of wars between two parties. But there's a war going on inside of us that we cannot ignore. Galatians 5:17 explains to us this inner war, "For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do." Between the flesh and the spirit, how are we to fight it? Paul does not say we won't have the fleshly desires; he is saying, when we walk in the spirit, we will not gratify them.
9
Our life doesn't have to be perfect to make it count. We all experience hardships and trouble in this life. No one is immune from it. More important than a perfect life is the fact that we let God to fulfill His purpose for us.
Jesus knew His time on earth was to do His Father's will, even though it was difficult, "who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." Such an example before us, let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter for our faith.
10
When each one of us accepts Jesus' free gift of salvation, and willing to establish a relationship with Him. Guess what, we have access to His heart. Psalm 25: 14, "The secret [of the sweet, satisfying companionship] of the Lord have they who fear (revere and worship) Him, and He will show them His covenant and reveal to them its [deep, inner] meaning." Secrets are waiting to be revealed, so that we may know the truth. The secrets of the Lord are beyond our human comprehension, our human calculation or our human expectation. The best is yet to come!
11
Trust plays a crucial role in relationship. It is built on vulnerability, emotional security, and connection (Johnson 2008). God in His word, tells us over and over again, that He wants our trust to be in Him, and not in people like this one in Jeremiah 17:5, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind And makes flesh his strength, and whose heart turns away from the LORD.’”
As soon as we put our trust in people, our hearts turn away from the Lord and make earthly flesh our strength, whether you admit it or not.
12
Proverbs 9:10, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom..." This verse is telling us that the fear of God is the foundational requirement to wisdom. The very first example of the fear of the Lord in the Bible is Exodus 9:20, where we found the officials of Pharaoh who feared the word of the Lord hurried to bring their slaves and their livestock inside. But those who ignored the word of the Lord left their slaves and livestock in the field and they died from the plague of hails. This truth is not only relevant to God's people or Christians only, it is to all people. And it leads to life.
13
Jesus told us in Matthew 5:20 this, “For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.” We know that Jesus is not about earning our way into heaven. In the same token, we are not to treat God's law lightly, because how we view God’s law indicates how we view God Himself (Romans 2:12-16). Was Jesus telling us to try harder and do better? No! Jesus is calling us to the 'kind' of righteousness - His righteousness rather than the degree of it, like the Pharisees.
14
Our hearts show what we really value in life. Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love Him with all our heart...above all else. That means no personal desires should be attached to that love. When we put Jesus first, Matthew 6:33 tells us that "... and all these things will be provided to you."
Jesus is worthy of it all. If we have Him, we have it all!
15
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ...” We also learned from John 10 that Jesus and the Father are ONE. We see God in connection with Christ. We see God through Christ, we see God in Christ. How God is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ as God, I do not know. This is a mystery! But this I do know, the God of Jesus Christ, the Father of Jesus Christ, is my God, my Father, too. How will I not bless Him?
16
Faith is the avenue God uses to bring people to Himself. Faith comes from God in the form of a gift (Ephesians 2:9). But how do we utilize this gift so that it can accomplish it's end goal? Romans 1: 17, "The righteous shall live by faith."
What does it mean for us today? Faith is to admit that we don't have all the answers to our questions and we don't need to have all the answers. Faith is pleasing God in every thing and in every way.
17
What is eternal life? I was surprised to find that the meaning of eternal life is not eternal existence going on and on infinitely. The answer is actually very clear given by Jesus. It is found in John 17: 3, "And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." The Greek word ginosko, translated using 3 English words: know, perceive, and understand, appears 223 times in the New Testament. Jesus obviously used the word often since it appears 71 times in the Olivet discourse alone, when Jesus spoke about the end times on the Mount of Olives (Matt. 24:1–25:46). Knowing God gives us the quality of life that transcends what this world offers. So, let us make it our goal to get to know God better by the end of each day, because that is what we will be doing for eternity.
18
Asking questions is one way to grow in wisdom. So today's question is: What has less value than knowing Christ? Another way to look at this question is: What are we holding on to so tightly that it prevents us from experiencing a fuller, richer, knowledge of Christ? If we want to know Christ as He desires to be known, we must count all other things as loss.
19
"God wants me to be happy, and so I should get out of the situations that does not make me happy." Have you encountered feelings along this line? God does indeed desire each one of us to live a life filled with love and happiness, but it's not the kind of love and pleasure the world esteems. While our Heavenly Father is actively meeting all our needs, He wants us to centre our life on Him. We cannot live the life God desires for us apart from filling our minds and hearts with His Word. The bottom line is this: apart from God's Word, we may be going after a god of our own making.
20
God’s Word gives us proper perspective. The entirety of God’s Word is active, alive, inspired, and for our good. But some of the things are hard pills to swallow like this one, "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" (2 Corinthians 4:17).
We all struggle. Maybe it’s with our mental health, failing bodies, losing loved ones, or being wounded by people in our inner circles. Nothing on this list feels light or momentary. If anything, it feels hopeless.
It is a comfort to know that Paul’s life was no walk in the park. It is clear that Paul is not minimizing suffering here. He’s telling us that even the worst imaginable suffering on earth will be nothing compared to the “far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” Through Paul, God is whispering in our ears, "Persevere, my child. I’m here. Something better is coming."
21
The moment we put our trust in Jesus, the Holy Spirit begin residing in us. He provides us with the desire and the power to do what God desires. And yet the truth is that even as believers we do not always live in the fullness of God’s Spirit. It remains possible for us to be more influenced by something other than Him. Paul tells us how to live this new life in Galatians 5:16-17, "So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want."
22
God does not force His will upon us — rather, He seeks our willing obedience. That is why whenever Jesus talked about discipleship, He prefaced it with an “If,” meaning, “You do not need to do this unless you desire to do so.” Jesus does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear. If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation. If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself. "Lord Jesus, may I obey You out of a oneness of Spirit with You!"
23
God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are ONE and operate in unity with each other. This means that it is not possible to fully separate God or Jesus from the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the One who takes everything God has given us in Christ Jesus and makes them a reality in our lives today!
We have the same power Jesus had when He was tempted to sin by Satan and didn’t succumb. We have the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead. We have the same supernatural power of God inside us today. Amen!
24
When I'm told to wait, I feel a sense of helplessness, having no control over what's going on. Waiting seems passive. Wait!
Until I learned how God waits. He is patient with us. God's patience is done with perfect knowledge that He knows the wait is worth it. It is not about speed, but for His will be done. In waiting, He does not sit idly by. He actively involves in each of our lives to bring about transformation. With God, waiting isn’t about the end, but about the beginning.
25
The truth is like light. It illuminates and exposes what is real. While we’re an informed generation, linked together by technology, aware of many of the answers our culture provides, our instinctive hunger for truth continues. There is only one source of truth, and that is the Word of God. Let us open the Word of God daily.
26
We don't need to hope and wonder if God will take care of us. Paul tells us this in Philippians 4:19, "I am convinced that my God will fully satisfy every need you have, for I have seen the abundant riches of glory revealed to me through Jesus Christ!" (The Passion Translation).
It is a matter of His heart and nature, not because He is being forced to; even if our need feels relatively “small” to us. Be blessed!
27
We know that whenever the bible talks about the heart, it’s not simply the physical organ that pumps our blood. The heart actually means our mind, our will, the 'inner man'. The heart drives our actions and influences our thinking and behaviour. It’s critical that we are aware of what we say and do, because over time, our thoughts and actions will shape and mold our hearts—often without us even realizing it.
28
Life is lived from the heart. It is the command centre where we make decisions. Not only we should guard our heart, Proverbs 4: 23 says , "Guard your heart with all vigilance..." or "Guard your heart above all else..." Notice, this is an imperative; it’s a command. It implies that keeping the heart is not an easy task. It is not something that comes naturally. It calls for effort, perseverance, persistence, constancy, and industry—diligence. It’s a struggle! Why is it so important? The answer is in the next part of the verse, "...For out of it spring the issues of life." or "...for it determines the course of (our) life."
29
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8, NIV). We are talking about an undivided heart here. A heart so focused and unadulterated that it clarifies our vision. You see, we can’t see God rightly with a heart that is pulled every which way. God wants us to know Him, and to see Him. But we can't really see Him if our hearts are not in pursuit of Him.
30
We typically get away from storms if we can help it. But one time when Jesus made his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, Jesus' intention was to use the storm to protect the disciples. Seriously? Yes, the disciples needed to be protected from being pulled into the diversion, from the crowd, of making Jesus king at the wrong time. Jesus knew the ambition in their hearts, and this could have destroyed them 'spiritually'.
31
The Bible tells us that, the eyes of the Lord, "run to and fro throughout the whole earth..." He is actively searching, and we were told He has found a man after His own heart in 1Samuel 13:14. And to this day, God is looking for men or women with a heart for God. What does that heart looks like? We can see that in Jesus as God's beloved Son. In His pain, He prayed, "Not my will, but Thine will be done." God is looking,"...in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him" (2Chronicles 16:9).
1
"Keep on seeking, and you will find" (Matthew 7:7)
The word “seek” in the Greek means “to pursue, to run after.” As we seek the Lord, He “sends righteousness on [us] like the rain” (Hosea 10:12). These times refresh and renew us, making us grow. Just thinking of time with God in these terms can cause us to desire to meet with Him.
2
Jesus shared this story in Luke 16:19-26 to teach that there are good things in this life we cannot carry into the next life. The all-important thing is that we live this life with the value of eternity—our relationship with God, in mind.
"But for me it is good to be near God..." (Psalm 73:28)
3
The word “Christian” means “being like Christ”. This was the nickname given to the disciples by other people who looked on at them. The first time is in Acts 11:26: “The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.” The last time we see “Christian” mentioned is in 1 Peter 4:16, “However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.” But in our world today 'Christian' is anyone who go to church and live a good life. Although Jesus never taught us what it means to be a Christian, He did tell us what it means to be a disciple.
4
When I look at the cross, I think of Jesus as my Substitute, who satisfies the just wrath of God, and I am united with Him in His death by His resurrection. This, however, was not what Jesus’s disciples would have understood at that time. Although Jesus was telling them that He would go to the cross, they did not believe Him. When Jesus said to them, “And whoever does not carry their cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:27), what was Jesus trying to tell them? Living under Roman authority, it was not uncommon to see a man go down the road carrying his cross. This person was going to die. Jesus used the cross to tell the disciples in a very practical term what does it mean to follow Jesus.
I think for us today, unless we take up our cross and align ourselves with Jesus, no matter what it costs or where it takes us—even if it means the death of ourselves—we cannot be His disciples.
5
“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened…” —Matthew 11:28
When we study the original Greek words 'weary and burdened' and how this sentence is structured, the literal translation of the verse is, “Come to Me, those who have overburdened themselves.” In other words, Jesus is calling those who are wearied by their own choices. Many of us can relate to being burdened by the worries of life. But mind you, even good things can become burdens to us. Jesus’s invitation to all of us that are overburdened, with good things or bad things, is to come to Him and find rest . Our story is still being written. (Isaiah 41:10)
6
Those who seek God, who get close with God not only pleases God like Enoch did; but they themselves will enjoy the greatest pleasure of all, God Himself!
Hebrews 11:6, "...For anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him."
7
I always wondered what is Jesus' yoke when He called us to take His yoke as we read in Matthew 11: 29, "Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." Today I learned the answered is actually lies in the previous verse. The yoke of Jesus is the relationship that He has with the Father. Jesus is offering to us—a relationship with God.
8
In all honesty, we can be a Christian, yet still live with our mind on earthly things. The Greek word for “repentance” is metanoeo that combines the word meta, meaning “to change,” and noeo, meaning “the mind.”
Philippians 4:8 lists out 8 things we should always think about, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things”, even when the going is tough.
9
I am attracted to this picture of outing, taking a stroll in the sunshine through a beautiful rose garden by a babbling brook and then arriving on warm summit uplands. I can see myself telling God that He can take a 'coffee' break while I am on it. That's exactly why God likes to take His people through desert roads, to keep us dependent and humble before Him, until we reach to our wonderful and glorious destination.
10
"God created us so that He could love us." What a powerful statement! Despite Jobs' suffering, he acknowledged, "You clothed me with skin and flesh, and knit me together with bones and sinews. You have granted me life and steadfast love, and your care has preserved my spirit." That's God's love. God longs to satisfy all our needs so that we simply find rest in Him.
11
We all have this desire of wanting to be fully known, and fully loved. We give our heart, devote ourselves to earn affections from others, whether it be close friends or strangers. We mold and reshape ourselves, even change our image or personality, to some extend. We project who we think we should be instead of who we really are.
And yet, when Adam was fully seen, Genesis 3:10 told us that he was afraid. Sin destroyed that relationship, and brought separation and destruction instead. God made a covering for them. He met them in their weakness and provided for them. In the same way, God has clothed us with the perfect, righteous nature of Christ. Our lives are perfectly hidden in his while He is working in us. How glorious that day will be when on that day, we shall see God face to face with full acceptance, without any work from our part.
12
What are we called to do? Are we called to make a name for ourselves? We live in a world that celebrates people who seem to stand above the rest. We look up to those who has the ability to communicate, educate or make donations. I believe Jesus calls us to something even higher, that is to fix our eyes on His incarnate love and allow the Holy Spirit to mold us into His image.
13
God's love is unconditional, but it has boundary. How about that! 1Corinthians 13:6, "Love does not delight in evil, it rejoices in the truth." Truth is a reflection of God. This was how the Berean Jews approach to this subject matter, “Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true” (Acts 17:11). They searched the Scriptures—probing, not just skimming.
14
God wants us to succeed, of course, so let us continue to work hard in these areas:
1. Humility (James 4:10)
2. Spiritual fruitfulness (Galatians 5:22-23)
3. Obedience (1Samuel 15:22)
4. Our complete dependence on Him (Psalm 55:22)
5. Our faith (Hebrews 11:6)
6. To be like Christ (Romans 8:29)
7. Walk in newness of life (1Peter 1:3)
8. To be servants of God (John 13: 14-16)
9. To fulfill our calling (1Thessalonians 5:18)
10.To be close to Him (Psalm 73:26)
15
What does it mean to love Jesus? Matthew 10:37, “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.” We picture love in such a way as to love more or less than another. But love is not experienced as a quantity, it is a source from which we draw from. There is a deep part of our lives that can only be met by God; a love that can only be experienced in relationship with God. When we love God above all other relationships, He becomes the source from which we can properly love our parents, our spouse, our children and even ourselves.
16
"How great are God's riches! How deep are his wisdom and knowledge!" (Romans 11:33) I can camp in tihs verse all day long. This is my God, and our God. He understands us even better than we know ourselves.
While we see from a limited viewpoint, God is able to see the big picture.
17
Will Christians be judged? The answer is definitely Yes, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad." (2Corinthians 5:10) It is this future judgment that should motivate us to live a holy life. It is knowing that the condemnation we have deserved will not be inflicted on us that gives us gratitude to please Him. Let us make it our goal to please our Father in Heaven.
18
'Disciple' is the root word for 'discipline'. Disciplined is one of the characteristics, Paul says, of an overseer who manages God's business. We found this in Titus 1: 7-8. So following Jesus is not just believing the correct doctrine, but rather a goal of serving Him in actions.
Being a disciple of Jesus is to ‘live’ what we preached - not in words only but in ‘deeds’.
19
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God," Jesus said. We can easily find purity in a newborn baby, but not so much as we continue to gain experiences in this world. This was one of Paul's concern for the Christians in Corinth that they should keep "a sincere and pure devotion to Christ." (2 Corinthians 11:3). So I asked, how can I stay pure in my heart for Jesus in this complicated world? Another translation gives me some light for direction, "keep the simplicity that is in Christ."
20
We often heard this statement: "Christianity is not a religion, it is a relationship; it is living with a Person". How rightly so! When we misplaced this focus, we get grumpy and begin to bite and devour those closest to us. We become weary and heavy laden again, seeking rest for our souls but never really finding it because Jesus is the only One who can give us rest. That is the simplicity that is in Christ. The danger that we constantly face is that we get involved in the things about Christ and fail to live in a relationship with Christ.
21
When we have much money, we feel secured. When we don't have much, we feel that we are under the mercy of others. But the problem with money is: All the riches we can have in this world does not compare to the riches that we have in Jesus Christ. This was what Jesus told His disciples, and is still relevant for us today, “…store up for yourselves treasures in heaven...For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:20-21).
22
What a wonderful news this is that God has given each Christian a job to do and gifts to do it well. But can it be true? Yes! Ephesians 2:10, "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
Understanding this can set us on a course of spiritual adventure to discover what it is that God has prepared for us to do. What God asked of us is simply to be faithful as best as we understand it, and to leave the results to Him. We cannot produce spiritual fruit in the lives of others. Only God can do that.
23
God is faithful, and he will not let you (and me) be tempted (be tested) beyond your (and my) ability (1Corinthians 10:13). What a comfort to know that this truth will never be changed. There is no unsupervised trials in your life and in my life. The same gospel of Jesus Christ "has given us everything we need for life and godliness...so that through them we may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires" (2 Peter 1:3-4).
24
"I don't deserve this problem that I am facing!" Have you ever been tempted to feel this way, as I did? It is actually a form of idolizing oneself. Consider what Paul Washer has warned us about this, “Most who claim a genuine love for God know very little about His attributes and works as they are revealed in Scripture. Therefore, the “god” they have made is nothing more than a figment of their imagination. They have a “god” made in their own image.”
The Bible tells us to flee from all kinds of idol worship, including the idol of self, and worship God only. (Luke 4:8).
25
"Set your mind on things above..." (Colossians 3:2). What are these things?
God invites us to think like he thinks. To think his thoughts.
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9).
We purify our thoughts by letting them be cleansed by constant attention to the word of God with a whole heart and a willing mind, which is a way to think God's thoughts after him.
26
What we have is entrusted to us by God, as a testament of His goodness and faithfulness. Living with the perspective that everything given to us is something “entrusted to us” by God will change the way we live. It will remove pride and entitlement from our hearts. We will also be called to trust God even when we have just a little in our hands. God was faithful then and He is still faithful now.
27
We often hear people say, "Don't give up, Don't you ever give up!" But Jesus said this in Luke 14: 33, "...those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be My disciples.” Like the boy who gave up his five loaves and two fish to Jesus, not only he was full but also at least 5,000 more. I too, need to give up all the little that I have in order to experience all the sufficiency in Christ Jesus.
28
We don’t know a lot more than we do know. But one thing I do know, God has blessed me more than I can count. Imagine if I know everything before hand, it would provide me with a feeling of self-sufficiency and control that would be detrimental to my relationship with God. God is not glorified by my own strength. In 2 Corinthians12:9, "And He said to me (that's Paul), “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. "
I guess we should ask ourselves this question: What kind of relationship do we want to have with God?
16
God calls us to follow him so that we can rest in Him. God doesn't want us to stress out as if His work is dependent on us.
17
When I feel perplexed, I think of Paul. He too, was perplexed (2 Corinthians 4:8) by what God is up to in his life. Perplexed simply means 'stuck'. Yet, Paul was not driven to despair. Why not? Because our trouble does not have the final say!
18
Jesus’ birth changed history forever, along with the lives of countless people around the world, including mine. Jesus transformed my mind (Romans 12: 2); He transformed my desire (Psalm 37: 3-4); He transformed my purpose (1Peter 2: 9).
We are no longer just working to make ends meet, we are called to be a part of something bigger. We are called to bear fruit that will last.
19
What is the goal of the gospel and God’s intent and desire for us?
It is not for us to be more determined and disciplined than before, but our hearts to become soft and pliable, allowing room for the Holy Spirit to work within us.
20
If we don't have troubles in life, how do we experience God's grace? "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16)
It’s grace! It’s grace! God will take you where you haven’t chosen to go in order to produce in you what you could not achieve on your own. That’s glorious grace.
—PAUL DAVID TRIPP
21
What am I carrying? Hm, I carry the burden of trying to keep everyone happy. Like Apostle Paul said in 1Corinthians 10:33, “I try to please everyone in everything I do” But before we completely throw ourselves into people-pleasing, the same apostle also says, “Am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ” (Galatians 1:10). What did he mean? Isn’t this the same man who said he strives to please (same word) not just man, but every man, and in everything? Evidently, the difference is subtle but crucial: to please people may be even more dangerous than we suspected.
"So, according to Paul, we must persistently strive to please people, and we must passionately avoid striving to please people. As with so many issues in the Christian life, wisdom and holiness come through our seeing, by the Spirit, how a sentence like that is not a contradiction." (Marshall Segal)
22
When we try to please others, they become the measure of our feelings and worth. What happens when pleasing God is the road we take? There's also fine print there to tell us that we need to try harder. May we understand that anything that draws our focus away from God—even our own efforts to please Him—is sin.
“And without faith it is impossible to please God…” Hebrews 11:6
23
Just try to imagine the excitement of being able to see, no longer living in the dark. Yes, we may not have physical blindness, but we cannot 'see' things from God. We can only see physical things with our physical eyes, but we have another set of eyes. God has given us the eyes of the hearts so that we can 'see' the unseen world of spiritual reality. But, sin infects our heart and causes our spiritual blindness. What the eyes of our hearts need to see they cannot see.
"Lord, I want to see, what is real but unseen by my physical eyesight!"
24
Should we be concerned when we don't understanding the way of God in our lives? There were at least 3 things God told Jeremiah not to participate without giving him any explanation. In the New Testament, Jesus told His disciples, as He washed their feet, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand” (John 13:7). There are things now that we do not know or understand, but there will come a day when we will understand them.
25
I dreaded suffering even though it is a part of life. Paul in Philippians 3 :10 tells us that he wants, "to know. Christ...and participate in His sufferings..." In Chapter one of the same book, Paul says this, “For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for Him” (Philippians 1:29). He goes even further, "...but we also glory in our suffering..." I don't know how do you feel so far, but I feel that suffering is not as frightful now. Paul explains what God wants to accomplish in us in our suffering, "...because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope” (Romans 5:3-4)
We can go into suffering, with a confidence in God to work out His purposes, because suffering produces all kinds of qualities that we would never develop when things are going well.
26
I read about someone who suffered from Legionnaires’ disease, where all the muscles of his body became increasingly incapacitated until eventually, he was unable to swallow and breathe. He was going through a process where his body was becoming less and less able. He wrote, “I have not found Christ to be my healer, but I have found Christ to be my sustainer.” There are times when Christ is our healer and we rejoice in those occasions, but our confidence in every occasion is that He is our sustainer.
27
The Word of God is food to our spiritual life. The very first passage Jesus used to fend off satan is found in Matthew 4:4, “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes out of God’s mouth."
I can let a day easily go by without spending time in God's word, and before I know it, I am spiritually malnourished. What's worse? I am capable of convincing myself that it's no big deal. I'll have to be feeling really really 'hungry' to dive back into the word of God.
God's words nourish and strengthen our spirit, our inner man, just as natural food strengthens our natural man. Why do we want a strong healthy spirit? Jesus said, “the flesh profits nothing.” He also said, “the spirit gives life.” (John 6:63)
28
The 12 apostles of Jesus were not the wise and educated, but the humble and the obedient. They were ordinary folks like us whom God made extraordinary by His Spirit at work within them. God is the One who brought the “extra” to their ordinariness.
29
Every Christian is engaged in a battle on three fronts. Firstly, there is the flesh, which is our sinful nature, desiring what is contrary to the Spirit. Secondly, there are the overwhelming influences of the secular world we live in. Thirdly, there is Satan, who will do what he can to turn us away from God. This is the nature of human nature, that prompt many into turning their backs on God in order to gain what they want out of life. But Paul tells us that we are “...transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory” (2 Corinthians 3:18).
"Dear Jesus, I pray for your strength to uphold me and keep me focused on You as my Lord."
30
The late Francis Schaeffer, a well-known theologian, once said, “The greatest loss for Christian witness is when we win the argument and lose the person.” We cannot lay down our lives for people if we will not lay down our own opinions.
There is one thing that we are called to do in every communication we have with one another and that is to simply listen, wholesomely speak and, in everything, sacrificially love—this is our highest calling. Not to defend our convictions or give the right answers, but to love sacrificially. 1 John 3:16 reminds us, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.”
31
"Justice is getting what we deserve
Mercy is not getting what we deserve
Grace is getting what we don't deserve"
We think we sin when we do things like lose our temper or steal. Yes, those are sin. But we also can sin when we miss God's promptings. We can sin when we operate according to our own understanding. The fact is, we need God’s grace every day. Just as surely as we need God’s daily provision, we need His daily forgiveness as well. That’s where grace comes in.
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