The Honest Truth

Peter's denials

2012-02-01T08:00:00.000+13:00

“Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow.” John 18:27
We all know about the lowest point in Peter’s life: when he denied his Lord. Jesus had told him that they would all desert Him (Matt. 26:31), but Peter protests, saying, “Even if all fall away on account of You, I never will” (Matt. 26:33). Jesus then prophesied, “I tell you the truth... this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown Me three times” (Matt. 26:34).
Here’s a tricky question for you: how many times did Peter disown the Lord? Let’s take a look at all four Gospel accounts, and note where the challenge was given, and whom it was given by.
1. At the entrance to the high priest’s courtyard, by the girl at the door (John 18:16-18)
2. In the courtyard, by a servant girl (Matt. 26:69-70, Mark 14:66-68, Luke 22:55-57)
3. In the gateway, by the same servant girl (Mark 14:69-70)
4. In the gateway, by another servant girl (Matt. 26:71-72)
5. In the courtyard, by a man (Luke 22:58, John 18:25)
6. In the courtyard, by some men who recognised his accent (Matt. 26:73-74, Mark 14:70-71, Luke 22:59)
7. In the courtyard, by one of the servants of the high priest, who recognised him from Gethsemane (John 18:26-27)
So we see that Peter was challenged by at least seven different people, and denied all of them. Even in this moment of Peter’s great weakness, we see the greater grace of God. Jesus told Peter he would deny Him three times – he denied Him more than that. It took the crowing of the rooster for Peter to realise what he had done. No wonder he went out and wept bitterly (Matt. 26:75, Mark 14:72, Luke 22:62). But Jesus didn’t leave Peter there. After His resurrection, He restored Peter, giving him the opportunity to express his devotion to Jesus (John 21:15-17). We may feel like we have denied the Lord, by our words or actions, or by our silence and inaction. But we have not fallen so far that His grace cannot reach us and pick us up again.

Jesus' prayer for us: Unity in the church

2012-01-31T08:00:00.000+13:00

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in Me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as You are in Me and I am in You. May they also be in Us so that the world may believe that You have sent Me.” John 17:20-21
John 17 contains a unique insight: we see Jesus praying directly to His Father. First, He prays concerning Himself, stating that He has finished the work He was given to do. Then, He prays for His disciples, for their protection. Finally, He prays for us. That’s right: “for those who will believe in Me through [the disciples’] message”. Once we get over the shock of discovering that Jesus actually prayed for us, we note specifically what He was asking for: unity amongst us, in love. “May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me” (John 17:23).
I wonder what Jesus thinks when He sees the competition and conflict between the various denominations in the church today, the teaching from certain pulpits that ‘if you don’t belong to our church you aren’t saved’. And have you noticed how unbelievers will point to this division and mock Christianity, saying, ‘Which one’s right?’ People will even ask you, ‘Which religion are you – Baptist? Methodist? Lutheran?’
It all starts with us. What is our attitude towards Christians who choose to fellowship in a different denomination than us? Do we look down on them, or do we welcome them with open arms, as the brother or sister they truly are? I understand that different ‘flavours’ of churches appeal to different people, at different stages in life. One church is unlikely to meet the needs of all people (especially when different cultures and languages are factored in). But we shouldn’t be saying ‘I’m a Methodist’ or ‘I’m a Baptist’ at the expense of saying ‘I’m a Christian’.

The origin of the kosher laws

2012-01-30T08:00:00.000+13:00

“Do not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.” Deuteronomy 14:21b
Those of us who know something about Jewish dietary rules, know that it is forbidden to eat milk and meat together in the same meal. In fact, the rabbinical take is that you must wait at least two hours after eating milk or milk products, before you can eat meat, and at least four hours after eating meat before you can eat milk or milk products. (The difference being the length of time estimated for the food to be digested in the stomach; the reasoning being that if both milk and meat were in the stomach at the same time, that could be considered ‘cooking’.) No steak for dinner and ice-cream for supper! They even go so far to say that you can’t eat chicken and milk products together (even though chickens do not produce milk). However, fish and milk products are ok...
Unlike the laws concerning not eating pork or shellfish, among other meats, which God specifically laid down (Lev. 11:7, 10-12), this notion about milk and meat together has been taken out of context from what God intended. Consider this: Abraham served meat and curds as a meal to the Lord and two angels who came to visit him prior to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 18:8). And God ate it.
Cooking a young goat in its mother’s milk was actually a Canaanite fertility rite. God didn’t want His people to adopt the ways of the nations around them, either in worshipping Him, or, even worse, worshipping pagan gods. This law is not so much about eating, but about following heathen practices in worship.

How not to worship God

2012-01-29T08:00:00.000+13:00

“and after they have been destroyed before you, be careful not to be ensnared by inquiring about their gods, saying, ‘How do these nations serve their gods? We will do the same.’ You must not worship the Lord your God in their way, because in worshipping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the Lord hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods.” Deuteronomy 12:30-31
When the Israelites were about to enter the Promised Land, God warned them on several occasions not to let the Canaanites live but to wipe them out completely. He gives the reason over and over again: so that the Israelites would not be drawn in to worshipping their gods – or, as we find here, worshippng the true and living God in the same way as the pagans worshipped theirs. This was what happened at the incident with the golden calf: the people made an idol, and started bowing down to it, thinking they were worshipping the God who brought them out of Egypt (Ex. 32:8).
It’s easy for us to point the finger at the Israelites and condemn them. But do we do the same thing? Think about the things the world worships today: money, fame, success, themselves. How do they worship these things? By wanting everything for themselves, and being prepared to step over others in order to get it.
God is not like other gods. He doesn’t need to be placated – in the Isralites’ time, to be brought child sacrifices; in our time, to be given lots of money or service. We need to learn how God wants to be worshipped, and do it. “God is spirit, and His worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24).

Why the world hates Christians

2012-01-28T08:00:00.000+13:00

“If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” John 15:19
In this post on John 8:23 we saw how Jesus declared that He was “not of this world”, ‘the world’ referring to the mindset of the world at large. We also know from John 17:14 that, if we have been born again, we too are not of the world – although we are still in it. We used to be of the world – following its ways (Col. 3:7). We were travelling the broad road towards the wide gate (Matt. 7:13-14). So how did we come to be loosed from that bondage?
The reason is this: that Jesus chose us and called us out of the world. To the world’s mindsets, we are traitors. We are no longer doing the ‘cool’ thing in rebelling against God, but have submitted to Him. This is why the world hates Christianity. The fact that the world hates us, shows that we don’t belong in it; we don’t belong in it because we have been born again by God’s Spirit.
But we are not alone; nor are we in the minority. With God on our side, we are in the majority. He already has the victory. Jesus has overcome the world (John 16:33) - and so have we, if we are in Him.

Showing our love for God

2012-01-27T08:00:00.000+13:00

“If you love Me, you will obey what I command.” John 14:15
We can find ourselves asking the question, ‘How can I prove to myself and others that I really love God?’ Jesus tells us that it’s quite simple: Do we obey what He commands?
Now, obeying commands sounds like something impersonal, following orders like being in the military. It conjures up thoughts of duty and obligation, something you just have to do, whether you like it or not. When we hear the word ‘commands’ we tend to automatically think of the Old Testament law, that by and large feels pretty irrelevant to us. Is that what Jesus means? Do we have to keep the Old Testament law?
John writes in his first epistle, “This is love for God: to obey His commands. And His commands are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). In fact, Jesus tells us what command He has in view here. “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you... This is My command: Love each other” (John 15:12, 17).
Paul writes, “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandment, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not covet,’ and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ Love does no harm to its neighbour. Therefore love is the fulfilment of the law” (Rom. 13:8-10).
Do we go out of our way to help others? Do we treat them with respect, the way we would like to be treated? Do we love them as the Lord loves us? If so, then we are keeping Jesus’ command, and we are demonstrating that we do love God. “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother” (1 John 4:20-21).

My rock of refuge

2012-01-26T08:00:00.000+13:00

“Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go; give the command to save me, for You are my rock and my fortress.” Psalm 71:3
We all need a rock of refuge at various times in our life, a place where we know we are safe. For the Christian, that place has to be with God. It’s not a physical place, but a spiritual one.
Throughout the Bible God is called a rock, a fortress, a strong tower. These are all things that, once you are inside, the enemy can’t harm you. God’s arms are always open to take you into safety. It doesn’t mean the battle stops, but it means you are protected.
If you’re feeling under attack today, seek out God as that fortress and rock of refuge. Here are some other verses that I hope you will find encouraging:
“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold” (Ps. 18:2).
“The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe” (Prov. 18:10).
“He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart” (Ps. 91:4).
“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” (Isa. 41:10).

Washing the disciples' feet

2012-01-25T08:00:00.000+13:00

“He came to Simon Peter, who said to Him, ‘Lord, are You going to wash my feet?’ Jesus replied, ‘You do not realise now what I am doing, but later you will understand.’” John 13:6-7
We all know how at the Last Supper, Jesus rose from the table and washed the disciples’ feet. This is a practice that doesn’t really translate into our society – we don’t understand just how menial the task was. When guests would come to a house, the host would ask one of his servants to wash their feet – necessary to keep the house clean because, having been walking along dusty roads in sandals, their feet would be dirty. It was not a chore that was envied, and it was usually given to the lowest servant.
This is why Peter protested. He thought, Jesus was the master; He shouldn’t be washing feet!
But the truth is, becoming human was such a step down for Jesus, that stepping down from master to servant was much less humiliating than that. Jesus came to earth to serve (Mark 10:45). It must have been uncomfortable for the disciples to have Him do this, but it was necessary: as Jesus said to Peter, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with Me” (John 13:8).
Jesus used this to teach the disciples about service. “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet” (John 13:14). Some people today have taken this literally, even though foot-washing is no longer a necessary part of Western culture. What we should do is apply the principle. Nothing should be too menial for us to do, in serving one another.

Manna: a lesson in humility

2012-01-24T08:00:00.001+13:00

“He gave you manna to eat in the desert, something your fathers had never known, to humble and to test you so that in the end it might go well with you.” Deuteronomy 8:16
We all know about how the Israelites ate manna for forty years while they were in the wilderness. It was provided by God from heaven - in Ps. 78:25 it is called ‘the bread of angels’. It appeared on the ground after the morning dew evaporated, and the people had to collect it every day except the Sabbath. On the day before the Sabbath they were to collect twice as much, and it would last; but any other day if they tried to keep any overnight it would go bad. (See Ex. 16.) The people complained about it, which resulted in God sending quail and plagues upon the people. (See Num. 11.)
But manna is not just how God provided for the Israelites in the wilderness – it is a picture for us today. Jesus called Himself the bread of life who came down from heaven (John 6:32-35). Like the Israelites, we need to be seeking this manna, this bread of life, every day. This is why Jesus instructs us to come to the Father in prayer daily (Matt. 6:11). This forces us to rely on God, trusting Him to provide for us from day to day. That’s how the Israelites were humbled in the wilderness with the manna, and it’s a lesson we all need to learn. And the result? “So that in the end it might go well with you.”

Being zealous for God

2012-01-23T08:00:00.000+13:00

“I am a stranger to my brothers, an alien to my own mother’s sons; for zeal for Your house consumes me, and the insults of those who insult You fall on me.” Psalm 69:8-9
This verse is one that is quoted in the New Testament as being prophetic of Jesus (John 2:17). In fact, the whole of this psalm contains prophetic insights into the life of Jesus, even though David was writing from his own personal experience. David was indeed shunned by his brothers (see 1 Sam. 17:28-29) and had great zeal for the house of God and upholding God’s name. Jesus too was shunned by his brothers (see John 7:3-5) and of course was zealous for the house of God, on two occasions turning over the tables in the temple of those selling animals and doves for sacrifice, and those changing money.
Are we zealous for God in this way? Do we feel offended when people blaspheme God’s name? Do we voice our objection, or do we say nothing and let it slide? The word ‘zealous’ is very similar to the word ‘jealous’. Both imply passion for something; jealousy on the negative side (not wanting to share it) but zealousness on the positive side. Being zealous for God means doing everything you can to promote Him. People are zealous for all sorts of causes today: civil rights, the environment, political parties, etc. As Christians, we should be zealous for the cause of Christ. I know I could definitely be more zealous for Him...

Lest we forget

2012-01-22T08:00:00.000+13:00

“be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.” Deuteronomy 6:12
Here Moses gives a warning to the children of Israel: when they enter the Promised Land and start to enjoy a life of prosperity and blessings from God, they were not to forget the Lord. It’s very easy when things are going well in our lives, to forget to thank God for it. Instead, we start to think that everything is good because of something we have done to make it that way. It’s easy to leave God out of the picture.
The same thing is true in our spiritual life. It’s easy to become self-content in our salvation. But we must never forget what God has done in saving us, nor where He has brought us out from. In the Bible, the deliverance of Israel from Egypt is used as a picture of how God delivers us from being in bondage to sin. It’s good for us to periodically think back on what our lives were like before we were saved, or (especially if, like me, you were saved at a very young age) to think about where you might be right now if it wasn’t for the Lord. Having this perspective will definitely make you more aware of the Lord and what He is doing in your life. You see, He doesn’t just save us out of the world and sin, but He saves us for something: His purposes. God doesn’t just save us and say, ‘Now you’re on your own.’ Life is a journey that He wants to share with us – and He wants us to remember Him, always.

Teaching our children

2012-01-21T08:00:00.000+13:00

“Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:7-9
Teaching children the things of God is a privilege and responsibility that, the Bible clearly says, belongs to parents. It isn’t the job of your Sunday school teacher to teach your children about God and the Bible. And, it shouldn’t only be limited to Sundays, or saying grace at meal times. It should be a natural part of family life, every moment of every day. That’s what Moses is getting at here. Unfortunately, in later generations the Jews took these verses literally, making little boxes to tie on their hands, foreheads, doorways, etc. that hold a small piece of paper with a Scripture written on it (usually Deut. 6:4, “Hear O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one”). The instruction to integrate God into everything you do as a family, largely became a impersonal tradition.
Our relationship with God is not a part-time one. If we have committed our life to Him, then we should be conscious of Him everywhere we go and in everything we do – and we should demonstrate this to our children. Proverbs 22:6 tells us, “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” That's a promise, but it's also a command.

In the hands of God

2012-01-20T08:00:00.000+13:00

“I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of My hand.” John 10:28
Here’s a comforting verse for all of us. Do you sometimes feel that life is like a rollercoaster, and you don’t have a seatbelt? You see the drops and loop-the-loops coming up and think, ‘How am I going to make it through this!?’ Jesus tells us here that we are safe in His hands. He goes on to say, “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand” (John 10:29). There are two hands in view. We are completely protected from anything that would try to strip us of our salvation. That’s what ‘eternal life’ means – eternal, everlasting, neverending! Certainly there will be temptations, and we will fall into sin, but we don’t lose our salvation over those things. We are still in God’s hands.
There’s another issue that arises here: no-one can snatch us out of God’s hand, but what if we choose to turn our back on Him? Can we revoke our salvation and jump out of His hand ourselves? Calvinists would argue ‘no’, on the basis of ‘once-saved-always-saved’, and say that a person who does this was never saved in the first place. Arminians would say ‘yes’, and some would even go further to say that we need to be careful to keep ourselves in God’s hands, so that we don’t fall out. Scripture clearly tells us we are not in danger of falling out. God isn’t careless with us – He loves us too much to let us go that easily. But can we, by our free will, extract ourselves from His hands? For me the answer is possibly – but once you have known the Lord, why would you want to?

A God who saves

2012-01-19T08:00:00.000+13:00

“Praise be to the Lord, to God our Saviour, who daily bears our burdens. Selah. Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death.” Psalm 68:19-20
I love coming across these verses when reading the Bible, that remind us about some of the core attributes of God. We can never be reminded too often that God saves us.
We also encounter here the word ‘Selah’. It can mean ‘pause’, or ‘lift up’ and indicates that at this point the reader ought to stop for a moment and consider what is being said. ‘Selah’ links two thoughts. Here we have the first thought: God is God our Saviour, who daily bears our burdens – being linked to the second thought, which is an amplification of the first: God is a God who saves, who brings escape from death.
God isn’t aloof, watching us from a distance, impassionately. No – He is right there with us, every moment of every day. He bears our burdens daily. He is deeply interested in everything that is happening to you, every aspect of your life. He has saved you, and He is is continuing to save you. It’s not a one-off thing, but it’s a lifelong commitment that He has made, to watch over you.
But how often do we forget this, and try to carry all our burdens ourselves? If only we would realise how much God loves us and wants to help us. Sometimes we think, ‘God, You’ve saved me, that’s enough – I can do the rest myself now.’ But the truth is, Him saving us in the past is only a fraction of the story. In fact, presuming that you can handle things and walk without stumbling, is a demonstration of pride. We were saved by the grace of God, yes, but we also need to continue in the grace of God, as He sanctifies us. This is the ongoing salvation process. It is never finished, while we are in these earthly bodies.

Driving out the giants

2012-01-18T08:00:00.000+13:00

“That too was considered a land of the Rephaites, who used to live there; but the Ammonites called them Zamzummites. They were a people strong and numerous, and as tall as the Anakites. The Lord destroyed them from before the Ammonites, who drove them out and settled in their place.” Deuteronomy 2:20-21
In Deuteronomy 2 we read of several of the nations that lived near the land of Canaan: the Ammonites, Moabites, Edomites, and Caphtorites, and how they had driven various peoples of giants out of their lands before settling in them. The Moabites drove out the Emites (Deut. 2:10-11), the Edomites drove out the Horites (Deut. 2:22), the Ammonites drove out the Zamzummites (Deut. 2:21), and the Caphtorites drove out the Avvites (Deut. 2:23).
All of these peoples were Rephaites (descendants of Rapha), a second wave of Nephilim. We recall how in Numbers 13 the children of Israel rebelled against God and refused to enter the land because of the bad report about there being giants (Anakites) living there. As a result, God was angry with them and sentenced them to wander in the wilderness for forty years until that entire generation had died out.
But here we see that Israel’s rebellion was completely unnecessary. Here were these other nations, who had no covenant with God, but had driven out giants with God’s help (Deut. 2:21-22).
There’s a lesson here for us. God has made a covenant with us, just as He did with the nation Israel. He has promised us victory over the enemy, the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, and much more. Yet how often do we look at some mountainous challenge in life, that many unbelievers before us have endured, and think we can’t do it? God is with us – of course we can make it.

Not of this world

2012-01-17T08:00:00.000+13:00

“But He continued, ‘You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.’” John 8:23
When the Bible talks about ‘not being of the world’, it doesn’t mean that Jesus came from another planet. In this sense, ‘the world’ refers to the mindset of the world at large, the mindset of unregenerate mankind. This is the mindset that says ‘get all you can and can all you get’, that looks out for number one, that shakes its fist in the face of God, seeking after pleasure, having an insatiable appetite for sin. We can all agree that Jesus was not like this.
And here is an awesome thing: if we have been born again, our new man is not of this world either. Jesus prayed to His Father, “I have given them Your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world” (John 17:14). If we have been born again, then we are new creations – creations of God, with our spirits made alive to Him, and with the Holy Spirit indwelling us. We have the influence of heaven inside our hearts. That’s not to say that we don’t fail sometimes, and fall into sin. But sin is no longer the pattern of our life.
So next time you, as a Christian, feel like you don’t fit into society, be encouraged – there is a reason this is the case. You are not of this world.

The cities of refuge

2012-01-16T08:00:00.000+13:00

“These six towns will be a place of refuge for the Israelites, aliens and any other people living among them, so that anyone who has killed another can flee there.” Numbers 35:15
Before Israel even entered the land of Canaan, God had instituted the law concerning the cities of refuge (Ex. 21:12-13). Here in Numbers 35, just before Israel entered the land, God gave them more specific instructions as to how these cities were to operate.
The city of refuge was designed to protect someone who had accidentally killed another person (what we would call manslaughter). Ordinarily, if someone was killed, their next of kin would seek out the person who killed them, to put them to death. God allowed this to remain in place for cases of murder, where the initial killing was intentional. But where it was an accident, He made provision for that person to receive mercy.
The cities were selected from among the Levitical cities. We find out later that they are Kedesh in Galilee, Shechem, Hebron, Bezer, Ramoth Gilead, and Golan (Josh. 20:7-9). These cities were within easy reach of everyone; no city was more than a day’s journey from anywhere in Israel.
Someone guilty of manslaughter was to flee to the city, state his case to the elders, and if they determined that the killing was accidental, they were to allow him to enter. Once inside, he was safe (although if he ventured outside and the avenger of blood found him, he could be killed, Num. 35:26-27). There was one condition upon which he was free to leave the city: when the high priest died (Num. 35:28).
How does this apply to us today, as Christians? Once again, it is a picture of Jesus. He is our refuge, where we can find safety from the avenger. Also, it is by the death of the high priest – Jesus being our high priest (Heb. 4:14) – that we are freed. Imagine what it was like for those people living in a city of refuge. Being a Levitical city, they would have direct access to the word of God, to be taught by the Levites. Also, they would have come across many other people who were there for the same reason as themselves: because they had killed someone accidentally, but had found mercy there. God shows us mercy and grace by giving us His Son. Have you found your refuge in Him?

The Holy Spirit in us

2012-01-15T08:00:00.000+13:00

“‘Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.’ By this He meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.” John 7:38-39
There is confusion in some Christian circles about the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of a Christian, and what the terms ‘receiving the Holy Spirit’ and ‘baptism of the Spirit’ mean. Some people think they are the same thing, but they are not. To demonstrate this, today we’re going to learn a little bit of Greek.
There are three Greek prepositions used to describe the relation of the Holy Spirit to the believer. We see two of them in John 14:17 – “for He lives with you and will be in you”. ‘With’ is the Greek para, meaning beside (from which we get words like ‘parallel’). This refers to the influence of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of unbelievers, working alongside them, convicting their conscience of their need for a Saviour (John 16:8). ‘In’ is the Greek en, meaning in. This refers to that which happens when a person becomes a believer: the Holy Spirit becomes resident in their heart and indwells them (Rom.. 8:9, Rom. 8:11, 1 Cor. 3:16, 1 Cor. 6:19, 2 Cor. 1:22, Eph. 2:22, 2 Tim. 1:14). So all Christians have the Holy Spirit ‘in’ them, as a result of conversion. We see this with the disciples: the Holy Spirit was with them (John 14:17), and after Jesus’ resurrection, we read, “And with that He breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’” (John 20:21). At that moment the Holy Spirit came to indwell them.
But it doesn’t stop there. In the Scriptures we see a third relation: when the Holy Spirit comes ‘upon’ believers. This is the Greek epi, meaning on, over, upon (from which we get words like ‘epicentre’, ‘epidermis’, etc.). For the disciples, this happened at the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:4). Here were believers, encountering a new relation with the Holy Spirit (see also Acts 8:16). Peter told them that this had been prophesied by Joel, that God would pour out His Spirit on (epi) all people (Acts 2:17, Joel 2:28). We see this called the baptism of the Spirit (Acts 1:5), the filling of the Spirit (Acts 2:4, 4:31, 9:17, Eph. 5:18, ), and the overflow of the Spirit (Rom. 15:13). This is a separate event, and not all Christians have experienced it. The baptism of the Spirit is something that happens after conversion, to enable God’s power to flow out through us to touch others with spiritual life. This is what Jesus was referring to in today’s verse (John 7:38-39). It’s something that is available to you today, if you will just ask for it.

The lame man at Bethesda

2012-01-14T08:00:00.000+13:00

“When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, He asked him, ‘Do you want to get well?’” John 5:6
Here in John 5 we have the miracle of the healing of the lame man at the Pool of Bethesda. The pool was well-known in Jerusalem in Jesus’ time for having healing properties; specifically, an angel would periodically come down and stir the waters, and the first person to get into the pool after this happened would be healed (John 5:4). But this lame man was at a disadvantage: he was not able to move quickly enough to get into the pool. He had been in this condition for 38 years (John 5:5, although whether he had been at the pool for that long, we don’t know).
I think it’s interesting to note the question that Jesus first asks of the man. He doesn’t say, ‘Do you believe I can heal you?’ but instead, ‘Do you want to get well?’ You see, there are some people who don’t want to get well. They prefer to live in suffering so that other people will pity them. I heard a story once of a man in a wheelchair who went along to a healing meeting, and when told to stand up and walk, he did. But then he went and sat back in the chair, saying, ‘They’ll take my benefit away if they find out I can walk.’ He never walked again.
The same thing is true spiritually. For whatever reason, some people want to stay in a state of spiritual immaturity. They want to play the part of the victim and bemoan their lack of faith. They want to complain about how hard done by they are, to draw attention to themselves.
At least this man had been trying to get in the pool. His actions demonstrated that he did want to get well. The saying ‘God helps those who help themselves’ is not correct, but it is true that God won’t help those who refuse to try.

Thirsting for God

2012-01-13T08:00:00.000+13:00

“O God, You are my God, earnestly I seek You; my soul longs for You, my body longs for You, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” Psalm 63:1
The superscript to Psalm 63 tells us that David wrote this psalm when he was in the desert of Judah – most likely when he was on the run from Saul. Although he had been anointed with oil by Samuel and told that he would be the next king, here he was, running for his life, with nothing but a few other disgruntled men.
Deserts are lonely, desolate places. David certainly knew what he was talking about when he wrote about longing for God ‘in a dry and weary land where there is no water’. But even in that time of great physical thirst, he knew that his need for God was greater.
Think about the great lengths people go to when they are thirsty – drinking dirty, muddy, water, or even their own bodily fluids. Here’s a hard question for all of us: what lengths would we go to in our thirst for God? If it means forsaking all to follow Him, even though other people may ridicule and shun us, are we still willing to obey? Are you ‘drinking’ of Him every day, in fellowship, through prayer and His Word? If you’re feeling spiritually parched, maybe today is the day to start seeking God in earnest.

Zelophehad's daughters

2012-01-12T08:00:00.000+13:00

“So Moses brought their case before the Lord, and the Lord said to him, ‘What Zelophehad’s daughters are saying is right. You must certainly give them property as an inheritance among their father’s relatives and turn their father’s inheritance over to them.’” Numbers 27:5-7
Inheritances in the Bible were not dealt with as they are today, where all the children (usually) receive an equal share. Women generally did not receive any inheritance, since they were expected to marry and become part of their husband’s family. Only the sons received an inheritance, with the firstborn son receiving a double portion. Here we have an interesting case of a man who had five daughters and no sons. These daughters went to Moses to ask what would happen to the inheritance. Moses in turn asked the Lord, who instructed him that the inheritance was to pass to the daughters if there were no sons, and if there were no sons or daughters, then it would pass to the man’s brothers; if there were no brothers, then to the next male relative in the family (Num. 27:8-11). In this way, by the inheritance passing to the daughters before the man’s brothers, God was instituting something that was extremely unusual in that culture.
Zelophehad’s daughters had nothing to lose by asking. If Moses or God said ‘no’, they were no worse off. But there was a chance that a provision might be made for them, and as we know, there was. You see, God cared for them. He isn’t bound by society’s norms. And the same is true today. We might think that God can’t bless us, or use us in ministry, because we grew up in an undesirable neighbourhood, or we failed in our past – things that people would write us off for. But God doesn’t see those things. He sees us for what He can do through us, now and in the future.

Taking Jesus at His word

2012-01-11T08:00:00.000+13:00

“The royal official said, ‘Sir, come down before my child dies.’ Jesus replied, ‘You may go. Your son will live.’ The man took Jesus at His word and departed.” John 4:49-50
Here in the latter part of John 4, we see the account of a healing that is only recorded in John’s gospel. Jesus was visiting Cana, where He had earlier turned water into wine. A royal official heard he was in the area, and travelled from Capernaum to Cana to ask Him to come and heal his son, who was dying. Jesus did not go with him, but instead said, “You may go. Your son will live.” This is very similar to how He also healed the centurion’s servant (Matt. 8:13) and the Canaanite woman’s daughter (Mark 7:29-30), from a distance. The man obeyed, and when he returned home he found that his son had been healed at the same time Jesus spoke the word (John 4:51-53).
The key phrase I want to highlight is that he ‘took Jesus at His word’. Without any proof that his son was in fact healed, but only a promise from the Lord, he obeyed. Similarly, we need to be obedient – not just in small things or big things, but in all things. (Sometimes it’s easier to obey in the big things – seeking the Lord before making major decisions, or upholding the pillars of the Christian faith; and neglect to obey things that God has told us that we think don’t really matter. Of course, major decisions also require faith, but they generally involve a lot more prayer and seeking the Lord – at least, that’s what I have found in my own life.) A walk by faith is made of many steps, small and large. It’s not the size of the steps, but the direction in which they are made, that determines where you will end up. We need to walk in obedience, taking hold of the promises God has given us – taking Jesus at His word, and trusting that we will see the results.

Doing God's will

2012-01-10T08:00:00.000+13:00

“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work.” John 4:34
Jesus’ purpose in life was to do the Father’s will (John 4:34, 5:30, 6:38). But what is God’s will? Jesus even instructed His disciples to pray, “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10).
Thankfully there are many Scriptures that show us what God’s overarching will is: salvation for mankind. “And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that I should lose none of all that He has given Me, but raise them up at the last day. For My Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:39-40). “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father” (Gal. 1:3-4). “And He made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfilment – to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ” (Eph. 1:9-10). “In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost” (Matt. 18:14). “The Lord... is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9).
God’s will is also that we would be sanctified – the ongoing salvation process, being made holy. “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified” (1 Thess. 4:3). “And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Heb. 10:10).
Jesus has indeed accomplished God’s will, by providing salvation for anyone who wants it. But it doesn’t end there. God wants us to continue to be made holy, to obey Him, to commit our lives to Him every day. Are you doing God’s will?

I must become less

2012-01-09T08:00:00.000+13:00

“He must become greater; I must become less.” John 3:30
In John 3:22-30 we see how some of John’s disciples were getting upset because Jesus was becoming more popular than John, whom they were following. Some of John’s own disciples had gone across and were now following Jesus (see John 1:35-37). But John wasn’t bothered that Jesus was more popular. He knew his place, as the ‘voice crying in the wilderness’, preparing the way for the Messiah. Now that Messiah had come, John knew that it was more important that people follow Jesus, not him.
We should have this same attitude. None of us have made it yet; there are still aspects of our fleshly sin nature that rear their ugly heads from time to time – feelings of jealousy, of not receiving the credit you think you deserve, of being ignored, neglected, or overlooked. It’s been said that it’s amazing what you can accomplish if you don’t care who gets the credit. Jesus conducted Himself in such a way that every miracle He performed, people gave the glory to God – not to Him directly (Matt. 9:8, 15:31, Mark 2:12, Luke 7:16, 18:43, etc.). We should do the same (1 Cor. 10:31). Paul also developed this attitude: “It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defence of the gospel. The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice” (Phil. 1:15-18).
We all have some area in which God is still working to make us more like Jesus. The road to Christian maturity is all about setting our own will aside and seeking to do God’s will instead. Make a decision today: to have more of Him showing in your life, and less of yourself.

Does God change His mind?

2012-01-08T08:00:00.000+13:00

“God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and then not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?” Numbers 23:19
This is an interesting verse. It was uttered by Balaam as part of his second prophecy concerning the nation Israel. Balak, king of Moab, had asked Balaam to curse Israel, but Balaam knew he could say nothing other than what God wanted him to say.
God never says anything He doesn’t mean. He doesn’t say things in jest, saying He will do something with no intention to actually carry it out. Of course, we do come across other passages in the Scripture that seem to imply God did change His mind, for example, on two occasions, telling Moses that He would destroy Israel: with the golden calf, Ex. 32:9-14, and with the rebellion that ensued following the bad report brought by the ten spies, Num. 14:11-25; and with the visions He showed Amos, Amos 7:1-9. These can be reconciled, because God did have the intention to carry it out, if the person He was showing it to did not plead with Him for mercy on the nation.
The same also applies for God’s good promises to us. He has promised to never leave us nor forsake us (Heb. 13:5). He has promised to be with us always (Matt. 28:20). He has promised to bring us to be with Himself (John 14:2-3). We can be absolutely sure that He will keep these promises!

Balaam's reckless path

2012-01-07T08:00:00.000+13:00

“The angel of the Lord asked him, ‘Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before Me.’” Numbers 22:32
In Numbers 22 we have the account of Balak, the king of Moab, requesting Balaam, a prophet, to come and curse Israel for him. Initially God said ‘No,’ and Balaam refused to go. The second time, God permitted him, but as he went God was angry and sent the angel of the Lord (thought by most Bible scholars to be a reference to Jesus appearing in the Old Testament) to oppose him. Then we have the quite amusing incident of how Balaam’s donkey saw the angel and tried to avoid Him by turning off the path or laying down underneath Balaam. He beat her, and then God enabled her to speak (Num. 22:28).
I used to wonder why God got angry with Balaam after telling him it was ok to go. Apparently, it was Balaam’s attitude in going. The prospect of a great reward awaited him, and he was itching to take it up. Next, we need to look at what God said to him: “Since these men have come to summon you, go with them, but do only what I tell you” (Num. 22:20). The word ‘since’ (NIV) should probably be ‘when’. The men had come to Balaam the day before and he had told them no, but invited them to stay the night in case God changed His mind. What God actually told Balaam was, if they came back to him in the morning and asked him again, then he could go. Apparently Balaam didn’t wait for them to ask, but went to them.
Sometimes we can do exactly the same thing. We have our heart set on something, which might be far from what God desires for us. We keep pressing and pressing, hoping that by our pleading God will eventually give in. Sometimes He will make a concession, but as we learn from the Scriptures, it never turns out to be the best thing for us. We can be sure of this: if our path is reckless, God will oppose us. He doesn’t do this because He hates us, but because He loves us, and He doesn’t want us to get hurt.

The stairway to heaven

2012-01-06T08:00:00.000+13:00

“[Jesus] then added, ‘I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.’” John 1:51
In John 1:35ff we see how some of the disciples were initially called by Jesus – Andrew, Peter, Philip, and Nathanael. Nathanael was initially skeptical, when Philip told him that Jesus was from Nazareth (John 1:45-46). But Jesus demonstrated His divine knowledge about Nathanael and what he was doing at the time Philip spoke to him (John 1:47-48), and Nathanael knew at once that Jesus was indeed the Messiah (John 1:49).
Jesus says to Nathanael, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.” Apparently, what Nathanael was doing was reading and meditating on the Scriptures – specifically, the story of Jacob. Jesus’ initial words to him were, “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false”, which could also be translated, “Here is a true son of Israel, in whom there is no Jacob” (since the name ‘Jacob’ means deceiver).
Jesus then makes a reference to Nathanael seeing “heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man”. This is not referring to His baptism, where the Holy Spirit descended like a dove upon Him. Rather, it is again a reference to the passage about Jacob that apparently Nathanael was reading: his dream at Bethel of the stairway (or ladder) reaching from heaven to earth with angels ascending and descending it (Gen. 28:10-12). What Jesus is saying here is that He is that stairway. The angels were not ascending and descending ‘onto’ Him, but ‘on’ Him. Thus the picture of Jesus being the stairway is heaven’s way of reaching down to earth. Jesus came down to our level, so that we might be brought up to His level. We cannot reach God by our own merits. We need to use the stairway He has provided – that of Jesus Christ.

The Lamb of God

2012-01-05T08:00:00.000+13:00

“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’” John 1:29
This title of Jesus, ‘the Lamb of God’, is only used by John: twice in his gospel, and thirty times in the book of Revelation. It causes us to look back to the first time the word ‘lamb’ appears in the Bible, in Genesis 22, where Abraham is told by God to take his son Isaac to the top of Mount Moriah and offer him. Isaac asks Abraham where the lamb is, and Abraham replies, “God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering” (Gen. 22:8). This statement, and the location of the event, are prophetic of Jesus’ substitutionary death on the cross at that very same spot.
The sacrifice of a lamb also featured prominently at the first Passover in Egypt, where the Israelites were instructed to take a lamp, keep it with them as a pet for a period of time, then slaughter it and put its blood aroud the doorways of their houses. The death angel would pass over those houses with the blood. It doesn’t take much to see the symbolism that would become reality in Christ: inncoent blood being shed, no bones to be broken, etc. (see 1 Cor. 5:7, John 19:36).
The use of the title in the book of Revelation is telling. In the midst of the events of the Tribulation, and Christ’s triumphal return to earth as the reigning King of kings and Lord of lords, John does not use the title ‘Lion of the tribe of Judah’ (except by one of the 24 elders in Rev. 5:5). Instead, thirty times, we see the reference to the Lamb. Jesus still bears the marks of His sacrifice (Rev. 5:6). But they are not marks of shame and disgrace, but a trophy, because by those scars He provided salvation for all of us.

Making God known

2012-01-04T08:00:00.000+13:00

“For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made Him known.” John 1:17-18
The contrast is made over and over in the Scriptures between the law, given through Moses, and grace that comes through the gospel of Jesus Christ. They are not in competition to one another – the law was given as a ‘guardian’ until Christ came (see Gal. 3:19-25, 4:1-5). The law was never intended to make anyone righteous by their keeping it, but to show us that we are all incapable of keeping it. The law gave us a glimpse of one aspect of God’s character: His holiness. But only Jesus can show us another aspect: His grace.
Similarly, when we look back at the life of Moses, we see that his perspective of God was incomplete. In Ex. 33:18-23 Moses asked God is he could see His glory, to which God replied, “You cannot see My face, for no one may see Me and live.” Instead, God allowed Moses to see His back as He passed by. This is echoed here in John 1:18. But now God’s face has been seen, in the face of Jesus Christ. Through Jesus’ life, we see God, revealed to us in a way that goes far beyond anything found in the Old Testament. We see His heart of compassion for hurting people, His righteous anger at those who think they are good enough without Him. We see the utter hatred He has for sin. We see the lengths He goes to in order to reach out to us and provide a way for us to be saved.

The bronze snake

2012-01-03T08:00:00.000+13:00

“The Lord said to Moses, ‘Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.’ So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived.” Numbers 21:8-9
When reading through the book of Numbers, we come across this incident, which seems rather bizarre. Not long before, God had given the Israelites a law – actually, the second of the Ten Commandments – saying they must not make anything in the form of something created, to be an idol and to be worshipped (Ex. 20:4-5). It was not the intention for the snake to be worshipped, although it did become an idol for the Israelites in later generations (see this post on 2 Kin. 18:4).
But a snake? The snake/serpent was the reason that sin was able to enter the world. Why would God tell Moses to make something that was the antithesis of Himself, for the children of Israel to look to for healing? Why not a dove, or a lamb?
The answer is given by Jesus in John 3:14-15. Moses lifting up the bronze snake (bronze being a symbol of judgement, thus, a picture of sin, the serpent, being judged) was a prophetic object lesson of how Jesus Himself would be lifted up on the cross, being judged for our sin. The Israelites only had to look at the bronze snake to be healed from the snake bites. They didn’t have to make offerings or pledge any money. So too with us: whoever looks to Him, believing, will be saved from the effects of the bite of sin.

Why Moses wasn't allowed to enter the Promised Land

2012-01-02T08:00:00.000+13:00

“But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ‘Because you did not trust in Me enough to honour Me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.’” Numbers 20:12
In Numbers 20 we have the second accound of Moses bringing forth water from the rock for the children of Israel. This had happened once before, at Rephidim, very early in their travels (Ex. 17:1-6). There, Moses was instructed to strike the rock. He did so, and water gushed forth for the people to drink. Here, the people are again complaining, and Moses again strikes the rock, saying, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?” (Num. 20:10).
It might seem like a hefty punishment: Moses had been faithfully leading the people for forty years, and this one incident rendered him ineligible to enter the promised land. But Moses had misrepresented God to the people on two accounts. First of all, Moses gave them impression to the Israelites that God was angry with them, but He was not. Secondly, God had told him to speak to the rock, not strike it. It might seem like splitting hairs, but God was trying to teach the Israelites something, using the rock as a pattern. Paul tells us, “They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ” (1 Cor. 10:3-4). Jesus is called a rock or stone in prophecy (Ps. 118:22, quoted in Acts 4:11). If Moses had obeyed God, the water from the rock would have provided a beautiful picture: the first time, Christ was smitten, and living water poured out (John 7:37-39). The second time He comes, He will not be struck again, but simply spoken to, and will provide salvation for Israel (Hos. 5:15, Zech. 12:10).

Jesus in the Old Testament

2012-01-01T08:00:00.000+13:00

“And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself.” Luke 24:27
The story about how Jesus appeared to two disciples on the road to Emmaus after His resurrection, is one that I always enjoy reading about. How they were [http://verses10.blogspot.com/2011/03/emmaus-road.html] initially kept from recognising Him, but as they walk along together, they are privvy to what must have been one of the most insightful Bible studies ever given. It’s interesting to note what Jesus taught them about: Himself, using only the Old Testament Scriptures.
It’s been said that ‘The New Testament is in the Old Testament, concealed; the Old Testament is in the New Testament, revealed.’ All the major theological truths are found in both. It is no secret that Messiah was to come to earth and suffer for sins, that He would provide salvation for all people and one day return to rule and reign as King. Sure, the picture was not as clear as it is in the New Testament, but it is there all the same.
Could you tell someone about Jesus, using only the Old Testament? Here are some key verses:
“And I will put enmity between you [the serpent, Satan] and the woman, and between your offspring and hers [Messiah]; He will crush your head, and you will strike His heel [speaking of the crucifixion]” (Gen. 3:21).
“I will raise up for tehm a prophet like you [Moses] from among their brothers; I will put My words in His mouth, and He will tell them everything I command Him” (Deut. 18:18).
“But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all... Yet it was hte Lord’s will to crush Him and cause Him to suffer, and though the Lord makes His life a guilt offering, He will see His offspring and prolong His days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in His hand. After the suffering of His soul He will see the light of life and be satisfied; by His knowledge My righteous servant will justify many, and He will bear their iniquities” (Isa. 53:4-5, 10-11).
“And afterward, I will pour out My Spirit on all people...” (Joel 2:28).
“that Your ways ay be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations” (Ps. 67:2).

The water of purification

2011-12-31T08:00:00.000+13:00

“The priest is to take some cedar wood, hyssop and scarlet wool and throw them onto the burning heifer. After that, the priest must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water. He may then come into the camp, but he will be ceremonially unclean until evening.” Numbers 19:6-7
In Numbers 19 we read the instructions for preparing the water of purification. It involves the sacrifice of a red heifer, then its ashes are collected. The ashes are put into a jar which is then filled with water, and then used to purify people or things that have become unclean by coming into contact with dead bodies or carcasses.
This might all sound completely irrelevant to us today, but there is a picture here of Jesus, which we can learn from. In Lev. 1:10-12, God insists that the high priest must not deliberately make himself unclean. Yet here, the very act of preparing the ashes for the water of purification, renders the priest and those who help him, unclean (see Num. 19:8-10).
Think about what Jesus did for us: He came into this world, sinless, His blood uncorrupted by Adam’s sin (hence the need for the virgin birth). He lived a perfect life of obedience to the Law of God. He did not make Himself unclean by sin on account of anyone. But there was one time where He did become unclean, and the Father forsook Him (Matt. 27:46). That was when He was in the process of making a way for us to be purified and our uncleanness removed from us. He gave up His own perfect record, becoming sin – the very essence of what He hated – so that we could be redeemed. We should never underestimate this.

The voice of the mob

2011-12-30T08:00:00.000+13:00

“But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that He be crucified, and their shouts prevailed.” Luke 23:23
We all know the story of how Pilate wanted to release Jesus, having found nothing in Him deserving the death penalty, but how he was pressured into crucifying Him by the mob rounded up by the Sanhedrin. The mob mentality was thriving back then, just as it is today. It would seem that every time there is a mob in the Scriptures, they are always clamouring for something that is not right (e.g. Gen. 19:4-5, Num. 11:4-6, Judg. 6:30, Luke 4:28-29, Acts 19:28, etc.).
Why did Pilate give in to the mob? Chuck Smith* teaches that Pilate was on his ‘last warning’ from Rome to keep the peace in Judea. He had already incited the Jews by marching into Jerusalem carrying standards bearing the bust of Caesar, and generally made little attempt to accommodate their religious rules. But the Jews threatened him that if he did not do what they wanted, they would start a riot and send reports to Rome (John 18:12).
We can criticise Pilate, and we can criticise the Sanhedrin. Certainly both were responsible for their sin in crucifying Jesus. But God’s will had to be done. He used the circumstances and personalities there to have Jesus crucified, even though He was innocent – the Scriptures had to be fulfilled.

*http://www.twft.com/?page=c2000 - c2227, 30:00 onwards

Short memories

2011-12-29T08:00:00.000+13:00

“The next day the whole Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. ‘You have killed the Lord’s people,’ they said.” Numbers 16:41
In Numbers 16 we read of yet another rebellion by the Israelites against Moses and Aaron. Korah, a Kohathite of the tribe of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, of the tribe of Reuben, rebuked Moses for setting himself over the people. The truth is, Moses had not done this; God had appointed him to the position, and in fact Moses hadn’t wanted it in the first place (Ex. 4:13). As a result, God indicated whom He had chosen: Moses instructed Korah to come with his supporters (250 men) and offer incense to God, and fire came from the tabernacle and consumed them (Num. 16:35). Dathan and Abiram refused to come, and the Lord caused the ground to open up and swallow them alive (Num. 16:31-32).
Despite these miraculous occurrences, the very next day the people grumbled against Moses for the way God had destroyed them. They had been terrified that they too, would be destroyed (Num. 16:34), but when nothing came to pass, they had no qualms about grumbling again. I think it’s also quite ridiculous to blame Moses for killing the Lord’s people – he certainly wasn’t responsible for fire coming from the tabernacle and the earth swallowing people alive.
This whole incident shows us just how short people’s memories can be. We haven’t changed. How many times have we promised God we will serve Him forever, or to never do something ever again, if He will just get us out of our current mess, and then go right back to what we were doing before the trouble came? God allows trouble to come into our lives so that we will learn from it and grow. So let’s make sure that we do!

Jesus' last healing

2011-12-28T08:00:00.000+13:00

“But Jesus answered, ‘No more of this!’ And He touched the man’s ear and healed him.” Luke 22:51
Each of the gospels gives us a different side to the story of what happened in the Garden of Gethsemane, when Jesus was arrested (see Matt. 26:47-56, Mark 14:43-52, Luke 22:47-53, and John 18:1-11). John tells us how when He spoke, they could not stand up but fell to the ground (John 18:4-8). John’s gospel also tells us that the disciple who cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant was none other than Simon Peter (John 18:10). Mark does not mention the ear incident at all. Matthew and John mention it, and say that Jesus rebuked Peter. But only Luke tells us that after rebuking Peter, He touched the man’s ear and healed him.
This would be the last healing that Jesus performed before His crucifixion. It is interesting to note who it was: one who was there to arrest Him. But Jesus did not show partiality in giving grace to people. If they had a need, as this man did, He met it – He didn’t take note of who they were, so long as they were willing to receive it.
Would we have been so gracious, do you think, if you knew that you were only hours away from an agonising death? Probably not. But even though Jesus knew that His death was fast approaching, He also knew that it was not the end.
John tells us that the servant’s name was Malchus (John 18:10). Malchus isn’t mentioned again in the Bible, so we don’t know whether, like so many others, perhaps he came to faith after the event. But there was a chance that he would, and so I believe this is why Jesus did take the time to heal him – as well as showing us His compassionate nature, right to the end.

When Christians are given a hard time

2011-12-27T08:00:00.000+13:00

“They spread a net for my feet – I was bowed down in distress. They dug a pit in my path – but they have fallen into it themselves.” Psalm 57:6
There are some people, it seems, who see their prime purpose in life is to give Christians a hard time. Some are famous, writing books, lecturing in universities and engaging in debates. Others are just people who we come across in everyday life, who may have been burned by a bad church experience or persuaded from a young age that religion is for losers. Whatever the case, we should not lose heart. Nor should we retaliate against them, because that will only add more fuel to their fire. The Bible tells us not to seek revenge on other people, but to leave that up to God (Rom. 12:19). He sees what is happening to us and will orchestrate things so that it comes back on them. This is exactly what happened in the Bible.
For example, Daniel was minding his own business, praying to God three times a day, and his enemies knew that the only way they could get rid of his was to pass a law forbidding his worship of God. As we know, Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den, but he was not harmed. The next day, when the king discovered he was still alive, he ordered Daniel to be taken out and his accusers thrown in instead (Dan. 6). Another example is Haman: he was so jealous of Mordecai that he built a gallows and went to seek the king’s permission to have him hanged (Est. 5:14). But his plan backfired, and ultimately he was hanged on the same gallows (Est. 7:9-10).
So when you are being persecuted by vocal opponents, trying to catch you out, keep your cool; don’t take their bait. Instead, pray about it. Tell God exactly what’s happening and how you’re feeling, and ask Him to give you the strength and patience to endure. Trust Him, and He will take care of things, one way or another.

Deliberate sin

2011-12-26T08:00:00.000+13:00

“But anyone who sins defiantly, whether native-born or alien, blasphemes the Lord, and that person must be cut off from his people. Because he has despised the Lord’s word and broken His commands, that person must surely be cut off; his guilt remains on him.” Numbers 15:30-31
The Old Testament law makes it quite clear that there was no forgiveness for deliberate sin, when a person knew what the law of God said and then chose to disobey it. For sins which the person accidentally committed, either through not intending to (e.g. receipt of stolen goods or manslaughter), or through ignorance of the law, there were the sin and trespass offerings that could be made. But where someone knew the law of God, there was no offering that could be made.
It’s interesting to note that this deliberate disobedience is called blasphemy. Usually we think the word ‘blasphemy’ refers to using God’s name as a swear word. But the meaning is much, much broader than that. Blasphemy is bringing God’s name into disrepute, either by what you say or what you do. To say that you belong to Him and then consciously disobey His commands, brings His name into disrepute. To deliberately disobey means that you think your way is better than God’s. You are despising His commands by doing so.
This is a lesson for all of us, because we have all done this – known what the right thing to do is, and not done it; or known what the wrong thing to do is, and done it. Praise God that in this dispensation, even these deliberate sins can be covered by the blood of Christ, if we seek His forgiveness! But this is not a license to keep on sinning; we should strive to be conformed to the image of Christ.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T08:00:00.000+13:00

I don’t know what it’s like where you live, but I’m finding that in society, Christmas is becoming less and less about remembering and celebrating the birth of Christ, and more and more about presents. Sure, we know that Jesus wasn’t born on 25 December, and that many of the Christmas traditions are taken from the festival of Saturnalia, but we can still celebrate the event of Jesus’ birth as a human (just as, at least in New Zealand, Queen’s Birthday holiday is not celebrated on the Queen’s actual birthday).
In some places, political correctness has taken over so that you’re made to feel guilty for even uttering the words ‘Merry Christmas’ for fear of offending someone. We’ve gone from ‘keep Christ in Christmas’ to ‘keep Christmas’!
I remember talking with my family once about which was more important, Christmas or Easter. Without Easter, we would still be lost in our sins. But without Christmas, there wouldn’t have been the events of Easter.
I hope you have a relaxing, joyful and very Merry Christmas this year!

The times of the Gentiles

2011-12-24T08:00:00.000+13:00

“They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” Luke 21:24
Here in Luke 21 we have a description by Jesus of some of the events that will take place after He is taken up into heaven. Note that it is a different teaching from that in Matt. 24 and Mark 13, which deal with events leading up to and through the Tribulation period. Both have the prophecy of nation rising against nation, kingdom against kingdom, earthquakes, famines, and so forth. But then Matthew’s and Mark’s accounts go on to say ‘After these things’ while Luke says ‘But before all this’. Also the teaching recorded by Luke was given in the temple (Luke 21:5-8), while that recorded by Matthew was given on the Mount of Olives (Matt. 24:1-3).
‘The times of the Gentiles’ refers to the period in which Israel is subjugated by the Gentiles, beginning with the Babylonian captivity in 477 BC. It continues right up to the Tribulation period, which is its fulfilment (Rom. 11:25). Therefore we are still in this period today, and just as Jesus said, we do see Jerusalem trampled on by the Gentiles – the site of the Temple Mount being occupied by the Al Aksa mosque and the Dome of the Rock, being a continual reminder of this. But Jerusalem will once again be a holy city (Joel 3:17, Zech. 8:3), with Jesus ruling and reigning from His throne there as King over the entire world. These times of oppression were prophesied, but they will not last forever.

Walking in the light

2011-12-23T08:00:00.000+13:00

“For You have delivered me from death and my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.” Psalm 56:13
Throughout the Bible, when we see God delivering someone, He doesn’t just deliver them from something, He also delivers them to something. The Israelites were delivered from slavery in Egypt, and delivered to abundance and blessing in the Promised Land. We have been delivered from death, and delivered to life.
Being delivered from death is the first step in our salvation, also called justification. At this moment our status is radically changed before God – we are no longer condemned to an eternity of torment, but our sins are forgiven and we are made a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17).
To have our feet kept from stumbling is the next step in our salvation, which is called sanctification. After we are converted, we still continue to stumble into sin. Sanctification is the purification process, and it is only completed when we go to be with the Lord.
Today’s verse gives us the purpose in justification and sanctification: “that I may walk before God in the light of life.” We have been delivered from sin, in order that we might serve God. The more we are walking in His light, the greater will be that desire to serve Him and not ourselves.

The bad report

2011-12-22T08:00:00.000+13:00

“And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, ‘The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak came from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.’” Numbers 13:32-33
We all know this story: Moses sent twelve men to explore the land of Canaan, one from each of the tribes of Israel. They came back with a huge bunch of grapes and other fruit (Num. 13:23). But ten of them also came back with a bad report.
Here was this land that had been promised to them by God. It was a land of blessing and abundance, a land that God had chosen and prepared especially for them. Yes, there were other people living in it, but their expiry date was fast approaching (see Gen. 15:16). Just as the Israelites would not have to work hard to make the land produce fruit, neither would they have to work hard to defeat the people inhabiting the land, because God would go before them and give them victory.
But ten of the men brought a bad report, even saying that the land was evil, devouring those who dared to enter. They exaggerated everything: “All the people we saw there are of great size.” It was true that there were some giants, but not all of the people were enormous. Rahab, for instance, was not. “We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.” I don’t get the impression that the spies actually went into any of the Nephilim cities and asked the people there what they thought of them. What this boiled down to was a lack of faith, and letting fear take control. They had completely left God out of the equation. He would give them the victory, if they would just trust Him. It’s the same for us. We shouldn’t trivialise the presence of giants that stand in our way; but neither should we fear that we will be destroyed by them. If God has promised us something, He will fulfil it. Don’t speak badly about what God is doing – otherwise, like these men, you might miss out on it altogether.

Looking back to Egypt

2011-12-21T08:00:00.000+13:00

“The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, ‘If only we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost – also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic.’” Numbers 11:4-5
Time and time again in the wilderness we see the people complaining about something. It’s interesting to note where the source of the complaint came from on this occasion (which led to God providing quail for the people). It was started by ‘the rabble’ travelling with the children of Israel. These were Gentiles who had joined them either from Egypt or along the way (see Ex. 12:37-38). But their attitude spread through the whole community.
They started looking back to Egypt as being ‘the good old days’, thinking back to the wonderful food that was available to them there. But we know that it was not wonderful at all. The Israelites were oppressed as slaves, forced to make bricks for building various cities for Pharaoh, then having their raw materials no longer supplied to them – it was a miserable existence. How quickly we forget the misery of the past.
Spiritually, the land of Egypt is a picture of the unregenerate world. “You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived” (Col. 3:7). But now God has redeemed us from the rut of sin, and called us to journey with Him to the Promised Land. We will all go through some wilderness experience on our way to full Christian maturity and the abundant spiritual life led by the Holy Spirit. And in that time, it may sometimes be tempting to throw in the towel and go back to our old ways in Egypt. But we forget just how bad that life was – the emptiness of not knowing God, the futility of life. Don’t let other people, who aren’t part of the family of God, entice you back. Keep pressing on in the Lord.

By what authority

2011-12-20T08:00:00.000+13:00

“So they answered, ‘We don’t know where it was from.’ Jesus said, ‘Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.’” Luke 20:7-8
In Luke 20:1-8 we see the Pharisees challenging Jesus, saying, “Tell us by what authority You are doing these things” (Luke 20:2). Here was this man, who hadn’t gone to their seminary, who was drawing crowds to hear His teaching and making them jealous. I love Jesus’ response here. Instead of giving them a direct answer, He poses them a question: “John’s baptism – was it from heaven, or from men?” (Luke 20:4).
Now they were the ones in a tight spot. They wanted to say, ‘From men’, because they didn’t like John the Baptist either, but they knew that if they said this (and thus denying that his ministry was from God), this would go against the popular opinion of the people. If they said, ‘From heaven’, then Jesus would start questioning them as to why they had not welcomed him as a true prophet of God. So instead they decide to answer with something non-committal: “We don’t know.”
This wasn’t true. They did know; they just didn’t want to say. So, since they refused to say, then Jesus responds in kind and refuses to give them an answer, instead saying, “Neither will I tell you”. He knows that they know the answer, and He makes sure that they know that He knows that they know.

Recognising the time

2011-12-19T08:00:00.000+13:00

“They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognise the time of God’s coming to you.” Luke 19:44
In Luke’s account of the Triumphal Entry, we see this unique view of Jesus’ reaction upon seeing the city of Jerusalem and the hardness of the hearts of the Pharisees. This was the only time during Jesus’ earthly ministry that He allowed people to treat Him like a king. On other times He had expressly forbidden them, or removed Himself from that place (see John 6:15, also Matt. 12:15-16, 16:20, Mark 3:11-12, 7:36, 8:29-30, 9:9, Luke 8:56, 9:20-21).
The Triumphal Entry was the fulfilment of Dan. 9:25 – “Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens’ [of years], and sixty-two ‘sevens’ [of years].” Thus, the prophecy says that from the decree to restore and rebuild the city of Jerusalem (note: not the Temple!), until the coming of Messiah the King, would be 69 x 7 = 483 years. This prophecy was fulfilled to the very day, culminating in the Triumphal Entry: Jesus, the Messiah, entering Jerusalem riding a donkey as per Zech. 9:9 [1]. But the Pharisees criticised Him – they didn’t recognise that this was the time of God’s coming. And as a result, Jerusalem was completely destroyed.
There’s a lesson here for us, too. While the Bible doesn’t give us a prophecy giving the exact day, it does tell us that Jesus is returning again, and it could be at any moment. Are we ready for Him?

[1] Sir Robert Anderson, The Coming Prince.

The Triune blessing

2011-12-18T08:00:00.000+13:00

“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.” Number 6:24-26
This passage in Numbers is a familiar one to many people. It is the blessing that God, through Moses, instructed Aaron to pronounce on the Israelites. An interesting thing to note is the three-fold repetition structure of this blessing: (1) The Lord bless you and keep you; (2) The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; (3) The Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace. It’s one of many allusions in Scripture, by this three-fold structure, to the Trinity. (Other passages include the ‘Holy, holy, holy’ of Isa. 6:3, the three-fold description in Gen. 48:15-16, 2 Sam. 23:2-3.)
The blessing is one that we can desire today. Some people think that the notion of God watching them all the time is disturbing. But it is a true blessing to have God always watching us, always aware of our situation, always ready to help and to hear us when we call to Him, always ready to shower us with His grace and peace.

Good teacher

2011-12-17T08:00:00.000+13:00

“A certain ruler asked Him, ‘Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ ‘Why do you call Me good?’ Jesus answered. ‘No one is good – except God alone.’” Luke 18:18-19
Some people misinterpret this verse to say that Jesus is denying the suggestion that He is God. That is not the case at all. He is, in fact, saying the opposite – picking up on what the man said, and pointing out that the ruler is in fact indirectly calling Him God.
The word ‘good’ here is the Greek agathos, which speaks of intrinsic goodness. There is another word also translated ‘good’, kalos, which speaks of outward beauty and moral goodness; in other words, good in appearance or for use. We see both words used in Matt. 7:18 – “A good (agathos) tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good (kalos) fruit.” The nature of the tree is what determines the kind of fruit it produces.
This is not a rebuke, but drawing attention to what he said. Jesus is the good teacher – just as He is the good shepherd (John 10:11). It was right that the man called Jesus ‘good’, and in so doing, Jesus notes that he is close to faith, because he recognised that Jesus was intrinsically good, because He is God.

Atheism

2011-12-16T08:00:00.000+13:00

“The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, and their ways are vile; there is no one who does good.” Psalm 53:1
The Bible tells us that it is foolish to think that God does not exist. In fact, atheism is an illogical belief – to say categorically that there is no God, someone must have searched throughout the entire universe, to the macrocosm and the microcosm, through things material and immaterial, and found nothing. But no-one can claim to have done this. If an athiest is honest, they must admit that God could exist somewhere that they haven’t looked. In reality, they don’t know for sure, but they have made a conscious decision to not believe in Him. When confronted with the intricate design of creation – from the nervous system in our body, down to the cellular level – they still refuse to see God’s hand at work. The reason for this stubbornness is quite simple: people don’t want to be accountable to God. They know that if they acknowledged His existence, then they have to acknowledge that He created them, that they owe Him a debt and they have to obey His rules. But they want to be free to continue in their sinful ways. Let’s call atheism what it is: it’s not that people can’t believe, but that they won’t believe. They have made a choice, based on convenience – not logic.

The camp of Israel

2011-12-15T08:00:00.000+13:00

“The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: ‘The Israelites are to camp around the Tent of Meeting some distance from it, each man under his standard with the banners of his family.’” Numbers 2:1-2
The first part of the book of Numbers is a portion of Scripture that we may be tempted to gloss over, but even in these descriptions of the camp of Israel and the census taken of the Israelites, there are some special insights for those who would take the time to look.
The Israelites were to camp around the Tent of Meeting, the Tabernacle – the place where God had promised to reside among the people. As we know, they consisted of twelve tribes (the descendants of Joseph being split into the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, and the Levites excluded from the count in order to be used in the service of the Tabernacle). These twelve tribes camped in four camps: Judah, Issachar and Zebulun under the standard of Judah; Reuben, Simeon and Gad under the standard of Reuben; Ephraim, Manasseh and Benjamin under the standard of Ephraim; and Dan, Asher and Naphtali under the standard of Dan.
Throughout history, the tribes of Israel have had tribal symbols, largely drawn from the blessings of Jacob (Gen. 49) and Moses (Deut. 33). We have all heard of ‘the lion of the tribe of Judah’ – Judah’s symbol was indeed the lion. Reuben’s symbol was the man. Ephraim’s symbol was the ox. And one of the symbols of the tribe of Dan was the eagle.
Why is this of interest? Because of what we read elsewhere in the Scriptures about the cherubim surrounding the throne of God: they have four faces: a lion, a man, an ox and and eagle (Ezek. 1:10, Rev. 4:7). We know that the Tabernacle itself was a model of God’s throne room in heaven; here we see that it was not just the Tabernacle that was a model, but in fact the whole nation of Israel.

The rich man and Lazarus

2011-12-14T08:00:00.000+13:00

“He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’” Luke 16:31
In Luke 16:19-31 we read what some people call the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. However, this is not a parable – in parables, none of the characters have names. Jesus gives us an insight into what really happens to people after they die.
The story is familiar to us: the beggar, Lazarus, went to Abraham’s side and was comforted, but the rich man went into Hades. The rich man called out to Abraham, asking him to send Lazarus with a drop of water to cool his tongue from the torment (Luke 16:24), but was told that this was impossible because of the great gulf between them. Then he asked for Lazarus to be sent to warn his brothers, to which Abraham replied, “They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them” (Luke 16:29). The rich man insists, saying, “but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent” (Luke 16:30). Abraham again replies, “If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead” (Luke 16:31).
There are many people today who say, “If I see a miracle, then I’ll believe in God.” But the Bible tells us that things don’t work this way. The fact that we exist, is a miracle. We don’t need to see miracles in order to believe. We already have the witness of the Bible. If someone won’t believe it, they won’t believe any miracles either. And there was One who came to reach us, and He did rise again from the dead, yet there are many who don’t believe – showing Abraham’s words here to be true.

The Jubilee year

2011-12-13T08:00:00.000+13:00

“Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each one of you is to return to his family property and each to his own clan.” Leviticus 25:10
The Jubilee year is something that we read about in Leviticus, but was never actually practised by the Israelites. It occurred every fifty years, taking place the year after the seventh ‘Sabbath year’ (which the Israelites also never practised; this neglect was the reason they went into captivity for seventy years, see 2 Chr. 36:21). The Sabbath year (Lev. 25:1-7) was to be a year of rest for the land, every seventh year, where the fields were left to lie fallow. God promised to bring an abundant harvest in the sixth year so that it would last for three years (Lev. 25:21). After seven Sabbaths was the Jubilee year, when three things were to happen: 1. All property was returned to the family of its original owner. 2. All Hebrew slaves and servants were to be set free. 3. All debts were to be forgiven.
The Jubilee is prophetic of a coming time when all things will be created new – the Millennium period, when Jesus is ruling and reigning on the earth, from Jerusalem. This is what Peter refers to as “the times of restitution of all things” (Acts 3:21, KJV). At that time, the world will again come under God’s control as its original owner. We will all be set free from our bondage to sin, as Christ rules over the whole world in righteousness, and our sins are forgiven – we receive our resurrection bodies that are no longer subject to the sinful impulses we currently have. Are you looking forward to that day?

Our love for Jesus

2011-12-12T08:00:00.000+13:00

“Large crowds were travelling with Jesus, and turning to them He said, ‘If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters – yes, even his own life – he cannot be My disciple.’” Luke 14:25-26
Jesus said some pretty shocking things at times (e.g. John 6:52-66, and Matt. 5:29-30), and this is one of them. What does it mean to hate our father and mother? Doesn’t the Bible say we are to honour our father and mother? The word ‘hate’ here is the same used to describe how the world hates Jesus and those who follow Him. We read similar passages elsewhere: “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me” (Matt. 10:37). “The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life” (John 12:25).
What Jesus is saying is this: our love for Him must be so prevalent in our lives, that the contrast to all our other loves (for our family etc.) are as if those were hatred. If we love our family and ‘like’ Jesus, then we need to re-examine ourselves. At the end of the day, we are defined by our relationship to Him. Our lifestyle and our priorities need to reflect this. In heaven, we won’t have husbands or wives, children or grandchildren, because we will all be seen as God’s children. Our love for the Lord must be above all else. It’s only then that we can endure the hard times – so that we don’t end up blaming God when tragedy strikes us or our family, but instead say, ‘It is well with my soul’ – not the tragedy itself, but knowing that God is in sovereign control over everything.

The ransom for our life

2011-12-11T08:00:00.000+13:00

“the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough” Psalm 49:8
When we hear the word ‘ransom’, we think of it as being a large sum of money demanded by a kidnapper in order to release their prisoner. What a fitting picture this is for us, in terms of being held captive by sin and a payment being required to release us. Under the Old Testament law, restitution could be made for certain types of sins. The theft of a sheep could be forgiven by making restitution four times over (Ex. 22:1). Certain things could be redeemed back by adding an extra 20% to their value (Lev. 27:13, 19, 27). But when a sin had been committed such that death was required, no restitution could be made (Lev. 27:28-29, c.f. Lev. 24:21). Such sins included adultery (Lev. 20:10), murder (Ex. 21:14, Num. 35:16-19), kidnapping (Ex. 21:16), cursing parents (Ex. 21:17, Lev. 20:9), blasphemy (Lev. 24:16), working on the Sabbath (Ex. 31:14-15, Ex. 35:2), child sacrifice (Lev. 20:2), homosexuality (Lev. 20:13), witchcraft (Lev. 20:27), etc. All sin separates us from God. This condemns us all, for we have all sinned, and the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23). We cannot redeem ourselves from this predicament. There is no ransom we can make, no bargaining that we can do with God to escape it. But there is a way out – provided by God Himself. “But God will redeem my life from the grave; He will surely take me to Himself” (Ps. 49:15). The cost of our redemption was great – it took the death of God’s own Son. This payment was the only one that could ever be enough. Now all we have to do is accept this truth, and believe that it has been applied to us.

Responsibility to obey

2011-12-10T08:00:00.000+13:00

“That servant who knows his master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” Luke 12:47-48
Many people struggle with the question, ‘Is God going to judge people living in the jungle who have never heard of Him?’ It’s true: it’s hard to believe in something you haven’t heard of (Rom. 10:14). Today’s verse gives us an important understanding of how God treats us: those who have knowledge of Him, and those who don’t. If we know what God’s law says about what is right and wrong, then we have the responsibility to obey it. If we don’t know God or His law, the standards are lower – but there are still standards. Paul wrote to the Romans, “All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not those who heard the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them” (Rom. 2:12-15). What Paul is saying is that if someone doesn’t have the written law of God, they still have the law of God instilled into their conscience.
What does that mean for us, who not only have the Old Testament law, but the whole canon of Scripture? We have a greater responsibility to respond to the gospel. We know the will of God, and we know that Jesus is returning. What are we doing with this knowledge? Are we ready for our master to return? Are we doing what He wants?

Greed

2011-12-09T08:00:00.000+13:00

“Then He said to them, ‘Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.’” Luke 12:15
The context of this verse is that it is part of Jesus’ response when asked by someone in the crowd following Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me” (Luke 12:13). This man obviously felt as if he had been treated unfairly. But Jesus refused, and used the situation as an example to teach the people an important truth, that we would do well to take heed to.
The ‘winner’ in life is not the person who dies having the most money, or the most toys, or the biggest house, or the longest list of celebrity friends. If such a person does not know Jesus Christ as their Saviour, none of that will keep them from an eternity of torment, separated from God. If we allow it to, greed can take over our lives. It develops into envy, selfishness, and pride. We need to recognise these things in our lives.
So what should our attitude be? We should have a light touch on the things of this world. Paul wrote, “What I mean, brothers, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none; those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; those who use the things of this world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away” (1 Cor. 7:29-31, emphasis added). In life, we need to keep the main thing, the main thing. That is, knowing Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. He will take care of the rest (Matt. 6:33).

Giving our best

2011-12-08T08:00:00.000+13:00

“When anyone brings from the herd or flock a fellowship offering to the Lord to fulfil a special vow or as a freewill offering, it must be without defect or blemish to be acceptable.” Leviticus 22:21
There were many different types of offerings specified in the book of Leviticus. The sin offering and the guilt offering were required of the people, to cover unintentional sins against the Lord’s commands. But the burnt offering and the fellowship offering were both voluntary (Ezek. 46:12).
The burnt offering symbolised dedication to the Lord, and as such, the whole animal was to be burnt up and not eaten. Burnt offerings were presented every morning by the priests (Lev. 6:12, 1 Chr. 16:40), at the dedication of the tabernacle (Num. 7), by Samson’s parents (Judg. 13:16), by the people when the ark of the covenant was returned (1 Sam. 6:14), by David at the threshing floor of Araunah (1 Chr. 21:26), at the dedication of the temple (2 Chr. 7:1).
On the other hand, the fellowship offering was one that the person bringing the offering was allowed to eat from. Eating from the same meal as someone symbolised fellowship with them, becoming one with them. Part of the animal was burned as a sacrifice to God, part was eaten by the priests, and part was eaten by the person bringing the offering.
Both of these offerings were to be of animals that were without defect or blemish. These refer to physical faults: defects from birth, or blemishes being faults as a result of injury. The point is this: these two offerings were voluntary, but even so, God required them to be of the very highest quality. You couldn’t look at a lame sheep in your flock and say, “Well, we’ll just sacrifice that one to God to get rid of it.” The principle applies to us today – we must give God the best of what we have, not the leftovers. What time of the day are you most productive? Whether it is morning or night, give that time to God. If you have decided to give financially to some ministry, give it as the first priority, not whatever’s left over at the end of the month. If you’re bringing food to share for a pot-luck lunch at church, bring the best, not the leftovers. In serving other people in this way, we are serving God. After all, He has given us everything we have – our possessions, our food, our very breath. If we are going to give back to Him, doesn’t He deserve the best?

Titles and status

2011-12-07T08:00:00.000+13:00

“Woe to you Pharisees, because you love the most important seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.” Luke 11:43
In Luke 11 and Matt. 23 Jesus pronounces several woes on the Pharisees. Here is one that unfortunately is still prevalent today, in our workplaces and even in our churches. People crave titles and status. How much more important would it make you feel to be introduced as ‘Doctor So-and-so’? Even the use of the word ‘Pastor’ as a title, can cause that person to see themselves as having a higher status than others. This is completely contrary to what Jesus tells us our attitude should be.
“But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi’, for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth ‘father’, for you have one Father, and He is in heaven. Nor are you to be called ‘teacher’, for you have one Teacher, the Christ” (Matt. 23:8-10).
“Jesus called them together and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave – just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:25-28).
The very word ‘minister’ means to serve. When did ‘the ministry’ become a thing of status?

One greater than Solomon and Jonah

2011-12-06T08:00:00.000+13:00

“The Queen of the South will rise at the judgement with the men of this generation and condemn them; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now one greater than Solomon is here. The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgement with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here.” Luke 11:31-32
Here we see Jesus giving two examples, to make a single point. The people were once again showing their unbelief by asking Him to show them a sign from heaven. Here was the Son of God, the Messiah, who the nation of Israel should have welcomed with open arms, yet they refuse to believe in Him. Jesus says that both of these examples – the Queen of Sheba, and the people of Nineveh (incidentally, both Gentiles!) would judge those people asking Him to show them a miraculous sign.
We read about the Queen of Sheba in 1 Kin. 10. She came to visit Solomon, to see if the glory of his kingdom and the extent of his wisdom was really as great as she had heard. The people in Jesus’ time had a much greater witness – here was the Son of God, the source of all wisdom and knowledge, and He had come right to them. They didn’t have to travel over land and sea to see Him.
The men of Nineveh responded in repentance to an eight-word message from the most reluctant prophet the world has ever seen: “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned” (Jon. 3:4). In contrast, Jesus willingly and patiently taught for 3 ½ years, expounding God’s truth.
These people had been given the greatest light of all, and they chose to reject it. Therefore their judgement would be more severe than those who had been shown less light than them. The same is true for us. Have you responded to the light that you have been shown?

Demon-possession

2011-12-05T08:00:00.000+13:00

“When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first.” Luke 11:24-26
Demon-possession is not an old-fashioned term for mental illness or schizophrenia. It is a very real phenomenon, and it persists to the present day. Reading the Scriptures, we also realise that demons are different to fallen angels. Both are evil, but fallen angels are, like godly angels, able to manifest themselves in a physical body of their own – while demons crave embodiment. A person can be possessed by multiple demons at once – in Luke 8:30 we read of a man who was possessed by up to 6,000 demons. But they can be cast out, by the power of God and the authority of Jesus Christ.
These verses in Luke give us a unique insight into what happens in the heart of a person who is delivered from demon-possession. The demon, cast out of the person, “goes through arid places seeking rest”. But, if it cannot find another host, it will return. If the ‘house’ – the person’s heart – is not re-occupied by another spiritual force, namely, the Holy Spirit, they are at risk of being re-possessed by that demon, and possibly others also. If a person is delivered from demon possession, they need to come to faith in Jesus Christ as soon as possible.
This understanding of the Scriptures on this matter also shows us that a Christian cannot be possessed by a demon. The Holy Spirit won’t be room-mates with a demon. If we have the Holy Spirit indwelling us, we do not have to worry at all about becoming demon-possessed.

Be still, and know

2011-12-04T08:00:00.000+13:00

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10
Our lives can get really busy and frantic at times, and we can feel like everything is spiralling out of control. It’s times like this that we need to remember this verse: to be still, stop panicking, and remind ourselves that God is God.
It’s not easy to be still sometimes. Have you ever noticed how hard it is to fall asleep, if you are anticipating a big day the following day? For instance, departing on a long trip, or sitting an exam, or starting a new job – our minds suddenly start racing with all kinds of thoughts. Have I remembered to pack everything? What to do if something isn’t in the right place? What outfit to wear? The constant stream of thoughts can make it hard to sleep, and it takes discipline to quiet them.
Psalm 46 depicts a time when the nations around Israel were engaging in warfare with each other, with Israel caught in the middle. I’ve never lived in or visited a war zone, but I imagine it must be pretty terrifying. But if we hold fast to God’s word, we can be sure that at the end of the day, God will be victorious. He is in control of all things, big and small, personal and international. Just be still, and focus on who He is.

Who is my neighbour?

2011-12-03T08:00:00.000+13:00

“But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbour?’” Luke 10:29
The parable of the good Samaritan is one of the best known of Jesus’ parables, yet it is only recorded in the Gospel of Luke. It came about following a discussion that Jesus had with a teacher of the law about what he had to do to inherit eternal life. It boiled down to two laws: the love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbour as ourself. But, we read, the man wanted to justify himself. He wanted to clarify just what Jesus thought the term ‘neighbour’ referred to.
The point about the parable of the good Samaritan is that the priest and the Levite did not stop to help the man who had been mugged, but the Samaritan did. Therefore the Samaritan was being a neighbour. This was almost unthinkable for a Jew at that time – Samaritans were considered to be unredeemable. But Jesus was teaching this man that ‘neighbour’ is a broad term, referring to our fellow man – not just those of our religion, race, nationality, etc. Similarly, we use the term quite narrowly today, to refer to the person living in the house next to us. We need to learn what this second commandment, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’, really entails.
Let’s finish today with some food for thought from Matt. 5:46-47. “If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?”

Calling down fire

2011-12-02T08:00:00.000+13:00

“When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, ‘Lord, do You want us to call down fire from heaven to destroy them?’” Luke 9:54
This incident is only recorded in Luke’s gospel. Jesus and His disciples were travelling through the region of Samaria, but the Samaritans refused to welcome Him because He was going to Jerusalem (Luke 10:52-53). (The Samaritans did not believe that Jerusalem was the true place of worship, see John 4:20.)
James and John were quick to pass a final judgement, offering to call down fire from heaven as a punishment for the people not receiving Jesus. But Jesus rebuked them, saying “You do not know what kind of spirit you are of, for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.” (Luke 9:55, NIV footnote). Then He and the disciples went to another village instead (Luke 9:56).
Jesus had compassion – the Samaritans were under no compulsion to help Him. Maybe later they would believe, but they could not if they were destroyed now. We can learn an important lesson here: if someone doesn’t want to receive Jesus, we shouldn’t pass them off as a lost cause. Go to another ‘village’, maybe later they will receive Him. While they are alive, never stop praying for them.

Leprosy

2011-12-01T08:00:00.000+13:00

“As long as he has the infection he remains unclean. He must live alone; he must live outside the camp.” Leviticus 13:46
Leviticus 13-14 gives us God’s rules, as dictated for the priests, concerning the diagnosis and handling of a person with leprosy, and the procedures for ceremonial cleansing in the event that he was healed.
Leprosy in those days was considered incurable. It is a disease that causes the nerves to become numb. The person is unable to feel pain when they injure themselves or touch something hot; it is these injuries that cause the extremities to eventually start falling off. Lepers were to live alone, outside the camp, wearing torn clothes and crying out ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ whenever anybody approached. It was a miserable existence – and it paints a graphic picture for us.
In the Bible, leprosy is a picture of sin. Think about it: as we continue in sin, against the conviction of the Holy Spirit, we harden our hearts and our moral senses of what is right and wrong become numb. Sin separates us from God; we are outside the fellowship of the camp. Often lepers would band together in colonies to help each other. Isn’t this what happens among the people of this world? – we have the ‘prostitutes’ collective’ and the ‘gay community’, etc.
But all hope is not lost. In the event that a person was cleansed from leprosy, the priest was to go to him outside the camp to inspect him, and start the cleansing process that would enable him to come into the camp. Jesus is our high priest. He came into this fallen world to reach us, in our sinful state. He came outside the camp, so that we might come back into fellowship with God.

What God has done for you

2011-11-30T08:00:00.000+13:00

“The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with Him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, ‘Return home and tell how much God has done for you.’ So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.” Luke 8:38-39
Many people, especially those who come to Christ in their 20’s or 30’s, want to go into the ministry straight after their conversion. This is what this man, who was once possessed by a legion of demons (a Roman legion being 6,000 soldiers) and was so tormented that he lived like a wild animal, wanted to do. But Jesus refused. Instead, He told him to return to the town and tell the people there how much God had done for him. For this man – and for all of us – our most effective witness is to the people we know already. They knew our lives before we were saved, and they notice a difference in us. Simply tell what God has done for you. They can’t deny that you are a different person, a new creation, and that the reason for the change is Jesus Christ.
Certainly God does save some people in miraculous ways, in order that they might go into full-time ministry. We see this in the Bible in the life of the apostle Paul (see Acts 9:15). But even Paul didn’t become a missionary straight away. He spent fourteen years in obscurity before Barnabas sought him out a second time and brought him to Antioch (see Gal. 2:1-2, Acts 11:22-26). The Bible specifically says that leaders in the church should not be recent converts (1 Tim. 3:6). Sometimes, especially in countries where Christians are persecuted, churches grow so rapidly that leaders must be appointed who have only been believers for a short time. In those cases God is able to grant extra grace to those people. But I think we need to be careful who we appoint to leadership positions – that it really is a call of God and not simply the new-found exuberance that comes with conversion, where the person thinks that the only way to serve God fully is to ‘go into ministry’.

Ear, hand, and foot

2011-11-29T08:00:00.000+13:00

“Moses slaughtered the ram and took some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron’s right ear, on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot.” Leviticus 8:23
Yesterday we read how, when Aaron was being ordained as a priest by Moses, as directed by God, Moses was the one who dressed him with the priestly garments. Following this dressing, there were sacrifices, which Moses made on Aaron’s behalf. There was a sin offering (Lev. 8:14-17, to atone for Aaron’s sin), a burnt offering (Lev. 8:18-21, symbolising devotion to God), and the offering of a ram of ordination (Lev. 8:22-29). It was the blood of this ram that Moses put on the lobe of Aaron’s right ear, the thumb of his right hand, and the big toe of his right foot. This is hugely symbolic – and it applies to us, because the Scriptures tell us that we belong to a royal priesthood (1 Pet. 2:9).
First, the ear: representing what we hear. Our spiritual ears should be attuned to the voice of God (Luke 8:18). Second, the hand: representing our actions. We should only do that which is pleasing and brings glory to God. Thirdly, the foot: representing our walk. The Christian life isn’t a couple of hours once a week; it’s a daily journey. Like Aaron, our lives are consecrated to God. “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Rom. 12:1-2). “You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honour God with your body” (1 Cor. 6:19-20).

Being clothed

2011-11-28T08:00:00.000+13:00

“Then Moses brought Aaron and his sons forward and washed them with water. He put the tunic on Aaron, tied the sash around him, clothed him with the robe and put the ephod on him. He also tied the ephod to him by its skillfully woven waistband; so it was fastened on him.” Leviticus 8:6-7
Leviticus 8 gives us all the details about the ordination of Aaron and his sons to serve God in the priestly ministry in the tabernacle. In the first part of the chapter, we see Moses dressing Aaron with all the garments that God had instructed to be made (see Ex. 28). The main thing that we notice is that Aaron did not dress himself. A similar instance happened in Zech. 3:3-5, where another high priest, Joshua, had clean clothes put on him. We also read that God was the one who clothed Adam and Eve with garments of animal skins after their fall (Gen. 3:21).
This is an insightful picture for us. Clothing is symbolic in the Scriptures of righteousness (Rev. 19:8, Isa. 61:10, Ps. 132:9). We are clothed with the righteousness of Christ, but we cannot clothe ourselves. He is the one who clothes us – taking away our old garments, our self-righteousness, those filthy rags (Isa. 64:6) – and clothing us with His perfect righteousness.

Loving our enemies

2011-11-27T08:00:00.000+13:00

“But love your enemies, do good to them and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.” Luke 6:35
Loving our enemies is not easy. Yet it is a command that Jesus gives us – and something that we can do, through the Holy Spirit. We don’t have to like them, but we are to love them – to put their needs ahead of our own and do right by them. We see a similar passage in Matt. 5:43-48, but there are some differences in this passage in Luke (in fact, some commentators think that the two passages actually arise from two different occasions where Jesus was teaching His disciples).
The major thing I want to pick up on here is the reason Jesus gives us as to why we should love our enemies. That reason is because God is kind to the ungrateful and wicked, so if we are His children, we should do the same.
Ingratitude is one of the hardest attitudes to deal with. Although we can demand that someone say ‘Thank you’, there is nothing you can do to make them grateful. If we feel indignant when people are ungrateful toward us, how much more do you think God feels – when people refuse to acknowledge His blessings, His sovereignty, or even His existence? Yet He still provides them with food, shelter, oxygen, etc. Is it too much for Jesus to ask us to do good to our enemies?

Calling all sinners

2011-11-26T08:00:00.000+13:00

“Jesus answered them, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.’” Luke 5:31-32
The first step in coming to Christ is to admit that you are a sinner. It doesn’t matter if you’ve broken every one of God’s laws, or just one – the Bible tells us, “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it” (James 2:10). Getting to heaven by keeping the law is like hanging on the end of a chain. It doesn’t matter if one, or ten, or a hundred links in the chain are broken, you are going to fall. None of us will be declared righteous by God, apart from faith in Jesus Christ (Rom. 3:20-22).
Here is one of the great mysteries of the gospel: that Jesus calls us while we were still sinners (Rom. 5:8). He reached down into the cesspool of this sinful world, and pulled us out. We can’t do anything to save ourselves. If we had to clean up our lives before we could be saved, then it would be salvation by works, and the door would not be open to all.
Another way of reading this verse, especially in the light of the attitude of the Pharisees He was talking to, is, “I have not come to call the self-righteous, but sinners.” The Pharisees were criticising Jesus for spending time with the tax-collectors, whom they viewed as traitors, having sold out to Rome. Jesus did not deny that these people were sinners, but He knew that they were spiritually hungry for Him. He did not spend His years of ministry debating with the Pharisees and persuading them to believe in Him. He made Himself available to those who knew they were sinners, and who wanted to be saved.

Jesus' prayer life

2011-11-25T08:00:00.000+13:00

“But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Luke 5:16
There are several verses that give us a glimpse into Jesus’ prayer life. He prayed regularly and often, and sometimes spent all night in prayer. Prayer is talking to God, spending time with Him, voicing to Him what’s on our heart and allowing Him to speak to us. A lifestyle of prayer is a lifestyle of continual fellowship with God. The more time you spend with Him, the better you will get to know Him.
“Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” The Greek word for ‘lonely’ is eremos, which appears fifty times in the New Testament. It is the same word translated elsewhere as ‘wilderness’ (such as where John the Baptist preached) or ‘deserted’ (such as in Matt. 14:15 where the people followed Jesus and the disciples, leading to Him feeding the 5,000). In this case it’s unlikely that the word refers to the desert regions of Israel, as Jesus wasn’t always near the desert. Instead, it probably takes on the broader meaning, a place where He could be alone – with no-one else around, and no distractions.
We need to find times and places where we can be alone to pray, just us and God. If we only pray with others, for instance, at church prayer meetings, we have missed the point of prayer. Corporate prayer is good, but it is not a substitute for daily, individual prayer. Imagine if you only spoke to your husband or wife when you were out with other people! Jesus knew how important prayer is. If He needed to pray, then how much more than we!

Being troubled by sin

2011-11-24T08:00:00.000+13:00

“I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin.” Psalm 38:18
Confessing our sin is one of the first steps towards conversion, but as we all know too well, it doesn’t end there. Christians do continue to sin – sometimes small, sometimes big; sometimes through weakness, other times deliberately. Paul addressed a wrong attitude that was floating around the church in Rome: “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” (Rom. 6:1-2). There are two categories of ‘sin’ in view here: what Paul is referring to is continuing to live in a sinful lifestyle. The other category is the individual sins we commit through the day. Someone who is continuing to live a sinful lifestyle, has not understood the magnitude of what sin is – nor what it cost God.
Are we troubled by our sin? This can take many forms. Martin Luther was so troubled by every little sin he committed that it nearly tipped him over the edge – until he was set free by discovering that well-known verse: “The just shall live by faith” (Hab. 2:4, Rom. 1:17, Gal. 3:11, Heb. 10:38). Are we troubled because, like Luther, it shows us our own weaknesses? Is it because we know that our sin causes God pain? Jesus died for every single one of our sins; do you get the feeling that every time you fail, you are adding to His suffering?
This is the measure of our spiritual maturity: how much we hate sin in our lives and want to live righteously, for God. If we think nothing of it, we show that we don’t understand the cost of sin (Rom. 3:23). God doesn’t love us any less when we slip up, He is always there to forgive us when we confess our sin and ask for His forgiveness (1 John 1:9). But we must understand how God views sin, and develop His attitude towards it.

When unbelievers prosper

2011-11-23T08:00:00.000+13:00

“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.” Psalm 37:7
Have you ever been annoyed because a non-Christian got ahead of you in life? Perhaps you got passed over for a promotion at work; you were next in line when all the tickets for a big game got sold out; they got upgraded to business class on a flight and you didn’t – the list goes on. It may be something trivial, or it may be something more critical and prestigious. But the Bible tells us on several occasions not to worry or be envious if we see wicked people prospering. Habakkuk complained to God: “Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; You cannot tolerate wrong. Why then do You tolerate the treacherous? Why are You silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves? (Hab. 1: 13). The psalmist said, “When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me – until I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understodd their final destiny” (Ps. 73:16-17).
This is the key: look at things from God’s perspective, from eternity. Unbelievers may prosper now, but their prosperity will not last. On the other hand, we are looking forward to spending eternity with God. There’s no need to envy them. Just be still, and wait patiently for God. We read “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up” (James 4:10). And again, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time” (1 Pet. 5:6).

In our own eyes

2011-11-22T08:00:00.000+13:00

“For in his own eyes he flatters himself too much to detect or hate his sin.” Psalm 36:2
It’s a risky thing to flatter ourselves. Usually this happens when we look around us at other people, and say to ourselves, ‘Well, I’m not as bad as that person.’ It’s easy to slip into the world’s way of thinking: that if our good deeds outweigh our bad, God will smile upon the good things we have done, ignore the bad, and welcome us with open arms into heaven. But to have such an attitude, especially if a person dosen’t know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour, is a dangerous thing that could see them ending up in hell.
Paul tells the Corinthians, “When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise” (2 Cor. 10:12). The standard that we have to measure up to is not to be in credit on the good vs. bad deeds count, or to be above average in comparison to other people. The standard God has set is absolute perfection. None of us can claim that. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23).
Jeremiah tells us, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Jer. 17:9). Deep down, we all think that we are good people. But the reality is that deep down, we are all sinners. We are self-deceived, if we think that we are inherently good and can get to heaven on our own merit. We need the Holy Spirit to reveal to us what is really going on in our heart, so that we can see our sin for what it is, then repent of it and be restored to a right relationship with God.

The golden calf

2011-11-21T08:00:00.000+13:00

“So I told them, ‘Whoever has any gold jewellery, take it off.’ Then they gave me the gold, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf.’” Exodus 32:24
Most of us are familiar with the incident concerning the golden calf. Moses had last been seen climbing Mount Sinai and entering the thick darkness on top of it. While he was there, receiving the commandments from God and instructions about the tabernacle, the people grew impatient and wrote him off as dead. They turned to Aaron, Moses’ brother and spokesman, and asked him, “Make us gods who will go before us” (Ex. 32:1). Aaron asks for their jewellery, and from it he makes a calf. At that point, Moses comes back down the mountain to find them worshipping it.
It’s interesting to note here that Aaron makes the calf sound like an accident: “I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!” The reality was, he had fashioned it into the shape of a calf using tools (Ex. 32:4). Why didn’t he just tell the truth?... probably because human nature always tries to shift the blame to something or someone else – in this case, the fire.
Another interesting point is that they were trying to worship the God who brought them out of Egypt (Ex. 32:4). Why they thought God was shaped like a calf, I don’t know. They were probably just following the examples they had seen in Egypt, where there were many gods in the shapes of all kinds of animals, birds, and insects. They hadn’t yet been given the law, which expressly forbade the fashioning of idols or images to worship.
There is a lesson here for us. God did forgive the people. We shouldn’t be like Aaron and try to make excuses for our sin. Instead, we should be quick to confess our sin to God and repent of it (1 John 1:9).

Facing trouble

2011-11-20T08:00:00.000+13:00

“A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all” Psalm 34:19
You may have noticed, but life as a Christian isn’t easy. Life in general isn’t easy – you have the pressures of work, family, finances, time, sickness, politics, etc. But as a Christian, you can add to the list persecution in all its guises: from the snide remarks by your co-workers, through to the threat of imprisonment or even execution from your government, in some countries. Becoming a Christian doesn’t make these troubles go away. But our faith does give us hope for the future – both in this life, and in eternity. One day there will be no more sickness or death or pain. Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). We can find peace in the midst of the storm, in Him.
You might be facing a really difficult time right now. Perhaps everything just seems too overwhelming, with no let-up in sight. Perhaps you’re struggling to see how everything could possibly go back to normal. Here’s God’s promise for you today: He will deliver you from your troubles. You don’t have to face them alone – He is with you, all the time. Just keep holding on to Him, and He will bring you through.

'But not during the Feast'

2011-11-19T08:00:00.000+13:00

“Now the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some sly way to arrest Jesus and kill Him. ‘But not during the Feast,’ they said, ‘or the people may riot.’” Mark 14:1-2
We’re familiar with the events that have come to be celebrated as Easter: Jesus being betrayed by Judas, arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, tried before Annas, Caiaphas, Herod, and Pilate, beaten, flogged, and ultimately crucified – then buried, and rising again after three days. All of this happened on the Passover: this was the reason that the soldiers were instructed to break the legs of those hanging on the crosses, and thus hasten their deaths (John 19:31).
But it’s interesting to note that the chief priests were deliberately trying to avoid having this happen on the feast day. The Feast of Unleavened Bread, which follows immediately after Passover, was one of the feasts for which it was compulsory that every able-bodied Jewish male come to Jerusalem to celebrate. There would have been crowds of people from all over Israel, and no doubt they would have heard of Jesus. To see Him killed at this time could have incited a riot – and if that happened, the Romans would come down heavy on the nation.
But Jesus was crucified on the Passover. He had to be, in order to fulfil the prophecy as being our passover lamb, sacrificed in our place so that we might have life (1 Cor. 5:7). God’s timing over-ruled theirs. He was in complete control of the events.

It's what's inside that counts

2011-11-18T08:00:00.000+13:00

“Make the tabernacle with ten curtains of finely twisted linen and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, with cherubim worked into them by a skilled craftsman.” Exodus 26:1
We learned earlier that the tabernacle was built as a model of God’s throne room in heaven. The innermost part of the tabernacle, the Holy of Holies (called ‘the most holy place’ in some Bible translations), was the place where God’s presence resided between the cherubim on the mercy seat. Although only the high priest was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies – and even then, only once a year – the descriptions that we are given of it in the Scriptures allow us to imagine what it might have been like.
Inside the tabernacle was beautiful. We see four materials being used: white linen, blue, purple, and scarlet yarn. Each of these symbolises something different. White linen speaks to us of God’s righteousness. Blue is the colour of heaven (hence the blue threads the Israelites were to weave into their clothing, Num. 15:38). Purple speaks of royalty. Red symbolises blood. It was embroidered with cherubim, just as the cherubim stand around the throne of God in heaven, giving Him worship and glory and honour.
But the rest of the people never saw this beauty. The tabernacle was covered with curtains made of goat hair (Ex. 26:7), then a covering of ram skins, then a covering of hides of sea cows (Ex. 26:14). It must have looked quite ugly from the outside.
But even here, there is a picture for us. We read of Jesus, “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him” (Isa. 53:2).
It’s the same for us: it’s not what we look like from the outside that matters – it’s what’s inside the counts.

End times deception

2011-11-17T08:00:00.000+13:00

“For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive the elect – if that were possible.” Mark 13:22
The Bible tells us, over and over again, that the end times will be a time of great deception. Ever since Jesus ascended to heaven, there have been people who have claimed to be Him (we still see them today from time to time, usually appearing on TV). Rightly so, we straightaway write them off as nut jobs – but what if such a person, claiming to be Jesus, started gong around performing miracles, healing the sick, and so forth? The world is not ready for this! The false Christs that will arise will seem to meet all the requirements of Jesus in terms of His ministry. And, just to show how great this deception will be, Jesus adds the words “to deceive the elect – if that were possible.” ‘The elect’ refers to believers, those who have been elected by God for salvation. What He is saying is that if believers did not have the Holy Spirit to help them discern this deception, if they looked at things solely on face value, knowing the Lord, they would be deceived. We read also in 2 Thess. 2:9-11: “The coming of the lawless one [the Antichrist] will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.”
The lesson for us is clear: If you don’t know the Lord, if you’ve been shown the gospel but refused to believe it, then you will be deceived in the end times. There is no guarantee that you will be able to resist this deception, and come to Christ once all the things prophesied by Scripture start coming to pass. The only way to avoid being deceived is to have the Holy Spirit indwelling you, so that you can have discernment. “I tell you, now is the time of God’s favour, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:2).

Do you know you're forgiven?

2011-11-16T08:00:00.000+13:00

“Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit.” Psalm 32:1-2
There’ll be times in your Christian walk, when you’ll feel so miserable about some sin or other that you’ve committed, that you wonder if God has really forgiven you. Perhaps you can accept that He’s forgiven all your sins up to some point, but the latest ones are just too much. These thoughts always have the same source: Satan, trying to cast doubt on your salvation. It’s times like this we need to turn to verses like this, and to hold fast to them. The Bible tells us, over and over again, that we can be sure all of our sins are forgiven, covered by the blood of Christ (Mark 3:28, Col. 2:13). God does not count our sin against us any more – “as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us” (Ps. 103:12. Note that the separation is not between north and south, but between east and west. You can get to the north or south pole; you can keep going east or west forever and never reach the east or west pole.)
Another way to think about it is this: when Jesus died on the cross, how many of your sins were yet future? The answer of course, is ‘all of them’. God isn’t surprised when we sin. He knows that although we are saved, we are still feeble human beings with a sin nature that is still resisting Him. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
When we finally grasp this truth – that our sins truly have been forgiven by God – we find that peace that passes all understanding, that ‘blessedness’ that only a child of God can know. The word ‘blessed’ means ‘happy’. Are you happy, knowing that your sins are forgiven?

Making the tabernacle

2011-11-15T08:00:00.000+13:00

“See that you make them according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.” Exodus 25:40
This is an interesting verse; it occurs in the description God gives Moses concerning how he was to build the tabernacle and its furniture. All we have is a description in words, but apparently God showed Moses something, which the tabernacle was to be modelled after. In Rev. 15:5 we read how the tabernacle in heaven was opened. In Heb. 8:5 we are told that the earthly tabernacle was a copy of things in heaven. So by understanding the tabernacle that Moses built, we can gain some insights into what is in heaven.
There isn’t time or space in this posting to go into great detail about all the items in the tabernacle – the ark, the mercy seat, the golden altar of incense, the lampstand, the table, the bronze altar, and the laver. But it is worth pointing out that God refers to the mercy seat (which sits as a cover on the ark of the covenant) as the place where He would meet with Moses (Ex. 25:22). He described it as being ‘between the cherubim’ – which is how the throne of God in heaven can also be described (Rev. 4:6, c.f. Ezek. 10:14, 20).
Each of the pieces within the tabernacle show us some aspect of Jesus Christ. The lampstand: He is the light of the world. The veil: He is the door for the sheep. The table of shewbread: He is the bread of life. The white linen fence surrounding the outer court: representing His righteousness, imputed to us. These things are all worth studying in more detail; they will give you a much better appreciation of who He is and what He has done for you!

Blood and yeast

2011-11-14T08:00:00.000+13:00

“Do not offer the blood of a sacrifice to Me along with anything containing yeast.” Exodus 23:18
Many people who start reading the Bible from Genesis, get to about Exodus 19 and then lose interest – most of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy are rule after rule concerning social justice, ceremonial procedures, instructions for sacrifices, the tabernacle, and the like. It’s tempting to skip over these sections if you’re not Jewish. But as with all things, these books are in the Bible because they show us truths about Christ.
Why would God tell the Israelites not to offer yeast and blood together? We need to understand the symbolism being used here. In Lev. 17:11 we read, “For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.” In the Old Testament, the life-blood of animals was offered as a substitute to cover the sin of a person, sin that required their life to be ended. The ultimate example of this, of course, is the death of Christ on the cross for our sins, shedding His own blood for us.
So what about yeast? Throughout the Bible, yeast is used as a symbol of sin. If yeast is added to dough, it ferments and causes the bread to be puffed up. You don’t need much yeast; it will spread and multiply until it has permeated the whole lump of dough.
So what God is saying here is this: the blood of the sacrifice offered must be without sin. This is beautiful symbolism of our Saviour: He had to be without sin. Otherwise, He could not have redeemed us; He would have died for His own sin.

Giving

2011-11-13T08:00:00.000+13:00

“Calling His disciples to Him, Jesus said, ‘I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.’” Mark 12:43
Those of us who have been Christians for a while, know that when it comes to giving, God doesn’t notice the amount that we give. I would even go so far as to suggest that it’s not the percentage of what we have, that we give, either. A person with $10m could give half of it away and still live quite comfortably. But for the person with only $100, to give half away would be of much greater significance.
Another important passage to consider is 2 Cor. 9:6-11 – that on giving cheerfully and not because you’re forced to. We might have been told to ‘give until it hurts’. But that’s not what God is about. Give as much as you are happy to do so. And if the thought of giving anything at all makes you grumpy, then don’t give – but pray that God would soften your heart.
So, it’s not the amount, or the percentage, that we give, but what it costs us. We see a glimpse of the heart attitudes of the poor widow and the rich people: the rich people “threw in large amounts” (Mark 12:41), but the poor widow “came and put in two [lepta]” (Mark 12:42). It was easy for the rich people to give, and so they were unconcerned about it. They threw the money in and thought nothing more of it. But for the widow, it was a deliberate action. It required great willpower to let go of those two coins, knowing that she was giving to God. And Jesus noticed. This is a lesson for all of us, concerning not what we give to God (since that is between you and Him), but how we give.

Committing your spirit

2011-11-12T08:00:00.000+13:00

“Into Your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me, O Lord, the God of truth.” Psalm 31:5
These words probably sound familiar to us – and they should, because they are the words uttered by Jesus on the cross (Luke 23:46), and by Stephen as he was being stoned to death (Acts 7:59). We should have this attitude too. However, it should not only be when we are on our deathbeds, but while we are still alive. If we have been born again, then we are to count our old nature, the sin nature, as dead to us (Rom. 6:2, 11). “But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness” (Rom. 8:11). “For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God” (Col. 3:3).
This new life that we have is spiritual life, not physical life. Physically, we are all getting closer to death. Our bodies are wearing out; becoming a Christian doesn’t change that. But coming to faith in Christ grants us new, eternal life, with Him. And here’s the point: we don’t have to wait until we physically die, to start enjoying that eternal life. God gives it to us, and the smartest thing we can do with it is to give it right back to Him – committing it into His hands. This means, to say to God, ‘You are in control.’ This isn’t a once-for-all thing; it’s a daily decision we need to make. And that’s the first step you need to take, in order for God to use you in a mighty way.

The pillar of cloud and fire

2011-11-11T08:00:00.000+13:00

“By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.” Exodus 13:21-22
The pillar of cloud by day and fire by night was the way God led the Israelites through the wilderness. It represented God’s presence among His people, settling on the tabernacle (Ex. 40:36-38). When the pillar lifted from the tabernacle, it was God’s way of telling the Israelites to pack up their tents and move with Him, and they would follow the pillar until it stopped again. In this way, God guided the Israelites. You would think that with such an obvious, visible manifestation of God’s guidance, the people would have believed in Him. Yet they still doubted. Time and time again, God led them to a place where there was no food, or no water, and they grumbled against Him and against Moses.
We might not have visible guidance from God like the Israelites did, but He does still guide us every day. We have the ‘more sure word’ of the promises in the Bible (2 Pet. 1:19). The promises that He will never leave us nor forsake us (Deut. 31:8, Heb. 13:5). The promise that all things work together for good for those who love God (Rom. 8:28). The promise that we will not face any temptation we cannot bear (1 Cor. 10:13). The promise that Jesus is returning (Acts 1:11, Rev. 22:12). If we have trouble believing these promises of God, having a pillar of cloud and fire guiding us would not make any difference. It is just as Jesus said to Thomas, “Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29).

The Lord hardened his heart

2011-11-10T08:00:00.000+13:00

“But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let the Israelites go.” Exodus 10:20
Many people have a problem with this verse (and others) that talk about God hardening Pharaoh’s heart. “So you mean to say that if Pharaoh had wanted to repent, he couldn’t?” That’s right. But it’s also important to note that there is a progression. With each of the plagues, we see Pharaoh promising to let the people go, and then after Moses prays for relief, he reneges on his word and refuses.
0. Aaron’s staff turns into a snake. Pharaoh hardens his heart (Ex. 7:13).
1. The Nile turns to blood. Pharaoh’s heart becomes hard (Ex. 7:22).
2. The plague of frogs. Pharaoh hardens his heart (Ex. 8:15).
3. The plague of gnats. Pharaoh’s heart is hard (Ex. 8:19).
4. The plague of flies. Pharaoh hardens his heart (Ex. 8:32).
5. The plague on the livestock. Pharaoh’ heart is hard (Ex. 9:7)
6. The plague of boils. God hardens Pharaoh’s heart (Ex. 9:12)
7. The plague of hail. Pharaoh’ heart is hard (Ex. 9:35).
8. The plague of locusts. God hardens Pharaoh’s heart (Ex. 10:20)
9. The plague of darkness. God hardens Pharaoh’s heart (Ex. 10:27).
10. The death of the firstborn. Pharaoh lets the people go, but then God hardens his heart and he pursues the Israelites to the Red Sea (Ex. 14:8).
The lesson for us is this: Yes, God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, but only after he had hardened his own heart first, to the point of no return. It is still possible for people to do this today. The Holy Spirit is alongside every person, convicting them of their need for a Saviour, but they can reject Him over and over to the point where their heart becomes so hard that they cannot hear Him anymore. They are like the path that the seed fell on and the birds snatch it away (Matt. 13:4, 19). Their heart is unyielding to the things of God. “For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them” (Matt. 13:15, quoting Isa. 6:10).
Have you hardened your heart towards God? Is your heart becoming calloused? It’s not too late to repent and turn back to Him.

God's purpose in judgement

2011-11-09T08:00:00.000+13:00

“For by now I could have stretched out My hand and struck you and your people with a plague that would have wiped you off the earth. But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you My power and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” Exodus 9:15-16
Here in Exodus 9 we come across a very interesting verse. If you think about it, it does beg the question: why did God bother sending ten plagues upon Egypt, when He knew all along that it would not change Pharaoh’s heart? Why didn’t He just wipe them all out straightaway?
We can extend this kind of questioning to the events of the Great Tribulation. Why bother with all the seals, the trumpets, the bowls; all the plagues upon the earth – why not just say, ‘That’s all, folks!’ and be done with it?
Because God’s purpose in bringing these judgements is not just about judging. Even in the midst of the plagues of Egypt, and also in the midst of the Great Tribulation, there will be some who are not a lost cause. They just need a little prodding to come to God, by seeing His power. Pharaoh had hardened his heart, but there were some Egyptians who heeded the words of Moses and Aaron (see Ex. 9:20-21). It is for these people that God has mercy in not destroying them completely, so that they might be saved. God does not delight in the death of the wicked (Ezek. 18:23, 33:11). Judgement is called His ‘strange work’ and His ‘alien task’ (Isa. 28:21). Judgement is His last resort, and even in it He is showing mercy so that people might come to Him and be saved.

Whoever has will be given more

2011-11-08T08:00:00.000+13:00

“Consider carefully what you hear,” He continued. “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you – and even more. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.” Mark 4:24-25
This thought crops up in Matt. 13:12, Matt. 25:29, Mark 4:25, Luke 8:18, Luke 19:26. It’s interesting to note that it does not refer to money, as many people imply and teach. Mark 4:24 begins with “Consider carefully what you hear”, and Luke 8:18 begins with “consider carefully how you listen”. This is a promise that refers not to money, but to knowledge and understanding.
“With the measure you use, it will be measured to you – and even more.” As we spend time in the Word of God, studying it, meditating on it, praying that the Holy Spirit would teach us what it means, we will receive more and more understanding of it. If we don’t spend much effort, the Word will have little impact in our lives.
“Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.” If we are constantly in the Word, being spiritually fed by it, we will receive more and more understanding and insight. But if we neglect it, our spirit will atrophy. The little understanding we had, will shrivel up. “The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life” (Gal. 6:8). You have two natures within you: the flesh, and the spirit. They are in competition with each other. The one that you feed the most, is the one that will grow. If you want to grow spiritually, feed your spirit with the Word of God.

Stubborn hearts

2011-11-07T08:00:00.000+13:00

“He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored.” Mark 3:5
This is the only instance that it is recorded that Jesus get angry at something or someone. (We also see Him driving out the money-changers in the temple (on two occasions: John 2:14-17, at the start of His ministry, and Matt. 21:12-13, Mark 11:15-17, Luke 19:45-46), but it is not said there that He was angry.) There are many other instances which, if we had been in His situation, we would probably have been angry – facing Judas in the garden as he betrayed Him, standing before the high priest as He was illegally struck in the face, being told by the pig-farmers to leave their area after He had delivered a man from a legion of demons, etc. He wasn’t angry when people abused Him, when they deserted Him, or when they didn’t have enough faith. There was only one thing that made Jesus angry: people having stubborn hearts.
There is a good side to stubbornness: it’s called perseverance. That’s when we refuse to give up on God. But stubbornness is more often than not a bad thing – refusing to believe God despite the evidence, and wanting to keep doing our own thing instead of what God has told us to do. We see other examples in the Scriptures. Moses made excuses time and time again why he couldn’t be God’s mouthpiece to the children of Israel (see Ex. 4:13-14). Balaam persisted in seeking after the reward that Balak offered him; his donkey was more attuned to the presence of the angel of the Lord than he was (see Num. 22:22-35). The nation Israel, time and time again, refused to believe God, turned away from Him to follow idols, mistreated the prophets He sent, all the while thinking they were better than other nations (see Luke 14:16-24).
It’s easy to point the finger at other people. But do we do the same thing? Has God told us to do something, and we are stubbornly refusing to do it? Has He told us to stop doing something, and we are stubbornly persisting in it? If that’s the case, we need to watch out: being stubborn makes God angry. Let Him soften your heart; be obedient to Him.

New wineskins

2011-11-06T08:00:00.000+13:00

“And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, he pours new wine into new wineskins.” Mark 2:22
This is a familiar passage, but it can be difficult to understand what is actually meant by it.
First, we need to understand how wine was made at that time. A wineskin was a leather bag; ‘new wine’ was grape juice that was still in the process of fermenting. This would be poured into a new wineskin, which was supple and was therefore able to stretch as the fermentation process produced carbon dioxide gas. But after the wineskin had been used once in this way, it became brittle and was not able to stretch again. Thus, putting new wine into an old skin would result in pressure building up, and the wineskin would eventually break because it was not able to stretch.
Many people have suggested what the symbolism might be referring to. Some speak of how the gifts of the Spirit tend not to be in operation in the more traditional churches. But that is not the context here. Jesus was asked, “How is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but Yours are not?” (Mark 2:18).
John was the last of the Old Testament prophets, as said by Jesus Himself (Matt. 11:13). The Pharisees, likewise, were followers of Old Testament Judaism. But Jesus was bringing a new way of relating to God, a new power that came through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit inside a person. What He was saying is this: you cannot put the power of a life in Christ into the Old Testament law. Even today, there are those who try to take their Christian faith and fit it into the Mosaic law. Jesus says it can’t be done. The new wine – the new life that Christ offers us – needs new wineskins: a way of life that allows us to be stretched and filled with the Spirit of God.

All authority

2011-11-05T08:00:00.000+13:00

“Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.’” Matthew 28:18
When we think about Jesus, we often think of a gentle man who wouldn’t hurt a fly; a man who would sit and talk with His disciples, a man who didn’t have a house or a penny to His name. And that’s true – for the time that He was ministering, before His crucifixion and resurrection from the dead. The well-known passage in Philippians 2 (called ‘the Kenosis’) tells us the depths to which God the Son stooped down, and the heights to which He has been raised again. He “made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:7-11).
Now Jesus has been raised from the death, He is once again glorified with the Father, with the glory He had before (John 17:5). He laid aside His deity for a time, but now He has taken it back up. He has paid the price to redeem the earth out of Satan’s clutches. This is why He could say, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.”
Think for a minute what that means. He has authority – discretionary power – over all things. Whatever happens on earth, only happens because He allows it. This is true for nations, and it is also true for each one of us as individuals. Jesus has authority and control over our lives and our circumstances. Do we really believe this? We don’t need to worry about what might happen, because He has everything in hand.

The valley of the shadow of death

2011-11-04T08:00:00.000+13:00

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4
The 23rd psalm is one of the most well-known psalms, in both Christian and secular circles. It is also called the shepherd psalm, because in it David likens God to a shepherd guiding us, His sheep. We read how He provides for all our needs and guides us to a place of safety.
Today we focus on the fourth verse of this psalm: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” What is the valley of the shadow of death? I have read that in Israel there is a certain wadi called the Wadi Kelt, which literally means the valley of the shadow. It lies between Jericho and Jerusalem, and is the main route by which shepherds would take their flocks from the Jordan river valley to the hill country of Judea. It has steep cliffs and many caves, and it is easy to get lost there. Bandits would hide in the caves and ambush travellers passing through (c.f. Luke 10:30). There is no vegetation.
Sometimes we can feel as if we are passing through a desolate place with potential danger around every corner. The heat is on, and we aren’t sure of the way to go. But it’s in those times that we need to stay close to our Shepherd. He comforts us with His rod and His staff. These were implements the shepherd used: the rod, to keep the sheep moving and pull them out of any holes they fell into; the staff, to fight off wild animals who might attack the flock. This is exactly what the Christian life is like. God will sometimes prod us with His rod to keep us moving. If we fall into sin, He will not leave us there but will seek to pull us out. When we face the enemy, we don’t need to fight him ourselves; we leave that up to God. Once we can grasp these truths, and keep our eyes fixed on the Lord, we realise that in life we have nothing to fear. He is big enough, and wise enough, to guide us in safety – even though the valley of the shadow of death.

God is 'I AM'

2011-11-03T08:00:00.000+13:00

“Moses said to God, ‘Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, “The God of your fathers has sent me to you,” and they ask me, “What is His name?” Then what shall I tell them?’ God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: “I AM has sent me to you.”’” Exodus 3:13-14
‘I AM’ might seem like a bit of a strange name to our ears, but God says it is His name. In the Bible, a person’s name tells us a lot about them. God didn’t say that His name was ‘I was’, nor did He say it was ‘I will be’. You see, for God, there is no past or future. He is always in the now. Also, His name is not ‘I speak’ or ‘I give’, but ‘I AM’ – He is to us whatever we need. He is our helper when we need help, our Saviour when we need saving, our comfort when we need comforting.
There’s another place in the Bible where God speaks of Himself as being ‘I AM’ – Jesus declared this seven times in the gospel of John (John 6:35, 8:12, 10:9, 10:14, 11:25, 14:6, 15:1). He declared that He was the bread of life, the light of the world, the gate for the sheep, the good shepherd, the resurrection and the life, the way and the truth and the life, and the true vine. He also laid claim to being the same ‘I AM’ as we read in today’s verse when God spoke to Moses from the burning bush (see John 8:58).
What are you needing today? Allow God to become that to you. He loves you and wants the best for you.

What happened at the cross

2011-11-02T08:00:00.000+13:00

“I am poured out like water, and all My bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within Me.” Psalm 22:14
Psalm 22 gives us a graphic prophecy of what happened to Jesus on the cross. It begins with His first words uttered: “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” (Ps. 22:1, c.f. Matt. 27:46). It then goes on to describe some of the torments He faced. These are details we aren’t given in the New Testament – possibly because crucifixion was seen as relatively routine, so that the shock factor was not necessary; possibly because the disciples had all fled by that point (Matt. 26:56).
We often focus on the physical suffering Jesus endured (Ps. 22:14-18): His joints dislocated, His back ripped to shreds, severe dehydration and weakness from loss of blood, the public humiliation of being hung there naked, seeing His garments divided between the soldiers. But this psalm also gives us a glimpse of the spiritual torment He faced. As if God the Father turning His face away was not enough, Jesus was also attacked by demonic forces. “Many bulls surround Me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle Me. Roaring lions tearing their prey open their mouths wide against Me” (Ps. 22:12-13). Bashan was an area in the north of Israel, today called the Golan, where the giant king Og ruled in the time of Joshua. It was known for its idolatry, and the ‘bulls of Bashan’ is a reference to the demonic forces behind these idols. Also, we read in 1 Pet. 5:8 how Satan is likened to a roaring lion, seeking whom he would devour. As Jesus hung there on the cross, Satan must have felt like he had won.
Jesus didn’t deserve any of this. It was a punishment for sin that He hadn’t committed – our sin. Similarly, we don’t deserve what He gives us because of His death on the cross. Thinking about this humbles me, and fills me with appreciation. How about you?

Judas

2011-11-01T08:00:00.000+13:00

“Then Judas, the one who would betray Him, said, ‘Surely not I, Rabbi?’ Jesus answered, ‘Yes, it is you.’” Matthew 26:25
Sometimes we can wonder what happened, spiritually, to Judas. Was he saved, or not? Did he betray Jesus because he was trying to force His hand in establishing His kingdom, and it backfired? Should we feel sorry for him?
Certainly none of the other disciples suspected Judas as being the one who would betray Jesus. They all doubted themselves. They didn’t even know until much later, that Judas used to help himself to money from the bag they all shared (John 12:4-6).
But it’s interesting to note that throughout the gospels, Judas never once called Jesus ‘Lord’. He only called Him ‘Rabbi’. In our vernacular, we could say that he was religious, but he was not saved. The word ‘rabbi’, of course, means ‘teacher’. Yes, Jesus was a teacher, but confessing Him as ‘teacher’ doesn’t save you – you must confess Him as ‘Lord’.
Think how tragic this was – for a man to spend nearly four years, day and night, with Jesus, and still not be saved. We probably all know people like this – they’ve spent their whole lives going to church every Sunday, but they don’t have a living relationship with Jesus Christ. We need to pray for people like this, that they would truly come to know Him.

Seeing the big picture

2011-10-31T08:00:00.000+13:00

“So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt.” Genesis 45:8
The story of how Joseph was reunited with his brothers is one of my favourites in the Bible. The famine that had struck Egypt, as shown to Pharaoh in his dreams, which Joseph interpreted, was also affecting the land of Canaan. Jacob sends ten of his sons to Egypt to buy food. Joseph recognises them instantly, but they don’t recognise him. He sets a series of tests – putting the silver back in their sack, taking Simeon away and imprisoning him, and demanding that they bring their youngest brother to him (Benjamin, who of course was Jacob’s full brother, them both being sons of Rachel). Finally, when Joseph knows that their attitude has changed towards how their father expressed favouritism towards one son (himself, and then Benjamin), he reveals to them who he really is. They are in shock – and who wouldn’t be. Here was their brother, whom they had sold as a slave. What would he do to them now?
But Joseph had forgiven them in his heart long before this moment. He was not going to take revenge on them for what they did (and he had to reassure them of this fact on several occasions, see Gen. 50:15-21). How was he able to do this? Because he had seen the bigger picture. He saw God’s plan in the situation. God needed to get him to Egypt somehow, before the famine struck. God needed to get him in a place where he would be noticed by Pharaoh. And God also needed to humble him, so that he could become great. That’s what the slavery and imprisonment were all about.
There’s a powerful lesson here for us today. It’s easy for us to focus on our immediate situation, and forget to look at the big picture of what God is working out. It’s easy for us to despise the small things – the seemingly insignificant tasks we are given to do – but we shouldn’t (Zech. 4:10). And we need to remember that in all things, God is working for good (Rom. 8:28). That’s what He did with Joseph, and that’s what He will do for us too. Life is not a sequence of random events – God is in control of everything that happens to us.

Give to Caesar

2011-10-30T08:00:00.000+13:00

“and [Jesus] asked them, ‘Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?’ ‘Caesar’s,’ they replied. Then He said to them, ‘Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.’” Matthew 22:20-21
In Matt. 22:15-22 we see one of the many ways in which the Pharisees tried to trap Jesus by His own words. They asked Him the question, “Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” If Jesus said it was right, He would become unpopular with the crowds, who resented the Romans and their heavy taxation. But if He said it was not right, they would go straight to the Roman authorities and tell them that Jesus was stirring up rebellion against them.
But Jesus does not answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Instead, He asks them to show Him a coin. The coin, of course, had Caesar’s name and picture on it. Then He utters the words, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”
The picture and inscription implies ownership. Just as we write our children’s names on their clothing so that everyone knows who it belongs to, God has written His name on us (Rev. 3:12). We are made in His image and in His likeness (Gen. 1:26) – we bear the image of God. The coin bore Caesar’s name and image; it belonged to him, and therefore, Jesus said, what is Caesar’s should be given to Caesar. But we bear God’s name and His image, and we are to give ourselves to God (putting Him first in our lives, living to please Him).

Joseph and Potiphar

2011-10-29T08:00:00.000+13:00

“Joseph found favour in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned.” Genesis 39:4
Joseph is one of the most exemplary characters of the Old Testament. Here we see him, still a young man (probably about seventeen, see Gen. 37:2), having been sold by his brothers as a slave and taken to Egypt. But God was with him the whole way, and he found favour in Potiphar’s house.
What we learn about Joseph from this episode is that he was trustworthy, and had integrity. It was not long before Potiphar’s wife started showing an interest in him (Gen. 39:7). But despite this constant temptation, he resisted. He had already made up his mind about it: to do what she was asking was a wicked thing and a sin against God (Gen. 39:9). Joseph did what all of us should do in such a situation: he removed himself from it (Gen. 39:10).
When Potiphar’s wife saw that she could not tempt him, she accused him falsely to anyone and everyone (Gen. 39:13-18). We read that Potiphar was angry and had Joseph put in the prison, and get the impression that he believed his wife, that Joseph had tried to take advantage of her. But if this were really the case, he would not have put him in the prison but would have had him executed. It is more likely that Potiphar was angry with the situation, and how he had to do something to Joseph in order to save face, but that would mean losing the best attendant he had ever had.
Joseph was a pawn in this drama, but God was with him the whole way. He submitted to becoming a servant, and he did not defend himself when he was falsely accused, instead, letting God take care of things on his behalf. Jesus did the same thing... and we should, too.

God is always with you

2011-10-28T08:00:00.000+13:00

“I have set the Lord always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” Psalm 16:8
Have you set the Lord always before you? That is, are you conscious of Him being with you and being involved in everything that you do and everywhere you go? After all, He is. He hears every conversation that you have, He sees every TV programme and movie that you watch, He is with you on the sports field or out on the town, in the classroom and at the supermarket. If this makes you feel uncomfortable, you need to ask yourself why. Are there things that you do or watch, that you would be embarrassed to watch if Jesus was bodily sitting next to you?
The flip side of this coin, is that knowing God’s presence is with us at all times gives us great encouragement and strength. To be at someone’s right hand is to be the most important person in their life. Is Jesus your ‘right hand man’?
This verse should remind us to always be conscious of God always being with us – through the good times and the bad. With Him, we can face anything that life throws at us.

The rich young ruler

2011-10-27T08:00:00.000+13:00

“All these I have kept”, the young man said. “What do I still lack?” Matthew 19:20
In Matt. 19:16-22 we see the dialogue between Jesus and a rich young man, who came to Jesus asking, “What good thing must I do to get eternal life?” (Matt. 19:16). Jesus knew what was in the man’s heart, of course, just as He knew what was in everyone’s heart (John 2:25). So He leads him along a path of self-examination. First He says, “If you want to enter life, obey the commandments” (Matt. 19:17). The man asks, “Which ones?” Jesus responds by quoting some of the Ten Commandments, and it’s interesting to note the commandments that He lists: Do not murder (6th commandment), do not steal (8th commandment), do not give false testimony (9th commandment), honour your father and mother (5th commandment), and love your neighbour as yourself (which He said was the second most important commandment, after ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind’ (see Matt. 22:37-39).
But then the man replied, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” He knew that he still lacked something, and he believed that Jesus had it. Then Jesus responded by challenging him to sell everything he had and give to the poor, then to follow Him (Matt. 19:21). He is touching on the 10th commandment: you shall not covet. This was something the man could not let go of, and he went away sad (Matt. 19:22).
There are several lessons here for us. Firstly, if you know that you are lacking something, you should come to Jesus. He will meet your needs – especially your spiritual needs. Secondly, it is possible to covet your own wealth. It’s human nature to want to get what we can, and can what we get – not sharing it with anyone else. But God commands us to be generous with everyone (1 Tim. 6:18, Prov. 11:25). After all, everything we have belongs to Him anyway. It’s wrong for us to try and keep it all for ourselves.

Benefits of being single

2011-10-26T08:00:00.000+13:00

“Jesus replied, ‘Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. For some are eunuchs because they were born that way; others were made that way by men; and others have renounced marriage because of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.’” Matthew 19:11-12
This is a verse that is difficult to take in, so it’s just as well Jesus started by saying, ‘Not everyone can accept this word.’ However it’s one that I have come to be able to accept, as someone who is single, so for that reason I’d like to share with you what it means to me.
First we come across the word ‘eunuch’. Traditionally, a eunuch was a castrated man, employed as a guard over a king’s harem. By extension it came to mean a royal official. It can also be used more generally of an unmarried person, and this verse can be interpreted in this way.
So what Jesus is saying is that a single life is not for everyone, but those who can live a single life, should. Paul said a similar thing: “I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord’s affairds – how he can please the Lord. But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world – how he can please his wife – and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord’s affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world – how she can please her husband. I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord” (1 Cor. 7:32-35). One of the major benefits of being single is that your focus can be completely on God and serving Him.
“Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I am. But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion” (1 Cor. 7:8-9). At the time Paul wrote this letter, he was single (some say he must have been married at an earlier time, because he was a member of the Sanhedrin, which required him to be married). This also shows an aspect that has plagued the Catholic church by enforcing celibacy on its ministers. Marriage is not a sin; if you are strongly desiring to be married, then you should do so (being led by the Lord, and marrying a believer, of course). After all, God instituted marriage in the first place. “But if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this” (1 Cor. 7:28).
Singleness can be hard at times, especially when your friends and siblings are all getting married; you can literally be the ‘odd one out’. It is something that you need to be sure that God has called you to. It can be lonely, sometimes. But it’s in those times that God will minister to you in a special way, when you cry out to Him. So if you are single, and this verse speaks to you, rejoice and serve God with all that you have. In heaven, there is no marriage or married couples (Matt. 22:30). Our focus will be on serving God. So living a single life now, is kind of like a head start for heaven.
This post is a little more personal than usual, so if you can identify with this, please feel free to leave a comment...

Where two or three are gathered

2011-10-25T08:00:00.000+13:00

“For where two or three come together in My name, there am I with them.” Matthew 18:20
We often think this verse means that when we get together with a bunch of Christian friends to hang out, Jesus is there, hanging out with us. While there is a special unity that Christians share, that’s not what this verse is referring to. Coming together in His name means much more than just physically spending time with other believers. It conveys a sense of coming together for a purpose, in unity – coming together for prayer, or worship; things where Jesus is at the forefront. It’s those times when Jesus promises to be with us. Sure, He is with us all the time, even when we are by ourselves (Matt. 28:20, Heb. 13:5). But He is with us in a special, dynamic way when we gather with other Christian brothers and sisters for prayer and worship, being led by the Spirit. This is why we can’t afford to go through the Christian life solo – we lose this dynamic.
So it’s important to gather together, but also note how many are needed – only two or three! Jesus doesn’t require a minimum of twenty, or two hundred, in order for Him to turn up to a prayer meeting. He’s not about the numbers; but He is about unity within the numbers that are there. So next time you’re joining one or two other believers for prayer, be encouraged – Jesus is with you.