Two Questions That Can Change Your Destiny

I guess I have finally come of age.  I am old enough to live in a retirement village!  My son calls it 'the reservation' and my husband makes bad jokes like 'it can't be that great, everyone's dying to get out'.  It is a blessing to have lived long enough to 'qualify' for retirement living.  

Just this week I had a conversation with a 53 year old friend whose body is riddled with metastatic cancer and she is now in heart failure.  I asked her if she is prepared to die.  She knows her days are numbered apart from a miracle but she is well prepared to die. Her affairs are all in order, her funeral service and songs are prepared and she knows that she is heaven bound without one doubt.  It doesn't make leaving her 21 year old son any easier, but she knows she can entrust him to the care of her faithful and loving God. My question to you is....are you ready to die?  Every breath is a gift from God and never guaranteed.

As I watch the deteriorating state of our world; the many countries in political chaos or being destroyed by wars, the degradation of sections of society who think they are being 'progressive', the increasing lack of respect for authority and the growth of anxiety and depression, especially in our young people, I am not surprised at the hopelessness that abounds.  But there is hope to be had.

This morning I had a conversation with a young man about the mad scramble in the world to 'save the planet'.  We both agreed that it is impossible and unnecessary.  Now there's a statement! But it's true.  It doesn't mean we don't need to try to clean up our act and do our part but we know from reading the Bible that creation groans with us as we watch what is happening.....

'...what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are.  Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope,  the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay.  For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.  And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us.  We were given this hope when we were saved.' Romans 8:18-24

This earth is going to be destroyed......'The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.  But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment.' 2 Peter 3:9-10

My second question is.....are you sure of your eternal destiny?  Are you saved?  You can be sure without one doubt.  These verses talk about God being patient, delaying 'the day of the Lord', (the second coming of Jesus Christ), because he doesn't want anyone to be destroyed, but that they repent.  That means a change of heart, acknowledgement of our need of forgiveness for believing that we can be good enough for heaven by living a good life, that we don't need God.

It's like this......

'God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.  Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.'  Ephesians 2:8-9

This is rather lengthy because it is increasingly on my heart to share the truth about the urgency of the days in which we live and the need to tell people God's truth.  I hope you will think about this, and if you can't answer a confident yes to these questions I hope you will pray this prayer.  If you do, please let me know and also share this message with those you care about.

PRAYER:  Dear God, help me to understand your truth.  Please forgive my sin. I choose to believe that Jesus Christ is your Son who died to obtain forgiveness for me.  I believe that He rose from the dead and will come again one day to take me to Himself. Thank you for the hope of eternity with you.  Amen

Intimidation

Have you had to deal with intimidation?  I think most of us will at some stage in our life.  It is a nasty, devilish, tactic meant to cut the ground out from under our feet, often done by people who feel insecure in their own skin or their position. The thing is.....do you know how to deal with it?  For believers in Christ the place to begin is in God's Word.

I am a fan of the Old Testament.  Yes, I know there are many boring bits and many bits that are hard to understand but there are so many nuggets that it should not be avoided.  One of them came up in my reading today in 2 Kings 18 & 19 that addressed the topic of intimidation.  It would be great if you read the whole story yourself but I will give it to you in a nutshell here to whet your appetite.

Kings came and went in Israel and Judah, some were good, following God's ways, others were very wicked and suffered much at the hands of their enemies as a result.  Hezekiah became king in Judah when he was 25 years old.  He did what was right in the sight of the Lord and destroyed the places of idol worship.  'He trusted in the Lord God of Israel.....he held fast to the Lord; he did not depart from following Him.....The Lord was with him; he prospered wherever he went.' (2 Kings 18:5-7).

However, Hezekiah's faith was about to be tested.  During his reign he'd seen his neighbours besieged and taken captive by their enemy Assyria who, not content with that began to press in on Judah.  Hezekiah tried to pay them off with gold and silver but it didn't work.  The king of Assyria sent his cronies up to Jerusalem on an intimidation mission.  Surrender or suffer!  "Hezekiah trusts his God to deliver but that's not going to happen!" they said. 

Hezekiah knew where to go in his despair.  He humbled himself, took the threatening letter and spread it before the Lord and prayed and the Lord answered.  Judah did not have to fight because, 'the angel of the Lord went out, and killed 185,00 Assyrian soldiers camped outside the wall.' 2 Kings 19:35.

I see more and more a spirit of intimidation rising up to fight against God's people, but really they are fighting against God and the truth of his word. We need to know where to turn when this happens.  We get before God and ask for his help, we don't back down in the face of intimidation. If we speak truth, we need to speak it in love, but we cannot compromise and change God's truth. What we need from God is more grace to love those who fight against us (our enemies) (Matthew 5:44).  Love your enemies knowing that Jesus said, 'God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers.' Matthew 5:11

Remember the words of James 1:2-3 'Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.'

Do go read Hezekiah's story and be encouraged.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you that we have your written word to encourage us in our faith as we read about those who have gone before us.  Help us to remember that your word is a powerful sword in our fight against our real enemy Satan.  Help me to know your word and not neglect it.  Amen

Feeling Wobbly

Feeling "wobbly" can take different forms, none of which are very comfortable.  We all like to feel strong, well, in control, all together.......  Feeling wobbly makes us feel vulnerable which is very uncomfortable and sometimes scary.  A couple of times lately I have had a short period of feeling wobbly in the head which made me stop short and hold on.  For someone who is blessed with good health that's a bit of a challenge in the moment.  

It's possible to feel wobbly emotionally and in this crazy, almost out of control world it's sad, but not surprising to see the prevalence of emotional problems.  So many things can shake us and it often doesn't even have to be caused by what's happening to us, but as we care about the stresses and strains of others we can get thrown off balance.

As part of the prayer ministry of our church I am very aware of the 'curved balls' that get thrown at people to cause them to stumble, feel vulnerable, weak, helpless and broken.  I take heart that many people know they can ask others to stand with them in prayer. 

For those who are afraid of feeling wobbly, please don't be.  There can be a great purpose in it. The Holy Spirit drew my attention this morning to Matthew 5:3....blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  In another version it says 'God blesses those who are poor and realise their need for him, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.' NLT. I had often struggled over this verse and really wanted a better understanding of what it was to be poor in spirit.  This morning I felt a bit vulnerable in my spirit, very much in need of God to strengthen me.  I realised that being poor in spirit is knowing that you are wobbly and need God to help you stand strong.  

The world values strong and secure people, but these people are the poorer because they often don't realise their need for God.  They don't understand that this life is just a season in the whole of eternity, a time when we get the opportunity to choose and prepare for the next bit, the best bit.  And prepare we must, for the Bible teaches without apology that there are only two destinations and we get to choose our own destination by admitting that we need God and choosing faith in Jesus Christ.....or not!  I assure you that here is no 'nothingness' after death, it's either all good or wholly bad.  Your choice.

Value your vulnerability, your wobbliness, it will cause you to draw near to God and he will draw near to you. (James 4:8).  If you are already a believer experiencing those wobbly feelings, value them too for they are God's means of drawing you near to him for strength and growth.

PRAYER:  Lord God, help me to recognise when you are at work in me through weakness, remembering that the Apostle Paul said of himself, 'when I am weak, then I am strong'.  My strength needs to be from you.  Help me to lean into you and find strength today. Amen

Empower

Empower is almost a buzz word today and is used in many contexts, but what does it mean and how can it be applied for everyday, ordinary people?  To empower means to authorise to act on behalf of.  For example, we might empower a lawyer to act or speak on our behalf, or empower an employee to make decisions for you in your absence.  The people given the power to act on your behalf will be falling down on the job if they don't believe you meant it and so neglect the power to act that they have been given. What does it mean for a believer in Jesus Christ?  A lot!  

We have just passed the Easter season which remembers and celebrates the most important and significant event in the Christian calendar.  Why do we celebrate such a tragic miscarriage of justice?  Because it was planned by God since the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve sinned.  It was a vital part of God's plan to reconcile us himself through the cross. (Colossians 1:20).  But it went much further than that.

When Jesus Christ rose from the dead it was through the power of God working mightily in him (Ephesians 1:19-20).  Jesus had told the disciples previously that it was necessary for him to 'go away', in other words to return to heaven, in order that the Holy Spirit might come upon all who believe (John 16;7).  The last thing Jesus instructed the disciples to do was to 'wait in Jerusalem until they were filled with the Holy Spirit' (Luke 24:49).  This was to empower them to continue the work that Jesus had trained them for.  He had gone away but the Holy Spirit empowered them to act on Jesus' behalf in his absence.

Since Jesus death the disciples and others had spent a lot of time behind locked doors, fearful perhaps of meeting the same fate that Jesus had suffered. But when the day of Pentecost came and they were filled or empowered with the Holy Spirit, they suddenly became brave and fearless and began to preach the gospel and continue Jesus' work of proclaiming the good news of the gospel and performing healing and miracles!

Ephesians 5:18 exhorts us to 'be filled with the Spirit'.  Literally .... filled to overflowing.  Do you think that is still relevant for us today?  I think so.  How else are we to accomplish all that God wants us to in bringing his kingdom to earth.  If the disciples couldn't do the work of ministry and spreading the gospel without the power of the Holy Spirit working in and through them, how much more do we need that today?  In our own strength we will fail or at least fall short, whereas in the power of the Holy Spirit we will be surprised at what God can do through us.

Prayer:  Lord Jesus, forgive me for trying to accomplish your work without your power in my life.  Please fill me afresh with your Holy Spirit and empower me for the work of the Kingdom to bring you glory.  Amen

Ephesians 3:16-21

Risen

The earth was silent that after-Sabbath morn

     As though creation held its breath

             The plan of God about to be fulfilled.

      No soldier set to guard the tomb could – even if he willed

           Stop the mighty act of God

                   As heaven’s power filled that tomb

And Life conquered death, sin’s price paid in full

             Forever – it was finished!

The women came with spices – early risers

         To minister to the One they held so dear.

Talking, wondering, how to roll away the heavy stone

              That had been set to seal the fate, to hold Him captive still –

This One who spoke of things too wonderful to understand.

Amazed, they stopped and trembled at the sight

             Of angels standing guard – the tomb was open wide

Their message clear – He is not here – He is risen!

His work was done

         Though man and Satan thought they’d won

As always underestimating the wondrous ways of One we call

Our Master, Saviour, Lord, Redeemer, friend –

         Holy One of Israel, Son of God

We worship You this day for You are worthy

        Who walked this earth and felt our pain, then paid the price of sin

So we can rise – set free, forgiven – to sing with thankful hearts

                To You our King of Glory.

Radical Love

Our little country at the end of the world had a huge wakeup call just 10 days ago when 50 muslims were slaughtered in their place of prayer by a radical extreme hater.  New Zealand became world news for a time, not only for the heinous crime but more so for the amazing outpouring of love and compassion for the communities that had suffered loss.

Sadly such crimes go on somewhere in the world every day and we have almost become hardened to it, unsurprised at man's inhumanity to man.  We must remember that ".... we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places."  Ephesians 6:12.  This verse tells us who is behind these radical haters who make it their business to rob, kill and destroy.  His name is Satan, the devil.  He will play both sides against the other, he doesn't care who gets killed in the process. Hundreds of Christians around the world are murdered on a daily basis in similar fashion.  No matter what ethnicity, when you see such crimes, remember that it is the evil rulers of the unseen world at work.  People deceived, believing, as the Bible already told us, "doctrines of demons", 1 Timothy 4:1.

As we lead into Easter I am reminded of the night that Jesus was betrayed by his friend, Judas who was also deceived by Satan into betraying Him for money which soon destroyed him.  In the Garden of Gethsemane that night radicalism raised its head through Peter, Jesus most outspoken disciple.  In trying to protect Jesus from being taken captive, Peter raised his sword and cut of a man's ear! Jesus rebuked him, reached out and healed the man's ear in an act of radical love. He then quietly faced the 'kangaroo court' that found him guilty and sentenced him to an excruciating death on the cross. Jesus was guilty of nothing but love, His purpose was to reconcile you and me back to God through bearing our sin, past, present and future on the cross.  That is radical love.  He had earlier said that there was no greater love than one laying down his life for another (John 15:13).

As you look at world events you can decide for yourself the source of actions by their 'fruit'.  Whether it be of the sinful nature (flesh), which is controlled by Satan or, of the forgiven and renewed life for those who have received Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord who are then controlled by the Spirit.  "When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures,   idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division,  envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!" Galatians 5:19-22

The Holy Spirit will never activate hate crimes.  He inspires radical, forgiving love because that is God's nature.  Follow Him and find joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control all rooted in His radical love.

Prayer:  Heavenly Father please comfort those who mourn the loss of loved ones this day.  Bring them comfort and peace and help me to live in your radical, forgiving love today. Amen

Unbelievable

In the early 1900's Robert Ripley realised he was onto something.  He later became the founder of the now worldwide Ripley's Believe it or Not franchise.  I don't think we have one in New Zealand but I have seen one at The Peak in Hong Kong. Ripley seemed to specialise in finding freakish things that would fascinate a certain side of human nature.

How many times have you heard and said the words "I can't believe it"?  It can be for good things (like winning Lotto, though you probably haven't said it for that reason!), or because you can't believe someone would be so generous, skilful, or even stupid.   I had a dear Korean friend in Hong Kong who often exclaimed "unbelievable!".  We used to tease her.

In reading Numbers 13 and 14 this morning I was struck by the unbelief of the Israelites.  Twelve men had been sent to spy out the land of Canaan (the land promised to them by God).  They spent 40 days checking out the land and found that it was indeed a 'land flowing with milk and honey' (13:27).  They also carried back proof of the bounty of the land, a cluster of grapes so large that 2 men carried it on a pole.  Now that's unbelievable!!

They reported briefly on the bounty of the land then prefixed their next statement with 'nevertheless', (in other words BUT) .....'the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are large and fortified, not only that we saw giants there.'  Two men of faith, Caleb and Joshua, stood up and bravely took the 10 to task.  'Let us go up', said Caleb, ' for we are well able to overcome them.'  But the 10 persisted in unbelief.....They went on to say that they felt like grasshoppers when they saw these giants and that's how we looked to them! (13:33).  They projected how they felt about themselves onto the other people.  How often do we do that? 

The people listened to the fear-filled report and wept.  They refused to believe that God would help them conquer, instead they had a pity party.  Consequently they missed out on the blessing of seeing what God wanted to do for them because over the next 40 years they all died in the wilderness, except Joshua and Caleb and the younger generation.  These were the people who went on to conquer that same land 40 years later!

This morning I came across a quote I'd written in an old Bible years ago......."There is no strength in unbelief." George MacDonald. Now that's worth pondering.

Has God encouraged you to believe him for something?  Don't let doubt and unbelief rob you of the blessing of seeing how God is able to work things out.

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, forgive me for not believing that you are able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we can ask or even think.  Help me to believe.  Amen