good news

Not in your control

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When you were born you had no choice about it nor anything connected with it.  Your parents were not your choice.  Your skin colour, the colour of your eyes and hair, what kind of body frame you have have nothing to do with your free will.  When you were born and where were not your choice.  Most of the significant events of your early childhood were also outside your control.  You probably didn’t have any say in the kindergarten you went to nor your primary school and probably not even your secondary school.  Your relatives were not your choice.  Where you lived growing up and the places you moved to were also probably not your choice.  Whether your parents stayed together or divorced was also outside your control.

Likewise when you die what will happen to you will be completely outside your control.  You cannot prevent the dissolution of your body, soul and spirit into the dust and soul state that is coming at your death.  Whether, and how, you are resurrected is also totally outside your control.  What happens after you are resurrected is…… actually, according to the bible, you can have a say in that.

Jesus said: “Make peace with your adversary while you are on the way to the judge lest, when you arrive there, the judge throws you into jail.  You won’t get out until you have paid the last penny.”  (Matt. 5:25; Luke 12:58, 59).

He also says: “Do not fear those who, after they have destroyed your body, have nothing else they can do to you.  Fear Him, who after you have been destroyed can cast both your body and soul into Hell.  Yes, I tell you, fear Him!” (Matt. 10:28; Luke 12:4,5).

The Holy Spirit, Jesus and the Father want you to be with them forever.  Jesus said to His followers/ friends:

“Do not let your heart be troubled.  You believe in God, believe also in Me.  In My Father’s house are many dwelling places.  If it were not so would I have said to you that I go to prepare a place for you?  And if I go, I will also receive you to myself, so that where I am, you and I can also be.”

John 14: 1-4

Make peace with God through Jesus Christ by believing in His death for your failures on the cross.  He paid the price so you don’t have to (2 Cor. 5:21).  When you believe He will give you assurance in your heart that He loves you (Eph. 1:13, 14; 2 Cor. 1:22).

He will then take care of your body, soul and spirit on that day when you will have no control over your final destiny: the day after your death.

Discipleship Series, General Principles, good news

Our hope is in the next life not this one

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Our lives are hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ, who is our life, appears, we also will appear with Him in glory.  (Col. 3:3-4)

Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens (Beatitude 1: Matt. 5:3)

Blessed are those who mourn now for they will be comforted (Beatitude 2: Matt. 5:4)

We are barking up the wrong tree if we are looking for fame or recognition as a follower of Jesus in this life.  The beatitudes can only be understood in this context.  We mourn now because we do not have the glory, honour and immortality we look for in this life even though we persist in doing good (Romans 2:7).  Jesus is quite happy that it should be this way.  He Himself lived a life of obscurity in the back end of the Roman Empire.  His followers should expect to do the same.

Place your hope fully on the grace to be given to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 1:13)

If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. (1 Cor. 15:19)

Rejoice in this hope for why would we hope for something we can already see?

...we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. (Romans 8:23-25)

The hope in this case is the redemption of our bodies.  When we were born again our spirit was saved.  As we work out our salvation our soul is being saved until the day we die.  After we die and are resurrected our body will be saved.

Discipleship Series, General Principles, good news

The Self-Effacement of God

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It is a curious paradox of the Christian faith that the God we worship is one who simultaneously reveals Himself very clearly to those who are born again and hides in a dark cloud from those who are not.  Paul says that God has transferred Christians from a kingdom of darkness to a kingdom of light which I guess explains that.

When God was speaking to Moses before the Exodus He said that Moses would appear to be God to Pharaoh.  It seems that in the subsequent catastrophic and dramatic judgments and events Pharaoh and most of the Egyptians ascribed them to Moses rather than God – which seems astonishing.

Many people do that to church leaders as well.  Rather than understanding that God is the one who is enabling things to happen they see the natural abilities of man.  The blindness can go so far as to deny anything supernatural at all about the works of God in the world.  Despite the miracle of a Church that has persisted for over 2000 years and was started by a man who claimed to be God in the backside of the Roman Empire, who wrote nothing and lived and died in obscurity and despite the claims of billions since to have encountered Him in their lives because they have believed He rose again and is still alive….  Despite countless miracles of healing and changed lives that continue to the present day…. according to what Jesus said (and Paul says the same thing) you still won’t believe or see any of it unless you are born again.

According to the bible, you must be born from above to enter into the realm where Jesus – God – reigns (John 3:5). If you are not it will all appear to be nonsense (1 Corinthians 1:18).

General Principles, heaven

The Heavens

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Fix your hope fully on the grace that is to be given you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 1:13)

In the beatitudes (Matt. 5:3-12), all the rewards promised are exclusively related to the next life, not this one.  The parallel passage in Luke 6:20-26 makes this even more clear.

One of the interesting expressions Jesus uses (in verses 3, 10 & 12) is the plural word “heavens” when speaking about the rewards that the poor in spirit and the persecuted will receive.

The Scripture is clear that there is more than just one heaven.  Paul talks about having gone into the third heaven in 2 Corinthians 12:2 and we know there is a new heaven coming (Revelation 21:1).  There are also several places in the Old Testament where the phrase “Heaven of Heavens” is used (Genesis 28:12, Deuteronomy 10:14 and 1 Kings 8:27). For more details on the heavens in Scripture look up an earlier blog I wrote on the subject.

What excites me about this is the endless possibilities it raises.

Keep going, the rewards are great for those who are faithful to the end.

Family, General Principles, Wisdom

The Difference between Pardon and Forgiveness

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Jesus words on forgiveness are stark:  Unless you forgive others you cannot be forgiven.  He makes that very clear in the Lord’s prayer (Matt. 6:15), in the parable of the indebted servant in Matthew 18:21-35 and elsewhere.

However forgiveness and pardon are not the same thing.  To pardon someone is to let them off, to not enforce a judgement that is against them.  If you have the authority to pardon someone, that means you have some authority over them.  Kings, Queens, Presidents, some politicians and judges have this kind of authority.  Prison governours, members of tribunals, parole boards, military leaders and policemen also have this power at times.  Employers have authority over employees.  But the most relevant authority to most of us is that of our parents.

As a Christian, whoever you are, you are called to forgive.  But if you are a Christian in a place of authority over someone then you need to be careful before you extend that forgiveness into pardon.  If the person who you have the authority to pardon is unrepentant then the pardon will just lead to more opportunity for that person to cause the same type of trouble again.

I am really enjoying the Netflix series “The Crown” mainly because of its historical accuracy and attention to detail.  In Series 2 episode 6, the Queen is strongly impressed by Billy Graham who is holding a crusade in the UK at the time.  She invites him to the palace on two occasions.  Interwoven with these visits is an attempt by her uncle (formerly Edward VIII who abdicated before the war to marry a divorcee) to return to the UK.  Through powerful contacts he manages to convince the government to offer him some high profile ambassadorial roles.  Only the Queen is between him and a happy homecoming.  She has to decide whether to give him a royal pardon and let him in the country or to refuse and to leave him in exile.

The trouble is her uncle is unrepentant.  He is still as treasonous in his heart as he has ever been.

The Queen is confused between forgiveness and pardon.  The Netflix portrayal makes it clear that she hasn’t distinguished between the two.  She asks Billy Graham should she forgive her uncle, to which Billy rightly responds that she should.  In the end she tells her uncle that she can never forgive him – but when she said that she used the wrong word.  To protect her family and her country she could never pardon him.  In her heart she could and did forgive him but he was unrepentant.  She used the wrong word but made the right decision.  But she ended up confused.

We need to know the difference between forgiveness and pardon because all of us have either been a parent or a child.  Parents need to always be able to have an attitude of forgiveness towards their children but they would be foolish to pardon them and let them avoid the consequences of their wrongdoing – especially if they are unrepentant.  Children need to understand this distinction.

Discipleship Series, Eschatology, General Principles

The meaning of the word “Antichrist”

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The word antichrist has two parts to it. Anti means “in place of” and christ in this context means “anointing”.

John wrote to disciples of Jesus, those who are born again, and says about this anointing that you have no need for anyone to teach you since you have the anointing and know the truth (1 John 2:20,27).

The writer of the letter to the Hebrews quotes Jeremiah and says that no one will need to teach his neighbour to know the Lord for He shall write His laws on their hearts and on their minds (Jer. 31:33, Heb. 8:10; 10:16).

A primary feature of being a Christian according to the New Testament is that you don’t need an intermediary between you and God, there is only One and He is in you.

Don’t let any man, no matter how exalted, take the place of God in your life.

My Book

Into the Third Heaven

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2037 – 3036 AD

Entering the upwelling was a remarkable experience even by an immortal’s high standard for such things.

The best way to enter was with others and while singing.  Immortals from all ages knew various songs of ascents.  It was curious if you thought about it.  Timothy, who had been mortal during the first century after Christ appeared on earth the first time was able to sing in harmony with Brian who had sung in the 21st.  The styles were different but the combination was wonderful.

Sometimes people held hands, sometimes they just stepped forward together in unison.  The force of the water was such that no mortal could enter, they would have just been swept down the mountain, presuming they could have approached the place at all.

When Florence entered the most amazing thrill filled every atom of her body.  The space between the nucleus and the electron cloud of each atom resonated so that laser lights poured out through her.  Then there was the rush upwards, the deep intake of breath and suddenly out into the brilliant light.

And there she was with the others standing on the sea in the middle of heaven before the throne of God, still singing.

Everything had become heavenly, the music was intricate, multi-placed, harmonious and surprisingly loud.  Near the front were some huge drums (though that name didn’t do them justice) producing crashes of thunder and flashes of lightning.  The classical instruments of an earthly orchestra had their heavenly counterparts: flutes, trumpets, oboes, violins only these seemed to be living somehow.

The immortals standing on the sea were those who had been redeemed from the earth from every tribe, tongue and nation.  During this millennial phase they ruled with Jesus on the earth and were able to enter heaven and leave again through the sea.

Florence wasn’t keen on the leaving part.  She usually found some way of lingering there as long as possible.  The millennium could have come and gone if the Spirit didn’t tell her every so often that she was needed on earth during it.

Then there were the other creatures like the four living creatures beneath the throne.  They seemed to be of a different order altogether.  It was hard to relate to them and some of the other things going on in what seemed like the endless dimensions of heaven.  Florence thought she would have eternity to find out if she wanted to.

Though every time she looked up at Him on the throne she wondered why she would ever want to.

Discipleship Series, General Principles

God is my Refuge

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God is our refuge and strength,
    an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, ..  Psalm 46:1,2.

God is an impenetrable fortress in Whom we can rest without any fear of interference or disturbance.  The walls to this fortress are sheer, tall and unscalable.  The materials of this fortress cannot be destroyed by any weapon no matter how powerful.

There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord (Prov. 21:30).
He is our God, let us trust in Him.  He will make a way where there seems to be no way.

 

 

Discipleship Series, General Principles, Wisdom

The Secret Place (Psalm 91)

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“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust.”

3 Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler
And from the perilous pestilence.
4 He shall cover you with His feathers,
And under His wings you shall take refuge;
His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
5 You shall not be afraid ….” 

Psalm 91: 1-5 (NKJV)

The secret place is primarily a place of trust. We all have to face fear but it makes no sense to stay afraid when the God who made the universe is on your side.  That is, of course, if you know He is on your side.  So how do we know that?

The Scriptures say that God is for us not against us (Romans 8:31).    But this and other passages in the letters are written to disciples/ saints/ overcomers, those who have been born again and are walking in the light.

Before you can enter the secret place and dwell there you must have come to faith in Him.  Jesus says that we should fear Him (Matt. 10:28, Luke 12:5) and make peace with Him while we are on the way through this life (Matt. 5:25) before it is too late.  John points out that unless you are born from above you cannot be in His kingdom (John 3:8).  To be in God’s kingdom is to be under His protection.

It is only then that we can truly say that “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.”Fortress

A Christian in a relationship