Declare Your Independence From Sin!

“Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey--whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness...Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness... But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our LORD.” Romans 6:15-23

Declare your independence from sin! Many countries in the world celebrate an independence day, when their country became independent from a country that used to rule over them.

As Christians, we can celebrate a different kind of independence — freedom from sin. Before we accepted Christ, we were ruled by our sins. The Bible says we were “dead in our sins” -- but now we are alive in Christ. “Just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Sin is no longer master over you if you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. We have a new ruler who is Jesus Christ — the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Jesus Christ is greater than all the rulers of this earth, and He is greater than your sin and my sin. Sin is to choose to disobey the law of God and to do what is wrong. You no longer need to be the slave to sin; God give you victory in Jesus Christ.

So declare and proclaim that sin no longer is master over you. If you are tempted to sin, ask God to help you turn away from that temptation by the power of God’s Holy Spirit. Greater is Christ who is in you than all the powers of this world. You and I have victory in Jesus Christ.

So, this week, let us pray that God will

• Help you resist temptation to sin
• Protect and care for our staff and volunteers at Global Media Outreach
• Cause people from every nation on earth to declare their independence from the reign of sin and to submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ

THANK YOU so much for your prayers. God loves you so very, very much. He knows every hair on your head and He has loved you from the beginning of time.

May God bless you.

Am I So Important?

Have you noticed lately how the word "I" is paramount in many people's conversation? The main focus is what I want, what I feel, what I need and so on.

In his inauguration speech, U.S. President John F. Kennedy said, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but ask, what can you do for your country..."

People seem to have forgotten how to put others before themselves. This happens at work, home, school and even church.

Could we learn to say, "I'll ask not what can you do for me, but will ask, What can I do for you?" Can we learn to put "I" second or third instead of first?

Jesus didn’t focus on Himself. His concerns were for the people around Him and what He could do for them. Can we do the same?

Jesus is Lord

“On His robe and on His thigh He (Jesus) has this name written, King of Kings and Lord of Lords.” Revelation 19:16

Jesus is Lord. The Bible says Jesus Christ is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

What does this mean? To be the Lord is to be master; King; to be the one with ultimate authority; to be the one in charge. When Jesus Christ came to this earth 2,000 years ago, He came as a humble carpenter. He lived His life in Israel and for a brief time in Egypt. He was not rich in earthly goods. He was crucified on a cross along with common criminals.

But when Jesus Christ comes back to this earth in the future, He will come riding on a white horse from the clouds of heaven. He is the one and only Son of God who has been seated at the right hand of God His Father. Every knee will bow to Him, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Everyone on earth will know that Jesus Christ is Lord. All glory and power and honor will be given to Him.

So the choice is ours today. Will we ask Jesus Christ to be our Savior today? Will we bow before Him as Lord? Will we ask Him to rule our lives? Will we submit our wills, our selfishness, our stubbornness to Him? Or will we, someday in the future, wish that we had asked Him to be our Savior and Lord when we still had time? So, this day, let us truly submit to Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.

Let us pray to God that

• Each of us will truly acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord in our lives
• The whole earth will come to know Christ as Savior and Lord
• God will protect our staff at Global Media Outreach and provide for us and give us wisdom to reach even more people for Christ

THANK YOU so much for your prayers.

May God bless you.

The Same Kind of People Live Here!

One day an old man was rocking on his porch when a moving van drove up. The driver asked, "What kind of people live in this town?"

"Well," the old man replied, "What kind of people live where you came from?" The driver responded, "They were the meanest, most unfriendly people you've ever heard of!" The old man sighed, "Drive on, because the same kind of people live here."

The next day another moving van drove by and the driver asked the same question, "What kind of people live in this town?" "Well," the old man asked, "What kind of people live where you came from?" The driver responded, "They were the kindest, friendliest people you've ever seen!" The old man smiled, "You'll love it here, because the same kind of people live here too!"

This old story illustrates that people tend to create their own environment. If they expect to be treated unkindly, they act unkind and bring it upon themselves. Philippians 2:3 counsels, "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself." This isn't talking about going around with an inferiority complex. Verses 4-7 show that with Jesus Christ in us, we can look out for the interests of others and serve them with outgoing love. We'll be making our town a kinder, friendlier place!

Wait on the Lord

We don’t have to face our difficulties alone.

It is inevitable that we will face difficulty and weariness in this life. Regardless of our circumstances, there is someone to call on who cares for us; someone more powerful than any difficulty before us. The Creator God encourages us by saying, “But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31). There is nothing God cannot help us with.

God promises to help us work through our problems. That does not mean we won’t have challenges. We will. And God will be right there carefully leading, guiding and intervening in ways not always evident to us. But be assured He is there. He promises, “Wait on the LORD, and keep His way, and He shall exalt you” (Psalm 37:34).

Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation

“Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’” Matthew 28:16 20

Jesus said, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” Jesus said Go!

What does this mean? It means we are to move out of our comfort zone — we are to take action — we are to speak the truth in love. It means we are to tell other people about the wonderful news that Jesus Christ came to save them!

God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him would not perish, but would have everlasting life. The problem is that all of us have sinned; we need someone to tell us the good news that Christ died for our sins.

You and I have the awesome privilege of being God’s ambassadors to tell the world about Jesus Christ. You can start by praying for someone and you can ask God for His wisdom as to how to proceed. But when Jesus said “Go” He meant that we shouldn’t just wait for the world to come to us — we should go and tell people about Jesus Christ.

So, this week, let us pray that God will

• Help us to be bold and tell at least one person about Jesus Christ
• Help us at Global Media Outreach reach even more people for Jesus Christ by providing additional funding
• Protect and watch over our volunteers and staff at Global Media Outreach

THANK YOU so much for your prayers.

May God bless you.

Is Marriage Good for Your Health?

Marriage, scientific studies find, may in fact be good for your health.

That's right. The scientific community has, once again, succeeded in spending countless hours conducting detailed research only to discover truths that have been readily available for millennia in the Word of God.

A recent New York Times article, "Is Marriage Good for Your Health?" compiles the findings of several studies, old and new, concerning the effects that married couples have on each other. As far back as 1858, epidemiologist William Farr found evidence that caused him to remark, "Marriage is a healthy estate... The single individual is more likely to be wrecked on his voyage than the lives joined together in matrimony."

This sounds like what King Solomon wrote almost 3,000 years ago: "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up" (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10).

The New York Times article also refers to recent studies whose results will sound strikingly familiar to students of the Bible. One researcher notes, "If you learn how to manage disagreement early...then you can avoid the decline in marital happiness that follows from the drip, drip of negative interactions." Her advice evokes the biblical comparison of family contentions to "a continual dripping" (Proverbs 19:13).

Another study shows that "married people are less likely to get pneumonia, have surgery, develop cancer or have heart attacks," while yet another finds that "a stressful marriage can be as bad for the heart as a regular smoking habit." Shocking? Not to the writer of Proverbs 12:4, who said, "A wife of noble character is her husband's crown, but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones" (New International Version).

More interesting still are the studies that suggest that the health advantages afforded by marriage almost completely disappear with a divorce or remarriage. "In formerly married individuals, it was as if the marriage advantage had never existed," while "people in second marriages still had 12 percent more chronic health problems and 19 percent more mobility problems" than those still in their first marriage. Jesus Christ was serious when He gave the command, "Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate" (Mark 10:9). Such an action appears to incur natural penalties on those involved as well.

Even the findings about the effects of arguments on married couples mesh with Scripture. One study compared the heart-disease risk in couples to recordings of their arguments, only to find a curious correlation. The men and women with the highest risk of heart disease were not those who had the worst arguments, but those who failed to follow sound biblical commands.

Wives were most at risk if their husbands failed to show any signs of warmth in the midst of an argument, while husbands were most at risk if their wives gave even the appearance of trying to wrest control. In other words, the truly damaging arguments were the ones where the apostle Paul's commands—"husbands, love your wives" (Ephesians 5:25) and "wives, submit to your own husbands" (Ephesians 5:22)—were ignored. Apparently these verses are keys to having not only a successful marriage but also a healthy one.

The New York Times article observes, "With so much evidence establishing a link between marital stress and health, a new generation of research is set to explore the ways in which couples can mitigate the damaging effects of relationship stress."

And the researchers will take up that challenge. They'll spend hours and weeks and months quantifying, recording, observing. And some day they'll have all their results prepared in a nice little report detailing the best ways to avoid relationship stress.

You could wait, if you want, for that to happen. But you don't have to. The answers are already available in the same place they've been for thousands of years—the Bible. God's Word is filled with the practical wisdom we need to have fulfilling relationships with everyone from coworkers to our spouse.

Sure, humanity will eventually be able to figure a lot of things out by trial and error, but why go about things the hard way? If these studies have shown anything, it's that God knows what He's talking about. We can take advantage of the wisdom that leads to a successful marriage now and save ourselves a lot of heartache in the process. What are we waiting for?

O Be Careful Little Eyes

The old children’s hymn, “O Be Careful Little Eyes,” admonishes children about what they look at. Are there things that we adults should be careful of seeing? The truth is, our daily lives expose us to many things we should avoid looking at. Perhaps one of the most obvious is the blight of pornography. But, when we carefully evaluate their content, there are a whole host of magazines, television programs and movies we should also avoid viewing.

What we view on a regular basis affects our thinking and our emotions. Unchecked it can lead to sin. We live in a world filled with spiritual darkness. Jesus Christ tells us, “The lamp of the body is the eye… Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness” (Luke 11:34-35). Keep light in your mind by viewing those things that are true, noble, just, pure and lovely and avoid the darkness.

What does the phrase "the testimony of Jesus" mean in Revelation?

What do "the testimony of Jesus" and the "spirit of prophecy" refer to in Revelation 19:10?

The phrase "the testimony of Jesus" is mentioned four times in the book of Revelation; the context in which it is used makes the meaning plain. In Revelation 1:2, it refers back to the first verse, which says that God gave Jesus Christ this special message; and Christ in turn sent it to John by an angel. In other words, what we now have as the book of Revelation is "the testimony of Jesus." The ninth verse of the first chapter uses the phrase in the same way.

Revelation 12:17 says that the true Church has this testimony and keeps the commandments of God, meaning the same as Christ said in John 15:14, "You are My friends if you do whatever I command you." The Church of God lives by Christ's instructions. The commandments of God and Christ's instructions are one and the same.

The last reference is in Revelation 19:10, where the angel quickly restrains John from worshipping him. Instead, the angel said, "Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."

Some attempt to draw a different doctrine from this one verse. But if we allow the Bible to interpret itself, we see that the testimony of Jesus is the words of Christ in general and the revelation of this book in particular. "Prophecy" can mean foretelling the future or it can mean inspired preaching. Both meanings fit here. In other words, the angel was saying: "Don't worship me! You should only worship God! And your focus should be on preaching the word Jesus told me to give to you."

Seeking Perfection

Jesus Christ tells His followers to become perfect (Matthew 5:48). So how do we accomplish that seemingly impossible task? God does not expect us to figure out perfection on our own or to come to our own conclusions about it. God is very specific and has given us His perfect instructions.

Where do we find those perfect instructions? James tells us, “…he who looks into the perfect law of liberty…will be blessed in what he does” (James 1:25). God’s law is the perfect way for humans to live. We need to study the Bible to know exactly what His laws and instructions are. And why would we not want to follow those as carefully as we possibly could?

Spare Time

You have the choice how you use your "spare time." Do you know what God wants you to do? Will you use it to grow in godliness?

A U.S. citizen born in the year 1900 could have expected to live to the ripe old age of 49. If you were born in 1930 you should have lived about 59 years. Those of you born in 1945 originally had the grim prospect of death at any moment this year! Yet life expectancy increased more and more so that babies born recently can look forward to living 80 years.

Not so for the average "world citizen". Believe it or not, in several countries, even today the average life expectancy is barely over 40 years! But most likely not for you—you can expect many, many more.

Now what have you done to earn these additional years? Most likely, nothing. You probably didn't invent any new technology for greater crop yields or discover new surgical techniques, or formulate life saving medicines, or design an accident free car.

This is what happened: God has given you "spare time." Compared to your ancestors you have been granted decades of bonus living.

What will you do with these extra years? What should you do? Be sure to give the added time back to God. Ephesians 5 reminds you to "be careful how you live. Don't live like [a fool], but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don't act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do" (Eph 5:15-17 NLT).

You have the choice how you use your "spare time." Do you know what God wants you to do? Will you use it to grow in godliness? "[You] should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. By doing this [you] will be storing up [your] treasure as a good foundation for the future so that [you] may experience true (eternal) life" (1 Timothy 6:18-19 NLT).

God may be working with you. He has blessed you with the time so many others never had. Time to do great things—time to do godly things. So be sure you are putting it to good use. Honor God in all of your "spare time".

Jesus Christ is our Savior

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

Jesus Christ is our Savior. What does this mean? All of us — you and me, everyone on earth — has done and thought things that are wrong. These are called sins, and you and I unfortunately have sinned many, many times in our lives.

The Bible says the wages of sin is death — eternal separation from God and all that is good. We deserve punishment because we have sinned against God; we deserve the punishment of hell. All our own best efforts to be perfect will not make us perfect. We need someone to save us from our sins — to free us from the penalty we deserve.

Just as if you owed someone a million dollars and could not pay it, and someone came along and paid your debt, so Jesus Christ came to earth to pay the debt for our sins. We deserved punishment; Jesus Christ, the unique Son of God, came and died on the cross in our place. He took the eternal punishment that you and I deserve.

Just like any gift, you and I must receive this gift for it to be ours. If someone gave you a present and you refused to take it, then it would not be yours. In the same way, we must receive the free gift of salvation that Jesus Christ has given to us. “The gift of God is eternal life.” If you have received Christ, then God’s gift of eternal life and freedom from sin is yours.

So, this week, let us pray and

• Thank God for the free gift of salvation in Jesus Christ
• Ask God to help Global Media Outreach reach even more people for Jesus Christ
• Ask God to reach someone you love with the good news that Jesus Christ died for them

THANK YOU so much for your prayers. God has promised to hear and answer believing prayer from His children. You can help change the world for Jesus Christ — and touch those you love with the power of God — through prayer.

May God bless you.

Your friends at Global Media Outreach

Adjust Your Sails

A friend has a beautiful refrigerator magnet that states: “I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails.” This saying is an excellent reminder for her, and it can be for us too. Often we have no control over what comes our way in life, but we can adjust our choices, our attitudes and how we handle everything from gentle breezes to the gusts and storms of life.

We should daily adjust our sails in life toward God and living the principles in the Bible (Matthew 4:4). If we do that, we will arrive at the destination God wants for each of us. Happy sailing!

Who were the "sons of God" who married "the daughters of men" and had children who were giants in Genesis 6:2-4?

Are these "sons of God" angels, as some have concluded? Can angels reproduce?

Scholars debate and disagree over the meaning of the obscure reference to "the sons of God" in Genesis 6:1-4. Some people read into these verses the idea that it refers to angelic beings marrying women and producing a race of giants. Christ explained that is impossible, teaching that angels are neither male nor female (Luke 20:34-36)—that is, they are incapable of reproduction.

Humans are clearly the subject in Genesis 6—not angels. God said, "My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh" (verse 3, emphasis added throughout) and, "I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth" (verse 7). If angels were capable of reproducing as mankind does, their offspring would be spirit, according to the principle of "according to its kind" portrayed in Genesis 1.

The Bible labels the offspring of these marriages "giants" (Genesis 6:4), meaning simply people of giant stature. Similar people are spoken of in later times, most notably Goliath and his family.

How, then, can we understand Genesis 6:1-4? Human beings are also sons of God. We're not referring to becoming spiritual sons of God through conversion, but to the fact that all people are sons of God by creation (Luke 3:38). The attitudes and actions of these "sons of God" were so wrong that they provoked God to send the Flood.

Halley's Bible Handbook raises the possibility that these sons of God were the descendants of Seth. Seth, the Bible records, was made in the image of Adam, who was made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26; 5:1-3). Speaking of Seth's descendants, Genesis 4:26 adds, "Then men began to call on the name of the Lord," a phrase that could also be rendered, "called after the name of the Lord"—that is, the "sons of God." If so, the women, "the daughters of men" whom these "sons of God" married were the descendants of unrighteous Cain. By marrying these women, the sons of righteous Seth turned from God, leading Him to say that the entire world was then corrupt (Genesis 6:5-7, 12).

An alternative explanation is that "sons of God" in Genesis 6:2 refers to self-willed men who called themselves "sons of god," not in worship of the Creator, but of pagan deities. Their marriages were in defiance of the Creator God, as they lived contrary to His will. In light of God's characterization of society riddled with violence (verses 11 and 13), we surmise that the men forcibly took the women as wives.

Regardless of which explanation is accurate, the idea that a half-spirit, half-human race resulted from angels marrying women is impossible, according to the Bible.

A Hole in the Shape of a Father

Research shows that children with good, loving fathers do better overall in academics and careers, are more socially and emotionally adjusted, and are less likely to be involved in criminal activities. One of the most important things fathers can provide their children is validation, a feeling of worth and of being cared about. The lack of that validation can bestow, as one man wrote, “a hole in my soul in the shape of my dad with unhealed wounds from years of feeling neglected and less than worthy.”

The good news is that all of us have a spiritual Father who loves us and wants the best for us (John 3:16). Make it a point to get to know your spiritual Father better.

Now's the Time

You've heard the old saying that time flies. Ancient civilizations used incense, water, sand and even candles to measure the passage of time.

Before the clock had a face and hands, a bell would ring out important times. In fact, the word clock is based on the Celtic term for bell.

You may know that Big Ben in London is the world's largest four-faced chiming clock. What you may not have known is that the nickname refers to the bell and not the clock tower itself!

Times have changed and now few of us look to a watch for the time. Most of us now use our cell phone to keep time.

Did you know that God has much to say about time and how we use it?

In Matthew 16:3 Jesus said: "You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times." It's a reminder to us to utilize the opportunities that we have and make the most spiritual use out of them.

There's a stark reminder in Romans 13:11 "And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed."

Time does seem to fly and it continues winding toward the ultimate conclusion of this evil world. Yet, God wants to spend an eternity of time with us so he reminds us of the kind of people He wants us to be: "Act like people with good sense and not like fools. These are evil times, so make every minute count. Don't be stupid. Instead, find out what the Lord wants you to do." (Ephesians 5:15-17 (CEV)

Take advantage of the time that God's given you. Get to know Him and His ways—because now's the time.

Why do some churches baptize for the dead?

Does Paul's statement in 1 Corinthians 15:29 suggest people should be baptized for the dead? What does the rest of the Bible say about this belief?

First let's look at what 1 Corinthians 15:29 says: "Otherwise, what will they do who are baptized for the dead, if the dead do not rise at all? Why then are they baptized for the dead?"

The meaning is not clear from this verse itself, nor is there any similar reference in the rest of the New Testament. Some people interpret this to mean that members of the Corinthian church underwent baptism for dead people who were never converted. At least one large modern denomination follows this practice, believing that baptism on behalf of unconverted people somehow helps prepare them for a future resurrection. But the Bible says nothing about such "preparation" for resurrection. A dead person doesn't need baptism by proxy in order for God to resurrect him. That's not the purpose of baptism at all.

The context of Paul's words shows his purpose to be substantiating and verifying the doctrine of the resurrection. His meaning seems to be, "Why seek baptism (for yourself) if there is no hope of your resurrection to follow?" That is, one of the reasons Christians seek baptism is for the hope of the dead—which is the resurrection. Through baptism, they have the hope that God will one day bring them back to life—to eternal life in His Kingdom.

This explanation is consistent with the rest of the Scriptures. In Romans 6 the apostle Paul likened baptism to burial after death. Baptism is the symbolic burial of the old self, performed after a person becomes aware of and "dies" to his sin (Romans 6:1-6).

An additional truth that invalidates the idea of baptism for someone else is the fact that no one can repent for anyone else. Consequently, baptism on behalf of another person—whether the person is alive or dead—could have no bearing whatsoever on that other person's spiritual standing. Nowhere does the Bible suggest that the Church should or could baptize one person on behalf of anyone else, living or dead.

Does 1 Corinthians 11 require women to wear head coverings to church?

What does the Bible teach about our personal appearance?

Some have wondered if the head covering the apostle Paul wrote about in 1 Corinthians 11:5-6 and 13 refers to women wearing hats to church. But the context clarifies that Paul was primarily referring to how women of the day wore their hair. In verse 6, shorn or shaved hair is contrasted with a woman being "covered." Verse 15 makes clear that the subject is hair: "But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her; for her hair is given to her for a covering."

In respect to the broader question of personal grooming, the United Church of God encourages its members to groom themselves in socially acceptable ways. The men should appear masculine, and women should appear feminine.

Perhaps the clearest statements in the Bible on a Christian woman's personal grooming are found in 1 Peter 3:3-4 and 1 Timothy 2:9-10. Both references counsel women to concentrate upon the "grooming" of their inner character in a way that is pleasing to God, as opposed to placing undue emphasis on their outward appearance.

Personal grooming can and often does reflect one's attitude. People, men and women alike, who want to "make a statement" of rebellion through their grooming or to call attention to themselves, stand out in a crowd.

Grooming that makes a woman stand out as odd or different from culturally accepted norms of good taste detracts from a godly emphasis on her inner character.

Did Jesus Christ have brothers or sisters?

What does the Bible say about Mary being a perpetual virgin? How many siblings did Christ have?

Yes, the Bible says Jesus Christ had brothers and sisters. When the Jews of Jesus' hometown heard Him speak, they were indignant. Matthew records their contempt for Him, born of familiarity: "Is this not the carpenter's son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?" (Matthew 13:55-56).

Jesus' neighbors knew His family intimately. From their comments, we know that Mary had four other sons and at least two daughters (because the Bible says "sisters" instead of "sister," we know there were at least two). This also shows that Mary was not a "perpetual virgin."

Does Isaiah 45:7 imply that God creates evil?

Where does evil come from? Why does God allow evil and tragedy in the world?

Isaiah 45:7 in the King James Version says, "I make peace, and create evil." One of the fundamental rules about understanding the Bible accurately is to read a difficult-to-understand verse in its immediate context, as well as in the broader context of the rest of the Scripture. Another rule is to consider other possible translations of the verse.

Many Hebrew words have a broad range of meanings. While the Hebrew word translated "evil" in the King James Version usually refers to unethical or immoral activity, it can also mean times of distress (Amos 6:3) and is sometimes contrasted with shalom (peace). The New International Version renders the passage, "I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster." Similarly, the New Living Translation offers, "I am the one who creates the light and makes the darkness. I am the one who sends good times and bad times." Tanakh, The Holy Scriptures: The New JPS Translation According to the Traditional Hebrew Text confirms this understanding with, "I form light and create darkness, I make weal and create woe—I the Lord do all these things."

Barnes' Notes, a Bible commentary, has this helpful additional comment: "The parallelism here shows that this is not to be understood in the sense of all evil, but of that which is the opposite of peace and prosperity. That is, God directs judgments, disappointments, trials, and calamities; he has power to suffer the mad passions of people to rage, and to afflict nations with war; he presides over adverse as well as prosperous events. The passage does not prove that God is the author of moral evil, or sin, and such a sentiment is abhorrent to the general strain of the Bible, and to all just views of the character of a holy God" (notes on Isaiah 45:7).

Although God allows moral evil and sin, He does not create this kind of evil. The rest of the Bible is replete with evidence of His goodness and His marvelous plans for mankind. James 1:17 assures us that "every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows" (NIV).

Satan is responsible for much of the evil of this present world. And unfortunately, people have brought many evil things on themselves by their own actions.

What did Jesus Christ mean, "Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul"?

Who is able to destroy both soul and body? What does Matthew 10:28 teach about our soul?

Matthew 10:28 says, "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."

The word "soul" in this context implies "the capacity to live." That is, another human being may be able to take away our life, but we still have the capacity to live again. God can always bring us back to life in the resurrection. So, though we naturally fear people who can cause our physical death, Jesus was giving us the true, eternal perspective. We should not fear man, but God.

Why? God has the authority to deny bringing us back to life—destroying the capacity to live ever again. "Hell" in this verse refers to the gehenna garbage heap fire burning in the valley outside of Jerusalem. It's symbolic of what the Bible calls "the lake of fire." If we die "the second death" in the lake of fire, there remains no hope of a resurrection (Revelation 21:8).

If we fear—reverence and obey—God, we don't need to fear men.

Love your neighbor as yourself

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, that you love one another." John 13:34, 35

"Love your neighbor as yourself." When Jesus Christ was asked what were the greatest commandments in the Law, He said to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your strength and with all your mind and with all your soul, and love your neighbor as yourself. Last week we talked about the first of these, loving God.

To love your neighbor as yourself means to act and think toward your neighbor in such a way that brings about their highest good. The Bible says we are to "do unto others as you would have them do unto you." In other words, how would you like to be treated? Treat others that same way.

Would you like to be forgiven? Forgive others. Would you like to be treated with kindness and love? Treat others with kindness and love. Would you like to have others be patient with you? Be patient with them.

God's love is unconditional. He loves sinners (all of us have sinned) and He makes His sun to shine on the just and the unjust. So think of someone you can bless. Don't love only your family, or those who love you. Jesus taught us to love even our enemies, for then we would be children of our Father who is in heaven.

God loves us so much that He sent His one and only Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins. Let us ask God to give us His love for everyone around us.

So, this week, let us pray and ask God to

• Help us love someone in our lives who has caused us difficulty
• Give us a vision to reach the world for Jesus Christ
• Protect the staff and volunteers of Global Media Outreach in His great love

THANK YOU so much for your prayers.

May God bless you.

This is the Way: Because I Said So!

How many times as a child did we hear our mother say those dreaded words: "Because I said so"? Children are naturally curious, asking questions and expecting immediate answers. However, life does not always provide us with answers when we want them or the answers we may want to hear. We may not even have the level of understanding at that moment for an explanation.

3:5-6 says, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."

God, as our Heavenly Father, will also supply us with answers, though not always at the moment we ask. Through challenges, He teaches us to trust in Him, and He may later supply us with the answers we are seeking. When faced with a challenge, learn to trust in God for the answers.

Man-Made Rules

Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations—”Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” which all concern things which perish with the using—according to the commandments and doctrines of men? These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh. Colossians 2:20-23

In the concluding section of Colossians 2, Paul addresses the ever common mistake of trying to perfect one’s self and attain holiness by rigid self-denials—”do not touch, do not taste, do not handle.” Holiness and perfection never come about by exterior or man-made rules. As a matter of fact, man-made rules reinforce and strengthen the fallen nature. Rules imposed upon us by the human mind never bring release, but only add to our heavy burden. One reason for this is that the Holy Spirit is not obligated to help us keep self-imposed or man-imposed concepts and rules. Therefore, when we attempt to carry out statutes created by the fl esh, it is done without the aid of the Holy Spirit and we will utterly fail. Therefore, it is imperative to understand just what God requires of us and what He does not. All the numerous rituals and ordinances of the Old Testament were described by Peter as a yoke “which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear” (Acts 15:10). Later, under the Holy Spirit’s direction, the apostles determined to lay upon the Gentiles no greater burden than these four necessary things:

(1) to abstain from things polluted by idols,

(2) from sexual immorality,

(3) from things strangled, and

(4) from drinking blood (Acts 15:20, 28-29).

Concerning added traditions, dos and don’ts, and austere self-denials, Paul continues to say that neglecting the body does not make a person more spiritual (Col. 2:23). Denials and abstinence can appear to be a display of humility and piety. They may even seem to promote holiness, but in actuality, they don’t. Holiness comes as we walk in the Spirit. Exterior regulations in themselves never change the heart. Avoiding certain kinds of food or wearing legislated lengths of dresses or skirts do not change our nature. Holiness comes by union and communion with a holy God. Holiness is the result of walking daily with Him, obeying Him, submitting to those He places over us and maintaining a personal anointing in our lives. “Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfi ll the lust of the flesh” (Gal. 5:16).

Therefore, we should ask ourselves, “Are there any traditions, dos and dont’s, or rigid self-denials in my life (imposed upon me by man or by myself) that are hindering me from becoming holy?”

This is the Way: Facing Our Challenges

From time to time, do you find yourself overwhelmed, facing challenges in your life? Do you wake in the middle of the night, confused about the future and wishing that when you get out of bed in the morning, all your problems would be gone?

The apostle Paul encourages Christians in 2 Timothy 1:7: "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." In this verse, Paul shows us that we need not worry and fear because God has given those who have His Spirit the tools we need to face these moments. We can carry these words in our heart and our minds, knowing that God loves us and wants us to succeed.

Next time you find yourself overwhelmed, ponder on these comforting words, and know that through God’s guidance, you can face your most overwhelming challenges.

Superstition

The Nina was floundering in a storm. The panicked sailors began to pray for deliverance. They bargained with God that if they were saved one of the crew would make a pilgrimage to a shrine. They drew lots and Christopher Columbus was chosen.

The storm raged on and the praying became frantic. In a last ditch effort the men decided that if they made it to land all of them would walk shirtless to the first shrine they found.

Have you ever tried to bargain with God? Most of us have at one time or another.

Herein is an important difference between faith and superstition. Superstition is when we believe that if we say the right words, do the proper ritual, make a big enough sacrifice then God is required to do as we ask. Faith is the assurance that God has your best interest in His heart. Faith leads you to obedience because you trust God.

Next time you find yourself trying to play poker with God, ask yourself, "Do I trust Him, or am I being superstitious?"

The Lord Speaks to Us

1 Kings 19:11-13…….The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by."

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

Make no mistake about it, the Lord speaks to us. He speaks to us all the time not only on rare occasions and He wants us to hear what He has to say. The problem is, we do not always know how to hear Him.

The Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth, is so creative that He is not limited in the methods He uses to communicate. As in the case of Elijah above, a prophet who regularly heard from God. The Lord could have easily spoken through the phenomenal display of dramatic events that preceded what He had to say but, instead, He chose to speak in a gentle whisper.

Often we have a mindset about how God will speak to us and because of that we limit God to our mindset and we miss what He has to say. It is, therefore, important that we remove our mindset and prepare ourselves to hear God by any means that He chooses to use.

If you are born again and baptised in the Holy Spirit you can hear the Lord speak (although He may have begun to speak to you even before that). As Christian believers how can we pray effectively, or minister in any way, if we do not hear from God?

God loves you and He wants you to know it. He will speak into your heart and into your spirit through the 

Holy Spirit. It is not common to hear God speak in an audible voice.

Prayer is dialogue with God. The bible says that we should pray continually. This means that we should be in constant dialogue with God. In a dialogue one person speaks and the other listens, then the listener responds back to the speaker and so on. This is how the Lord wants us to live out our Christian lives; being led by the Holy Spirit in a continual dialogue with God.

If you just pause for a moment and listen; be still and listen. You will hear God speaking to you in the breath (Hebrew = ruach) of His Spirit. Can you hear that gentle whisper? What is He saying to you? Let the dialogue, a conversation between two lovers, begin…..

Lord Jesus, thank you for speaking to us, please help us to hear you. Amen

Why Did God Choose me?

Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love. Ephesians 1:4

God has chosen each one of us, knowing us and calling us by name, before the foundation of the world. When we consider this subject, we are bound to examine one of the most profound theological statements pertaining to life—that the Lord foreknew each of us.

Therefore, because He foreknew us before the foundation of the world, He planned the steps that He would take in His preparation for our life and eternity. This thought is developed by Paul in Romans 8:29-30: “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.”

God’s predestination is based upon His foreknowledge. These two theological words are inseparable. Because He knows all things, He plans everyone’s life accordingly. However, He gives each person an opportunity to receive salvation and eternal life. God does not predestinate anyone to hell. He bled and died on the cross for every soul. However, He knows who will embrace Him and who will reject Him.

So why did God choose us and what is the purpose of life?

(1) “That we should be holy.” Holiness means “being separate from the world.” Holiness involves a separation from worldliness, the works of the flesh and the devil.

(2) “Without blame.” The phrase means “without blemish” in the Greek. To be totally clean—where our mind, our will, our affections, our walk, our service—are washed through obeying His Word (Eph. 5:26).

(3) “Before Him in love” means that we have a love relationship with Him. We must never forget that the relationship between God (who is love) and His children is rooted and grounded in love. Just think of yourself as a parent. Would you be happy if your child is clean, has good manners, and is obedient to you, but he doesn’t love you? How would you feel? There would be no satisfaction or joy in your heart unless your child loves you. The thing that a parent wants more than anything else from his child is love. So it is with our Heavenly Father. What Hewants more than anything else is for us to love Him with all of our hearts.

True Worshippers

… the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD filled the house of God. 2 Chronicles 5:13-14

The temple was finished in the eleventh year of Solomon’s reign. It took seven years to build. “Seven” is the number of completion. Israel had by now reached a place of permanency and security in their secular and spiritual life, for they were dwelling in the inheritance that God had appointed. David fought all the wars. Solomon was the prince of peace. He entered into the inheritance that had been won through David’s victories.

At the consecration service of the temple, the ark of the covenant and all the holy vessels were brought into the house of God. The ark contained only the two tablets of stone, upon which were written the Ten Commandments. We have the same ark of the covenant and two tablets of stone, but they are placed in a different temple. In the new covenant, those laws are written upon the “fl eshly tablets” of our hearts (2 Cor. 3:3). And it is a work of the Holy Spirit as He raises up holy people who walk in the ways of God.

As Solomon consecrated the temple, the singers started to worship God. There are three interesting things to note: firstly, the singers were clothed in white linen (2 Chr. 5:12).

This is symbolic of the righteousness of God (Rev. 19:8). There are two types of righteousness:

(a) imputed righteousness—God declaring us as righteous; and

(b) actual righteousness—we actually become righteous in character and in heart. This is like a judge pardoning a criminal. He is counted innocent but inside his heart, he still needs to be changed. The true worshipers in the last days must be clothed thoroughly in righteousness.

Secondly, there were 120 singers (2 Chr. 5:12). This is symbolic of the “end of all flesh” (Gen. 6:3). Galatians 5:24 says, “And those who are Christ’s have crucified the fl esh with its passions and desires.” The fl esh is on the cross. God is looking for true worshipers who are crucified with Christ.

Thirdly, “the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD” (2 Chr. 5:13). They were not only united in heart, in spirit and in faith, they spoke and sang as one! The place of agreement is the place of power. Immediately the presence of God fi lled the whole house and all of them fell under the weight of that glory. Solomon’s temple is a picture of the type of church God wants to raise up in our time—one that is righteous, holy and walking in total unity.

Church Worship

Then David said, “No one may carry the ark of God but the Levites, for the LORD has chosen them to carry the ark of God and to minister before Him forever.” 1 Chronicles 15:2

Let us look at the way David established the tabernacle-which is a picture of the church. This is the way God desires for us to come into His presence in a church gathering.

(1) David prepared a place for the ark (1 Chr. 15:1). We need to be people who will prepare our hearts to worship. Jesus, the ark of God, now dwells in the midst of us (Matt. 18:20).

(2) David pitched a tent. David built a tabernacle, the house of the Lord. God’s presence is indeed everywhere but He chooses to make His glory and power known in His house-the church.

(3) The Levites shouldered the ark (1 Chr. 15:2). The shoulder in Scripture is symbolic of responsibility. All of us need to learn to bear the responsibility of shouldering the presence of God in our lives. Too often, we leave that to the “professional” pastors and preachers to do it on our behalf. In the new covenant, we are all Levites for we are called into a “royal priesthood” (1 Pet. 2:9). We need to know God for ourselves, and be involved in a personal revival. We need to learn how to live in the Spirit and know the abiding presence of God at all times.

(4) The people gathered together (1 Chr. 15:3). The place of agreement is the place of power. When church members come together in true unity, God commands His blessing among them (Ps. 133).

(5) They sanctified themselves (1 Chr. 15:12). God will not trust His glory and presence to those who live in sin. We are told to sanctify ourselves and not to wait for an “easy” blessing or cleansing from God. Without holiness, no one can see God.

(6) They worshiped God in proper order (15:13). In worship, there is a need for order. We need to obey God in our preparation and approach to His presence. Out of our obedience comes security and confidence in His presence.

(7) Singers and musicians were appointed (15:16). Skillful Levites were placed in their positions. Worship leading is a serious ministry and it is not meant for anyone who just wants to “have a go” at the musical instruments.

(8) David the king was willing to be a priest (15:27). David was already the king of Judah, and he was soon going to be crowned the king over all Israel. But in the presence of the Lord, he humbled himself and operated as a priest. You may be a very successful person in society or in the corporate world. But when you come into God’s presence, you must be willing to humble yourself, put down all your titles and achievements, and like David, humbly minister to the Lord.

Jesus Christ The Rock

Exodus 33:21-22……Then the LORD said, "There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by.

This amazing Old Testament scripture speaks so clearly of Jesus Christ. He is the Rock of our salvation. When we put our faith in Him, when we stand in His truth, His character and His lordship, we cannot be shaken.

This scripture, however, says a lot more than that. It was on the cross at Calvary that Jesus Christ was glorified….’wait a minute’ you may say, but it is true. In the midst of all the blood and anguish; in the drama of the fiercest spiritual battle ever, Jesus was glorified.

The cross was His place of coronation. Jesus was not only crowned King of the Jews, He was also crowned King of Kings. Some could only see what was happening in the natural realm but others, with the eyes of the Spirit, could perceive the revelation of what was happening in the spiritual realm and they beheld His glory (John 17:5…. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.)

Jesus was pierced for our transgressions; the Rock was cleft for us. Every Christian believer has their identity in Christ. We have been placed into Him, into His wounds that He bore on the cross for us. We have been sealed into Christ by God and our lives are now hidden with Christ.

Christ Jesus who has triumphed over sin and death is now seated at the right hand of God and we are with Him. We can stand firm in our position of freedom and victory. We can shine in and for His glory.

Thank you Jesus, we have been placed in the Rock of our salvation. Amen.

Abundance For Every Work

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8

This wonderful promise is found in the middle of two chapters where Paul spoke about finances and giving. Paul encouraged the Corinthians to increase in their giving. He prayed that they would sow richly so that they might harvest richly. He encouraged them to be cheerful givers.

The principle of sowing and reaping is found throughout the Bible (Gen. 8:22). It applies not only to farming but to every aspect of life. Paul says, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap” (Gal. 6:7). The Bible says when we give our finances, a seed is sown. Sometimes people argue that we should not give with the intent of receiving something in return; that we should not expect anything back. But Jesus said, “Give, it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you” (Luke 6:38).

We give out of love for God. We give in obedience to God. We never expect anything in return from people. But every farmer understands that when he sows into good soil, he will receive a harvest. Paul said that this applies to our giving as well. If we sow abundantly, we will reap abundantly. We can expect a harvest from God, and the Word of God challenges us to expect an abundant harvest because we have sown abundantly. “But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor. 9:6-7).

God’s purpose is that we, by being liberal givers, can enter into His abundant blessings and, in turn, can give generously to others. So with the sowing comes the reaping that enables us to be liberal, loving and committed givers for every good work. We are blessed to be a blessing to others!

Godly Sorrow

For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. 2 Corinthians 7:10

A graphic example of the contrast between worldly sorrow and godly sorrow is found in the lives of Judas Iscariot and Simon Peter. Somehow Judas allowed Satan to deceive him into betraying Jesus for 30 pieces of silver (Luke 22:3-5). When Judas realized what he had done, he was so remorseful that he hung himself. Was his suicide the result of Satan’s accusation or of God’s conviction? It had to be Satan’s accusation because it drove Judas to kill himself. Accusation leads to death; conviction leads to repentance and life.

When Peter denied Jesus, the remorse he felt was every bit as painful as that which Judas experienced. But Peter’s sorrow was from conviction which led to his eventual repentance and restoration to Christ (John 21:15-17).

“Worldly sorrow” is a feeling of remorse that you experience because you are caught doing something wrong. It does not produce the fruit of repentance. Instead it gives you the feeling of condemnation, fear and hopelessness. “Godly sorrow,” however, acknowledges that your relationship with God has been damaged by your actions. “Godly sorrow” says, “Against You, You only, have I sinned” (Ps. 51:4). “Godly sorrow” will move you to take positive actions to deal with the sin and evil.

When your feelings of remorse drive you away from God, you are being accused by Satan. Resist it. But when your sorrow draws you closer to God to confess your sins, you are being convicted by the Holy Spirit. Yield to God through repentance. Let’s also understand what true repentance is. Repentance is an inner change of mind resulting in an outward turning back, or turning around, to face and move in a completely new direction. There are several things that fl ow out of true repentance:

(1) Conviction. There are 3 things that lead to conviction: our conscience (Rom. 2:14-15), the Word of God (Titus 1:9) and the Holy Spirit (John 16:8).

(2) Contrition. This means there will be a deep godly sorrow and humiliation of heart because of sin. If there is no true contrition, a man will return to the old sin.

(3) Confession of sin. Someone once said, “Holding on to unconfessed sins in the soul is like keeping a bullet in the body.”

(4) Conversion. This results in a turning away from sin and a turning to God.

(5) Confession of Jesus Christ. Being bold to make a public confession of your faith in Jesus Christ.

The True Grace Of God

We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2 Corinthians 6:1

Apostle Paul encourages us as workers of God’s kingdom never to take the grace of God in vain. Why? Because there is often a tendency toward “grace abuse.” A third century bishop was shocked to see devout would-be martyrs of the Christian faith devote their last nights in prison to drunkenness, revelry and promiscuity. Since dying a martyr’s death would make them perfect, they reasoned, what would it matter if they spent their last hours sinning? Twentieth century theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer coined the term “cheap grace” as a way of summarizing grace abuse. Living in Nazi Germany, he was appalled by the cowardly way in which Christians were responding to Hitler’s threat. Lutheran pastors preached grace from the pulpit on Sundays, then kept quiet the rest of the week as the Nazis pursued their policies of racism, euthanasia and finally genocide. Bonhoeffer’s book, The Cost of Discipleship, highlights the many New Testament passages commanding Christians to attain holiness. Every call to conversion, he insists, includes a call to discipleship, to Christlikeness. God’s grace can be “abused” when we do not understand what it is and its purpose in our lives. So let’s understand what is true grace:

(1) Grace empowers you to live in God’s righteousness. It is God’s grace that enables us to live in His righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ. The Bible says we are saved by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8). Romans 5:17 adds, “For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.”

(2) Grace empowers you to work hard. Paul says, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me” (1 Cor. 15:10).

(3) Grace empowers you to serve God (1 Pet. 4:10). The grace of God doesn’t make you passive, complacent, lazy or apathetic. On the contrary, grace teaches you to do what is right and bear the fruit of it. True grace is the power of God that enables you to live a life that fulfi lls God’s purpose.

Spiritual Hunger

And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” So God granted him what he requested. 1 Chronicles 4:10

Today, I want to look with you at a man by the name of Jabez. The Bible never describes Jabez as a man with special abilities or talents. He was just an ordinary man with an extraordinary testimony! Like Jabez, we may be ordinary individuals, but we can achieve great things for the Lord!

Jabez was a man who stood out. He wasn’t sitting and waiting for some miracle to fall from the sky. There was something different about him, he pressed in to God and broke through! Interestingly, the first eight chapters of 1 Chronicles are all genealogies. There are over 600 names mentioned, but right in the middle of it, God singles out one man for special recognition-Jabez. “Jabez was more honorable than his brothers” (1 Chr. 4:9). Why was he more honorable? Because of his unusual spiritual hunger.

Spiritual hunger brings three things to a person’s life:

(1) Spiritual hunger births fresh vision. Jabez prayed to God to enlarge his territory! His hunger birth a great vision (4:10). He wasn’t going to live a mediocre life; he wanted to expand and grow! While Jabez’s friends and brothers were satisfied with being average, he wanted the Lord to do something significant in his life.

(2) Spiritual hunger produces faith in God. Evidently, Jabez had some kind of disability as his name in Hebrew means “painful.” He must have caused his mother so much pain when he was born that his mother labeled him as such. Jabez probably had to struggle with being unwanted and unloved. He must have suffered rejection as a child and that would probably have been a big handicap in his life. But Jabez’s faith was stronger than his handicap. So instead of being a cause of pain to others, he rose up and laid hold of God in faith to become a great man of God.

(3) Spiritual hunger brings God’s blessings. Jabez was honored by God because heprayed! He prayed for God’s presence in his life (4:10). He knew that apart from God, he could do nothing. Jabez also prayed for God’s protection in his life. Jabez knew that without God’s protection, he could lose everything overnight. But with God’s presence and protection, he didn’t need to fear anything.

What made Jabez stand out from the crowd? He had something that the rest did not have … spiritual hunger. He did not want to live an ordinary life like the rest of the people. He wanted more from God.

Eternal Life

Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. 2 Corinthians 4:16

The total personality of man is made from two absolute distinct and separate sources (Gen. 2:7): the material and the immaterial part of man. The outward man is the physical body, and the inward man is the soul and spirit which includes the ability to think, to feel, to choose and to relate to God.

When God created Adam, he was totally alive-physically and spiritually. But because of Adam’s sin and subsequent spiritual death, every person who comes into the world is born physically alive but spiritually dead. Being separated from God, we lacked the presence and wisdom of God in our lives. We learned to live independently of God, centering our interests on ourselves. This lifestyle of living independently of God is the characteristic of the flesh or the old nature.

When we are born again, our inward man is made alive by the Holy Spirit. Jesus declares that whoever believes in Him has everlasting life (John 5:24-26). In the Bible, everlasting life does not mean just merely existing on and on. Everlasting or eternal life is zoe. It is a supernatural life-it is the quality of life that God has in Himself! We don’t have to wait until we die to get eternal life; we receive this zoe-life of God at the moment of conversion!

In the Old Testament, there are instances when certain individuals experience zoe. Moses was 120 years old and yet his eyesight was not weakened, and his strength was not reduced (Deut. 34:7). Caleb was 85 years old and yet he declared that he was as strong as when he was 40 (Josh. 14:10-11). Elijah was able to go without food for 40 days and nights (1 Kin. 19:8). Jesus was able to minister to the woman from Samaria despite not resting and eating after traveling a very long distance (John 4).

The people in the world try to fi nd extra boosts to cope with life’s pressure. They use drugs, cigarettes, coffee, vitamins, valium, etc. But when our inner man is born again, we can have the zoe-life of God! Though our outward man is perishing, if we are continually guided by the Lord, His zoe-life will overfl ow within us, renewing us day by day.

The Day Of The Lord

“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.” Malachi 4:5

Today you will read the last of the 929 chapters, 23,214 verses in the Old Testament. Congratulations! You’ve reached a significant milestone in your Christian walk … you’ve read through the entire Bible!

Malachi the prophet and Nehemiah the builder were contemporaries, and the problems Nehemiah faced became the basis for the sermons Malachi preached. Years after the restoration from exile, the spiritual condition of God’s people had deteriorated. Again they lapsed into the same sins that brought about their captivity and exile to Babylon. They tithed sporadically, ignored the Sabbath, and intermarried with unbelievers. Their hearts had grown hard and their love for God had grown cold.

Malachi came to remind the people of God’s love for them. Using a question-andanswer approach, Malachi probed deeply into their problems of hypocrisy, infidelity, divorce, false worship and arrogance. For 400 years after Malachi’s ringing condemnations, God was silent. Malachi’s final warning was about the Day of the Lord (Mal. 4:5). The Day of the Lord is a common theme of the prophets. That day signifies the final judgment of God on the earth and the eventual time of blessing and peace. It’s not a literal 24-hour day, but a culmination of God’s plan—including the return of Christ, the final judgments, and the end of history as we know it.

Both aspects—judgment and salvation, punishment and peace—are contained in the Day of the Lord. The Bible says that those who desire the Lord’s coming must know that He requires clean hands and a pure heart (Ps. 24:3-4). The Day of the Lord may be frightening to some, but for the believer who loves God, it’s a day of great rejoicing.

In 2 Timothy 4:8, Paul says, “Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.” As Christians, we should be longing for the Day of the Lord to come. Jesus says, “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work” (Rev. 22:12). Are you ready for the Day of the Lord? Jesus may not return tomorrow, but we should live our lives as if He is. We must seize every moment of our lives and make it count for the Lord.

As Malachi brings down the curtain on Old Testament prophecy, God’s silence is broken in the New Testament with John the Baptist declaring, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 3:2)! On this last day of the year, search your heart before the Lord to see if there are any areas that you need to repent from. Rededicate your life to Jesus, so that He may continue to use you greatly in the days to come!

The Latest (Adventist News) 7.5.10

Latest news stories about Adventists across the South Pacific and around the world. Download the clip and play it at church from infocus.org.au

Revival Carrier

Now before him there was no king like him, who turned to the LORD with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses; nor after him did any arise like him. 2 Kings 23:25

During Josiah’s reign, Judah experienced its greatest revival years since the days of David and Solomon. What precipitated the great move of God? First of all, when Josiah was only 16 years old, he was seeking the Lord with all his heart (2 Chr. 34:3). Every revival starts by hungry hearts seeking God with great fervency.

Secondly, a revival always involves repentance and cleansing. When Josiah was 20 years old, he began to clean up Judah and Jerusalem, destroying the heathen altars and the shameful idols on the hills.

Thirdly, when he was 26 years old, Josiah started repairing the house of the Lord (34:8). To seek God’s kingdom first means that His house must become the First House in your life. The house of God is the gate of heaven (Gen. 28:17). Everything you do should be arranged around His house.

Fourthly, there was a restoration of God’s Word. As the workers were cleaning the temple, they found an obscure book that no one had ever heard of-the Bible. As the king listened to his secretary read the Scriptures, he was moved by the fear of the Lord (2 Kin. 22:11). He then read out all the words of the Book of the Covenant in the hearing of the people (23:2).

Fifthly, every revival needs a good spiritual leader. Huldah the prophetess said of Josiah, “Because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they would become a desolation and a curse, and you tore your clothes and wept before Me, I also have heard you” (22:19).

Sixthly, Josiah moved the whole nation toward God. He motivated all the people to follow the Lord and keep His commandments with all their heart and soul (23:3).

Seventhly, Josiah restored true worship among the people. He organized the most elaborate Passover celebration ever since the days of judges (23:22-23). Josiah was such an outstanding king that “before him there was no king like him, who turned to the LORD with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses; nor after him did any arise like him” (23:25). Would you decide to rise up to be a “Josiah” of your generation?

Escapology verus Eschatology

Romans 8:19……The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed.

Jesus is coming back soon. The bible has told us what to watch out for and the signs are clear for all to see. What is not so obvious is the answer to the question; at what point will Jesus take the church away from the earth?

The scriptures tell us that there is a time of terrible ordeal to come. It is called the time of tribulation or distress. Matthew 24:21 says…For then there will be great distress, unequalled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equalled again.

Christians and theologians have debated over this issue for a long time. The branch of theology that is concerned with the End Times and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ is called eschatology.

There are basically three points of view on the timing of the return of Jesus to take away every Christian believer (the church), they are; pre-tribulation, mid-tribulation or post-tribulation. I believe that God is a good and loving God who does not want His children to unnecessarily suffer; therefore, I side with the pre-tribulation camp.

I have used a play-on-words to help illustrate this….my eschatology is synonymous with escapology. I believe that the church will escape the coming wrath.

The earth will not be a place to be once the church has gone. The dispensation of grace will have come to an end and those left behind will come under the judgement of God. Do not wait until it is too late. Avoid the wrath of God. Make sure that you will be in that number when the saints go marching into the presence of God.

Jesus is coming back soon, do not delay. If He is not your Lord and Saviour, ask Him into your life today.

Lord Jesus, thank you that you are coming back to rescue those who know and love you. Amen

Don’t Waste Your Pain

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

When Paul came to Asia, he was troubled and burdened beyond measure. He was so crushed and overwhelmed, he thought he was not going to make it (2 Cor. 1:8). To have gone through such suffering, was it a sign that Paul was not in the center of God’s will? Of course he was! Yet, God allowed Paul to come into such a season of trouble, a situation of pressure where it seemed as if his very life was pressed out of him. Have you ever felt like that before? “Oh God, I can’t take another step. I can’t possibly handle another ounce of pressure. God, why are you permitting this to happen to me?”Well, God had His reason. And Paul understood that reason. He said, “God brings us to a place where we would stop putting our confi dence in ourselves. Where we have reached the absolute limit of our own knowledge, experience, strength and ability. Our dreams, goals, desires, aspirations and visions all seem to have died. But out of that death, God supernaturally brings us into a resurrection”(1:9).

After death, there is always a resurrection! And God takes us into the next level-onward and upward-into a far higher level of living than ever before. Not only will you live on a higher plane, you will be a blessing to the world. Because having experienced the comfort of the Lord in the midst of severe trials, you can now comfort others with the comfort with which you yourself were comforted by God (1:4). You can now be an encouragement and example to others who are going through similar situations you have previously gone through. Hosea 2:14 says that God often draws His people in ways we don’t understand. He may lead us into the diffi cult situation of a wilderness to speak tenderly into our hearts. And once God has our attention, He will turn our Valley of Achor (Trouble) into a door of hope (2:15). The ultimate purpose of every trial is so that God can show us that: “I am not just your Master (Baali), I am your Husband (Ishi). I am the Husband of your soul”(2:16). Don’t waste your pain and troubles. Allow your pain :

(1) To make you a better person. 

(2) To bring you closer to the Lord-knowing Him as your Ishi-Husband, not just your Baali- Master. 

(3) To make you an encouragement and comfort to others.

Calling On The Lord

“Remember now, O LORD, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what was good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. 2 Kings 20:3

King Hezekiah started well as a young king at 25 years old. He refused to get into an alliance with the idolatrous and mighty Assyrians. Hezekiah loved God and obeyed Him. He reopened the temple in Jerusalem. He destroyed the places of idolatry. Hezekiah even destroyed the bronze serpent Moses had erected in the wilderness (Num. 21:4-9), so that the people would not view the bronze serpent as an object of worship. He organized the priests and Levites for the conducting of worship services. The tithe was reinstated. In short, Hezekiah followed the Lord closely and loved His law. In return, God protected Hezekiah and the people of Judah from the Assyrians.

In 701 B.C., Hezekiah became seriously ill. Isaiah warned the king to prepare for his approaching death. But Hezekiah prayed that God would intervene. He reminded God how he had followed Him and obeyed Him. He poured out his heart in tears before the Lord (2 Kin. 20:2-3). As Isaiah began to walk out of the palace, God instructed him to go back to Hezekiah and tell him the good news-he will have 15 more years of life and the deliverance of Jerusalem from Assyria (20:4-6).

Hezekiah asked Isaiah for a special sign to know that God would really heal him and prolong his life. He requested that God moves the shadow of the sundial back by 10 degrees (20:9-11). God agreed. Jesus says, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you” (John 15:7). When you follow God with all your heart, there is practically nothing God wouldn’t do for you.

Unfortunately, the story had a sad ending. Hezekiah’s faith and healing brought him recognition from the surrounding nations. The Babylonian leader, Berodach-Baladan, even congratulated Hezekiah on his recovery. Hezekiah was so fl attered by Berodach-Baladan that he showed him all his secret treasures and armories. Isaiah was grieved when he saw Hezekiah being persuaded to enter into an alliance with Babylon. To be unequally yoked with an unbelieving partner would surely take Judah down the path to destruction. Having received such a great miracle, Hezekiah should have just trusted God for protection from the Assyrians. There was no need to enter into partnership with another idolatrous nation. Ironically, the descendants of Berodach-Baladan would one day deport the Jews to Babylon (2 Kin. 20:17-18). Many are called but few are chosen. Even fewer are found faithful. That was Hezekiah’s problem-he didn’t end well in his life. Let us stay faithful to Jesus all the way to the very end.

Glories In The Resurrection

There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star

differs from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead … 1 Corinthians 15:41-42

At the second coming of Christ, there will be a rapture and a resurrection of the dead. “But I am telling you this strange and wonderful secret: we shall not all die, but we shall all be given new bodies! It will all happen in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For there will be a trumpet blast from the sky, and all the Christians who have died will suddenly become alive, with new bodies that will never, never die; and then we who are still alive shall suddenly have new bodies too” (1 Cor. 15:51-52, TLB). It will not be a time of condemnation for Christians, but a time for reward (2 Cor. 5:10).

We will be judged according to the following criteria:

(1) Character. To the seven churches of Revelation 2-3, Jesus dealt with the love believers have for Him. Those who are fully consecrated will be rewarded in glory.

(2) Motives. 1 Corinthians 3:13-15 says, “Each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.” Your motive in everything you do will be tested.

(3) Faithfulness to the call. In the parable of talents, the servants that receive five and two talents produced another extra five and two talents respectively (Matt. 25:20-23). They were both rewarded with greater ministry and responsibility in glory.

(4) Treatment of the Jews. When Jesus comes in His glory, He will separate the sheep from the goats. Who are the sheep? Jesus says, “Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me” (25:40). According to the measure we have blessed Jesus’ “brethren”—the Jews—that will be the measure we will be rewarded at the resurrection.

(5) Great Commission. “Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever” (Dan. 12:3).

At the resurrection, we will be given different levels of bodies. Some will shine with blinding glory like the sun. Others like the moon. And yet others only like the stars. As such, let us never get complacent with our spiritual walk. Let us press on 100 percent “toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:14).