Our Goals and God's Destinations

During discussion groups at church camp, one of the questions I wanted to ponder more deeply is how our goals are often different to God’s intended destinations.  As people living in this world, our goals relates to here and now—to what will be passing away.  We seek God’s guidance in decisions we make, not realising every trial and circumstance of life we wish could change can be used by God to change us.  We set our sights on making money, having a successful career or what we will do after retirement when God is working spiritually to make us wiser, reliant upon Him and quicker to obey His word every day.

For Christians, we know our home is in heaven.  Ultimately God will call us come to be with Jesus forever, and we will enjoy the presence of the LORD glorified free from sin, sorrow, pain and death.  One thing about goals we often make is they are quantifiable.  We work towards buying a house, earning a raise, or winning the competition.  So we save, exert ourselves and train hard, hoping to obtain our goal.  Our goals can also be arbitrary, limited by our perceived abilities or opportunities.  We imagine what we can accomplish and work for it, forgetting God routinely does what is impossible and unthinkable.

One theme we have discussed at camp is in Hebrews 12:1, that we ought to lay aside every weight and sin that easily ensnares us and run with endurance the race God has set before us.  The Christian walk is not followed by charting our own course but following Jesus closely, submitting to Him by faith and obedience.  We never know the circumstances God will allow in our lives or the scenery we will observe along the way, but we can know the end result of following Jesus is good and glorious.  The blessings and benefits we have in Christ are not just for heaven but for the journey as we pass as pilgrims through this life.  Though we can stubbornly have our goals in mind, God is faithful to bring us to His desired destinations by sanctifying us to be more like Him.

John 6:16-21 contains a wonderful picture of how receiving Jesus results in Him bringing us to His desired shore:  “Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, ¹⁷ got into the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was already dark, and Jesus had not come to them. ¹⁸ Then the sea arose because a great wind was blowing. ¹⁹ So when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were afraid. ²⁰ But He said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” ²¹ Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.”  Jesus had gone to a mountain by himself, and the disciples found themselves in the dark night rowing for miles against the wind.  Initially they were startled and afraid to see Jesus drawing near to them, but when they willingly received Him into the boat immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.

Willingly receiving Jesus changes everything.  In the case of His disciples, the difficulty of the task of rowing was overshadowed by the miraculous power of Christ to do immediately what they could never have done.  At the same time, the toil and trouble is not without purpose, for God is able to use the journey and process to build our faith, inspire our confidence in Him, and entrust ourselves to His guidance.  Those who fear God and heed His word will be greatly helped to go beyond reaching our goals and experience God’s miraculous power in and through our lives.  We can spend a great deal of energy trying to achieve our goals and labour to change the course of our lives rather than simply trusting and obeying Jesus today!

Being Baptised

When it comes to Christians being baptised, I have seen varying levels of emphasis.  The common extremes are problematic, that it is necessary for salvation or because it is not required for salvation it is unnecessary!  The Gospel is clear the salvation of sinners is by grace through faith in Jesus alone, and baptism is necessary for obedience.  Jesus commanded His disciples to proclaim His death by receiving communion together and also said in Matthew 28:19-20:  "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen."  Both receiving communion and being baptised in water are symbolic of what Jesus has accomplished for us, outward acts pointing to Christ's inner works.

John the Baptist came baptising in water, and his baptism was one of repentance.  Jesus was baptised by John not on account of sin but to "fulfill all righteousness" and provided an example His disciples were to follow.  When Jesus was baptised and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in the form of a dove, it revealed to John, Israel and the world He was the promised Messiah (John 1:32-34).  Being baptised in water is more than a ceremony or public declaration, for it identifies people as followers of Jesus.  In our modern day the public aspects of this act of obedience can become a hindrance to actually doing it because baptisms can become complicated, scheduled social events that bear little resemblance to the Christian practice observed in the book of Acts.

As I leaf through the pages of Acts, being baptised was the first baby step of faith a believer took after repenting and trusting in Jesus as Saviour.  There were no sign-ups, classes to complete or hoops to jump through.  Quite simply, baptism was something done right away--and it was something church leaders and those being born again desired and were happy to do without delay.  Here are some examples in the book of Acts:

• 3,000 people were baptised on the Day of Pentecost in Jerusalem in Acts 2:41:  "Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them."

• The Ethiopian Eunuch met by Philip in Acts 8:36-37:  "Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, "See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?" ³⁷ Then Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."

• Saul of Tarsus after his conversion in Acts 9:18:  "Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized."

• Cornelius and his household after the Holy Spirit came upon them in Acts 10:47-48:  "Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?" ⁴⁸ And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days."

• Lydia and her household were baptised after believing in Acts 16:14-15:  "Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. ¹⁵ And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay." So she persuaded us."

• The Philippian jailer and his household in Acts 16:30-33:  "And he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" ³¹ So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household." ³² Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. ³³ And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized."

• About 12 men in Ephesus were baptised in the name of Jesus who previously had been baptised by John in Acts 19:4-5:  "Then Paul said, "John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus." ⁵ When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus."

This pattern we observe in the New Testament of born again Christians being baptised immediately has not always been a practice in modern churches.  There are differences in the way people are baptised and where is considered acceptable, but the most important thing is we obey our Saviour to make disciples and baptise believers in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things Jesus has commanded us.  Baptism is a good first step of obedience to Jesus and should not be reduced to an afterthought or based on how we feel.  Paul wrote baptism illustrates how we have been raised with Christ and the profound change He has made in our lives going forward in Romans 6:3-4:  "Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? ⁴ Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."

A Simple Touch

This morning I read the passage where Daniel had been fasting for 3 weeks and saw a vision of a glorious man by the Tigris river.  The men who were with him did not see the man but quaked with fear and fled, whilst Daniel beheld the man and fell on his face in a deep sleep.  Suddenly a hand touched Daniel, and he rose to his hands and knees, for he still lacked strength to stand.  The angelic messenger spoke in Daniel 10:11, "And he said to me, "O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you." While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling."  Having been without bread and wine for weeks, coupled with the glorious vision, Daniel's weakness was apparent.

After the delivered the message, Daniel looked to the ground and was unable to speak.  Daniel 10:16-19 reads, "And suddenly, one having the likeness of the sons of men touched my lips; then I opened my mouth and spoke, saying to him who stood before me, "My lord, because of the vision my sorrows have overwhelmed me, and I have retained no strength. ¹⁷ For how can this servant of my lord talk with you, my lord? As for me, no strength remains in me now, nor is any breath left in me." ¹⁸ Then again, the one having the likeness of a man touched me and strengthened me. ¹⁹ And he said, "O man greatly beloved, fear not! Peace be to you; be strong, yes, be strong!" So when he spoke to me I was strengthened, and said, "Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me."  Daniel was touched on the lips by an angel and was able to speak, though he was rendered weak from the experience.  Again, he was touched and strengthened by the angel who told Daniel not to be afraid, reminded him he was loved, spoke peace and exhorted him to be strong.

There were a couple of occasions when Jesus was ministered to by angels who are spirits sent by God to do His will.  After Jesus endured a fast that spanned 40 days and temptation from the devil, Matthew 4:11 says:  "Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him."  When Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane before His arrest and crucifixion--while His disciples slumbered--Luke 22:43 says, "Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him."  When Daniel and Jesus were alone and physically weak, angels were sent to minister to and strengthen them.  With Jesus Christ as our Saviour, Christians know we can be without fear because we are beloved and Jesus is our peace; in our weakness His strength is made perfect.  Our ability to be strong in the LORD and in the power of His might is graciously provided by the Holy Spirit.

While Jesus can use angels to strengthen us, He is also able to use words from the Bible, brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ the church, or anything He wills to remind and encourage us to press on in faith and obedience to Jesus.  We are called to be like Daniel, admitting our weakness before the LORD and our brethren, delighting in God's love expressed to us by any instrument He chooses.  I remember fondly years ago I was greatly encouraged by a brief lunchtime visit where friendly fellowship with a brother in Christ, a toasty and a lap dog was used greatly by the LORD to lift my spirits by that personal touch.  By faith and reliance upon Jesus who chooses to employ a personal touch from God's people, God strengthens us to speak and stand.  Isn't it more miraculous God can use a born again believer to convey His love with a personal touch than an angelic messenger?

Giving to Honour God

I have met Christians who seem to have a complicated relationship with having nice things or owning a house.  There are some who come across as feeling guilty there are many people in the world whose standard of living that is less comfortable or lacks amenities we are accustomed to.  That same person is faced with the problem that even if they gave away everything to the point of becoming completely destitute, it would not make a notable, lasting impact in the lives of others or in the world.  It also would be sobering to give someone money or a house and find them in a worse state than before.  The sad testimony of lottery winners paints a depressing picture of loss and regret.

It is God who gives people the ability to acquire wealth for His good purposes (Deut. 8:17-18), and we are wise to heed Proverbs 3:9-10 that says, "Honour the LORD with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase; ¹⁰ so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine."  The Scripture makes the connection those who honour God will be honoured by Him, and those who are faithful stewards over what He has given shall be given more.  This isn't a formula to make millions or billions and retire, but God has promised to faithfully provide for all our needs.  In light of His generosity, love and provision for His people, we ought to be cheerful givers of ourselves to Him.  One cure for feeling guilty about having is the joy God provides by giving as led by His Spirit.

I read a passage which shares a wise perspective in regards to God's faithfulness and the fruitfulness of our labours in Leviticus 23:22:  "When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field when you reap, nor shall you gather any gleaning from your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the stranger: I am the LORD your God."  God did not begrudge His people for having land (He gave them as an inheritance) or enjoying a bumper crop because there were people who lacked food.  They weren't to feel guilty they had grain while others were destitute.  God commanded those He blessed with a crop to keep the poor and stranger in mind while they reaped and be intentional to leave some behind so the hungry could gather it up and eat.  They weren't to be thinking of themselves and how much more they could keep in reserve.  The fields of wealthy landowners as well as the small households had good grain, grapes and olives God commanded to be left for those who lacked.

God blessed the poor and strangers through the hard labour of landowners who obeyed Him, giving to God what was God's and also leaving some for others.  This economy of grace is very different than "seizing means of production" and wealth distribution that supposedly will put poverty and hunger in the wastebin of history.  That is a pipe dream on this planet, for Jesus said in Matthew 26:11:  "For you have the poor with you always...".  The biblical principles of working for our bread, honouring God with our firstfruits, and considering the needs of the poor and stranger are all steps of faith we should take in obedient to our awesome God, the giver of all good things.  Having food to eat was not an entitlement but a gift received by God for those who laboured for it.  Jesus taught His disciples in Matthew 6:26:  "Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?"