No Life Without Jesus

I recently received a large, colour brochure about an upcoming performance of Shen Yun which is an outreach funded by the religious group Falun Gong.  As a follower of Jesus Christ, alarm bells start ringing when I read of this group and how all spiritual authority is vested only in teachings of Falun Gong's founder, Li Hongzhi.  While the dance performance looks to be very colourful, performed by skilled dancers and accompanied by orchestral music, going to a show does not interest me in the slightest because of the clear connection with a group whose teachings are not of Jesus Christ.

The flier contained a quote that grabbed my attention more than the vivid colours which encouraged people to see the show:  "Go see it to believe it, because otherwise, you are going to miss the most important thing in your life."  This is a very interesting thing to say as it runs absolutely contrary to the revelation of Jesus who was born of a virgin, died on the cross, rose from the dead and ascended to heaven 40 days later before hundreds of witnesses.  When Thomas said he would not believe unless he saw Jesus in person, touched His hands where the nails pierced them and reached into Jesus' side where a spear pierced Him.  8 days later Jesus appeared in the midst of His disciples, said "Peace be unto you," and singled Thomas out because He knew (without being informed) what Thomas had said.

John 20:27-29 reads, "Then He said to Thomas, "Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing." ²⁸ And Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!" ²⁹ Jesus said to him, "Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."  After Christ's resurrection, Thomas did not see Jesus or know how to find Him to believe, but Jesus graciously sought him out, found him and spoke with him.  Jesus made Himself unmissable to Thomas and all humanity since, for the heavens declare His glory, and His word and disciples have spread the message of Jesus being the Way, the Truth and the Life everywhere.  Thomas was blessed to recognise Jesus as His LORD and God, and we are blessed to believe in Him even when we have not touched His hands or side.

How could watching a show or adhering to the teachings of Li Hongzhi or anyone else provide what Jesus freely gives all who believe and follow Him?  Who else provides assurance of eternal life by dying and rising from the dead?  John 20:30-31 says, "And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; ³¹ but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name."  There is nothing wrong with going to a show or watching skillful performers on a stage, but it could never be the most important thing in your life the Bible compares to a vapour, grass that grows and quickly withers, a breath exhaled in the light of eternity.  Through God's word and this post the message of grace, forgiveness, and salvation through the Gospel has come to you.  Do you believe Jesus is the Christ?  Without Him, there is no life!  Jesus has come that we may have life, and have it more abundantly (John 10:10).

Holiness in Christ

Under the Law of Moses, God commanded to keep the sabbath day holy (Exodus 20:8).  After creating the heavens and earth in 6 days, God rested on the seventh day, blessed it and made it holy.  Later in the book of Exodus, God explained how the sabbath was a sign to the Jewish people, not only that He created the heavens and earth in 6 days but that He made them holy, sanctified as His people.  Exodus 31:12-13 (LSB) says, "Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, ¹³ "But as for you, speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘You shall surely keep My sabbaths; for this is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am Yahweh who makes you holy."  Even under the Law of Moses, it was God--not the keeping of ordinances--that made them holy, set apart and sanctified.

God's people were made holy by God, and they were also commanded to be holy--to sanctify themselves unto God by keeping His commands, doing what is right in His eyes.  Their privileged position was to be adorned by a lifestyle of holiness to God.  Passages like Leviticus 19:1-4 emphasise this point:  "And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ² "Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: 'You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy. ³ 'Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and keep My Sabbaths: I am the LORD your God. ⁴ 'Do not turn to idols, nor make for yourselves molded gods: I am the LORD your God."  Having been made holy by God, they were to lead holy lives.  God chose them, and their choice was to trust and obey Him.

The covenant of Law God made with Israel was fulfilled by Jesus who established a new covenant in His own blood, that all who repent of sin and trust in Him will be forgiven, redeemed and adopted as children of God by His grace.  Consider what Peter wrote to Christians--both Jews and Gentiles who have received Jesus by faith--in 1 Peter 2:4-5:  "Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, ⁵ you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."  He continued in 1 Peter 2:9-10:  "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; ¹⁰ who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy."

God blessed the sabbath and hallowed it, and Jesus is the Sabbath rest for all who have received the Gospel, those whom Peter referred to as a "holy priesthood" and a "holy nation."  Rather than submitting to ordinances or traditions of men, we are made holy by faith in Christ and are called to submit to Him by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.  Since Christians have been raised to life with Christ, the Law that condemned us was nailed to the cross, and Jesus triumphed over all satanic power and authority, Paul wrote in Colossians 2:16-17 (NIV), "Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. ¹⁷ These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ."  Holiness is not obtained by keeping the sabbath day according to Law but by faith in Jesus Christ.  It is by spiritual regeneration and obedience to Him that we heed His command to "Be holy, for I am holy."

Excellence of Love

In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul spoke of God's love being the most important thing in the life of a believer--which must have been a shock even to the believers to whom it was addressed.  Paul began the chapter with examples of radical personal sacrifice and supernatural power, yet without God's love it such acts were empty and worthless.  Let us consider Paul's claims one at a time to see how exquisite and amazing God's love truly is above what is commonly valued in the world and church alike.

1 Corinthians 13:1 says, "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal."  In Paul's day, the Greeks were known for their famous orators who were masters of the "persuasive arts."  In public speaking, they utilised the pillars of credibility, emotion and logic to develop persuasive arguments to sway men to their side.  For all their skill in rhetoric these men did not speak in the tongues of angels, yet even if they did their powers of persuasion would be like a clanging cymbal without love.  People drew near to orators at Mars Hill to hear a new thing out of curiosity, but their fine words without love were jarring, senseless noise that would drive people away.

Paul continued in 1 Corinthians 13:2, "And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing."  Prophets were revered and respected in Israel, for the LORD instructed, warned and spoke to His people of what was to come through their testimony.  To operate in a prophetic gift, to understand all mysteries and have all knowledge would be most notable, for even Solomon in His glory did not reach such heights.  The person who had all faith and could miraculously remove mountains would be treated as a god by some, yet without love this one with all faith in God would be nothing.

1 Corinthians 13:3 concluded, "And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing."  People who do not do so themselves respect those who gives generously to people in need.  Paul said if he was to give all his goods to feed the poor and even gave his body to be burned to death, without love it would not profit him at all.  All the respect and honour he may receive from men would be worthless, and he would gain no heavenly position or reward from his torment.  Without God's love, all his giving and sacrifice would not benefit him at all.  He could save lives from starvation and sacrifice his own body with great pain, yet without love it would only mean loss.

It is amazing how the love of God in the life of a believer affects the words we speak, the things we do, and how we give.  Having received the love of God through the Gospel and the indwelling Holy Spirit, all Christians are able to walk in love towards all--even our enemies.  Not all have the same role in the church, and everyone does not share the same spiritual gifts, but we all are blessed to love God and love one another.  Loving others persuades others to consider Christ who first loved us, and though we may not be gifted in prophecy, we lack knowledge or faith, we are still useful servants of God by His love shown through us.  Because Jesus so loved us and lay down His life for our sakes, we benefit greatly presently and in the life to come by loving and serving others as we walk in His ways.  God's love guides us in the most excellent way to live. 

Thanks and Worship

Because we are people with needs and desires, we need to be intentional to express thankfulness to God.  If we are primarily focused on what we lack, we might not consider how God has always been faithful to meet our needs--regardless how we feel at the moment.  When we focus on what others have and we do not have, we can become bitter and without gratitude for all God has done for us.  Should we focus on what we have, we are easily lifted up with pride when our possessions exceed others or we can feel down when we have little by comparison.

I was reading through ministry material today that reminded me how thankfulness is worship.  When we worship God, freely giving Him the honour and glory He is due, it works to humble our hearts before God.  Those who humble themselves with thanksgiving and gratitude to God are those He will lift up.  We do not express gratitude to God with the aim to gain but with contentment and joy for who He is, all He has done and given us according to the riches of His grace.  What do we have that we did not first receive? (1 Corinthians 4:7)  How good it is for us give God the praise and thanks He is due!  In exalting the almighty God, we are encouraged in faith.  By proclaiming publicly what God has done for us privately, we delight to make Jesus our boast.

Psalm 100:4-5 exhorts God's people, "Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. ⁵ For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations."  To know God by entering the Door--by grace through faith in Jesus--means to enter His kingdom and to be filled with the Holy Spirit.  The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy and peace, very sweet fruit indeed!  We have been thankful to people for kindness shown to us:  hasn't God's goodness and kindness to us been infinitely greater?  Shouldn't we thank God and bless His name because He is always good?  All the resources on this planet are limited and soon gone, yet God's mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 95:6 says, "Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD our Maker."  How blessed we are to be called and chosen as children of God, the people of His pasture.  Our awesome God is good, and we ought to express our eternal gratitude every day.  As we bow our knees before our LORD God in adoration, may we thank Him with our lips from the heart.

Hearing and Doing

Have you ever given thought to what it would have been like to have lived during the season Jesus walked through Jerusalem and Israel with His disciples?  They were blessed to have heard Him teach, see the miracles He performed and know He was the promised Messiah and Son of God.  It would have been interesting for Joseph and Mary to have Jesus grow up as their son, and for your older brother to be the anointed One of God and to hear Him speak of repentance for sin and the kingdom of God.

After Jesus cast out a demon and gave insight concerning the spiritual realm as God who knows all things, Luke 11:27-28 says:  "And it happened, as He spoke these things, that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, "Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!" ²⁸ But He said, "More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!"  Mary was blessed to be the mother of Jesus, for the angel Gabriel and her cousin Elisabeth said this before she gave birth (Luke 1:28 & 42).  Mary was blessed to bond with Jesus as His mother and see Him grow into a man, but Jesus said there was a greater blessing for anyone who heard the word of God and kept it.  Some would be content to merely identify with Jesus as a mother or brother, yet there is a more blessed relationship possible today with Jesus Christ by faith and obedience today.

This statement by Jesus that emphasised the blessed relationship people can have with Him followed on from a circumstance that occurred a couple chapters earlier.  After Jesus explained the Parable of the Sower to a great gathering, Luke 8:19-21 says:  "Then His mother and brothers came to Him, and could not approach Him because of the crowd. ²⁰ And it was told Him by some, who said, "Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see You." ²¹ But He answered and said to them, "My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it."  Even as the seed that fell on good ground would sprout and bear much fruit, so those who hear the word of God will demonstrate having heard and believed God by obedience.  Their loyalties and convictions would be outwardly plain.  Jesus taught all who hear the word of God and keep it have a closer relationship to Him than His mother or brother related by blood.

A blessed relationship with God is freely offered by Jesus Christ who shed His blood to redeem sinners and adopt us into His own everlasting kingdom as beloved children.  Rather than wishing we could have been in Jesus' inner circle, by faith in Him we are new creations in whom the Spirit of Christ dwells (Romans 8:9).  Jesus likened the one who hears and obeys His words to a wise man who built his house upon the rock, and when the rains came and the winds blew it would stand firm.  Since He is our LORD, we ought to do as He says--and we are indeed blessed when we hear and obey Him.

Heeding and Receiving More

Jesus taught His disciples in Mark 4:23-25:  "Then He said to them, "Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. ²⁵ For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him."  This teaching is affirmed in a parable Jesus told of a master who delivered talents to his servants according to their ability, and while he was away two of his servants doubled the amount given while the lazy, wicked servant buried his talent in the ground.  It was given to the servant who had 10 talents, and it is wise management of resources to take away the talent from the lazy servant and give it to the one who had been faithful.

In this passage, Jesus taught those who hear Him--and the implication is to heed all He says--will be given more from Him.  Those who do not listen, however, what he has will be taken away from him.  In discussing this recently, I was reminded of an experience I had in a trade as an illustration of this principle.  When I ran a small crew on a jobsite, a new apprentice was sent to work who was the son of a current foreman in our shop.  He was young, arrogant and acted like he knew everything despite having no practical experience.  As a pre-apprentice I was taught the most important qualities for an apprentice was to arrive early, have a good attitude, and do what you were told.  I don't believe any of these had sunk in with this lad.

I took the apprentice to a wide open area of duct with the intention of giving him a little demonstration with tips that would help him.  I showed him the rolls of duct wrap, wire and tape.  He was bored with everything I said, assuming he knew what to do because his dad was a duct-wrapping legend.  I decided since this punk already knew everything, there was no use wasting my breath on giving him pointers and tips.  What followed was 30 minutes of tradie hilarity at his expense.  As I slammed on material like a well-oiled machine, from across the room I watched him struggle and fumble with the most basic things.  His wire was a tangled mess, his pieces of duct wrap insulation were hacked crooked with a dull knife, and because he did not consider the thickness of the material all the pieces were cut too short and wasted.

Finally, having been soundly beaten by his failure to successfully install one piece of insulation, he sheepishly came over and asked for help.  That's what I had been waiting for.  He was far more receptive to instruction the second time, and I showed him exactly what to do.  Whenever I had an apprentice who was eager to learn and put into practice my directives, I was much more apt to give more pointers, tricks and opportunities to do better work.  These quality apprentices were groomed to do finish work with an aim to retain them throughout their apprenticeship, continue to develop as journeyman and even run work as a foreman.  But lazy, late and arrogant apprentices would not be working for a local shop very long.  Journeymen were not interested to teach apprentices a valued skill who had no intention to learn.  Before long, even the job they had would be taken away.

My interaction with my apprentice illustrates how God speaks of the true riches of His kingdom in the Bible, He will be more inclined to say more to those who listen and are faithful to obey.  If we will not waste our words on those who are bored by them and will not obey them, should God do differently if we are bored by Him?  Those who value and treasure God and all He has to say will be given more from His word to understand.  God did this concerning Abraham in Genesis 18:17-19:  "And the LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing, ¹⁸ since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? ¹⁹ For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice, that the LORD may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him."  God went on to converse with Abraham who believed God, and it was accounted to him as righteousness.  His faith in God was shown by his works, and the wise will walk humbly in his steps with our Saviour Jesus.

If we heed God much, more wisdom and responsibility will be given us from Him.  However if we refuse to heed what God has said, we ought not to expect to hear much from Him.  Our peace, joy and rest can be taken from us by circumstances of life.  The arrogant apprentice did one thing admirable that day worthy of emulation:  he humbled himself and came to me and asked for help.  If we are struggling and realise we need God's help, let us be those who come to Him humbly with intent to do all He says.

Food that Satisfies

There are many biblical terms Christians can use that are disconnected from practical experience.  This is reasonable for it is difficult to translate the spiritual meaning into practical applications without dumbing it down to a formula to follow.  As little kids we had the idea the very important part of prayer is to bow our heads, fold hands and close our eyes when these in a spiritual sense are not even requirements to have an audience with the Almighty.  These directives were more practical than spiritual:  bowing our heads was a show of respect, closing our eyes prevented us from being distracted by what we could see, and folding our hands meant we would not be touching others or fidgeting with objects.  From a biblical perspective, the posture of our bodies was never as important as the condition and posture of our hearts in the sight of God.

As we continue to read the Bible and grow in understanding, we begin to separate style from substance. identify traditions and sound theology, and our outward appearance from the condition of the inner man.  Still, we need the Bible with help of the Holy Spirit to guide us continue to "flesh out" spiritual disciplines in practice.  Tucked into countless passages of Scripture in the Old and New Testament, God supplies wisdom and guidance concerning how we ought to live.  Recently I read Isaiah 55:2-3 and found it good food for thought:  "Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance. ³ Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you--the sure mercies of David."

Through the prophet Isaiah, God called all who were thirsty to come to the waters and drink.  It seems a strange thing thirsty and hungry people would spend their money to obtain what they could not eat or drink, but this is our natural tendency when it comes to spiritual things.  Our deepest need is a spiritual one to know God, yet we can imagine this need can be satisfied by worldly things other than God.  The God of Israel asked His people why they spent their money for what was not bread and never could satisfy their hunger and needs.  Notice in the second half of verse 2, how listening carefully to God is equated with "eating what is good."  God's word is indeed food for our souls, for Jesus is the Word of God sent as the Living Bread who provides eternal life for all whom by faith receive Him.  This shows us spiritual eating and nourishment takes place when we listen to God's word carefully with intent to obey.

Verse 3 begins with saying, "Incline your ear, and come to Me."  This teaches us we do not need to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, go to a church building or even move a muscle to truly come to God.  The Bible is a revelation of God in flesh (Jesus Christ) who preached repentance and the Gospel for all sinners to hear, repent of sin and receive Him by faith.  The New Covenant alluded to in Isaiah 55:3 is the covenant in Christ's shed blood by which He atoned for the sins of the world.  How satisfying it is for our souls to be born again, made children of God by grace through faith!  In hearing God's word and by faith receiving it as true, based on these verses we spiritually come to God and eat what is good.  As a result of receiving Christ our souls delight in the abundant life of Christ, His everlasting covenant and sure mercies.

Friends, let us eat what is good and come to Jesus whenever we are spiritually hungry, thirsty and without satisfaction.  Why should we spend our money for what is not bread when we are starving?  Why should go elsewhere when Jesus alone has the words of the life and the Living Water of the Holy Spirit?

Giving Without Delay

I was struck by the first part of God's command to His people in Exodus 22:29 (LSB):  "You shall not delay the offering from the fullness of your harvest and the juice of your wine vat.  The firstborn of your sons you shall give to Me."  According to the blessing of the LORD upon His people, they were guided to give.  The command was for the Hebrews under the Law of Moses to bring tithes and offerings to God is well known, but this command not to delay bringing it may be less known.  To delay doing what is right can lead us to forget or put off doing it altogether.

Another reason God's people were not to delay in bringing the fulness of their harvest and juice of their vats was the priests and Levites were dependent on offerings to provide for the service of the house of God, for drink offerings that were required by Law.  A portion of what was brought to the temple was also provision of food and drink for those serving in the tabernacle or temple.  Serving in the LORD's house meant time away from their own properties and thus were unable to tend their own sheep or vineyards.

The teachings of Jesus provide additional guidance with a principle from God's Law in Matthew 7:11-12:  "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! ¹² Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."  Speaking for myself, I appreciate prompt service.  When money is owed me, I prefer to have it paid immediately and not need to wait months.  The command in Exodus 22:29 and the Golden Rule taught by Jesus harmonise beautifully, that when God leads us to give and do good we always ought to do so without delay.

In the second part of Exodus 22:29, God said His people were to give the firstborn of their sons to Him, a statue He mentioned previously in Exodus 13:1-16.  The cost to redeem the firstborn of man (and unclean beasts) was 5 shekels and the firstborn of clean beasts were to be sacrificed to the LORD and be food for the priests and Levites (Numbers 1:15-19), and a firstborn of a donkey was to be redeemed with a lamb or be killed (Exodus 13:13).  The keeping of the Passover and the redemption of the firstborn were tokens of God's miraculous deliverance from Egypt and how He slew the firstborn of man and beast so all generations would know God's strength to deliver His people and destroy His enemies.

God does not require of mankind what He did not do Himself.  Though God is under no obligation to anyone, God so loved the world He gave His only begotten Son Jesus Christ, that whosoever believes in Him will have everlasting life.  God's generosity in giving all we have is a facet of His divine character that inspires us to give like kings.  We do not need to have the wealth of kings to give, for Jesus commended a widow for throwing two smallest coins into the temple treasury.  In His estimation, that woman gave more than those who gave great sums, for she gave all she had.  In a sense, the way the woman offered all is how we as Christians ought to present ourselves as living sacrifices unto God.  God will see to it those who give according to His wise guidance without delay will no lack no good thing, for in Him all our needs are met.

Scripture Fulfilled Today

It is important when reading, interpreting and applying Scripture we realise no verses or books of the Bible are intended to stand alone, to be understood apart from the immediate context or other verses that complement it.  The Bible contains the word of God spoken to a specific audience which can reveal the unchanging character and promises of God that can be applied to the reader.  I have heard it estimated about 30% of the Bible is comprised of prophecies that can have multiple fulfilments.  Those who fear and trust God ought to take Him at His word, and exposure to the whole Bible with a sound hermeneutic is a valuable resource that prevents confusion and error.  Having the Holy Spirit within us is absolutely indispensable for Bible comprehension.

Sunday at church we read Psalm 34:18-19:  "The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit. ¹⁹ Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all."  This passage teaches us of the character of God, that He is near to the brokenhearted and saves the contrite person.  Like many promises of God, there are conditions our lives must align with to receive the benefits freely offered.  In this case, a broken and contrite heart leads to God saving from trouble.  Everyone faces affliction--even those who trust in God and walk in His ways--but the LORD will deliver the righteous out of every affliction.  This speaks of God's knowledge, power and desire to deliver and save all who trust in Him.  This is fleshed out more in the New Testament with the revelation of Jesus Christ and the Gospel of grace.

The verse immediately following reads in Psalm 34:20:  "He guards all his bones; not one of them is broken."  God not only delivers those who trust in Him from all afflictions, but He protects every one of their bones.  Is this saying no believer in God will have a broken bone?  Certainly not, for in contrition for sin David said of God's discipline in Psalm 51:8, "Make me hear joy and gladness, that the bones You have broken may rejoice."  David likely spoke figuratively, but even with broken bones the child of God can rejoice and rest in our Father's embrace.  One connection people under the Covenant of Law may have made was the requirement for sacrifices offered to God and the Passover lamb needed to be completely intact, without a single broken bone.  This verse was literally fulfilled in the case of Jesus when He was crucified on the cross, for instead of breaking His legs His side was pierced with a spear.  John 19:36 says, "For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, "Not one of His bones shall be broken."

It would be a mistake to limit the fulfillment of Psalm 34:20 only as relating to Jesus on the cross but is intended to encourage the humble who are afflicted to trust in the LORD.  God's goodness is immutable and can always be counted on, and thus His divine protection of our bodies and souls remains in full force today.  God allow afflictions that include broken bones and chronic pains for His good purposes, yet we are called to look to Him in faith even as our bodies fail.  History tells of many Christians made to suffer awful tortures that tore them physically apart, yet by faith in Christ gained a glorious entrance into heaven forever.  It may be you have not broken a bone until now, but should the LORD break multiple bones we can rejoice today as David because of our God who protects, delivers and saves us forever.  As it is written in in Jude 1:24-25:  "Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, ²⁵ to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen."

Deeds and Character

New South Wales has recently introduced legislation to abolish the "good character references" in sentencing for criminal offences.  Previously when someone was found to be guilty of committing a crime by a court, they could supply "good character references" which would be taken into account and likely minimise the punishment doled out by the court.  People could use their prior good social standing or personal connections to reduce their culpability.  Their past good conduct or ability to find others to write positive descriptions of their character in no way lessens the severity of the crime committed and should not remove strong consequences criminal activity deserves.  Our deeds are better indicators of our character than what people say about us.

It may be a surprise to some, yet God's word sets a precedent for this positive change.  God said the wicked man who turned from his ways and did good would be pardoned, yet the one who turned from righteousness and did wickedly would bear the full brunt of the Law in Ezekiel 18:24:  "But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? All the righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; because of the unfaithfulness of which he is guilty and the sin which he has committed, because of them he shall die."  God emphasised how He did not punish the son because of a wicked father, nor would He punish the father for the wickedness of his son:  each would answer and be judged for his own sin.  God said concerning the repentant sinner in Ezekiel 18:21:  "But if a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die."

The audience of the prophet Ezekiel took issue with God's judgment and accused Him of His ways not being equal!  God responded, "My ways are not equal?  Your ways are unequal!"  God's ways are gracious, just and entirely consistent.  The children of Israel pushed back upon God's judgments because they were not just or merciful.  They were not inclined to forget the wrongs people had done, and they would give people of good reputation a free pass to do wickedly.  They would blame and punish the father for the wickedness of the son, and they also would condemn the son of a convicted criminal.  I have observed this many times, where a church or ministry leader is condemned because someone in a church or organisation does wickedly, or a current government is vilified because of what happened many years ago when other people were at the helm.  We see a badly behaved child and we may instinctively blame the parent for a lack of discipline, but consider how God is the best Father and the way His children sometimes behave.

God emphasised the need for sinners to repent and revealed His inclination to forgive (unlike people who criticised Him) in Ezekiel 18:30-32:  "Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways," says the Lord GOD. "Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin. ³¹ Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel? ³² For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies," says the Lord GOD. "Therefore turn and live!"  A convicted felon could supply many good character references to the court, but God's judgment is the only one that matters.  God knows better than anyone that iniquity will certainly be the ruin of all those who walk therein, and He takes no pleasure in the destruction of sinners--but that sinners would turn and live.  By faith in Jesus Christians are declared righteous, and the wise will continue to repent of sin and turn to Jesus in willing obedience.

Contrition in Repentance

"The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit."

Psalm 34:18

Contrition for sin is an important facet of genuine repentance.  When we were kids, the snide tone or snarky way people said sorry were reasons to reject an apology as insincere.  We wanted people to at least act like they cared when they were apologising for doing wrong.  Conviction of having done wrong is not just a thought that passes through our minds but includes a recurring stab of regret or unsettled feeling inside of us.  The Bible says David's "heart smote him" after he cut off the corner of Saul's robe.  Though he did not kill him as was suggested by his men, his guilty conscience would not let the act pass unnoticed and without repentance.

Contrition is not beating oneself up for doing wrong, for this can be from pride as much as anything.  Webster defined "contrition" as:  "1) The act of grinding or rubbing to powder; 2) Penitence; deep sorrow for sin; grief of heart for having offended and infinitely holy and benevolent God. The word is usually understood to mean genuine penitence, accompanied with a deep sense of ingratitude in the sinner, and sincere resolution to live in obedience to the divine law."  Having a broken and contrite heart due to sin is surprisingly rare--given the amount of opportunity there is for it to be displayed with the amount of sins we are guilty of.  We can be sorry for our sin due to embarrassment, to be exposed as flawed, that we will face negative consequences.  Feeling sorry in itself does not mean we are willing to take any steps to change our ways or do what is right going forward.

I read an article the other day that provided examples of the antithesis of contrition for sin.  The article spoke of a woman who stole an item of clothing from a shop, and after being caught out by security footage admitted she did wrong to the owner of the shop and her online followers.  In her apology she called the theft a "silly mistake," and that "she was only human."  While admitting she knew she did wrong, it seems (unintentionally or not) minimised the severity of her offence by implying, "Everyone does this."  I have noticed a tendency to substitute less confronting words for the sinful reality, like calling someone a "shoplifter" rather than a "thief."  She also offered reasons she claimed contributed to her "silly" decision, that she "had a few drinks" and had a "brain injury" from repeated blows to the head.  These reasons sounded a lot like excuses--quite unlike the contrition David showed when confronted for his sin.  He simply said, "I have sinned against the LORD."  No deflection, explanation, justification or attempt for damage control.  Contrition for sin describes it in all its ugliness before God without trying to soften the blow to protect ourselves or our reputation.

It is possible to sin and feel sorry for ourselves, but godly sorrow and contrition leads to a changed life by God's grace.  After writing a sharp letter to the church in Corinth, Paul followed up with encouragement for the change it fostered in 2 Corinthians 7:9-11:  "Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. ¹⁰ For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. ¹¹ For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: what diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter."  God is near to those who have a broken and contrite heart, and our LORD is pleased to save such sinners.  Selfish sorrow leads to sinners feeling like victims when it is God who has been wronged.  If our sorrow for sin does not lead to change in our lives for good, it may be we lack contrition before God whom we have sinned against.

The Sovereign Judge

In Ezekiel 15, God compared the usefulness of vine to a tree in doing work and making things.  From the wood of a tree, boards can be milled and structures can be built.  Wood from trees would have been used to make many things:  carts, tools, doors, furniture, crates, ships, musical instruments and much more!  In stark contrast, the building potential of a vine was nil.  Trying to make dowels out of the soft runners would be a pointless waste of time.  In regards for doing work, what the vine was best suited for was to be burned in the fire.  At least it could provide a bit of fuel for a short time until it was reduced to ash.

God spoke through the prophet in Ezekiel 15:6-7:  "Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: 'Like the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so I will give up the inhabitants of Jerusalem; ⁷ and I will set My face against them. They will go out from one fire, but another fire shall devour them. Then you shall know that I am the LORD, when I set My face against them."  The people of Israel were like a vine that bore no fruit, and the only profitable use for them was to be made fuel for the fire.  They had been unfaithful to God and sinned against Him, and Jesus made mention of this common practice in John 15:6:  "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned."  Those who by faith abide in Jesus will be made fruitful, yet those who are unfaithful and depart from him will be consumed in the fire of God's judgment.

Because vines are not suitable for building anything, no one would question the wisdom of landowners who gathered and burned the vines that littered the ground.  Wood from trees was a valuable resource that was employed for useful purposes rather than burning it all.  The ironic thing is, people who would not think twice to dispose of vines by burning can fault God for bringing fiery judgments upon anyone--even those who have cut themselves off from God through wilful sin.  The owner of a property has the right to do whatever he wants with his vines, and the sovereign Creator has every right to do as He pleases with His creation.  By His wisdom everything we see He created, and without Jesus Christ nothing was made that is made (John 1:1-3).  Doesn't God have the most basic rights to ownership we claim for ourselves, to do as He wills?

A literal example of God's fiery judgment was seen long before the season of Ezekiel's ministry in Leviticus 10:1-3:  "Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them. ² So fire went out from the LORD and devoured them, and they died before the LORD. ³ And Moses said to Aaron, "This is what the LORD spoke, saying: 'By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; and before all the people I must be glorified.' " So Aaron held his peace."  Aaron, the high priest and father of Nadab and Abihu who were killed before the LORD for their trespass, knew his sons were to blame--for God did no wrong to judge those who do wickedly.  Peter remarked it is time for judgment to begin at the house of God, and if it begins with God's people what will be the end of those who do not obey the Gospel (1 Peter 4:17)?  Nadab, Abihu, and the suffering of God's people in Jerusalem in Ezekiel provide sobering clarity on the subject.

It is the sinner who does wrong, and the just and righteous God has every right to judge sinners as He sees fit.  Praise the LORD He has provided a means of atonement and forgiveness by His own gracious sacrifice.  Should God be blamed for the severity of His judgments when mankind refuses His sure remedy by repentance of sin and faith in Jesus?

Courage to Confess Fear

I grew up in an era where action movie heroes were popular that featured muscled actors like Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger who barged into trouble with guns blazing.  For 90 minutes, viewers were treated to stunts, explosions and cringeworthy puns as the body count rapidly multiplied.  Today the ladies have taken centre stage to fill the role of the tough, death-defying and emotionally impotent heroine who take the lives of human beings and aliens as casually as we take a sip of water.  It is exceedingly rare to see a modern film where action heroes betray a shred of what could be considered fear when there is only a step between them and death.  This could be seen as weakness, and we can't have that!

In Braveheart (a work of fiction loosely based on history), I found it refreshing for the courageous protagonist William Wallace, on the eve of his execution, to be shown on his knees in prayer to God and confessing he was afraid.  He prayed God would give him strength to die honourably without crying out under the pains of torture, for he felt to do so was to admit the wicked, wheezing Longshanks had won.  Previously the film portrayed Wallace many times jumping into the fray, putting himself in harm's way and risking death to secure freedom for himself and fellow Scots one battle at a time.  Though the Hollywood depiction of William Wallace puts the most bold among us to shame, it was humanising for him to be portrayed as vulnerable before the almighty God as he confessed his fear--which is common to all people.  That may be the courageous thing Wallace did in the film.

With wisdom comes grief, and increased knowledge can be accompanied by fear.  Our bodies are wired to respond to fear when we are startled or frightened to flight, fly or freeze.  There is no one who is without fear, and anyone who boldly claims to be fearless is especially suspect.  Fear has countless disguises, cover-ups and names that camouflage it because we are naturally ashamed to be viewed as fearful.  It is a hit to our pride to say we are scared, and we can express fear by laughing as easily as crying.  Fear is a part of our flesh we inhabit, but the Holy Spirit who regenerates Christians fundamentally changes us from within as Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 1:6-7:  "Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. ⁷ For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."  God has given us a Spirit of power, love and a sound mind, and His perfect love casts out all fear (1 John 4:18).

As long as we live in a body of corruptible flesh, our experiences and feelings can fall short of the spiritual reality of what Jesus has done for us.  We can be filled with the Holy Spirit and still feel afraid because we are preoccupied and distracted by what is not God.  Even as Timothy needed to be intentional to stir up and use the gifts God had given Him, so we must remind ourselves God has not given us a spirit of fear.  We are no longer slaves to sin, worry and anxiety because we now are in Christ, and we should not allow fear to be a squatter in our lives who robs us of peace.  After speaking of the Comforter He would send, Jesus said to His disciples in John 14:27:  "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."  When we realise we are afraid, we ought to take courage in Christ and confess this sin so we might be strengthened to do God's will and abide in His love.

Jesus Unites People

There is a local bridge that attracted the attention of a community Facebook group due to an odd reason.  Someone, for some reason, had climbed the supports of the bridge to fly an Australian flag.  Days passed and I was surprised an individual or local council had not had it taken down.  From a liability standpoint, it makes sense to remove the flag to deter additional people from risking their health in scaling the bridge to fly a flag.  When the flag was finally removed, people on the online forum noticed and the majority lamented it was gone.  Overnight, on each side of the bridge Australian flags were attached near the footpath.  After these were taken down, 10 Australian flags took their vacant spot--5 on each side!

The bridge was flag-free until around Australia Day when one Australian and Australian Aboriginal flag were displayed by one another on each side of the bridge.  It wasn't too long until the Australian flags were taken down, but the Aboriginal flags remained.  As I walked across the bridge one early morning, I thought it would take a brave soul to take it upon yourself to be the one to decide to remove the Aboriginal flag.  As an Australian immigrant it seemed a provocative gesture to have the Australian flag removed and the Aboriginal flag to remain because it was first flown in 1971 at a land rights rally.  Interestingly, the flag was granted official status in 1995, and the copyright for the Australian Aboriginal flag was purchased by the federal government in 2022.

I had never considered it before:  it struck me that without Australia there would be no Australian Aboriginal flag.  Borne out of great struggles, the Aboriginal flag became a symbol of Aboriginal history and identity that brought people together.  The experiences of people (indigenous and otherwise), both good and bad, can be useful in guiding us to mature into the people we are today.  We observe this many times in the Bible, how God is able to use anything--even the hatred of family members--to be redeemed for God's good purposes.  Joseph's brothers stripped him of his coat and sold him to slave traders, yet what they intended for evil God meant for good and to save many people alive when Joseph was made ruler in Egypt.  In Jesus Christ all people can experience unity that transcends the bonds of family, ethnicity or shared experiences, for we are all citizens of God's eternal kingdom.

One wonderful aspect of trusting and following Jesus is He changes our perspective completely.  Rather than focusing on the past, comparing ourselves with others or worrying about the future, we are called to look to Him today and find rest for our souls.  Whilst wrongfully imprisoned, Paul wrote in Philippians 1:12-14:  "But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, ¹³ so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ; ¹⁴ and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear."  By faith in Christ, Paul realised how God was able to further the Gospel though he remained in chains.  He saw fellow believers grow bold in their witness and rejoiced rather than becoming bitter about the injustice he faced.

With identity secure in Christ, there is no need to be annoyed or provoked by what flags are flying on the bridge today.  We don't need to fall prey to victimhood by repeating all the wrongs done to us or how we feel slighted today because we have an audience with the Almighty God who loves us and gave His only begotten Son Jesus to save us.  The lyrics of a worship song "At the Cross" came to mind recently that says, "I know a place, a wonderful place where accused and condemned find mercy and grace, where the wrongs we have done and the wrongs done to us were nailed there with him there on the cross."  Isn't God wonderful, to provide atonement and forgiveness for the wrongs we have done and the wrongs done to us?  By the cross, Jesus has drawn all people to Himself.  If we rejoice to have God atone for our sins and wash us clean of them, will we also permit the wrongs done to us be nailed to the cross and washed away by God's love and justice forever?

Crucifying the Body of Sin

I have seen pictures of religious annual festivals where people traditionally re-enact the crucifixion with people nailed to a cross.  It is one thing to do a stage production where the crucifixion of Jesus is shown, but for me it goes too far to shed real blood in a demonstration when Jesus already shed all His blood to provide atonement once for all sinners when He laid down His life (Hebrews 10:10).  The cutting and piercing of the flesh was a pagan practice in the Old Testament and was forbidden for God's people in the Law of Moses, and the mutilation of the body does nothing to sanctify anyone or honour God by obedience.  The aspect of crucifixion not copied in the festival was the whole point of the brutal Roman method of execution:  the killing of a person.

Perhaps some view the people with hands nailed to crosses and as pious and devout to voluntarily suffer such pains out of devotion to Christ.  I am reminded of Paul's words to believers who put themselves under self-imposed rules in Colossians 2:23:  "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."  Submitting to having our palms pierced does nothing to prevent us from indulging our proud flesh.  Previously Paul explained how Jesus had already done everything for Christians to be purified and set apart unto God in Colossians 2:11-12:  "In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, ¹² buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead."  There is no spiritual need for a man to be circumcised or to be crucified, for we have been raised with Jesus by faith in God, and His righteousness has been imputed to us by grace through faith.

To the end Christians would realise we who have been made new creations are to cease from sin, Paul wrote in Romans 6:3-7:  "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. ⁵ For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, ⁶ knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. ⁷ For he who has died has been freed from sin."  Sin no longer has authority or power over us because we have died to it, and now we live with our risen Saviour and walk in newness of life.  Christians continue to live in a physical body that will see corruption, but we have been set free from sin and can choose to serve God instead.  In one sense we are dead and the life of Jesus is being lived out through us.

Far better than emulating the physical act of crucifixion in front of a crowd once a year would be to appropriate the spiritual implications of Christ crucified for believers daily in private.  This taking up our cross daily, following Christ and dying to self is alluded to in Galatians 5:24-25:  "And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ²⁵ If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit."  Being physically nailed to a cross does not help anyone to walk in the Spirit.  We are called and divinely enabled by Jesus to bear fruit of the Holy Spirit rather than the works of the flesh as we crucify our sinful passions and desires.  God's word and the Holy Spirit who convicts us of sin helps us identify sin in our hearts, confess it, repent and forsake it.  We live in the Spirit, and thus we can walk in the Spirit and do what pleases God.

Evidence of Conviction

The choices we make are more indicative of our convictions and beliefs than what we say.  Many times we have observed people rail against evils in society or the church who are later exposed as partakers of those very things.  Perhaps being outspoken against a particular sin is an attempt to distract from their  own indulgence in it or is a vain attempt to convince themselves of something being sin they want to avoid because their flesh finds it alluring.  Since we cannot plumb the depths of the hearts of mankind, we can only guess concerning the motivation or intentions of others, and it is infinitely more profitable to honestly examine our own hearts, repent of sin and seek to do what pleases God than guesswork about others.  What is in our hearts will find its way out, for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

The Bible shows how actions speak truer than words.  Yesterday I read a passage that illustrates this fact in Exodus 9:20-21 that described the responses to the warning Moses gave that in about 24 hours God was going to rain down massive hail upon Egypt:  "He who feared the word of the LORD among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his livestock flee to the houses. ²¹ But he who did not regard the word of the LORD left his servants and his livestock in the field."  The previous 6 times Moses said a plague from God was going to occur, it happened just as he had said.  People in Egypt had personally experienced the Nile turning to blood, a plague of frogs, gnats (or lice), flies, pestilence that killed livestock, and boils that broke out on man and beast.  One might assume people would be very switched on to listen to Moses at that stage, but there were some who did not fear the word of the LORD.  The ones who feared God's word were those who quickly brought their servants and livestock under cover, but those who did not regard God's word left their servants and cattle in the field.  Their actions showed whether they feared the word of God or not.

In Ezekiel 9, the prophet had a vision of God who was preparing to bring judgment upon His people.  God told a man in white linen with an inkhorn by his side (presumably an angel), to go and mark people in Ezekiel 9:4:  "...and the LORD said to him, "Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it."  This mark was to identify those who would be saved from the coming judgment, for they grieved over the wicked abominations that took place in Israel--disobedience to God's Law, offering incense to idols, polluting the land with innocent blood and the perversion of justice.  It wasn't sufficient in God's sight to merely not do wickedly, for God was looking for those whose hearts were moved to mourn and weep over the sins committed in Jerusalem.  God was intent on saving those who feared Him and were zealous for His honour, while those who committed wickedness or were careless towards sin would be destroyed.

These passages show those who fear the word of the LORD will be responsive to it with obedience.  It also shows those who submit to God and His word have a desire to do His will, and should we observe wickedness in God's people we should be moved to grieve.  Thankfully God knows the hearts of men (we cannot know!) and is able to change them by the power of the Gospel.  He empowers us to know and do His will, even bearing one another's burdens as Galatians 6:1 exhorts:  "Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted."  If grief over sin leads us to rail angrily against others, it indicates the involvement of our flesh rather than the humility and meekness of the Holy Spirit.  Our flesh on its best day could never resist or overcome our sinful habits, but the power of the Holy Spirit is always victorious by God's grace.  Praise God He will exchange our tears for enduring joy.

Blessing of God's Word

How indescribably good is the blessing all Christians have in God's word delivered to us!  Sometimes when I read words written in a message or email it is impossible to decipher the tone or the intent of the writer.  I have read bios that give details about a person but I still do not know them at all.  There have also been many people I thought I knew who ended up being completely unlike my assessment or changed so drastically they were a stranger known in name alone.  God and His word do not change, and therefore what God has revealed about Himself can be known and relied upon.  Adopting a worldview with the lens of Scripture guides us to discern truth from error.

Recently I was told of a situation that illustrates this well.  Many times God-fearing people believe God has spoken to them, and while God is never wrong--sometimes we are.  I heard of a conversation between believers where one person believed God had said they would always be alone, and the other immediately replied that this was not God's voice.  How could the Christian be so sure?  Because of what Jesus Christ says in His word!  No Christian is ever alone since Jesus is with us.  Hebrews 13:5 says, "Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."  Since God is with us wherever we go and will never leave or forsake us, in Christ we are never alone.  Jesus was right in the middle of that conversation between Christians, for where we gather in His name there He is in the midst.  By faith in God, we can know He who is truth and reject lies that masquerade as truth.

Born-again Christians can know we are filled with the Holy Spirit, not because of a particular spiritual gift, but on the same basis we can know we can be born again and saved by faith in Jesus:  by the word of God.  John 3:16 famously says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."  The only way we can be born again and pass from death to life is the indwelling Holy Spirit who regenerates those who receive Jesus and believe the Gospel.  Jesus pointed out no one can see the breeze that moves the branches of the tree, and the Holy Spirit operates in a similar fashion in those who are born again.  The spiritual, inner work of the Spirit will result in physical evidence that can be seen by everyone.  Though we live in bodies of corruptible flesh, the lives of Christians are no longer ruled by the works of the flesh but begin to produce the fruit of the Spirit.

Paul wrote in Galatians 5:19-25, "Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, ²¹ envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. ²⁴ And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ²⁵ If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit."  Not only does the Bible truly and plainly tell us how things are, but it also provides guidance for how we are to live.  We can objectively know God by the revelation of His word, know we have eternal life, and know what pleases Him.

Know Your Place

Recently I watched a couple of films that bore a strong resemblance to one another.  Both had female protagonists who were independent (but had the support and friendship of an animal), were disobedient to authority, and headstrong.  Though the films had different directors, they both emphasised the repeated choices of the heroine in the tales to refuse to do as they were told, to disregard societal norms as despicable constraints, and went on to either kill or become what the masses feared.  Both these girls were visionaries, seeing what other people could not, overcame their naysaying peers, and avoided negative consequences for their rebellious ways.  Following their own hearts and going their own way worked out in the end with their desires being satisfied.

The irony in both the stories was the girls who wanted to go alone couldn't succeed alone--not that they ever came to that realisation.  The parallel plot and themes between the films demonstrated how unpopular it is to submit to authority and "know your place."  The aspirations of the girls was to leave their place behind--not to remain in it.  Both of the films depicted the general population as dragging along, their purpose and delight in life sapped from them by daily labours, beaten down by authority, lived in fear of being in trouble, and those in power saw themselves as superior.  The worst thing to be told was "Do as you are told," as if it was impossible to thrive, succeed, or find fulfillment if one did so.  It was predictable and boring that whenever these free-spirits were told what not to do, they would immediately do that one thing--and never learned any lessons or grew in character as a result of conflict.

When I grew up in the United States, part of the Pledge of Allegiance we daily recited at school reminded us where our place was:  "one nation, under God."  I was blessed to have a place in a country I could call my own with a rich heritage that acknowledged God who created the heavens, earth and all things.  I was also blessed to have a place in a family with parents I was called by God to submit to and obey as Ephesians 6:1-3:  "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ² "Honor your father and mother," which is the first commandment with promise: ³ "that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth."  I was blessed to have younger siblings I was to care for and be a good example to.  I have also been blessed to have a place in a marriage where before God we are both called to submit to one another in the fear of God.  All Christians are blessed to have a place in the kingdom of God, and that Jesus is in heaven preparing a place for us today.  Knowing and embracing my place under God has been the source of great peace, joy and contentment in my life by God's grace.

It is a grief to my soul when I sense the satanic stench of rebellion being posed as the path to satisfaction, fulfillment and success.  When people reject God and His wisdom, they rob themselves of the rich relationship with God He extends to all as they remain enslaved to the dictates of their own sinful hearts.  It is a romantic, fictional construct to imagine people will be most happy doing what they want as they head to ruin rather than living an abundant life in glad submission to God who gives eternal life.  How privileged Christians are to be God's children and His servants who are given us responsibilities and duties to fulfil.  Jesus told a parable about when a master returned home and his servants ensured he ate and drank by their faithful service, and then they would have an opportunity to eat and drink from his bounty.  The is the proper order of things, and blessed are those who know their place and serve our gracious God and Saviour.  He is our life and satisfaction we cannot find going our own way.

God Gives Life

When I consider creation and all God has made, it is evident He thought of everything.  The more we learn and discover concerning our galaxy, planet, living things, cells and all else that is studied and marvelled over, there is an order, complex systems and invaluable interactions we observe.  It is saying something where there is ongoing research into how things work so well in nature with an aim to design and manufacture products that can begin to approach this impossibly high level of function.  Sheer chance and random processes cannot reasonably account for the stability of elements, the information packed in a living cell, and the existence of plants, creatures and people that reproduce after their own kind.

Based on these observations and many more, it is easy for me to ascribe the wisdom, power and foresight required to create our world and all that is in it to the living God revealed in the Bible.  Nothing the eternal and all-powerful God says or does is pointless or without purpose.  When things do not make sense to us or seem unreasonable, it confirms what God reveals about Himself:  His ways and thoughts are higher than ours.  As the heavens are high above the earth, so God's ways and thoughts are above ours.  It is reasonable that God's wisdom and knowledge is infinitely greater than that of wise Solomon, for the king's wisdom did not spontaneously arise:  it came from somewhere, or in his case Someone.  Everything we have and all abilities we possess came from God who is the Giver of all good gifts.

God said in Isaiah 55:10-11, "For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, ¹¹ So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it."  God used rain and snow to illustrate His purpose in speaking His word.  People depended on seasonal rain to water their crops that would grow and produce flowers, fruit and seeds.  God sent rain on the earth to provide seed for the sower who had the expectation of a future crop, and also bread for the eater by grinding it into flour to sustain their bodies presently.  It was not "good luck" rain happened to fall but was a seasonal blessing God supplied so the needs of plants, animals and people would be abundantly met.

God said, "So shall my word be that goes forth from My mouth."  Rain does not reverse course just before hitting the ground and rise back to heaven, and God's word He sends will accomplished what He pleases and prosper to accomplish His intended purpose.  In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus compared the word of God to good seed that fell on various locations and conditions.  Good seed planted at the right time and place will produce a crop, while seed that is eaten by birds, is scorched by the sun or choked by the weeds and is unfruitful says volumes about the unprepared condition of the hearts of people.  Our response to the word of God can say more about us than about our good God who alone has the words of life.  Praise God He has revealed Himself to us all and how all our needs are abundantly met in Him!  If you ever thought about how life is good, then it follows we ought to ascribe complete goodness to God who gave us life.

Return to Your Rest

Recently there has been an uptick in reports of young people riding illegal e-bikes on the street, and it seems the authorities are unsure what to do about it.  On Friday I saw a group of youths riding on the street as they dangerously weaved through traffic.  Youths on motorbikes in NSW have been emboldened of late because the police will not pursue them due to safety concerns.  The problem is, those who are guilty of dangerous, unlawful driving are not caught and believe they are within their rights to hoon around with impunity.  Apparently, this problem will be addressed by new legislation later this year to limit the kind of e-bikes people can buy or operate--and "crush" bikes that exceed the speed limitations--that is, if the authorities can catch them!

The problem I see of dealing with hooning by more legislation is that laws on the books are not being presently upheld.  How will more laws do anything to aid the enforcement of current laws?  Adding more laws will not change the behaviour or hearts of people who are inclined to do as they will.  King Solomon was a wise judge, and he wrote in Ecclesiastes 8:11:  "Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil."  Solomon understood unless there are real consequences speedily doled out to those who do wrong, the sinful hearts of men are hardened in a corrupt state.  Administering the rod of correction to your own rebellious and disobedient children will tend to straighten out crooked ways, but it is the LORD who has the power to change people.

Solomon followed up in Ecclesiastes 8:12:  "Though a sinner does evil a hundred times, and his days are prolonged, yet I surely know that it will be well with those who fear God, who fear before Him."  Solomon also realised there will be people who continue in their sin regardless of the consequences they face or evade.  Since everyone will be brought before the LORD in judgment who always does right, we do not need to worry if justice will be done.  Rather than primarily concerning himself with emboldened sinners, Solomon wisely pointed out with great confidence it will be well with those who fear God.  No one knows the day or hour our souls will be required of us, yet we can know how to obtain God's favour by faith in Jesus Christ today and always.

We have all gone astray, yet by God's grace He saves all who trust in Him.  Psalm 116:5-8 affirms, "Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yes, our God is merciful. ⁶ The LORD preserves the simple; I was brought low, and He saved me. ⁷ Return to your rest, O my soul, for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you. ⁸ For You have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, and my feet from falling."  The decisions of the government or bad choices of those who break the law are not nearly as important as each of us to choose to fear God and walk in His ways.  Even if we are run over by an illegal e-bike and the rider is never caught, we can have rest in the LORD who has delivered our souls from death and deals bountifully with us.