Hope for All

During my study of the book of Isaiah I have come to a realisation:  there is always hope for individuals in God, even if a nation is "off the rails."  A day came when the northern kingdom of Israel fell and was never rebuilt.  Because Israel rebelled from God, committed abomination, and refused to return, God put the northern kingdom away.  He even allowed Jerusalem to fall at the hands of the Babylonians and temporarily caused Judah to go into captivity.  The seventy years of separation not only worked to purify the land of sin, but to restore a remnant to Himself who would return and remain faithful to Him.  Even in a land riddled with idolatry and abominations, God reserves for Himself loyal people who love Him.

Because the people in Jerusalem refused to repent and return to the LORD, ultimately the LORD caused it to fall at the hands of their enemies.  From a wordly vantage point it seems in times of judgment the righteous are made to suffer with the wicked.  But from a spiritual perspective we see those who trust in the LORD find strength and comfort in Him in spite of pain and loss.  For all our pain God provides abundant consolation (2 Cor. 1:3-7).  God proclaimed in Isaiah 45:22, "Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other."  Even when a nation is far from God, God promises to draw near to all individuals who call to Him in Psalm 145:18:  "The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth."  God shows no favouritism when it comes to love, forgiveness, divine acceptance, and salvation as we read in Romans 10:12-13, "For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. ¹³ For 'whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.'"

We do not serve a "what have you done for me lately" God but a God who looks for opportunities to to show Himself strong on behalf of all those whose hearts are loyal and full of Him (2 Chron. 16:9).  This principle, that there is always assurance of salvation and deliverance for the person who trusts and calls to God, rings true in nations ruined by sin, corrupt governments, failed businesses, fractured churches, and broken families.  Organisations may fall apart, marriages might dissolve, and relationships between parents and children may be severed, and physical health be abysmal, but there is salvation for whoever calls upon the name of the LORD.  Your life may seem to be painfully torn into pieces, but there is safety, protection, healing, and wholeness for all - for you - if you will call upon the name of Jesus Christ.

The grim reality is most of the time we do not believe this.  We carefully devise our escape routes, scheme backup and contingency plans, and forget by worrying we cannot accomplish a thing.  Even if we have a perfect plan, it does not mean we have the power or ability to put it into practice - much less change the hearts or minds of others!  Listen:  look to God and be saved!  There is no bondage too great, sin too abhorrent, generational curse so powerful the blood of Jesus cannot cleanse and redeem.  No host of demons can overpower Jesus, no prognosis is so awful God is hamstrung, and no situation so convoluted God is confused or overwhelmed.  God is rich over all who call upon Him, so call upon the name of the LORD in faith and be saved.  There is hope in Christ this world cannot know, an absolute assurance based upon the Word of God which is eternal and will never pass away, that Jesus is a Saviour who loves you and will never leave or forsake you.

There is no genuine hope for anyone from this world, but there is hope for all who love God.  Look to Jesus and call upon Him fervently with expectancy.  Do not be impatient or weary in doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not (Gal. 6:9).  Those who endure to the end will be saved.

God's Home

As a child I had the impression the church building was an important place.  It was place for keeping your voice down and walking only.  It was a place where it was polite to remove your hat and treat with respect.  It was "God's house," after all.  Thinking back, however, I can't recall a single occasion when I actually met with God by virtue of being in a particular building or room.  Tradition sanctifies a room or location over another when God seeks to meet with people who love and trust Him wherever they might be.

The church is God's house in one sense, but not the way you might expect.  When the tabernacle and temples stood in Israel, the presence of God dwelt within the most holy place.  But after the veil was rent, Jesus ascended into heaven and the Holy Spirit was sent, God makes His dwelling place in each person who comprises the church - the Body of Christ.  The church is not a building but people!  Paul proclaimed to an idolatrous culture in Acts 17:24, "God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands."  Paul incredulously asked believers in 1 Corinthians 6:19, "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?"  We are the temple of God not made with hands.  Jesus affirmed the kingdom of God is within us (Luke 17:31).

Now there is nothing wrong in itself to set aside dedicated places or times to worship God, being mindful to walk in love towards others who have come away to seek fellowship with God and followers of Jesus.  But God's presence is no nearer to you in the "sanctuary" in a church building than in a public toilet at a park.  If we will humble ourselves to draw near to God, He has promised to draw near to us.  James 4:8 exmphasises the need for repentance and purity in seeking the LORD:  "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded."  By faith we love and trust God.  In Israel today it is said God's presence never leaves the Western Wall, and that is why many go there to pray.  Jesus said He is the Way, Truth, and Life, and when we choose to believe and obey God will come to us.  It is written in John 14:23:  "Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him."

Isn't it remarkable Jesus comes to us and stands and knocks at the door of our hearts?  Our belief and obedience is the key which opens to the door to fellowship and intimate relationship with God.  Jesus will not summon a divine S.W.A.T. team to smash the door in.  He calls your name because He knows you, loves you, and wants to spend time with you.  Out of respect for a salesman we will open the door and tell him we are not interested:  shouldn't we open the door to Christ and let Him take possession of the home He joyfully paid for with His own blood?

God's Love Has No Strings

I've been reading Love, Acceptance, and Forgiveness by Jerry Cook and one theme repeated throughout the book is God's love is active and without strings attached.  Jesus did not heal people because their agreed with His doctrine, nor did He die on the cross because people promised to respond positively to that demonstration of love.  Our "love" often has self-serving conditions attached to it.  Consider this excerpt from the beginning of chapter 8:

A radio station specializing in rock music offered the local churches in its area an opportunity to present a five-minute daily program.  The pastors could preach as they saw fit, but they were not to plug their own churches or give their church names and addresses.  Not one pastor responded to this opportunity.  Yet three of them bought time on another station so that they could promote their own churches.  I don't understand the mentality of Christians who feel that the interest of their own church must be served by everything they do - who won't serve the Lord Jesus Christ unless they can use it somehow to hook people for their own fellowship. (Cook, Jerry O., and Stanley C. Baldwin. Love, Acceptance, and Forgiveness: Being Christian in a Non-Christian World. Ventura, CA: Regal, 2009. 120. Print.)

A quote from Jesus Christ is shared later in the chapter from Luke 6:32-35:  "But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. ³³ And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. ³⁴ And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. ³⁵ But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil."  Christians receive recognition from God when we love those who do not love us.  Jesus loved His enemies, even spilling His life's blood for people described as unthankful and evil.  Since God's love is active and freely given to all, so we too ought to freely love others, "hoping for nothing in return."

When we do good, lend, and love others hoping for a beneficial return for ourselves, we have attached strings which bind our hearts with bitterness and resentment when our hopes are disappointed.  Do you know love never disappoints (Romans 5:5)?  When love is of God there is no remorse or shame in loving others fully.  If we withhold good because we don't believe there will be upside for us, we can know for certain we are not exercising God's love.  There is no hook hidden in God's love.  It is priceless but given freely to all who will receive.  If we give and find ourselves annoyed or irritated with how our gift was received or used, it may have been better viewed as a bribe.  We can angle for things without even knowing our good deed concealed motives which included a hook to snag a little something for ourselves out of the deal.

It is wondrous and miraculous when we perceive God's love at last flowing unhindered through our lives.  Our motive in giving and response to how a gift is received reveals if we have loved as God loves us or when we have given with strings attached.  Our gifts, even service in church can be elaborate performance traps to ensnare others.  No matter how generous a philanthropist might be, no matter how great the sacrifice a person makes in giving, if there is a nearly invisible line of monofilament connected with our actions for our benefit we have cause to repent before God.  How many times have I given from my own limited supply of human love rather than the infinite supply of God's love!  Concerning family, ministry, and all matters of life, may people know we are Christians because God's love is demonstrated through our lives - with no strings!

Better Than Gold

How important it is for Christians to adopt a biblical perspective!  The wisdom of this world is foolishness to God, and when we consider and heed God's Word we walk in His wisdom.  If someone offered you the choice of bars of gold bullion or a painful trial, what would you choose?  Speaking for myself, I would choose the gold because I know it has resale value.  Every ounce of that gold today is valued more than $1,600 Australian dollars.  Gold is considered a wise investment because it has historically held its value, has high demand, and is more stable than currencies.  People hold to the belief money and wealth helps problems disappear, so why choose trials?

Consider the surprising things Peter wrote to suffering Christians scattered by persecution in 1 Peter 1:6-9:  "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, ⁷ that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, ⁸ whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, ⁹ receiving the end of your faith--the salvation of your souls."  In so many words Peter said genuine faith in Jesus Christ is worth all the gold in the world.  Gold can be stolen, sold, traded, or lost.  A man might have millions in gold in the bank, but after he dies it is of no use to him.  Genuine faith in Jesus is revealed through the trying times, by endurance through painful trials accompanied with praise of God and joy.

It is for this reason the trying of our faith by trials is of great value.  It was the trial of faith on the open sea which caused the missionary John Wesley to realise he was without peace, afraid to die, and therefore not a genuine believer!  What if Wesley had only experienced smooth sailing and comfort in his adult life, having claimed to follow Jesus as a lad?  He might have been happy all the way to hell and his soul would have been lost forever.  We can therefore rejoice in trials, for whilst they are temporary they supply eternal benefits for us.  We will be rewarded for our endurance.  Faith in Jesus Christ will result in the salvation of our eternal souls, and this is precious in God's sight.  People sell their souls in exchange for things of this world that will perish like fame, money, and power.  Like Esau who gave up his birthright, many are deceived to think their "soul" is worthless when it is the only thing man possesses which will endure forever.

How good it is to be tried, to be refined by a loving God - painful though it may be.  Various trials will grieve us, but it is only for a little while and we have the promise of God's consolation.  Better to face the fiery trial now and repent of our faithlessness before God than face the eternal fires of hell in self-righteous pride.  You who claim to know Christ, are you filled with anxious thoughts, worries, fears, and cares of this world?  Could it be your claim to faith in Christ is in word only and is not a reality in your life?  It is God's grace to deliver a person to Satan for the destruction of the flesh so their soul can be saved in the Day of our LORD Jesus.  If in the trial you can rejoice with inexpressible joy in the LORD, that is evidence indeed of His divine power within you.  Trials have great value.  Better than gold is the assurance of scripture to those who trust and obey!