Sold and Bought

In the Bible we see tragic examples of people being sold.  Rather than kill their brother Joseph, Judah suggested he and his brothers sell him to Ishmaelite traders who were heading to Egypt.  Esther said she and her people were "sold" to be killed by Haman's wicked decree.  God exposed the moral decay among His people in Joel 3:3:  "They have cast lots for My people, have given a boy as payment for a harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they may drink."  During Paul's missionary journey to Philippi we read of a slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination who brought much financial gain to her masters, having evidently been bought or acquired previously by them.

There are times recorded in scripture when God delivered His own people into the hands of their enemies in response to their rejection of Him and departure from Him.  Judges 2:14 tells us, "And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel. So He delivered them into the hands of plunderers who despoiled them; and He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, so that they could no longer stand before their enemies."  God was gracious to raise up judges who delivered the Israelites from their enemies--even though it seemed only a matter of time before they went back to idolatry.  It is hard to imagine what it would be like to be literally sold by your parents for a bottle of wine or sold by God into the hands of enemies all around.

The reality was the people were responsible in situations like this, for they sold themselves in exchange for choosing sin and idols that could not save.  God said through the prophet in Isaiah 52:1-3:  "Awake, awake! Put on your strength, O Zion; put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city! For the uncircumcised and the unclean shall no longer come to you. ² Shake yourself from the dust, arise; sit down, O Jerusalem! Loose yourself from the bonds of your neck, O captive daughter of Zion! ³ For thus says the LORD: "You have sold yourselves for nothing, and you shall be redeemed without money."  God who allowed the Hebrews and all people to sell themselves for nothing intended all along to provide atonement and purchase lost souls enslaved to sin with His own blood--the blood of Jesus shed on Calvary (Acts 20:28).

It is the one who realises they are no longer their own, enslaved to sin and doomed without hope, who rejoice to be redeemed by the power of the Gospel and claimed as God's adopted child.  There is hope for those like Paul who realised his natural condition was carnal (of flesh) and sold under sin (Romans 7:14).  By faith in Jesus Christ lost souls are found and accepted in the beloved, cleansed from sin, and know we have a new Master and KING OF KINGS Jesus.  How blessed we are to be bought and paid once for all by the precious blood of Christ, and we have received the Holy Spirit as a down payment of our eternal inheritance (Ephesians 1:14).  Having been bought by God our Good Shepherd, we are sheep of His pasture that are protected, provided for and guided by Him forever.  Why sell ourselves for nothing when we have been bought by God Who loves us?

Time Marches On

A refrain in a rock song goes, "Time is on my side, yes it is."  The background of the story in the tune is the singer felt no time-pressure about his girlfriend leaving him, because it was only a matter of time before she would be back and knocking at his door.  He was confident the constant, relentless march of time would result in his relational struggles and separation being resolved.  I cannot say I share Mick Jagger's view on this, for time never feels like it is on my side.  The ticking away of every seconds is a force we must yield to, like it or not.  Things we dread edge ever closer, and favourite seasons pass us by.  The passage of time is an unescapable, unavoidable reality of life as the earth rotates around the sun according to God's design.

It is because God created the heavens and earth governed by time we must say, "All good times come to an end."  No matter how wonderful the current or future season is, we know they cannot last perpetually under the sun that rises and falls daily.  The time each of us have on earth will someday come to an end--likely before we have lost the pleasure of living out our days, weeks, months and years.  There is a good side to this reality, for feelings of loss come from profound enjoyment and love we never could have had on our own.  Lamenting what we have lost can be replaced with the appreciation and joy that comes from God who gave us time with people we love and activities we enjoy.

At a funeral today the thought came to mind how seasons shared with loved ones feel over too soon because we treasure and enjoy them so much.  It is also good to consider it could very well be our lives that reach an end before we know it.  With this in mind, as we enjoy the many blessings God grants us by His grace, we are moved to worship God the Giver rather than the gift itself.  Rather than idolising a person or the time we gladly spent with others in joyous relationship, we can praise God all our times are in His hands.  Every lament of loss and sorrowful feeling is evidence God has truly been good to us.  He hasn't stopped being good because one season has drawn to a close and another begins, for God makes everything beautiful in its time.  Faith in God allows us to accept this and draw close to Him.

A day is coming that will last forever, a day when we will rejoice perpetually in a never-ending season of light, love and liberty in God's presence free of sin, sorrow, pain and death.  God has provided us lives full of good things we would never choose to be without, yet God in His wisdom and grace has plans of a glorious future with Him and His redeemed people worth looking forward to.  We can rest knowing we will always be safe in His care and will see His goodness in the land of the living.  I guess in this sense time IS on our side, for the march of time brings our joyous entry into eternal glory closer by the second. :)

Changed For Good

Today whilst waiting to check out at Woolworths, my eyes fell upon a statement on a magazine cover I found bemusing:  "Be Bold and Evolve."  Even for those who ascribe to the concept of Darwinian evolution of the species, this is quite a wild statement.  How by thinking or an act of the will can a creature or human being fundamentally change who or what they are?  Even the most extreme body modifications people undergo are incapable of changing them from who they are on the inside:  such actions are overt, intentional actions that ring true to themselves as they are.  Changing names and identifying as gender fluid is not the evolution of a species but people embracing the unique powers as humans and the freedom of our will given by God to do what we want--however unconventional it may be.

Classic Darwinian evolution hinges on "survival of the fittest" as an explanation behind the origin of species, something the Bible's account of creation firmly contradicts.  It was never boldness behind the supposed evolution of species but natural selection was credited by small, successive adaptations and changes that provided benefits to a species survival and procreation.  But perhaps the magazine did not mean to go that far, but "Be Bold and Evolve" is simply an encouragement for people to be a better person, a happier, a more productive or healthy person.  People who desire to improve their lives or to be a "better version of themselves" is not usually a lack of desire but of ability to consistently follow through.  Self-help books have this fundamental flaw, that the formula presented for positive change must be embraced and practiced by an imperfect person who has already established they are incapable of changing themselves.

On its own, a changed mind has no power to change who we are.  Obviously our beliefs have a massive impact on our perspective of the world, ourselves and others, but we cannot change who our father and mother are.  We cannot change the location where we were born, our genetic code or that we are human beings created by God in His own image.  No one is perfect, and no one by willpower alone or life-hacks can we achieve perfection.  But God Himself provides hope and help beyond ourselves, for He is able to address the sin we have committed in the past and our sinful corruption.  His wisdom and righteousness provides a stark contrast from man's wickedness, for we are naturally undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving and unmerciful.  No amount of boldness or help from others can change us to be like God in holiness and goodness.

The gracious power of God to change people is seen in the life of king Nebuchadnezzar, a man whose life was saturated with pride and arrogance.  As a consequence of his sin, for seven years God gave Nebuchadnezzar the mind of a feral animal.  He lived outside and ate grass like an ox; his hair grew into dreadlocks and his curved fingernails resembled claws as he scurried around, unable to converse or speak.  He devolved terribly from his former glory as king in his palace he designed and built!  At the end of seven years, God caused Nebuchadnezzar's reason to return to him, and he was a changed man thereafter.  When he was restored to his kingdom instead of praising himself, he looked to God in faith, humility and reverence.  His last words recorded in the Bible are found in Daniel 4:37:  "Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase."  We may not be kings or queens, yet like Nebuchadnezzar we are incapable of changing ourselves--and by faith in God He changes us for good.

Going to My God

Last night in Bible study we read a couple of Psalms that spoke of going up to Jerusalem to appear before the LORD, to sacrifice and worship with rejoicing.  The sons of Korah reflected on the wonderful times they had with others who praised the God of Israel and rejoiced in His goodness.  A brother at the study pointed out the progression seen in Psalm 43:3-4:  "Oh, send out Your light and Your truth! Let them lead me; let them bring me to Your holy hill and to Your tabernacle. ⁴ Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy; and on the harp I will praise You, O God, my God."  For Jews appearing before the LORD a trip to Jerusalem was far more than a social gathering because going to Jerusalem, the tabernacle, and altar led to the presence of God Himself:  "to God, my exceeding joy."

In days long ago it was not uncommon for me to hear people call a church building "the house of God."  While this sentiment is not entirely biblically accurate, people rightly viewed as sacred the place dedicated to the worship, praise and service of the LORD.  Solomon said himself that God does not dwell in houses made with hands, yet the presence of God did dwell for a long season in the temple he built according to God's design in Jerusalem.  The coming of Jesus Christ, the establishment of the New Covenant in Christ's blood, and spiritually regenerated believers--being made the temple of the Holy Spirit--has ushered in a new era of God dwelling literally in each of His born-again people.  It is therefore even more special when we gather together for the purpose of seeking God, for He is with us, upon us, and in us.

I remember talking to a co-worker who was content to go with his grandma's advice, that because God knows our hearts there isn't any need to go to church.  Perhaps with the sharp rise of the availability of live-streamed services, Christian teaching and worship online this sentiment has also increased and become commonplace.  For anyone who enjoys live music, there is a difference between seeing a show live and listening to a polished studio album.  Watching people talk on TV or YouTube is different than shaking their hand, conversing and getting to know one another in person.  When famous musicians have shows in Sydney, it is common for these to sell out--even though people already have all their music.  While some of us have little interest in paying to go to a concert, there is a lesson we can learn from people who want to be near to artists or celebrities they may even call their idol.

Consider this:  would you go to church on Sunday if the Apostle Paul was the speaker in the flesh?  What if Jesus Himself were to descend to be speaker for a weekend church retreat?  Would you put a priority on being physically there?  As a follower of Jesus, I'd like to think I would.  Jesus is more than a person I idolise but I am convinced He is God in the flesh, my LORD and Saviour.  I believe in our private Bible reading, at a home Bible study, and at church Jesus will do the speaking through His Word and those He gifts to teach by His grace.  These teachers and pastors have a wide range of styles, quirks and even odd mannerisms, yet the LORD is faithful to speak through these imperfect vessels to those who seek Him.  We might prefer the delivery of one person over another, but God can use them all.  That's my perspective on reading the Bible and going to church.  Whenever we go to meet with God's people, being the temple of the Holy Spirit Who is in us, God is always there and ministers His truth to hungry hearts, to those thirsty to hear from Him.

We do not need to wait until our life on earth is over before we "go to God," for we can approach Him joyfully with one another when the church gathers.  Even if the preacher is not your style, by faith going to church can be a small step towards God, our exceeding joy.  You may not be greeted upon arrival or exit, and no one may ask your name:  but you cannot escape God's notice:  He sees and hears you, and like Boaz He will leave handfuls of sustenance for you to gather up and be fed by the Bread of Life.  Amazing and unexpected as it may seem, God can minister and speak through you to others by His grace.  When we are going to God rather than just "going to church" it is an exciting and joyful prospect, for we catch glimpses of Him in every believer we meet.