Just a Thought! - 18 February 2013

"...knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you; for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia." (1 Thessalonians 1:4-7)

Last time we learned how the behaviour of the people in the church in Thessalonica had been transformed and were challenged to look at our own lives to see if we too had been transformed. But Paul's praise of their transformation does not end there. Let us explore further.

Transformation Based on God's Word

In verse 4 we see the cause of their transformation, God Himself. It was not a change based on any works that they had performed. In the same way that God chose Israel to be His people, He chose the believers in the church of Thessalonica to be His. This is a stark reminder that our salvation is entirely God's initiative. We who are believers are not His as a result of anything we have done, our human heritage or status before man, but is solely based on God and His decision to draw us to Him.

And how did He draw us to Him? Well, as Paul points out above, through the Gospel that comes in power, in the Holy Spirit. It is not merely through men preaching the Word itself, for even an Atheist can present the Gospel to you but not bring about change. Rather it comes through a conviction that what the Word says is true, evidenced through what the Holy Spirit does, and Him working in our hearts to bring about true conviction.

Imitators of Christ

The church in Thessalonica became imitators of Paul, and as a result, imitators of Christ Himself. The Christ that they followed, was the same one that Paul followed.

As a result, Paul points out that they then began to suffer for the same Gospel and reasons that Paul suffered. They faced similar persecutions and trials to Paul, simply because of their faith. And like Paul, they endured it with joy. Though the temptation to abandon the faith was probably about them on a daily basis, through the joy that only the Holy Spirit can give, they endured.

Suffering is not fun, but knowing that we are not alone in our suffering, that we share in the persecution with other believers, and that our suffering is a testimony to others, as Paul points out in verse 7, reminds us that our suffering is not meaningless or random. It is serving a purpose, even if it is for others and never for ourselves.

Our Transformation

The questions we now need to ask ourselves are these: though we may be transformed as a result of our involvement in the church, what is that transformation based on? Is it merely because we answered an altar call or because we wanted some "fire-insurance" or a "get out of hell free card"? Is it because we felt guilty and decided that we needed to change? Or is it because God's Word impacted us in such a way that we were convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that God alone can change us, and needs to change us, in order for us to be reconciled to him?

And has that change brought about any suffering in our lives? We tend to avoid suffering don't we? But Jesus promised us that we would suffer for His name sake (see Matthew 5:11). It is not a maybe, or that He will help us to avoid it, but that we will go through it. Are we trusting Him to pull us through with the joy that the Holy Spirit provides? And are we trusting Him that our suffering will be an encouragement and a testimony to others? That it will be a catalyst for others to see the power of God in our lives that will ultimately lead the lost to Christ? I pray that this is so.

Just a Thought!

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Just a Thought! - 11 February 2013

"Paul and Silvanus and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace. We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers; constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father" (1 Thessalonians 1:1-4)

Do you remember the first PCs of the 1980's? Though at the time they were quite advanced compared to a typewriter, those dreary green or amber pixelated screens did not show exactly how your document would look. Today, with WYSIWYG (What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get) technology, what one sees on the screen is what the printer will spew out when you click "Print" - or at least it should according to the manual.

Today's verse is just like modern PCs - it shows us the what-you-see-is-what-you-get kind of faith of the Church in Thessalonica, the kind of faith that should be evident in our lives too. Let us look closer.

A Transformed Relationship

The fact that Paul writes a letter to a church that is "in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" tells us that he was not writing to a group of non-believers, or even to the Jewish community, but rather to a group of people who believed in Jesus Christ. They were a group whose relationship with God had been changed from being the subjects of God's wrath due to their sin, to objects of His love and care due to their faith.

To Paul, this change in relationship was so important, that he prayed regularly for them, and gave thanks to God for them. They were not just people he only heard of, but people he had met, interacted with, and whose lives he was intimately interested in.

A Transformed Lifestyle

As Paul begins to describe what he thanks God for in the Thessalonian believers, his focus in verse 3 is on how their lives are visibly different and emphasises that they are active and vibrant in living out what they believe.

He first comments that their works are produced by faith. As Paul had said in his letter to the Ephesians, works are not the root, but rather the fruit of one's salvation (Ephesians 2:8-10). A person who believes Jesus is Lord will always be active within the body. They will tend to gravitate towards doing something for others or the church community as a whole. Sacrificing their time, money, and many other things in the process.

This leads to Paul's next emphasis that these are works prompted by love. God gave us the perfect example of this when He gave us His son to die for us. That same love is present in the hearts of believers and it prompts us to do things not just because we should, or for any gain or recognition for ourselves, but simply out of love.

Paul then points out their "steadfastness of hope." This is not hope that the world has that is based on what can be physically observed, but rather a hope based on the certainty of Christ Himself (Hebrews 11:1). It is this hope that is the foundation of their endurance to live in an often difficult and trying world.

Our Transformed Lives

As believers our lives are to have visible changes too. Changes based on the hidden reality of our changed relationship with God. What people see in our lifestyles should be true reflections of the real us.

How does your life measure up? Do people see the changes for the better in you as a result of your relationship with God? And are you being motivated for the right reasons? If Paul had to write a letter to you would he be able to commend you in the same way he did the Thessalonians?

Paul had more things to commend the church in Thessalonica for, but more on that next time.

Just a Thought!
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Just a Thought! - 4 February 2013

"And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. ... And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS."" (Revelation 19:11-13 & 16)

Revelation 19 is an awesome picture of Christ on His white horse, coming forth to dispose of His enemies. A picture that is filled with beauty and ugliness at the same time. A picture of both life and death. Much can be said of this passage, but I want to just focus on one aspect, the name of Christ that is revealed to us in verse 16 - King of kings.

Herod the Great

This month, the Israel Museum is opening a large exhibit which highlights the life and architecture of Herod the Great, the controversial king of Israel at the time of Jesus' birth. Herod was a practising Jew from Idumea (Edom), a place where many Jews had settled and commingled with the locals. His mother was an Arab Nabataean noblewoman. However, due to his heritage the Pharisees did not see him as being Jewish, and the fact that he was made king of Israel by the Romans only made matters worse. Furthermore, he also executed some of his sons as well as his wife Mariamne, a Hasmonaean princess.

Despite all this, Herod sought to find favour with his people and set out to build the nation through an extensive architectural programme. His most notable building projects were:

- The extending of the Temple Mount - construction took about a year and a half, and in order to comply with religious law, Herod employed 1,000 priests as masons and carpenters. Today, only the Western Wall still stands and is considered by the Jews to be the holiest place of the structure.

- The fortification of Masada - situated in the south of Israel facing the Dead Sea, this fort was used by the Jewish Zealots as a refuge from the Romans during the First Jewish-Roman War (66–73 AD).

- The port city of Caesarea - a Roman administrative capital that Herod named in honour of Augustus Caesar. This was an incredible architectural feat, as Herod had to have the harbour deepened as it was initially too shallow to be used as a port. It was as a result of this that Flavius Josephus, a first-century Jewish historian, wrote of him, "Thus the king conquered nature herself."

- Herodian - Herod's last grand project that was a volcano-shaped hill, built to serve two purposes: a fortified palace for the royal family, and as the future tomb of Herod (His tomb was only discovered in 2007).

The True King of Kings

Two events stand out in contrast to the legacy that Herod left behind.

Firstly it was in the city of Caesarea that Peter first brought the Gospel of Jesus to the Gentiles (see Acts 10:1). As a result of Herod's port, the Gospel began to spread to the rest of the world. A legacy far greater than anything Herod could have ever left behind himself.

But more than that, Herodian was built just outside the little town of Bethlehem. What a testimony to God and His plan to bring the Messiah into the world. The very man that would try to kill Jesus at His birth would be buried just a few years later only a few kilometres away, overlooking the town where Jesus was born. And the baby that he tried to kill would end up changing the world far more than Herod could ever dream or imagine.

Let us worship Jesus today as He truly is the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

Just a Thought!

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Just a Thought! - 28 January 2013

"Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life." (Proverbs 4:23)

How is your heart today? Now I am not talking about the physical heart in your chest that is pumping blood around your body, but rather your spiritual heart. Are you rejoicing today or are you broken-hearted? Is it pure or deceitful? Would people say you have a heart of gold or a heart of stone? Is it soft and generous, or is it hard and selfish?

The condition of our spiritual heart is just as important as our physical one. In the same way that when our physical hearts affect our bodies when it is not functioning properly, so too do we affect the Body of Christ when our spiritual hearts are sick. It is for this reason that the Bible has so much to say about the heart and why Solomon penned the words above. The spiritual condition of our heart will determine how we respond to the Lord and others, and will ultimately have a huge impact on each of us in eternity.

God Opens Our Hearts

Since God is "not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9) everyone has the opportunity to be saved from eternal punishment. The Lord desires to do the same thing with all people like He did with Lydia when He "opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul" (Acts 16:14) and to draw them to a personal decision of saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. However, many resist and refuse the Lord. Paul wrote to people like this in his letter to the Romans, "But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to each person according to his deeds" (Romans 2:5-6).

Thankfully there are those whose hearts have been opened like Lydia's, and as a result, many people throughout the ages have called on the Lord out of a pure heart (2 Timothy 2:22) and as a result have "been freed from sin" and have become "slaves of righteousness" (Romans 6:17). On a daily basis, true believers pursue a walk that pleases God because they are constantly watching over their hearts "with all diligence" by reading the Bible as regularly as possible and endeavouring to live according to the Truth it contains.

Don't Grow Cold

It is possible, however, for believers to choose the wrong path in life. Wrong decisions about what to do, where to go, etc., all have consequences that cause us to later regret the path we chose. Though we cannot do anything about changing the past, we can change the future by trusting God again. We can learn from our mistakes and choose to walk a different path. But whatever the case may be, we must guard our hearts and not allow them to become distant from God. To not be anxious about anything, but to hand everything over to Him. When we do that, "the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:7).

We can also so easily allow our heart to grow cold to the things of the Lord. We trust Him with the stuff and nonsense of life, only for Him not to see to our need in the way we desire Him to. We begin to blame Him and pull ourselves away from His Word, fellowship with others, and prayer. This can cause depression, anger, and resentment towards God and others. Rather we need to trust God to see to our needs His way and not ours. After all, His thoughts and ways are far superior to ours (Isaiah 55:8-9).

I Ask You Again

So, dear believer, I ask you again, how is your heart today? If you have made sinful decisions in the past, repent of them and allow God, the best heart surgeon, to open your heart so that you can begin to live for the Him again. I urge you to do it today by returning to regular Bible reading, prayer, and finding a church where the Truth of God's Word is faithfully taught. And if you have been faithful in guarding your heart, then give God all the glory and praise for helping you so far, and ask Him to continue doing so.

Just a Thought!

© 2013

Just a Thought! - 21 January 2013

"The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief corner stone. This is the LORD's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day which the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalm 118:22-24)

These must be the most well-known verses in Psalm 118, with verse 24 being sung by Sunday School children throughout the world for hundreds of years. But let us look a little deeper at the text as it is far richer than what we usually sing about.

God's Salvation Confounds the World (vv22-23, 27)

The "stone" referred to in verse 22 has been interpreted a number of different ways over the years. Some have said that it is referring to Israel herself whom the Babylonians rejected and despised, yet later became the nation responsible for bringing the Saviour into the world. Others have said that it referred to king David who was rejected by his own brothers and his enemies, and hunted down by Saul, yet later became the king of Israel through whose line the Saviour would be born. And yet others have said that it was referring to an actual stone during the building of the second temple that was rejected and laid aside, yet later became the cornerstone of the temple. Given the context, it is the application to David which seems the more likely interpretation.

However, today, thousands of years later, we can look back and see a more important application of the verse. In Matthew 21:42 Jesus uses this verse to refer to Himself, He was the stone that the builders, namely the Jewish leaders of the day, rejected, yet He became the cornerstone of salvation. They rejected and crucified Him, but God raised Him up and exalted Him.

Note too that the rejection and salvation of the "stone" was the Lord's doing. It was not man that was trying to confound God's plans, but rather it was God doing all the work in the first place. God is the author and initiator of our salvation (see Isaiah 53:10; Acts 2:23; 4:27-28). God too has giving us the light (v27), for without it, we cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ (see 2 Corinthians 4:4-6). God's plan of salvation is a stumbling-block to the proud, but a source of great joy to God's elect (1 Corinthians 1:18-31).

A Day to Rejoice About (v24)

The day referred to in verse 24 that we are to rejoice about, in context then, does not refer to every day of our lives. Even though we should be thanking God for every day in our lives because He does indeed give us each day, but in context with the rest of the Psalm, this is referring rather to the day of salvation. That day when the rejected stone became the cornerstone.

The day that Christ died on the cross was the day that the church was essentially born, the day the stone was rejected. But three days later, God raised up the rejected stone to become the cornerstone of the church when He raised Jesus from the dead.

Verse 27 tells us, God's way of salvation required the appropriate sacrifice upon His altar. Jesus who lived a perfect life was that sacrifice (see Hebrews 10:1-14). Though this sacrifice was for all who believe in Him collectively, it is also a sacrifice for each of us individually, because Jesus is our personal saviour.

Let us give thanks to God today for His gift of salvation to us. A gift so unique, that it confounds the world. A gift so special that it gives us joy. Let us raise our voices in thanksgiving for that special day:

This is the day, this is the day that the Lord has made, that the Lord has made.

We will rejoice, we will rejoice and be glad in it, and be glad in it.

This is the day that the Lord has made,

We will rejoice and be glad in it.

This is the day, this is the day that the Lord has made.

Just a Thought!

© 2013

Just a Thought! - 14 January 2013

"The LORD is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation. The sound of joyful shouting and salvation is in the tents of the righteous; the right hand of the LORD does valiantly." (Psalm 118:14-15)

Last time we learnt that our struggles in life teach us to look to God as our rescue. That He alone is the one who can pull us out of the troubles of our life. As the psalmist continues, we now learn three results of God helping us. Let us look closer at them.

We Are Filled With Joy (vv 14-15)

Verse 14 is taken from the Song of Moses in Exodus 15:2. In its original context, Moses was giving praise to God for Him delivering the nation from the hands of the Egyptian army at the crossing of the Red Sea. The Exodus is the main event of the Old Testament that many, if not all, of the Old Testament writers looked backed to one way or another in their writings. It is seen as the ultimate example of God saving His people.

The psalmist here had obviously been through such a life changing rescue in his life, therefore he too saw God as his strength, song and salvation. Whatever the circumstances were in his life, he praised God for it. Words and feeling that obviously resonated with the people of Israel that they began to use this psalm in their own prayer life and sang it at Passover every year.

All of us have been rescued by God from something in our lives, including our sin. God is our strength, song and salvation too. Therefore, our hearts are also filled with joy for what He has done for us.

He is Glorified (vv 16-18)

As a result of what God has done for him, the psalmist vows to tell others about "the works of the Lord" (v17). It is also interesting to note that although the psalmist initially declared that his trouble was coming through the hands of his enemies, he actually recognises this as being discipline from God (v18). As John Calvin notes "The main thing in adversity is to know that we are laid low by the hand of God, and that this is the way which He takes to prove our allegiance, to arouse us from our torpidity [sluggishness], to crucify our old man, to purge us from our filthiness, to bring us into submission and subjection to God, and to excite us to meditate on the heavenly life."

Ultimately, it is God who is in control, and He gets the glory. Not only at the time of His rescuing us, but also as we go forward in our lives telling others about His rescue.

Entry Into His Presence (vv 19-21)

As a result of the nation's rescue from her enemies, Israel had the joy of being able to come before God at the temple in Jerusalem. Through the Passover, the nation of Israel were able to worship God in a way that no other nation could.

However, to enter the temple was not something to be treated lightly. Each worshipper had to check the state of their heart and make sure it was right before God. In old Testament times, this was only possible through ritual bathing and the offering of sacrifices. Now, as a result of Christ's death on the cross, all of us can come before God and worship Him. All we have to do is to repent of our sin and believe and trust in Him, then we will have the benefit of entering His presence. As the writer of Hebrews reminds us just before encouraging us to approach the throne with confidence, God will judge the thoughts and intentions of our hearts(4:12-16).

So far in Psalm 118 we have seen that God's mercy should be our continual song of praise (vv 1-4), that because we do not see salvation as our greatest need, God reminds us through allowing difficulties in our lives (vv 5-13), which when He rescues from them, He becomes our strength, song and salvation, for which He is glorified (vv 14-21). Let us go forth with this song of praise in our hearts and mouths.

Just a Thought!

© 2013

Just a Thought! - 7 January 2013

"It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes." (Psalm 118:8-9)

Times are tough. On a daily basis we hear tales of people going through some really difficult situations, being diagnosed with cancer, financial stress, or the death of loved ones earlier than expected. The writer of Psalm 118 would so easily relate to many of life's modern struggles. At the beginning of this new year, let us see what we can learn from the Psalmist who penned these words over three thousand years ago.

Context

In verse five we learn that the writer was going through some form of distress. As we read on, we then learn that this distress is to the extent that he is hated (v7), and not merely by an individual, but by the nations that are surrounding him (vv 10-12). It is generally accepted that the writer was David, and from the writer talking about the nations surrounding him like a swarm of bees, this seems to be a logical conclusion. Whoever it was, the writer was being pushed violently to the extent that he was on the verge of falling (v13).

There are three lessons for us here:

We Need God

God uses trials in our lives to show us our need for Him, so much so that we will turn to prayer. Most, if not all of us, turn to prayer when we go through severe trials. When things are going well, we tend to forget prayer, even though we know we should. Whether it be merely thanksgiving, or praying for others, we tend to neglect our prayer lives when life is good.

But when we go through trials, we tend to pray more fervently with more focus. These prayers are to be offered in faith that God will deliver. Like the writer, we should see God as our refuge (vv 8-9), our help (v13), and our strength and salvation (v14). Out of great need the writer prayed, and so should we.

Do Not Doubt

When trials hit, the devil is quick to try and have us doubt God. He tells us that God is not going to come through, or that God does not truly love us, that is why we are going through what we are. However, the words of the Psalmist tell us something quite different, "The LORD is for me; I will not fear; what can man do to me?" We read similar words in Psalm 56:4 & 11 and Hebrews 13:6. Of course, we can experience bad things at the hands of man which cause us emotional and physical pain, but the point it that they cannot do anything that is ultimately harmful to us, in other words, they cannot take away God's salvation. Paul states this so beautifully in Romans 8:31-32, "If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?"

Trust God Alone

Verses 8 and 9 show us the extent of the Psalmist's trust in God, he trusts no-one other than God. He sees God alone as his strength (v14) and he trusts God to protect him and save him from his enemies.

Trusting in God alone, turning to Him in prayer, and not doubting Him, are not necessarily automatic responses when trials hit. Maybe when all else fails we may do, but not initially. But as we learn in Psalm 118, prayer and faith should be our first response before we do anything else.

We also need to remember that we must not trust in the method of prayer itself, or even in particular words or phrases, but in the person we are calling out to. From the simplest, seemingly silly prayer, to the most elaborate, Bible-quoting prayer, we are to call on God in times of trial right from the beginning. Let us make this a year where we turn to Jesus first, no matter how big or small the problem.

Just a Thought!

© 2013