Holy Priests

Posted on by korgrocker

“You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honour. And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God.”
1 Peter 2:4-5 NLT

When we mention the word “priest” what comes to our minds? An Anglican will form a picture of a person, usually a man but it could be a woman, wearing a long robe and other accoutrements, who stands at the front of the church leading the service in accordance with the liturgy and worship service of the day. For Roman Catholics a similar picture might result, but the “priest”would also be available for other duties such as confessions. But whatever religion we follow, the “priest” is a minister who purports to teach and lead his adherents, with a sacred involvement in his parish and consequent liturgical duties, and looking after the spiritual needs of the community. 

In the book of Hebrews, we read about the ultimate High Priest, Jesus. Hebrews 7:16, “Jesus became a priest, not by meeting the physical requirement of belonging to the tribe of Levi, but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed”. The writer, or writers, of the Hebrews letter wrote about the connection between the priests of the Jewish religion, and the High Priest of the New Covenant, Jesus. In Hebrews 8:6, we read, “But now Jesus, our High Priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood, for he is the one who mediates for us a far better covenant with God, based on better promises”. Just as in the Old Covenant, the priests stood between God and man, Jesus, in the New, ministers “a far better covenant with God” because He is God. We pilgrims now each have access to the throne of God. No more earthly priests required. This is made clear in Hebrews 10:19-22, “And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.”

We pilgrims have an important role as the “holy priests” that Peter wrote about. We are part of God’s “spiritual temple” and we are responsible for sharing the “good news” about Jesus and His saving grace. There is no more important job for a priest. All the liturgical flummery we find in some denominations will probably not help a person find God. Rather, it might even put them off. But sharing what God has done for us will be a matter of life and death. Our personal testimonies of God’s grace, love and mercy are priceless and worthy of a “holy priest” in the Kingdom of God.

Dear Lord Jesus. We are indeed Your representatives here on Planet Earth, priests in Your kingdom. Please help us to become more like You, day by day. Amen.

Fading Flowers

Posted on by korgrocker

“As the Scriptures say, “People are like grass; their beauty is like a flower in the field. The grass withers and the flower fades. But the word of the Lord remains forever.” And that word is the Good News that was preached to you.”
1 Peter 1:24-25 NLT

The first chapter of 1 Peter concludes with an Old Testament scripture from Isaiah. The prophet wrote, “A voice said, “Shout!” I asked, “What should I shout?” “Shout that people are like the grass. Their beauty fades as quickly as the flowers in a field. The grass withers and the flowers fade beneath the breath of the Lord. And so it is with people. The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever”” (Isaiah 40:6-8). Isaiah 40 is one of the most encouraging chapters in the Bible and was delivered to a fearful and insecure people, under threat from the Babylonians. The chapter ends with one of my favourite verses, “But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31). 

I’m writing this in the month of August. The early Spring burst of growth in the woods near where I live has peaked and recent winds and rain have started the process of decay amongst the undergrowth. Flowers have finished blossoming and the petals mostly disappeared, leaving lonely stems and the start of seed growth. All too soon it will be autumn and the greenery will start to blacken and die away. Isaiah used this picture to describe how it is with people. The process might take a bit longer but a person’s “beauty fades as quickly as the flowers in a field”. Some might find this depressing. Certainly the cosmetic industry invests much to promote products designed to delay the inevitable as much as possible. But we do have a finite natural life, which is all the more reason to invest in the life that lasts forever. That process starts with the “Word of the Lord”. Peter wrote that this Word is the Good News about Jesus. The Word who became a man and who died for us, that we who believe in Him will receive eternal life.

Regardless of our age, young or old, God is with us. Isaiah 46:3-4, “Listen to me, descendants of Jacob, all you who remain in Israel. I have cared for you since you were born. Yes, I carried you before you were born. I will be your God throughout your lifetime— until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you.” We pilgrims may feel that as we get older, our usefulness diminishes. We may be able to do less, our fitness and physical abilities declining. But God’s plan for us never stops, and he promised to care for us regardless. Our petals might have fallen off. We may have started to wither in appearance. A few lines may have increased to become crazy paving. But one day we will hear the call and soon after inherit a new body, that will never decay and that will last forever. Paul wrote to the Corinthian believers, “For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands” (2 Corinthians 5:1).

That is the Good News that Peter wrote about. Perhaps one day we will have the opportunity to talk with him and find out the thinking behind his words. After all he spent over three years with Jesus, walking around Galilee and beyond. But in the meantime, we have a mission to complete. Not for us the temptation to sit back and wait for the day we hope for. There are many around us who have not made a decision to obey the “Good News”. And if they haven’t heard it, or perhaps need a reminder, that’s why we’re here.

Father God. It truly is Good News, about Jesus and His sacrifice for our sins. We worship You today. Amen.

Watching Angels

Posted on by korgrocker

“They were told that their messages were not for themselves, but for you. And now this Good News has been announced to you by those who preached in the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. It is all so wonderful that even the angels are eagerly watching these things happen.”
1 Peter 1:12 NLT

Peter wrote that the preaching of the Gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit was “all so wonderful that even the angels are eagerly watching”. How do we feel about angels? Do we think that they exist or are they just mythical entities, superstitious legacies from a bygone age? I used to know an old lady whose driving skills were atrocious, but she never seemed to experience any bumps or scrapes, arriving at her destinations totally unscathed. The suspicion was that she had an angel positioned on each corner of her car, keeping her safe. Someone else I knew always advised against speeding when driving, as the angels then couldn’t keep up. The concept of guardian angels has always been with us.

Personally, I’m convinced that angels are real and play a very important part in our lives, even though we cannot see them. In my walks around the woods near my home I sometimes meet a man who shows an interest in spiritual matters, and I have shared the Good News with him on several occasions. But Peter said that angels are “eagerly watching” me as I speak with him and you can just imagine what they might have been saying. Perhaps they were trying hard to put words into my mouth. Or praying that the other man would open his mind to the Gospel truths. One thing is certain though, and that is that the angels were excited about the “Good News” being shared, because, as Peter wrote, “it is all so wonderful”. 

Angels are created spirit beings, who live in Heaven. So we cannot see them as tangible beings although we presume they can see us. To enable us to see them, they have to somehow acquire an earthly body. Daniel saw such an embodied angel, as we read in Daniel 10:5-6, “I looked up and saw a man dressed in linen clothing, with a belt of pure gold around his waist. His body looked like a precious gem. His face flashed like lightning, and his eyes flamed like torches. His arms and feet shone like polished bronze, and his voice roared like a vast multitude of people”. Those men around him knew something was going on but they didn’t see what Daniel saw. In Revelation 22:8, John wrote, “I, John, am the one who heard and saw all these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me”. The writer of the Letter to the Hebrews wrote in Hebrews 13:2, “Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realising it!” 

We may be unconvinced of the presence of angels. Our scientific and technological age discounts anything spiritual because it can’t be measured or observed. But the Bible is full of references to angels and to ignore them impoverishes our experience of Scripture. In Hebrews 1:14 we read, “Therefore, angels are only servants—spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation“. Psalm 91:11, “For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go“. But as we preach the Good News to those around us we do so with the knowledge that angels are “eagerly watching” what is happening. And we read in Luke 15:10, “In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents“. Can you imagine it – when we pilgrims became believers the angels had a party in Heaven! As we share the Good News with our friends and families, let’s remember there’s a party coming!

Dear Father God. Thank You for Your servants the angels. Amen.


In Conclusion

Posted on by korgrocker

“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”
Romans 16:24 NKJV
“Now all glory to God, who is able to make you strong, just as my Good News says. This message about Jesus Christ has revealed his plan for you Gentiles, a plan kept secret from the beginning of time. But now as the prophets foretold and as the eternal God has commanded, this message is made known to all Gentiles everywhere, so that they too might believe and obey him. All glory to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, forever. Amen.”
Romans 16:25-27 NLT

In Romans 15:33 we read what looked like a final greeting at the end of the letter, but then Paul continued to write about his friends and fellow workers in chapter 16. Some manuscripts then include another “final greeting” in Romans 16:24. Perhaps the letter was assembled at different times, and Paul was reluctant to say it was finished. He could have been anxious to make sure he hadn’t forgotten anything, but in the process he sent a double blessing to the Roman believers, God’s peace and the Lord Jesus Christ’s grace.

Paul concludes his letter with a reference to the “Good News”, which was where he started in Romans 1, and he reminded the believers in Rome that the Good News would give them strength. Paul continued by reminding them of something else, and that was the revelation that the Good News was finally made public, a secret no more, and because it included the Gentiles, who had a significant presence in the Romans Church. So the Good News was a revelation of God’s secret plan to make God’s grace universally available to all peoples and nations. There were no exclusions, except for those who rejected God.

In Romans 1:1 we read, “This letter is from Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News”. That was his mandate. And Paul ends his letter giving glory to God. He knew it wasn’t about him. He knew he was a man with a mission limited by his humanity, but his passion was to do what he could in his time in which he lived, to share God’s heart with anyone who would listen. His theological and oratorical skills convinced many, and offended even more, but he was a driven man, aware of limited time to share God’s grace. We have read the end of the story, and we know that God’s patience will not last for ever. There will be a time when a Heavenly “enough!” will cry out over this world, and God’s Son, Jesus will appear for a second time. God’s glory will fill the heavens, and usher in a new dawn. 

Paul gave glory to God with all he was and all he said. We pilgrims must also. We have in our hands Paul’s baton, running the race for the pilgrim team. The race course is before us. And the people we meet on our journeys need to know all about God’s Good News. For every person who joins the race with us we give God all the glory. It is all about Him and His plan for mankind, a plan so gracious and loving we can only wonder and worship the only One who really matters.

Father God, as we conclude our journey through the Book of Romans, I pray that all who read it will be richly blessed. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

A Reminder

Posted on by korgrocker

“Even so, I have been bold enough to write about some of these points, knowing that all you need is this reminder. For by God’s grace, I am a special messenger from Christ Jesus to you Gentiles. I bring you the Good News so that I might present you as an acceptable offering to God, made holy by the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:15-16 NLT

Paul qualifies his statement in the previous verse, Romans 15:14, about teaching others, by saying something like, “I knew you would be good teachers, full of the goodness of God, but I was just reminding you in case it had slipped your minds”. And for good measure, he laid out his credentials about being Jesus Christ’s special messenger. Regarding the latter, if there was anyone who could make that claim of being special, it was Paul. Just read the account of his Damascus Road conversion in Acts 9. And the reason for Paul’s reminder was to make sure that the Roman Christians became “an acceptable offering to God“. An acceptable offering made holy by the Holy Spirit.

What reminders do we pilgrims need? Do we think sometimes that there are so many different things a Christian needs to remember that inevitably some seem to fall by the wayside? In 1 Corinthians 2:1-4 we read, “When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters, I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan. For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified. I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling. And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit“. Paul was quite capable at making clever speeches – he was one of the greatest theologians of his day – but his focus was always on the good news of Jesus Christ and his crucifixion and resurrection. The Good News about God’s saving power through Jesus. For most of the time Paul was a one message evangelist. His message was incredibly repetitive – it was almost exclusively about Christ Jesus, and Him crucified. The Gospel, God’s message of hope and salvation, was always on his lips.

In the previous verses in Romans 14 and 15 Paul wrote about the importance of living together as Christians in a hostile environment. He reminded them about how they had to pull together, in loving one another, not criticising one another, being sensitive to one other, and all because he wanted to present them as an acceptable and holy offering to God.

Paul was very clear about his mission to the peoples of his world. He was so focused that at times he upset the status quo in the communities and workplaces in which he found himself. His message of God’s saving grace through Jesus was so radical that even the Jews, his own people, threw him out of their synagogues and he ended up being stoned and abused by hostile mobs. But the Holy Spirit was with him and his message of the good news was received gladly by many people. So it begs the question – are we pilgrims clear about our message to our families and the communities where we live?

Paul took the Good News wherever he went and so must we. Our messages of hope, our testimonies, may be by using words but they should also be by what we do and how we behave. Jesus said in Matthew 5:13, “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavour? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless“. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 9:16, “Yet preaching the Good News is not something I can boast about. I am compelled by God to do it. How terrible for me if I didn’t preach the Good News“! Paul could speak about nothing else. He was a driven man, compelled to share the message of the Good News. We too must never miss the opportunity to share the Gospel – we may never see the fruit of it in this life, but when we get to Heaven perhaps someone will come up to us to thank us for taking the time to share what we knew about Jesus. Paul reminded the Roman Christians about their obligations to God and each other. Let us not forget that either.

Father God. You have placed us in communities and families. Please help us to look out for each other and grasp every opportunity to share the Good News of the Risen Christ. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

‭‭

Teach Well

Posted on by korgrocker

“In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well.”
Romans 12:6-7 NLT

What comes into our minds when we think about teachers? Someone standing at the front of a classroom, piece of chalk in hand, writing equations on a chalkboard? If so, this was not the sort of person that Paul had in mind when he wrote about those who have the gift of teaching. In modern days, we find there are several effective teaching methods, often used with varying results to an audience, often hostile and unreceptive, such as in some of our schools. But in the Christian sense, a teacher is someone who can expound Scripture, delivering truths and guidance to receptive people. What better place to start than with the best Teacher there has ever been – Jesus Himself?

Matthew 4:23, “Jesus travelled throughout the region of Galilee, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness“. Matthew 7:29, “When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, for he taught with real authority—quite unlike their teachers of religious law“. Jesus was a well-regarded and successful Teacher because He taught from a position of experience. He could teach about the Kingdom of God because He was God. He could teach about the Good News because He was the Good News. He could teach about healing because He healed those who were sick. Unlike the Jewish teachers of His day, He didn’t just teach about something. Because of this, the people of His day noticed that He taught with authority. 

In our Christian environments, our teachers are, of course, not divine in their teaching. They are human beings like the rest of us. But God helps them to teach, and teach well with a gift of teaching. Paul encouraged Timothy to appoint Elders in the church he was overseeing. He wrote, “So a church leader must be a man whose life is above reproach. He must be faithful to his wife. He must exercise self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must be able to teach” (1 Timothy 3:2 – emphasis mine). Paul also wrote about Elders to Titus, as we read in Titus 1:9, “He must have a strong belief in the trustworthy message he was taught; then he will be able to encourage others with wholesome teaching and show those who oppose it where they are wrong“. So in Paul’s day, the church leaders were expected to be able to teach their congregations. In the days of the early church, before the Canon of Scripture had been established, erroneous teaching was common, and Paul warned Titus about teachers of error. In Titus 1 he continued, “Everything is pure to those whose hearts are pure. But nothing is pure to those who are corrupt and unbelieving, because their minds and consciences are corrupted. Such people claim they know God, but they deny him by the way they live. They are detestable and disobedient, worthless for doing anything good” (Titus 1:15-16). Now that we have our Bibles, we have a solid foundation for our teachers to follow, and, like the Berean Christians in Acta 17:11, we can check them out, “And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth“.

But it is not just Biblical teachers who teach us. Colossians 3:16, “Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts“. Part of our responsibilities in living the Christian life is to “teach and counsel each other”. What do we teach? “The message about Christ”, as Paul said. But, on reflection, we are indeed all teachers. It may not be in a formal setting. It may just be a brief conversation at the church door, or over a coffee. As we share life together, we can unconsciously teach each other. And we look to God for the gift that enables us to teach well.

Dear Father God. We are life-long learners, always looking to You, the Source of all that we are. Please continue to equip us to share our faith and teach others, to the measure of the grace You have provided. And please help us to be receptive to all that You teach us through others. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Calling

Posted on by korgrocker

“Many of the people of Israel are now enemies of the Good News, and this benefits you Gentiles. Yet they are still the people he loves because he chose their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn.”
Romans 11:28-29 NLT

The second God-quality that Paul mentioned in Romans 11:29 concerned God’s calling. He said that it “can never be withdrawn”. We are born into a life on this planet that will provide us with many opportunities, and amongst them is something inbuilt into our DNA – the ability to hear and obey God’s calling. Of course, most people, Christians or not, will fail to hear His call, and will live a life driven by their own selfish desires, with a “calling” that is from a demanding and capricious society, drowning out any thoughts or guidance from the One who created us. 

The prophet Isaiah penned a lovely picture of God’s heart, as recorded in Isaiah 55. God’s invitation, His calling, reached out to His people and we can just imagine a loving Father, so desperate to see a positive response from His children. “Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink— even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk— it’s all free! Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength? Why pay for food that does you no good? Listen to me, and you will eat what is good. You will enjoy the finest food. “Come to me with your ears wide open. Listen, and you will find life. I will make an everlasting covenant with you. I will give you all the unfailing love I promised to David” (Isaiah 55:1-3). How tragic it is, that most people in our Western societies totally reject this call, even if they heard it in the first place. With ears tightly closed to block out out any words from God, they stumble on through life regardless, not realising that His words contain such a wonderful  eternal and life-changing invitation.

I’m writing this blog the day after the coronation of the British king, Charles III. Imagine if, in the weeks before, a card dropped through our letterboxes saying that he would like us to be a guest at this auspicious event. I’m sure most of us here in the UK would have jumped at the chance. What an honour, we would think. And the RSVP at the foot of the card would have prompted an immediate response, a massive “Yes”. God has sent mankind such an invitation, but, sadly, very few respond, even with a “No thanks”. 

Jesus came to this world as a physical manifestation of God’s invitation card. The words recorded by God’s prophets and delivered to His people so often went unheeded. But God wasn’t going to give up, and He sent His most precious Son, who willingly and humbly came to show us the way to the Father and eternal life with Him. Jesus returned to Heaven, mission accomplished, but 200 years later God’s call still hangs in the air. We pilgrims answered Him with a massive “Yes!”, and he left us with the responsibility to extend His calling into the whole world. 

Imagine if King Charles had failed to see a response to his invitation and then sent one of his trusted servants to seek us out just to make sure we received it. We would be so touched, I imagine, but that is what God did. Mankind failed to respond to His prophets so He sent His Son. But instead of responding positively, the people of His day rejected Him and killed Him. Jesus set out this exact scenario in His “Parable of the Evil Farmers” as recorded in Luke 20.

We pilgrims have a mission that Jesus left us with. We all know the Scripture in Matthew 28. Let us not waste any time in reminding people of God’s invitation, before it is too late. Because the next time the Trusted Servant, God’s Son, comes it will be too late. The invitation card is on the table now. We don’t know when the celebration will be, so we must encourage those around us to RSVP while there is still time.

Father God. We know You have issued an invitation to the world to join Your family. Please help us to deliver the message to our friends and families. they will be eternally grateful. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Gifts

Posted on by korgrocker

“Many of the people of Israel are now enemies of the Good News, and this benefits you Gentiles. Yet they are still the people he loves because he chose their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn.”
Romans 11:28-29 NLT

God is unchanging. The promises He has made, and still makes, are always fulfilled. And one promise He made concerned His chosen people. Deuteronomy 10:14-15, “Look, the highest heavens and the earth and everything in it all belong to the Lord your God. Yet the Lord chose your ancestors as the objects of his love. And he chose you, their descendants, above all other nations, as is evident today”. Paul wrote that God’s gifts and calling can never be withdrawn. And he adds that even though many of the Jews rejected Jesus when He came to Planet Earth, that didn’t stop Him loving them. To God, His chosen people were not like a garment, worn one day and discarded into the recycling the next. They were, and are, His forever people.  

We pilgrims should note two things from Romans 11:29 – God gives gifts and He calls us. When we think about gifts, we immediately associate this with a present or something personal. There are gifts of money, or something that is just for us personally. A gadget or trinket. An object, gift wrapped and hidden behind the packaging. The “wise men” from the East brought gifts for Jesus – we know them well from the Christmas story, recorded in Matthew 2. And we know, of course, that Jesus was a gift given for mankind as a whole. Through His willingness to be sacrificed at Calvary, we receive what is the greatest gift of all, as we read in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord”. Eternal Life is a priceless gift. It costs us nothing, but instead cost Jesus His life. All we have to do is accept Jesus and His message, responding in repentance for our sins. 

Jesus informed His disciples about the Source of gifts. Matthew 7:11, “So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him”. We read in 1 Corinthians 12 about the gifts of the Holy Spirit. “There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. …  A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other” (1 Corinthians 12:4,7). And then we read about the “gifts” God gave His church, “Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-12). In fact, as we look through the Bible, the last conclusion we can draw is that God is reluctant to give gifts. He is so generous and kind, giving us the gifts we need for life here on this planet. Not temporal gifts, received one day and discarded the next, but those that will last for eternity. “Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow” (James 1:17).

We too need to emulate our loving Father by giving good gifts to others. And in the process we will benefit in some way. “Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back” (Luke 6:38).

We have a loving Heavenly Father who cares for us. Who looks after us. And who will welcome us one day into Heaven. Why does He care for us so much? Because He loves us so much. How else can we respond to Him unless it involves all the gratitude and worship that we can muster.

Dear Father. Thank You for all the gifts You provide for us, through Your grace and love. We worship You today. Amen.

The Full Number

Posted on by korgrocker

“I want you to understand this mystery, dear brothers and sisters, so that you will not feel proud about yourselves. Some of the people of Israel have hard hearts, but this will last only until the full number of Gentiles comes to Christ.”
Romans 11:25 NLT

Paul unfurls a mystery before his readers. He said that while the people of Israel, the Jews, refuse the Gospel, the gentiles will benefit from God’s grace. But this won’t last forever, because there is a limit on the number of Gentiles who will come to Christ. The obvious question, of course, is – how many is the “full number”? Is God close to achieving that number? We don’t know – only God does. But there is coming a day when God will decree enough! And then we will see the hearts of the Jews responding at last to their Messiah. 

Jesus said, as recorded in Matthew 24:14, “And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come.” The implication is that the “full number of Gentiles” won’t be achieved until the whole world, including all nations and people groups, have heard the “Good News about the Kingdom”. One statement that people who try to find fault with God suggest is that He isn’t fair, because there is always the possibility that someone, somewhere, will never hear the Gospel, implying that they will be denied the opportunity to respond to God. A good answer is perhaps the suggestion that if this concerns them then they should sign up to be a missionary just in case, and go and search out remote peoples and nations tucked away in some inaccessible corner of the globe. But, almost as a catch all, Paul wrote in Romans 1:20, “For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God”. Jesus said that the Gospel will be preached everywhere, but Paul follows that up by the thought that people don’t really have an excuse if they fail to respond to God. One day, we will all stand before God but secure in the knowledge that He will certainly always be fair. People will only ever be judged on what they know, not what they don’t know. And we can rest assured that everyone will be judged by what they know, not what they don’t know.

We currently live in a season of grace. The full number of Gentiles as not yet been reached – we know that, because we do not yet see the wholesale softening of the hearts of the Jews. But it won’t be long. The number of different translations of the Bible is staggering. The extent and reach of the Gospel is as never before. There is a feeling of urgency in spiritual realms, and we can see the end time story unfolding and aligning itself to world events, just as the old Apostle John wrote in the book of Revelation. So how prepared are we? And how are we communicating that feeling of urgency within our families and communities? Do we pray everyday for God to wake up those around us and soften their hearts so that they will feel the gentle wind of the Spirit flowing around them and through them?

Paul wrote about the mystery of how God made the Gospel available to the Gentiles. Our gratitude can know no limits. God’s love for His family, regardless of their origin, is mixed with His grace to reach everyone who is open to Him. It is a mystery no more. It is reality.

Dear Father God. Once again we thank You for Your grace and love. Please lead us to anyone who has not yet responded positively to Your Good News. Over our lives we have planted many Gospel seeds. Please bring on a time of harvest before the final click of Your salvation clock. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Did Israel Hear?

Posted on by korgrocker

“But I ask, have the people of Israel actually heard the message? Yes, they have: “The message has gone throughout the earth, and the words to all the world.” But I ask, did the people of Israel really understand? Yes, they did, for even in the time of Moses, God said, “I will rouse your jealousy through people who are not even a nation. I will provoke your anger through the foolish Gentiles.””
Romans 10:18-19 NLT

Once again Paul quotes some Old Testament Scriptures to support his argument. In response to his question, “have the people of Israel actually heard the message” he quotes a verse from Psalm 19:4, “Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world. God has made a home in the heavens for the sun”. In the context of Psalm 19, the Psalmist, David, looks up and sees God’s message of Good News in the skies above. Psalm 19:1 reads, “The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship”. David makes it clear that God’s creation is sufficient for all peoples everywhere, and in particular the “people of Israel”, to see Him and His Good News. So everyone has had an opportunity to hear, even see, the message. Do we pilgrims look up into the sky and associate what we see with our wonderful Heavenly Father’s creative abilities? Such knowledge elevates the mundane “It’s a sunny day today” into a declaration of praise and worship, lifting us into His very presence. I often think that the beauty of the world around me has been blighted by sin – imagine what the new sinless earth (Revelation 21) will be like?

So Paul is effectively saying that the people of Israel have heard the message of Good News, even if no-one has told them. But he goes on to think, “did the people of Israel really understand”? Again, Paul accesses another Old Testament Scripture to answer his question. This time it comes from Deuteronomy 32:21, “They have roused my jealousy by worshiping things that are not God; they have provoked my anger with their useless idols. Now I will rouse their jealousy through people who are not even a people; I will provoke their anger through the foolish Gentiles”. Paul may have been a little out of context here, but the implication is that the “people of Israel” understood the message because even the “foolish Gentiles” did. We of course remember the warning Jesus gave to the Jewish religious leaders of His day. We read in Matthew 21:43, “I tell you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation that will produce the proper fruit”. 

A question often asked of us is “Did you hear what I said?” Often we “hear” what someone says to us but we fail to process the audio into understanding, particularly if our minds are already occupied in thinking or reading something else. Misunderstandings can be commonplace – “I thought you said …”. Those of us who sit through many a sermon in church – can we summarise what the preacher said last Sunday? Hmmm… 

But there is no excuse for the Israelites, if they failed to understand the message God had given them. The Psalmist, David, in Psalm 19 wrote about the “catch all” of seeing God’s message in the skies above and His creation around us. We pilgrims have heard God’s message, and have responded to it in a positive way. When God speaks, we must listen. His messages contain life and hope, love and grace. Do we feel a sense of excitement from hearing His voice? Or are we jaded and dejected? If the latter state is the case, we need to turn the volume up to hear God’s messages. The problem is not the message but our focus being on something else, something that is drowning out what God is saying. Elijah, in the episode recorded in 1 Kings 19, earnestly sought God’s voice following wind, an earthquake, and fire. But the message was in the “still small voice”. Listening to God is an art that we must perfect. It will take a lifetime, but perseverance is required. And hearing God for ourselves, and not through another’s experience, will lead us in the way He wants. Another’s journey may not be the one God wants us to take. Being a God-follower can be a roller-coaster of experiences but through it all we find life God’s way. So listen out – that whisper you thought you heard in your spirit might just have been the Holy Spirit.

Dear God. Thank You that You care so much for us, to the point that You always know what is best for us and try and communicate with us. Please help us to learn to listen out. In Jesus’ name. Amen