Do You Understand?

Posted on by korgrocker

“After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.”
John 13:12-15 NLT

As we have read, Jesus washed His disciples’ feet. In our society, people sit at tables and feet are not on display.  But in Jesus’ days, a meal was eaten at low tables, where the diners reclined. So feet would have been everywhere. The famous picture of da Vinci’s the Last Supper was not in fact how the meal was shared, and even in that picture, feet are discretely tucked away almost out of sight. Regarding the Passover meal, and according to Luke 22:8, “Jesus sent Peter and John ahead and said, “Go and prepare the Passover meal, so we can eat it together””. But there was no servant organised and present who would wash their feet. It must have crossed the disciples’ minds, but none of them volunteered for the task. So they ate the meal accompanied by a display of unwashed feet.

Jesus pointed out to His disciples that He was their Teacher and Lord, and He turned this common practice of foot washing into a learning opportunity, saying “I have given you an example to follow”. If Jesus had taught His disciples about the importance of serving one another, using words alone, then it is unlikely that they would have remembered for long, and in any case, how would they have applied His instructions in practice? But the practical demonstration of foot washing from the Man they revered and followed would have stuck in their minds for the rest of their lives. Jesus didn’t have to resort to a long teaching session backed by Scriptures, as we might expect from today’s pulpits. Instead He just acted it out and then asked the question, “Do you understand what I was doing?” And as the penny dropped in the disciples’ minds, He finished the occasion by saying, “Do as I have done to you.”

We pilgrims are servants to our fellow believers, and even beyond into our communities. We can talk forever about what should be done, but Jesus’ example was a practical demonstration that cut across many words. On another occasion, Jesus taught about servanthood. “But Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world Lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many”” (Matthew 20:25-28). In our societies, we recognise the world Jesus described, with the rulers lording their authority over their citizens. But Jesus came to promote His counter-cultural Kingdom, a Kingdom that to the world appeared upside down. We pilgrims are part of that upside-down world, a world that our secular fellow citizens don’t recognise. They scratch their heads in puzzlement and consign us to the looney fringe, along with the flat earthies and Covid deniers. But we know differently, and have experienced life in the Kingdom of God. It’s a wonderful place.

Dear Father God. Thank You that You have made Your Kingdom available to all who believe in Your Son, Jesus. Amen.

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He Is Old Enough

Posted on by korgrocker

“The Jewish leaders still refused to believe the man had been blind and could now see, so they called in his parents. They asked them, “Is this your son? Was he born blind? If so, how can he now see?” His parents replied, “We know this is our son and that he was born blind, but we don’t know how he can see or who healed him. Ask him. He is old enough to speak for himself.” His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who had announced that anyone saying Jesus was the Messiah would be expelled from the synagogue. That’s why they said, “He is old enough. Ask him.””
John 9:18-23 NLT

How old is “old enough”? In orthodox Jewish practices, a boy reaches manhood at the age of 13, and a girl at the age of 12. We find Jesus in the Temple at the age of 12 – we read in Luke 2, “And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast. …. And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?”” (Luke 2:42, 49). In Exodus 30:14, the age of 20 was proposed as the minimum age allowing someone to present a sacred offering. In modern UK society, there are various age restrictions. At 14, a teenager can get a part time job. At 16, they can claim benefits, drive a moped and order a passport. 17 is the age when a driving licence for a car can be obtained. At 18, alcohol can be purchased and you are allowed to vote or get married without a parent’s permission. At 21, all age restrictions are removed and adulthood is reached. But in all this, there is a big difference between what is permitted and what a young person is capable of. One thing there is no restriction on is the age when a child or adult can decide to follow Jesus. Many children make a decision for Christ in their primary years and set the scene for the rest of their lives from that point. 

In our account in John 9, the parents of Mr “Blind-no-more” failed to take any responsibility for their son’s healing and the events that followed. They gave the Pharisees the facts as they knew them, that their son had really been born blind, that they were not involved in his healing, and, they said to the Pharisees, “Ask him. He is old enough to speak for himself”. This puts Mr “Blind-no-more” at least at an age of more than 13, but in reality the impression was that the man was a mature adult, who was forced to beg for a living. John also records that the parents of the man were afraid of being excluded from the synagogue, something that could have had a serious and detrimental effect on their ability to do business and be an effective member of that society. The Pharisees had one trump card in their hold over the people, and that was synagogue membership, and they leveraged this by saying that anyone who went on to believe in Jesus and affirm that He was the Messiah would be excommunicated. 

We pilgrims, like everyone else, are on a journey through life. However, we have one clear distinction over unbelievers, in that we are citizens of the Kingdom of God. We are God’s children, and can enjoy all the benefits that Kingdom membership brings. God has children of all ages, and no-one is excluded because they aren’t old enough. In Matthew 19:13-14 we read, “One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could lay his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him. But Jesus said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children””. There has always been a special place in God’s heart for children. Anyone who is old enough to understand about Jesus and what He did for us can decide to follow Him, and there is no fear of being rejected at the foot of the Cross because of age. God will never turn away a repentant sinner, regardless of how old they are. 

Father God. We thank You for the Gospel and how it includes everyone regardless of age, race, skin colour, and ability. Whatever our age was when we came to believe in Jesus, we know that You never rejected us. Thank You. Amen.

When the Messiah Comes

Posted on by korgrocker

“Some of the people who lived in Jerusalem started to ask each other, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill? But here he is, speaking in public, and they say nothing to him. Could our leaders possibly believe that he is the Messiah? But how could he be? For we know where this man comes from. When the Messiah comes, he will simply appear; no one will know where he comes from.””
John 7:25-27 NLT

So the animosity between the Jewish leaders and Jesus was obviously public knowledge. Everyone seemed to know about Jesus, and He split public opinion into two people factions – those that supported Him and those that didn’t. Jesus’ message and His claim to be the Son of God was clear, so clear in fact, that people started to ask the question if He really was the Messiah they had been expecting. But they had a problem with Jesus’ pedigree. If they had bothered to do some research they would have found that the prophecies about the coming of the Messiah fitted exactly with Jesus’ origins. As we know, Jesus was born in a stable in Bethlehem, fulfilling the prophecy in Micah 5:2, “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel, whose origins are in the distant past, will come from you on my behalf”. The Jewish leaders at the time of Jesus’ birth knew that, and Herod was convinced enough by the prophecy to murder many innocent male babies in and around Bethlehem. The people assumed that He was born and bred in Nazareth, a village located in Galilee, because that was where He grew up and worked.

Another misconception the people held was that the Messiah would just “simply appear”. It is sometimes strange how ideas and rumours quickly grow into becoming facts, even though there is no basis for them. Jesus made it clear that He was and is the Messiah. John 4:25-26, “The woman said, “I know the Messiah is coming—the one who is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” Then Jesus told her, “I Am the Messiah!”” But the problem for the people was that Jesus didn’t fit their preconceived notions of the Messiah they were expecting. They were expecting a King and the wise men from the east came looking for Him – Matthew 2:1-2, “Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.”“ The Jewish people expected the Messiah to usher in an immediate kingdom that would re-establish the Jewish state, independent once again. Luke 19:11, “The crowd was listening to everything Jesus said. And because he was nearing Jerusalem, he told them a story to correct the impression that the Kingdom of God would begin right away“. But it was sad that the Jewish leaders and people selected the prophecies that they agreed with, and discarded those, such as the Suffering Servant in Isaiah, that didn’t fit their expectations.

I wonder how many of the Jewish people expected Jesus to establish a spiritual, not physical, Kingdom? His Kingdom was not of this world, Jesus said in John 18:36, and it was so sad that the Jews continued to search for their Messiah when He was walking amongst them. But we pilgrims have the benefit of hindsight, and we know that the Messiah, Jesus the Christ, indeed came to “seek and save the lost”. After all, we are amongst those for whom He came, and we look forward when His Kingdom is finally established, for all eternity. We have rewritten the phrase “When the Messiah comes” into “We know the Messiah has come”, and through the power of the Holy Spirit, He is still with us today.

Dear Lord Jesus. You are the Messiah, the Christ who came to save us from our sins. We worship You today. Amen.

Teachings and Miracles

Posted on by korgrocker

“John was like a burning and shining lamp, and you were excited for a while about his message. But I have a greater witness than John—my teachings and my miracles. The Father gave me these works to accomplish, and they prove that he sent me. And the Father who sent me has testified about me himself. You have never heard his voice or seen him face to face, and you do not have his message in your hearts, because you do not believe me—the one he sent to you.”
John 5:35-38 NLT

John the Baptist had one God-given mission in life, and he was prepared for it almost from the time of his birth. We read in John 1:6-9, “God sent a man, John the Baptist, to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world“. When pressed by the religious leaders to explain who he was, he quoted the Scripture from Isaiah 40:3, “Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting, “Clear the way through the wilderness for the Lord! Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God!” In  His conversation with the Jewish leaders, Jesus made mention of John and his witness that Jesus was the Messiah the Jews had been waiting for. But He then said that He had a greater witness than John to His authenticity. Jesus said His teachings and miracles were enough to prove who He was, and then He went further. He said that because of the works He accomplished, this proved that he had been sent by His Father in Heaven, God Himself. 

In His next part of the conversation with the Jewish religious leaders, Jesus then delivered a warning and a challenge. He told them that because they failed to believe that Jesus was who He said He was, the Son of God, they had rejected God Himself. It is true that the Pharisees had reached a position in their religion where they believed that just keeping the Law and its associated rules was enough to ensure their salvation, and they therefore neglected the intent behind the Law, a relationship with God. And Jesus exposed this before them by saying “you do not have His message in your hearts”. 

The teachings of Jesus have underpinned our faith ever since He walked the Palestinian paths, and when He delivered them, they clarified the intent of the Law, as well as exposing how negligent the Jewish religion had become. Through Jesus’ teachings we find a God who desires a relationship with His people, Jew or Gentile. Once He was asked asked which of the commandments was the greatest, and he replied, saying,  ” … ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:37-40). The meaning of the word “love” is clear, and our love of God, and His love for us, underpins our faith.

Jesus also said that His miracles were a witness that he had come from God. Through them His Father in Heaven testified about Him. And there is no doubt that these miracles became a stumbling block to the Jews. On one occasion the people were so excited by a miracle of healing that Jesus had performed, that they said,  ” … Could it be that Jesus is the Son of David, the Messiah?” (Matthew 12:23b). But in the same event, the Pharisees stated that Jesus could only cast out the demon by the power of satan. And ever since, people have had to try and explain away the miracles Jesus performed, because otherwise they would have to admit that He was indeed the Son of God, with far-reaching consequences for their lives of sin. 

We pilgrims know our God and wonder with gratitude about the miracles Jesus performed, and the miracles performed ever since in His Name. But, in the words of the famous hymn, He “saved a wretch like me”. That must be the greatest miracle of all.

Dear God. With an inexpressible gratitude we bow before Your throne today. We were heading down the broad way that leads to destruction and death, but through Jesus we found a new way that leads to life. We worship You today. Amen.

Reproduction

Posted on by korgrocker

“Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” “What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?” Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life”.
John 3:3-6 NLT

Nicodemus just didn’t get what Jesus was saying. The concept of spiritual birth was beyond his comprehension. So he made the contemptuous and sarcastic statement about repeating his physical birth in all its natural ways. But Jesus responded with two interesting facts about God’s Kingdom – the entrance qualifications are that someone has to be born both physically and spiritually. If either requirement is missing then membership of the Kingdom of God is not possible. Jesus said that a person has to be born by the natural process created by God – “Now Adam had sexual relations with his wife, Eve, and she became pregnant. When she gave birth to Cain, she said, “With the Lord’s help, I have produced a man!”“ (Genesis 4:1). But then Jesus said there was another birth through the Holy Spirit that gives birth to a spiritual person. This process happens as described by Paul in Ephesians 2:8-9, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it“. Paul also told the Corinthian church in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!“

We humans are both spiritual and natural beings. To be a citizen of the Kingdom of God, we have to fulfil both the entrance qualifications, and this is only possible while we are alive. A person who hasn’t yet been born can’t apply to be a member of God’s Kingdom and neither can someone who has died. We have a relatively short opportunity to be obedient to God’s call in our natural lives. Once they have passed it is too late to apply. The Apostle Peter succinctly set out the application process in Acts 2:38-39, verses that are heavily underlined in my Bible. “Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise is to you, to your children, and to those far away—all who have been called by the Lord our God”. 

We pilgrims heard the “call”. We received the “gift of the Holy Spirit” when we were saved, when we made that momentous decision to follow Jesus for the rest of our lives. And through that Gift we were born again, spiritually,  into God’s Kingdom. A simple process on the face of it, but so profound. And so important because, unlike our natural citizenship to our countries into which we were born or adopted, the Kingdom of God is an everlasting Kingdom that will never end. And so when our natural bodies die we live on spiritually. John 3:36, “And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment“. 

The people in this world have a stark choice, and doing nothing, deferring a decision, is not an option. We can choose to be born spiritually in God’s Kingdom or we can turn our backs on the most important choice we will ever make in this life. We need to propagate that message at every opportunity. It’s very serious!

Dear Father God. You created us in Your image, and we have a “hole” within us that only You can fill. Thank You that You care for us. Amen.

Kingdom of God

Posted on by korgrocker

“After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.” Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.””
John 3:2-3 NLT

In a recent post (“Child of God“) we considered the apparently contentious concept of being “born again”. John mentioned it in John 1:13, “They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God“. But here we have a late night conversation between a Pharisee called Nicodemus and Jesus. Nicodemus starts off with a complement, but Jesus cuts through the fluffiness with a response that blows Nicodemus away. Jesus said that there was only one way to “see the Kingdom of God” and that was by being born again. 

The concept of the Kingdom of God was something very familiar to the Jewish nation. They were waiting for the arrival of the Messiah who they expected would establish a Jewish kingdom on earth with God as their King. They had read the prophecies in the Old Testament. We too can read them, for example, Daniel 2:44, “During the reigns of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed or conquered. It will crush all these kingdoms into nothingness, and it will stand forever“. Such prophecy fuelled the expectation of the Jews but here they were under the yoke of a cruel occupying nation, the Romans. Their expectation of a physical Kingdom of God seemed a long way off, and we know that Jesus came to bring a different Kingdom, a spiritual Kingdom, membership of which entailed the process of being “born again”. We know that the state of Israel was finally established in 1948, a physical kingdom at last, but one day it will be the centre of the spiritual Kingdom of God. 

So we fast forward to 21st Century Planet Earth. What does this “Kingdom of God” mean to us pilgrims? Although we would love to see God rule and reign over His creation in a physical way, it is the spiritual Kingdom that we have the opportunity to be a part of. This is a Kingdom where God rules and reigns over the people who are within it – including us pilgrims. So the implication is that all those who have rejected God, (the default position of mankind), will not be able to be a part of this God-Kingdom. But we who have read to the end of the Book know that Jesus came the first time to establish the spiritual Kingdom, and will come a second time to establish the physical Kingdom. 

As we follow the discourse between Nicodemus and Jesus, we find some time-honoured truths that are life changing. Truths that have divided the church. But right at the heart of the issue of citizenship of the Kingdom of God is being “born again”. God cannot have anyone in His Kingdom who does not want that spiritual relationship with Him. So we reach out to our Heavenly Father today, assured of our salvation, basking in His love and grace. There is no better place to be.

Heavenly Father. We worship You this day and every day. Amen.

Come and See

Posted on by korgrocker

“Jesus looked around and saw them following. “What do you want?” he asked them. They replied, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?” “Come and see,” he said. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon when they went with him to the place where he was staying, and they remained with him the rest of the day.”
John 1:38-39 NLT

Those two disciples of John just had to spend some time with Jesus and He was gracious enough to receive them. John had previously pointed out that Jesus was the “Lamb of God” and that was enough for them. I’m reminded of the parable Jesus taught, about treasure. We read in Matthew 13:44, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field“. ‭‭How excited are we about spending time with Jesus? Is it important enough for us to abandon what we are doing and just sit at the Master’s feet? Reading His Word and praying? Worshipping, lost in His presence? Of course, we still have a living to earn. There are chores to be done. But are our lives orientated around Jesus or is He peripheral to our worldly existence? Or in other words, which kingdom do we desire to be grounded and promoted within? 

The Christian life provides a priceless opportunity to be close to our wonderful God, and live a life His way, not ours. In Matthew 6:19-21, Jesus said, “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be“. And He went on, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need” (Matthew 6:33). 

Jesus set out life priorities. His invite “Come and see” hangs in the air, always there, always available, just waiting for us to respond and hear His words, personal and tender, gracious and loving, never harsh, always wanting our highest good. Can I ask a question – do you know Jesus? I mean, really know Him personally, and not just know things about Him? If not, His invitation is there just waiting for a response. Jesus’ invitation “Come and see” is timeless, and is just as relevant and potent today as it was two thousand years ago. There is a choice to be made. Do we say, “Yes Lord, Your will be done” or is Jesus going to say to us one day, “Sorry, but your will be done”. Hmmm…

Dear Lord Jesus. Thank You for Your patience with us wayward and sinful humans. We commit to follow You, this day and every day. Amen.

Rights

Posted on by korgrocker

“Then the Pharisees who had been sent asked him, “If you aren’t the Messiah or Elijah or the Prophet, what right do you have to baptize?”“
John 1:24-25 NLT

More questions for John, this time concerning his apparent intrusion into an area the Pharisees considered to be their religious “”right”. They claimed exclusive rights over all things spiritual in Israel and tried very hard to stop anyone trying to take over part of what they do. Apparently, baptism was not something new to the Jews. They used immersion in water as a ritual act of cleansing when a Gentile converted into Judaism. But John’s baptism was applied to the Jews themselves, as a public declaration that they had repented of their sins. Not something the religious authorities would have been pleased about because they considered that their exclusive territory.

Should we pilgrims have been baptised, by full immersion as those in the early church were? Peter’s first recorded sermon included this verse, “ … Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). The reference, “be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins” implies full immersion in water, a public declaration of faith and one that clearly transitions a person into the Kingdom of God. It is also something very significant in the life of a believer because, in times of stress and doubt, their heritage can be referred back to. Baptism is a spiritual event just as significant as any other identity document.

John was asked, “what right do you have to baptise?”. In some countries today, there are very few “rights” let only being able to be a believer in Jesus. We mustn’t forget that many will consider it a privilege to be able to express our religious and social freedom in a Western nation. In John the Baptist’s day, the rights of an individual were few, being impacted by poverty, the Romans and by the religious authorities. But John wasn’t fazed by that and he just got on with what God had commissioned him to do – “prepare the way …”. We pilgrims also have a task before us, and one that is likely to be impacted by the conversion ban legislation that is slowly, but inexorably, passing its way through the UK parliaments, central and devolved. In the Anglican and Presbyterian denominations here in the UK, there is a restriction on who can officiate at services, but believers in Christ are all “ordained” in their own right – ” … you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9).

So what “rights” do we pilgrims have, in our spiritual and religious duties? There is nothing complicated here. We just get on with what God has asked us to do. It may not be easy. For some it may be dangerous, for others inconvenient. It may cost us our money and time. But the Holy Spirit will lead and guide us – that is God’s “right”. There is a higher law at work and one that, when followed, could lead us to our own “cross”. The Creator God of this world had the “right” to send His Son, Jesus, to save the world. We pilgrims have dual citizenship – we are citizens of the nation in which we were born, but we are also citizens of the Kingdom of God. The authorities may remove or amend our “rights” in our natural kingdoms, but they cannot touch our “rights” as children of God at all. And we know which kingdom will prevail in the end.

Father God. Only You can determine our true rights. Through Jesus we are privileged citizens in Your Heavenly Kingdom for ever and ever. 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.

Free Gifts

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“So the promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift. And we are all certain to receive it, whether or not we live according to the law of Moses, if we have faith like Abraham’s. For Abraham is the father of all who believe. That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, “I have made you the father of many nations.” This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing.”
Romans 4:16-17 NLT

Paul couldn’t be clearer. His unequivocal statement was that all who have faith in God will receive, as a free gift, God’s promise. And it didn’t matter whether or not those reading his letter were trying to “live according to the Law of Moses”. They just needed to “have faith like Abraham’s”. We all love a free gift, don’t we? The trouble is that in our materialistic society we associate gifts with a physical item, such as a camera or a watch. A gadget or an item of clothing. But in the Kingdom of God, free gifts are spiritual. Gifts like eternal life, joy and peace. In 2 Peter 1:4-5a we read, “And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises …”

Peter wrote that with God’s promises we can live a life free of sin. Free of being corrupted by the world around us. And by doing so we enjoy a share in God Himself. But God’s Spirit can’t live within us if we are riddled by sin. Peter wrote that these free gifts, God’s promises, are precious. They are more valuable than any worldly gift that comes our way. There are many stories about rich and powerful men and women who lack the peace of mind to be able to enjoy what they have. Their personal lives are a mess, and their wealth has lost its shine. Some years ago I visited a house occupied by a couple who had received a modest lottery win. But their life had deteriorated because of it; they had lapsed in drunkenness and ill health. In the end, money had bought them anything except happiness.

In Ecclesiastes 2, the philosopher, probably Solomon, muses over the frustrations of chasing pleasure in a worldly environment. He starts off the chapter by writing, “I said to myself, “Come on, let’s try pleasure. Let’s look for the ‘good things’ in life.” But I found that this, too, was meaningless. So I said, “Laughter is silly. What good does it do to seek pleasure?”” (Ecclesiastes 2:1-2). Solomon was a rich king, with many wives and much in the way of possessions, but here he is mourning that true peace of mind was eluding him. In verse 8 he concludes, “… I had everything a man could desire!” But it wasn’t enough. In Ecclesiastes 2:10-11 he wrote, “Anything I wanted, I would take. I denied myself no pleasure. I even found great pleasure in hard work, a reward for all my labours. But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless—like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere“. Perhaps possessions had introduced him to depression.

But in the Kingdom of God, different principles come into play. Psalm 1:1-2, “Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night“. At first sight, meditating on the “law of the Lord” day and night would seem to be a bit of a trial. But meditation encompasses far more than sitting in a corner with a scroll containing the ten commandments. It is a lifestyle in which God’s principles become the very centre of who we are. And in the process, God’s presence within us grows more and more. And, financially, it hasn’t cost us anything. It’s all about God and His free gifts. And the benefits keep on coming, throughout this life and into eternity. How awesome is that?

Dear Father God. We are so grateful for the gifts You have so freely given us. And keep on giving us day by day. Please help us to put them to good use. In Jesus’ name. Amen.