18/08/2009 by John Marsden.

QUESTION: Have you ever prayed that God would do something that was very important to you, but it felt like He was taking forever to answer you? If so, what was your response? Keep praying? Get mad at Him? Give up?

• The book of the prophet Habakkuk is a very interesting one. In it we see a man who poured out his heart before God about something that greatly disturbed him. He was bold with his words to God and expected God to answer him.

Habakkuk 1:2-4 

How long, O LORD, must I call for help,             but you do not listen?

Or cry out to you, “Violence!”

            but you do not save? Why do you make me look at injustice?             Why do you tolerate wrong?Destruction and violence are before me;             there is strife, and conflict abounds. Therefore the law is paralyzed,             and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous,             so that justice is perverted. 

• In the book of Habakkuk, we read about Habakkuk’s annoyance that his fellow Israelites were ignoring God’s commands and neglecting the needs of those who were weak and poor. They were violent, injust, wrong, destructive, and wicked according to these verses.
• Habakkuk didn’t just whine and wallow in sorrow about what was going on; he approached God boldly and asked Him why this was happening and why He wasn’t doing anything about it. He was stirred in his spirit because he was zealous for God and angry at his fellow countrymen who had rejected Him.
• As we read on, we learn that God did not rebuke or condemn Habakkuk for his honesty and sincere questions. God wants us to be completely honest with him—not whine or vent at Him—He wants our hearts to be His completely, where we come to Him with righteous frustrations and heartfelt desires to see things made right.

POUR OUT YOUR HEART 

Habakkuk was Confused

Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong.  Why then do you tolerate the treacherous?  Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves? Habakkuk 1:13

• Habakkuk knew that God was righteous, holy, and completely pure. He knew that God would punish the wicked and deliver the oppressed. But to his natural eye, Habakkuk could only see things getting worse around him.
• Instead of cursing God and turning away from Him, he questioned God. “Why do you tolerate this evil, Lord?” He couldn’t understand why God would seem to let these bad things happen and not do anything about them.
• Habakkuk’s questioning turned into intercession, standing in the gap for those who were oppressed and against those who were wicked and would not repent.
• By including these verses in Habakkuk, God wants us to see that it’s normal to question what’s going on around us when it does not line up with God’s Word. When we see that happening, He wants us to run to Him and pray to Him to change things. He has given us that power to pray heaven down to earth as His sons and daughters through Jesus.

Habakkuk was Bothered

Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. Habakkuk 1:3

• In these verses, we see Habakkuk’s annoyance that things are not happening according to God’s will and according to the way He has layed things out in His Word.
• He knows that God has promised to destroy the wicked and rescue the righteous and punish those who reject Him, but he’s not seeing it happen with his eyes, so he get bothered.
• His anger is a righteous anger, as he is jealous for the name of God and the law of God. Therefore, he goes before God with a humble, yet bold, attitude asking God to look upon everything that’s going on and make things right, according to what He’s spoken in His word.

Habakkuk was not Holding Back

…pour out your heart like water  in the presence of the Lord. Lamentations 2:19

• This verse comes in the book of Lamentations, where the writer (probably Jeremiah) composes a “lament,” or sad song about what has happened to the people of Judah. They rejected and rebelled against God, refused to repent, were invaded and taken captive to a foreign land, and were unable to worship God in the manner He had prescribed.
• Although we are instructed in the New Testament to rejoice always in the Lord, there are times when we are also distraught about the things happening to or around us. When the natural world does not line up with what God has spoken, it should bother us and move us to approach God about the matter—not in pride or arrogance, but in humility and reverence.
• Just as God gets angry at sin and its consequences in the world, if we have His heart in us, we should also get angry at the things that bother Him. Then we can approach God in fear AND boldness and pray that He would move on our behalf and on behalf of those around us. God doesn’t expect us to just be polite and religious; He wants us real and earnest and passionate.

BOLDNESS BEFORE GOD 

Because of His Right Heart

O LORD, are you not from everlasting? My God, my Holy One, we will not die. Habakkuk 1:12

As mentioned before, we do not come before God pridefully or accusing Him of wrongdoing, but we come with a right heart: a humble and broken heart that also is steadfast in its faith in God.

• Habakkuk loved God and was zealous for His law to be followed. He was bothered when people sinned, just as God is. He came before God with right motives, to see things made right in the world around Him and to see God exalted once again.
• When our hearts and motives are right before God, we can approach Him boldly.

Because of Faith

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16

·         This is a promise we have and can claim any time we need to come before God in prayer. If we are right with God and are praying for the right reasons—not just so we can be cool or respected or get more stuff—we can approach Him in faith and confidence that He hears and answers us.·         Whether we come before Him for forgiveness or seeking a personal petition or on behalf of another person or group of people, we can be sure that He hears, will have mercy on us, and will grant us what we need.·         Habakkuk loved God and believed that He was good and faithful to His word. He was able to approach God confidently, then, with his complaint because He knew that God would act on his behalf.
EXPECT A RESPONSE 

He Waited Patiently

I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts…Habakkuk 2:1

• Not only did Habakkuk present his complaint confidently before God, he also expected that God would act righteously in response to his prayer.
• When our prayers and requests line up with God’s will and His word, we can be sure of God’s answer. Sometimes we need to keep pressing in to Him, but we do so expectantly, knowing that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
• In light of this knowledge, we wait upon God and listen for His response, just as Habakkuk did. And God answered him.

He was Ready to Obey

I will look to see what he will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint. Habakkuk 2:1

• When we pray and ask God to do something for us or for others, we must be ready to listen for His response.
• Not only that, we must be ready to act in obedience if He tells us to do something in order to bring about the answer to our prayer.
• Habakkuk waited patiently on God after pouring out his heart before Him, and he was ready to see what God would say and if he needed to do anything further about it.

Have a great day

John

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17/08/2009 by John Marsden.

1. Our Job is to Invest our Lives

“And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.” - 2 Timothy 2:2

• There’s four generations of Believers mentioned here.
  • Paul (“the things you have heard me say”)
  • Timothy (“the things you have heard me say”)
  • Reliable men (“… entrust to reliable men”)
  • Others (“… who will be qualified to teach others”)

• Paul is telling Timothy to take the things he’s heard from himself and tell them to people who will tell others also.
• It is in our job as Christians to invest our lives into others, just as Barnabas did with Paul and Mark, and Paul did with Timothy.

2. Barnabas Wasn’t Anyone Special

“He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith.” – Acts 11:24

• Was Barnabas anyone more special than you or me? No.  He was just a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith.  We all are called to be that way.
• Was Barnabas one of the original twelve disciples of Jesus, or did he do any amazing miracles as far as we know?
• He just loved God and wanted to bring His message to the world.

3. Investing in Others is the Biblical Pattern

• Jesus invested His life in His twelve disciples (John 17:6-8).
• Paul invested in the churches of Ephesus (Acts 20:31) and Corinth (1 Corinthians 4:16).
• Elijah invested in Elisha (1 Kings 19:21).

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Mathew 28:19-20 

• Matthew 28:16-20 is the Great Commission of Jesus to the church.  It’s our job and our reason to exist – to reach the world and make disciples, to invest our lives into those around us.
• Barnabas chose to live a fruitful life for God.  He saw something in Paul.  He saw something in Mark.  And he chose to give of himself to them, helping them become the great men of God that we know them as.
• How different do you think the world would have been if Barnabas had ignored Paul in Jerusalem?  How about if he had given up on Mark? 
• We may never know for sure, but we should all be glad Barnabas took the time to invest into their lives.

Have a great day investing in other peoples lives.

John

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14/08/2009 by John Marsden.

BARNABAS  INVESTED IN MARK

1. Reach Out

“When Barnabas and Saul had finished their mission, they returned from

• Paul and Barnabas were given a mission – to deliver alms to Jerusalem from the church in Antioch.  After completing their mission and delivering the money, Barnabas and Paul bring someone with them, Barnabas’ cousin Mark.
• Is it easy to bring family members along to what you’re doing?  Sometimes, but not always.  Sometimes we pridefully want something that sets us apart from everybody else.  Or sometimes we just don’t get along with a person.  Or sometimes we don’t know each other very well (as in the case of cousins).
• Paul and Barnabas saw something in Mark, reached out a hand to him, and asked him to join them back in Antioch.

2. Be Willing to Fail

“From Paphos, Paul and his companions sailed to Perga in Pamphylia, where John left them to return to

• After Paul and Barnabas took a risk and invited the inexperienced John Mark along, he left them in Pamphylia and returned home to Jerusalem.
• The Bible doesn’t say exactly why Mark left, just that he did leave, and Paul considered it desertion (Acts 15:38).
• Barnabas seems to have been wrong about Mark.  Sometimes, we’ll see potential in someone, take them with us, invest in them, and then they’ll turn out to desert us. But it’s better to take some risks than to never help anyone.

3. Never Give Up

“Barnabas took Mark and sailed for

• Going on another mission trip, Paul and Barnabas had a disagreement over who to take along.  Barnabas still saw potential in Mark, but Paul didn’t think it would be smart to take him along again, since he deserted them in Pamphylia.  They couldn’t agree, so Barnabas took Mark to Cyprus, while Paul took Silas.
• Why did Paul not want to take Mark along?  He thought Mark would desert them again.  He couldn’t trust him.
• Why didn’t Barnabas give up?  The Bible doesn’t say specifically, but he probably still saw potential in Mark to bring the gospel to the world. Ephesians 4:2 says we are to be patient and bear with one another in love.

4. See the Results

“Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry.” – 2 Timothy 4:11

• Paul wrote this letter to Timothy while in prison in Rome.  Of all the people he could have asked to come to him, he only asked for Mark, whom he describes as “helpful in ministry.”
• Barnabas did not give up on Mark, so he grew and became someone Paul trusted, and Mark went on to write one of the Gospel accounts.

Have a great day

John

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13/08/2009 by John Marsden.

BARNABAS HE INVESTED IN PAUL

1. See Past the Exterior

“But Barnabas took him [Saul] and brought him to the apostles.” - Acts 9:27

• Saul had been a Pharisee and persecutor of the Christians in the early church, but Jesus confronted him in a vision and he was converted.
• Barnabas sees that Saul (also called Paul later on) is having a hard time convincing the Jerusalem disciples that he is now one of them, so he steps in to introduce the two, because he sees potential in Paul to do great things for God.

2. Bring Them with You

“Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to

• Barnabas had been to Antioch, teaching and encouraging the Christians there, and revival seemed to be breaking out, but instead of sticking around and taking credit for all the fruit of his labors, he went after newly converted Paul to bring him back there with him.
• Why do you think Barnabas looked for Saul?  Probably for a few reasons – to give Saul training in ministry, to get help from Saul, to have a friend along, to let Saul join in the fun, etc.
• One of the most powerful ways we can invest in people’s lives is by bringing them along in what we’re doing.

3. Let them Change the World

“While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’”– Acts 13:2

• This is the beginning of Paul’s missionary journeys throughout the Roman Empire.  The church in
  Antioch, hearing from God that Paul and Barnabas were supposed to preach the gospel in the Gentile world, sent them out, not knowing just how much it would forever change history.
• What did Paul do with his life?  He was a missionary all over the Roman Empire.  He wrote most of the New Testament.  He healed sick people (Acts 14:8-10).  He raised a man from the dead (Acts 20:9-12).  He went up to Heaven (2 Corinthians 12:2).  We’re still being impacted by what he did, thousands of years later.
• What would be different if Barnabas had never invested in Paul’s life?  We don’t know, but Paul may never have done any of that stuff.

Have a great day

John

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10/08/2009 by John Marsden.

Matthew 28:16-20Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” 

·        After Jesus rose from the dead, He told the disciples to go and make disciples of all nations. 

     In essence, he was saying, “What I did with you, you now go and do with everybody else throughout the world.  How I invested my life into you, you now go and do the same.” 

    We’re called, as Christians, to invest our lives into others, and God has given us wisdom, knowledge, gifts, and the message of the gospel not to be hidden, but to be given out to other people.

·        This week I want to look at a Bible hero who doesn’t get a lot of press, but he invested into the lives of two men who went on to do great things for God – Paul and Mark. 

     Barnabas first came on the scene when he sold a house and gave the proceeds to the Apostles (Acts 4:36-37), but it was how he invited the newly converted Pharisee Saul and his untested cousin Mark into his life that showed his true love of people and desire to make disciples of the nations.

Barnabas is one of my favorite persons in the Bible we can learn a lot from him.

Have a great day

John

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07/08/2009 by John Marsden.

Have a great day

John

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06/08/2009 by John Marsden.

God showed Jeremiah two baskets of figs: Some figs were good, some bad. But more than just figs, this was a picture of His people.The Lord spoke at a time when Babylon had carried Judah’s people away into exile. We might assume that He would praise those who resolutely opposed Babylon and fought against the exile.

However, the opposite was the case. To God, the good figs were those who had gone into exile. Calling them “My people,” He promised them great blessings and spiritual riches. He also predicted they would “return to Me with their whole heart” (v. 7).

In contrast, the bad figs were those who stayed in the land or moved to Egypt. He would abandon them, making “them a terror and an evil for all the kingdoms of the earth” (v. 9). They would be scattered and become “a reproach” (v. 9).

Why would God pronounce this judgment? Because this was His plan, His will. They may not have understood why, but He wanted to transform people who had been taken into exile. There they would have time to reflect upon their history and actions. There they would call upon God again, put aside their evil ways, and seek a renewed relationship with Him.

In contrast, those who remained in the land or fled to Egypt were running away from God and trying to preserve their sinful and disobedient past.

Today, make sure that you are one of the “good figs.” Remember that God is sovereign—Lord over all. Be the kind of person who is sensitive to His will and who will obey Him, even when you don’t necessarily understand what He’s doing.
Have a great day

John

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05/08/2009 by John Marsden.

1 Chronicles 16:1-6

They brought the ark of God and set it inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and they presented burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before God. After David had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD. Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins to each Israelite man and woman. 

He appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark of the LORD, to make petition, to give thanks, and to praise the LORD, the God of Israel: Asaph was the chief, Zechariah second, then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-Edom and Jeiel. They were to play the lyres and harps, Asaph was to sound the cymbals, and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests were to blow the trumpets regularly before the ark of the covenant of God. 

·         Asaph spent his life ministering in the tent that King David had built as God’s “house.”  If anybody lived a life of worship it was him.

A SINGLE-HEARTED DEDICATION TO GOD

1. It was His Full-Time Job

“…Asaph was the chief…” - 1 Chronicles 16:5

• When King David brought the Ark of God to the Tabernacle, he appointed people to minister to God in prayer and worship.  Who did he select as their leader?  Asaph.  He was appointed “to make petition, to give thanks, and to praise the Lord.”  It was his full-time job.  He woke up in the morning, went to the Tabernacle, ministered to God, took a lunch break, ministered more to God, went home, went to sleep, and repeated the process the next day.
• You may not have ever had a full-time paid career, but you all are probably full-time students.  What does your schedule look like most days?  In the same way that your daily life is dictated by school in a lot of ways, Asaph’s daily life was dictated by spending time with God in prayer and worship.
• Even Paul told us, “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful” in Colossians 4:2.  Devoting ourselves to prayer means that it’s our full-time job.

2. It was His Personal Passion

“… appoint their brothers as singers to sing joyful songs, accompanied by musical instruments:  lyres, harps, and cymbals.” - 1 Chronicles 15:16

• Here in 1 Chronicles 15, David decides to bring the Ark up for good this time.  He even sets up a parade of music and singing to go with the
  Ark.  Put yourself in David’s shoes – What kinds of people would you want playing music in the parade?  People who really loved God and were passionate for Him?

• King David asks the Levite leaders to pick some people to be in the parade, and Asaph was one, and he was in charge of banging the cymbals (1 Chronicles 15:19).  This is before the Ark is in the Tabernacle, before King David gave Asaph the full-time job of ministering to God.  They would pick the best of the best to sing and worship before God this day, so even before it was his job to worship, it was already his passion.

• Paul shows a similar response to God’s call in Philippians 3:8 – “More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ.”  Nothing mattered to Paul besides knowing Jesus – the pursuit of God was his one passion.

Have a great passionate day.

John

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04/08/2009 by John Marsden.

The Word of God was given to Jeremiah. It “came” to him, even from the beginning of his ministry. This was not a ministry he had chosen, for God had formed him in the womb, and he was “consecrated” and appointed a “prophet to the nations.”Jeremiah’s task was to obey, go where God sent him, and speak all that he was commanded to speak. The prophetic words he spoke did not originate in his own heart or mind, nor did they have anything to do with his personal life, feelings, or opinions. Instead, he was a messenger for God, delivering His words.

Throughout his life, these words “came” to him. Jeremiah was used by God because he was faithful, obedient, and trustworthy. So central was this theme to his ministry, that the phrase “the word of God came” appears an astonishing 42 times in the book of Jeremiah! Many similar phrases make the same point.

Even though he simply was God’s messenger, Jeremiah often was attacked, criticized, and rejected. He was accused of manipulation, of interjecting his own opinions, and of being a false prophet. On one occasion, some people wanted him to pray to God on their behalf. He promised, “I will tell you the whole message which the LORD will answer you.” But when he delivered those words, they accused him of “telling a lie,” saying, “the LORD our God has not sent you” (Jeremiah 42-43).

Jeremiah provides a model of the kind of people God can use. Instead of having their own agenda, such people are committed to waiting for His leading, listening for His voice, and obeying His Word.

In your life, seek to be this kind of servant. Wait on God. Know the Word. Seek the leading of His Spirit. Be ready to obey, even when people misunderstand or oppose you.

Have agreat day.

John

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03/08/2009 by John Marsden.

The Reality of Christ 

“These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.” – Colossians 2:17 

1. Defined by Life

“…through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.” – Romans 8:2

 ·        Thankfully, the “shadow of religion” is what we would have without Jesus, but He came to set us free from the law and establish something new and awesome.·        Whereas we used to be marked by death in serving the Law, now we’re defined by life.·        Where the “shadow of religion” brings death, depression, and sorrow, the “law of the Spirit of life” brings true joy, freedom, and peace in God.·        Jesus said that “the Spirit gives life” in John 6:63.·        Jesus came to bring life, not death, to us!  He Himself is the “Bread of Life” (John 6:48).·        Any “religion” that is a drudgery is not really experiencing the reality of Christ and His life!  Instead of begrudgingly obeying rules, you find life and joy in obedient submission to Jesus. 

2. Centered in God

“I am the vine; you are the branches.” – John 15:5a

 ·        Where do the branches, growing out from the vine, get their life and stability from?·        The branches get all their life, strength, stability, and purpose from the vine they’re attached to.·        True faith in God is centered in God.  All of life moves outward from the centrality of Jesus living in your life.·        Colossians 2:7 talks about being “rooted and built up in him,” where God is your root and all else comes from that fact.·        True life in the Spirit, true religion, is freed from self-focus and is rooted in and focused on God. 

3. Proven by Growth

“If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” – John 15:5b

 ·        What happens when you’re connected to Jesus and have Him as the center of your life?·        You bear fruit!  True faith in God, as opposed to simply following religious mandates, is marked by growth.·        A mark of truly living for Jesus is that you will grow.  You’ll grow in character, in serving others, in reaching out, in wisdom, in holiness, etc.·        Even Jesus grew “in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men” (Luke 2:52).·        While simply trying to follow good rules will eventually cause you to stop growing, living for God will bring continuous growth, in yourself and in others around you. 

4. Rooted in Humility

“All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another.” – 1 Peter 5:5b

 ·        What happens when your whole concept of God and religion is based in following rules and measuring up to somebody’s standards of “righteousness”?·        One of the things that happens when you give in to the “shadow of religion” is that you give in to pride.  You try to measure up to others, so you don’t let them see the mistakes you make.  Your whole concept of godliness is based on outer appearances, so you feel like you have to constantly put on a show of being holy.·        True life in Christ is rooted in humility.  When your righteousness is based in what Jesus did and not in what you’re doing (Philippians 3:9), you can afford to let people see that you aren’t perfect.·        It’s so important to be humble as a Christian.  When you’re humble, God will grow you and exalt you, but if you let pride run your life, He’ll work against you. 

5. Leading to True Holiness

“For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.” – Romans 6:14

 ·        People have used Romans 6:14 as an excuse to allow sin to master over them, claiming, “I’m not under law but under grace,” but Paul said it to mean that we should be truly holy if we are living in the reality of Christ.·        We tend to think that if we focus on following a list of rules, we’ll become holy, and if we ignore the lists of rules and focus on God, we’ll be ruled by sin, but the opposite is true.·        When you focus on the rules, you rely on your own strength more than God’s and look at your own works more than Jesus’.  You can never become holy with that mindset.·        Ephesians 4:24 talks about putting on “the new self” which was created in holiness.  You can’t create a “new self” – only God can do that.·        Holiness is vital as Christians – without it, we won’t be able to come into God’s presence (Hebrews 12:14).

·        Following rules and regulations, the “shadow of religion” will never make you holy – it’s only by giving yourself to the “reality of Christ” that you can become truly holy.

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.” – Romans 8:1-4 

·        We are set free from condemnation and from the law of sin and death!·        God met the requirements of the law by sending Jesus as a sin offering!

·        Now we don’t live according to the law of sin but according to the Spirit!

Havea great day

John

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