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- Uncategorized (86)
- 25/05/2010: God working in us
- 11/11/2009: God’s Sovereign Choice
- 10/11/2009: Have Faith to Chage 2
- 09/11/2009: Have Faith To Change
- 08/11/2009: Decline and Fall of People
- 31/10/2009: Your Heavenly Vision
- 28/10/2009: Be of Good Cheer
- 27/10/2009: The Poor in Spirit
- 09/10/2009: A Spirit Straight From God
- 08/10/2009: A Body Submitted to the Holy Spirit
Daniel: A Mind, Body, and Spirit Given to God
07/10/2009 by John Marsden.
Daniel: A Mind, Body, and Spirit Given to God
Today I want to look at a person who gave himself completely to God - mind, body, and spirit.
Daniel 1:1-7
In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of
When King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon invaded Judah, he took the ritual items from the temple of God and brought them into his own god’s temple, he took King Jehoiakim from his nation and brought him to his court to keep an eye on him, and he took some of the nobility, “young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand,” and brought them to his palace to be trained to serve the Babylonian administration.
These young men who excelled in their minds, bodies, and spirits were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Even above the others, Daniel gave himself wholly to God and pursued excellence in every area of his life. Doors were opened for him to minister to Babylonian kings and officials, to pronounce God’s glory in signs and wonders, and to be an encouragement for future generations.
But it all started when Daniel, as a “young man,” made the choice to serve God with all his mind, body, and spirit.
A Mind Given to God
1. Wise Beyond His Years
“I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers: You have given me wisdom and power…” – Daniel 2:23a
- The first thing to be said about Daniel was that he gave his mind completely to God, and God filled Him with wisdom beyond his years. (Read Daniel 2:14).
- What kind of person do you think of when you think of someone who is really wise?
- God has all wisdom (Romans 11:33) and Jesus himself is called the “wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:24).
- Your age is no excuse. If you want wisdom beyond your years, it’s yours for the asking (James 1:5).
2. The Beginning of Wisdom
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding.” – Psalm 111:10
- According to this verse, how do you get wisdom?
- Godly wisdom comes when you have a healthy fear of God that leads you to obey Him. It’s more than just knowing something – wisdom is knowing and doing the right thing.
- Ephesians 1:17 says that when we’ve got Godly wisdom, we’ll “know [God] better.” And as we know Him, we’ll naturally become more like Him.
- In Colossians 1:9-12, Paul says that true wisdom will help us to “live a life worthy of the Lord” and “please [God] in every way.” See also Colossians 1:28.
- True wisdom can never be separated from a holy and righteous life (James 3:13). True wisdom is a holy and righteous life.
3. Spirit of a Learner
“The Bereans… received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” – Acts 17:11
- Not only did Daniel have wisdom from God, but he had a real desire to learn, a spirit of a learner (Daniel 1:17a), just like the Bereans in the verse above.
- Do you think the Bereans wanted the truth, even if it disagreed with what they currently believed?
- The Bereans were willing to study, learn, and examine the Bible to find the truth. An attitude like that will always lead you to wisdom.
- Paul told Timothy to “do [his] best to present [himself] to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). Having a spirit of a learner means you will work hard.
- Proverbs 12:1 says, “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge.”
- Daniel was willing to discipline himself and work hard to have a spirit of a learner. What about you? Do you want to know the truth enough to work for it?
4. Prophetic Insight
“Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.” – Daniel 1:17b
- Daniel had wisdom, he had a spirit of a learner, and he had prophetic insight to understand visions and dreams, even as a young man.
- Has anybody here ever had a really confusing, bizarre dream you wish someone could tell you the meaning of?
- The Bible mentions the sons of a man named Issachar who “understood the times and knew what
Israel Israel - We as Christians “have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us” (See 1 Corinthians 2:9-12).
- We can have prophetic, supernatural insight into dreams, visions, and daily events in the world, since we have the “mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16).
- God chooses to reveal His truth to us, His children (Romans 16:25-27).
- He gives us “all wisdom and understanding” (Ephesians 1:7-8).
Have a great day.
JOHN
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What Do You Need to Trust God With?
06/10/2009 by John Marsden.
What Do You Need to Trust God With?
1. Let Go of Your Stuff
“The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.” – Psalm 24:1
- There are a ton of benefits to trusting God, but it comes at a cost. You’ve got to give up controlling your own life and let Him take care of you instead.
- Who does this verse say owns everything on earth?
- Everything we have is God’s stuff, not ours. We need to let go and allow Him to use it however He wants.
- We need to trust God with our money. In Malachi 3:8, God says that not tithing to the church is the same as robbing Him.
- If we do use our money for God, He promises to bless us in return, because we’ve trusted Him to provide (Malachi 3:10-12 and Luke 6:38).
- Besides our money, we also should be trusting God with all of our stuff. If He tells us to get rid of something, we can trust Him to provide. If we don’t have something we need, we can trust Him to take care of it for us. Check out Matthew 6:25-34.
- Proverbs 3:9 says “Honor the LORD with your possessions.” We need to treat all that we have as if it were God’s and not our own.
2. Trust God in Your Leaders
“Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established.” – Romans 13:1
- Besides giving up our stuff, we’ve got to trust God in our leaders and stop trying to run their lives.
- What are some “governing authorities” in our lives that we need to submit to and trust God about?
- As you submit to leaders, even when you don’t understand, you’re declaring that you trust that God has placed them in authority in your life and that He’ll use them for good, not evil.
- We need to trust God to work through the government (1 Timothy 2:1-3), our bosses (Colossians 3:22), our parents (Ephesians 6:1), and our pastors (Hebrews 13:17a). If they’re wrong, we need to submit anyway and trust that God will reveal it to them.
3. Give Up Your Future
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.” – Matthew 6:34a
- One of the hardest things to give up in our lives, is our future, but we need to trust God that He knows what’s best for us better than we ourselves.
- What does it mean to trust God with your future?
- God may tell you to change your job like he did for Peter and Andrew (Matthew 4:18-20), change what you’re doing like he did for James and John (Matthew 4:21-22), change what you’re studying like he did for Paul (Acts 22:1-21), change how wealthy you are like he did for Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10), or change where you’re living like he did for Abraham (Genesis 12:1).
- You’ve got to give up your right to determining your own future and let God make the rules.
“And Mary said: ‘My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name.’” – Luke 1:46-49
- Trusting God leads you to worship Him
- It causes you to rejoice
- And it brings glory to His Name
Have a great day.
JOHN
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Trusting God
05/10/2009 by John Marsden.
What Does it Mean to Trust God?
1. Don’t Be Troubled
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God ; trust also in me.” – John 14:1
- Trusting God basically means that you don’t “let your heart be troubled.” Instead of worrying about things, you can trust God that He knows what’s best for you and then take each situation as it comes your way.
- There is no one stronger (Genesis 49:24), wiser (Isaiah 11:2), more loving (Romans 5:6-8), more patient (2 Peter 3:9), more faithful (Psalm 25:10 and Hebrews 10:23), more good (Matthew 19:17), or more just (2 Thessalonians 1:6) than God. He’s perfect in every way (Matthew 5:48).
- The Bible says that God will never lie (Titus 1:2) and that He can’t deny Himself (2 Timothy 2:13).
- If God says something, you can believe He’ll do it. He’s a Rock we can depend on (Isaiah 26:4).
- Trusting God means you realize who He is, and you respond appropriately.
What Happens When You Trust God?
1. You’ll Find Favor“The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” – Luke 1:28
- What are some things that happen when we choose to trust God?
- When Gabriel showed up to tell Mary the news of Jesus’ birth, he called her “highly favored.” When we choose to have an overall attitude of trust in God, lots of things will happen, including finding favour.
- Find favor with God means that He will show us mercy and hear us when we talk to Him (Job 33:26 and Psalm 69:13). It means we’ll be protected (Psalm 5:12), shown compassion (Psalm 102:13), honoured (Luke 1:25), and saved in trouble (Psalm 106:4).
- Finding favour with men means things will be easier for us (Proverbs 13:15), we’ll be appreciated (Proverbs 28:23), we’ll be helped (Proverbs 19:12), and we’ll be shown mercy (Genesis 32:5).
- The basic way to think of favour is that the person we have favor with looks at us in a positive light (1 Samuel 29:4), as a friend.
2. You’ll Gain Peace“Do not be anxious about anything, but … present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:6-7
- Besides finding favour with both God and men when we choose to trust God, we also gain real peace.
- Trusting God in a situation means that we don’t anxiously worry about it. It’s in this mindset of quiet trust that God will give us real peace.
- Raise your hand if you’ve ever had a time when you were worried about something, but after deciding to trust God you gained peace about it.
- In Luke 7:36-50, Jesus showed what it means to trust what He says. He told a fearful, worried woman that everything was going to be okay, saying, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” When we trust what God tells us, we’ll be filled with the same kind of peace.
- Paul said that we’d be filled with “all joy and peace” when we choose to trust God (Romans 15:13). Paul even calls God “the God of peace” in Romans 15:33 and 16:20.
3. You’ll Become Righteous“To the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.” – Romans 4:5
- Trusting God brings righteousness. There is no other way to be made right before God except for simply trusting Him to do it.
- Philippians 2:13 says that it is “God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” As you trust God, He’ll take over and make you righteous.
- When we try to be righteous on our own, “all our righteous acts are like filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). We simply can’t become righteous without trusting God. He’s too holy and we’re too imperfect.
- The Christian faith is based in a delicate balance of trusting God to do His part, while we do our part – faith in what God has done alongside works that display a changed life (James 2:14-26).
4. You’ll Be Honoured“…those who honor Me I will honor…” – 1 Samuel 2:30
- When you trust God, it’s like you’re honoring Him as your Master, Creator, and Savior. And when you honor God, He promises He’ll honor you as well.
- Psalm 84:11 says that God is a “sun and shield” and that He’ll honor us if we’re blameless before Him. A blameless walk (righteousness) only comes through trust. See also Proverbs 21:21 and Psalm 91:14-15.
- Proverbs 22:4 says that in fearing and trusting God we’ll find “riches and honor and life.”
- Romans 10:11 says that those who trust God will never be shamed.
- Choosing to trust God means that He’ll honor us and hold us up as examples to follow.
5. You’ll Be Saved“They cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed.” – Psalm 22:5
- Trusting in God means that we’ll be saved out of adverse circumstances.
- You may still go through hard situations, but you can say with the Psalmist, “save your servant who trusts in you” (Psalm 86:2), and cling to the promise that God will, in the end, save you (Isaiah 25:9).
- God promised to save Jeremiah in the midst of the fall of
Jerusalem - What are some common things to look to for salvation from a rough situation?
- God alone can save you out of any situation you’re in, not friends, family, the government, or your money (Psalm 146:3).
6. You’ll Receive the Promise“Imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” – Hebrews 6:12b
- The last thing we gain by trusting God is probably the most obvious – we’ll gain whatever it is He promised to us.
- Abraham patiently trusted God and therefore got what was promised (Hebrews 6:13-14 and Roman 4:18-21).
- Hebrews 11 is full of examples of men and women of God who received what was promised because they trusted in God – Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, and more.
- Start trusting God today with your life.
Have a great day
JOHN
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What Remains
04/10/2009 by John Marsden.
What Remains
“The fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.” 1 Corinthians 3:13-15 NASB
The world’s treasures can capture our imaginations. The allure of luxury can fascinate us.
We can picture how worldly wealth might simplify our lives, bring us enjoyment, meet our needs, and free us from worry. It can be difficult to realize that none of these things will last or actually solve our problems.
Ecclesiastes describes the life of a man of great wealth, who built houses and parks, planted vineyards and possessed flocks, collected silver and gold, and indulged in any pleasure he wanted. Yet, in the end, he realized “all was vanity and striving after wind” (Ecclesiastes 2:11). His efforts did not profit.
The Apostle Paul tells us that fire will test all of our works-everything we do, our possessions and resources, our accomplishments and accolades…everything!
The Bible calls the things that will burn “wood, hay or straw” (v. 12). Although they can attract us and bring temporary pleasures, they won’t last.
By themselves, these distractions may not prevent us from spending eternity with Jesus, but Paul warned that we can lose our rewards if we make the wrong choices and allow ourselves to be swayed from what is most important to God-the things that last.
Today, think about the choices you’re making with your resources. Are you investing in wood, hay, and straw, or in things that bring permanent, eternal rewards? What will happen when your work is tested by fire?
Be sure that you lay the right foundation and are ready to face God. Invest your time, talent, and treasure in the things that will last-the things of His Kingdom.
Have a great day
JOHN
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How to Hear God’s Voice
09/09/2009 by John Marsden.
· Do you think it’s easy to hear God’s voice or does a person have to put some effort into hearing what God is speaking?· In the last lesson we learned that God hears us and even speaks to us; this lesson will go over some helps and hindrances to hearing God’s voice in your own life.· We will begin with Psalm 24, which talks about the type of person that is able to come before God to stand in His presence. To hear God, we must be in His presence, and only those who are holy are able to stand in it.
Psalm 24:3-7Who may ascend the hill of the Lord?Who may stand in his holy place?He who has clean hands and a pure heart,who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false.He will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God his Savior.Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob.
· This Psalm indicates that not everyone will be able to stand in the presence of God, but only those who are pure and cleansed of their sins, which means those who know Jesus. Those who worship some other entity or stake their life on any other belief will not be able to stand in His presence.· But the idea that we can meet with God is not just for some distant future after we die, but it is for right now, too. We can come before God in His holy place, the place of His presence, any time we choose. We can speak to God and He will speak back to us.· While God wants to speak to us and have us hear what He is saying, there are some things we can do or not do to help us hear Him more clearly.
DEVOTED OR DISTRACTED?
Be Still
“Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10
· What does it mean to “be still” before God? Does it mean to just stop moving, or is there some deeper stillness implied?· When we quiet our minds and bodies by removing all distractions that draw us away from Jesus, this is being still. It means we rest in God and stop working so hard to do everything all on our own; we stop and focus on Jesus and know that He is God and has everything under control.· When we are still in His presence, it is easier to hear Him speak to us than if we are constantly on the go and not listening for His voice.
Be Wholehearted
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13
This is one of my favorite text becasue I came to faith when this was preached.
· Do you think God is pleased with half-hearted attempts at prayer or worship? When we read our Bibles or pray or attend church but let our thoughts drift elsewhere, do you think God says, “Well, at least he showed up. That’s good enough for Me?”· Instead, God searches our hearts, knows our meditations and motivations, and sees every thought, attitude, and desire. He wants followers who have abandoned everything for Him, who are completely devoted to Him above all else. Lukewarm Christianity does not cut it with God, He is seeking to reveal Himself to wholehearted worshippers who seek Him with everything they’ve got.
Be Close
“I will bring him near and he will come close to me, for who is he who will devote himself to be close to me?” Jeremiah 30:21
· God wants to speak to us, but we must draw near to Him. We must allow Him to draw us into His presence so that we might encounter Him in a real way. But He requires our hearts to be devoted to Him; He is seeking those who set their hearts on being close to God to wait on Him and hear what He is saying.· Though God is the One who pulls us into a closer walk with Him, we must respond by setting our hearts to know Him and listen to His voice.
Don’t be Fake
“With their mouths they express devotion, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain.” Ezekiel 33:21
· God is not pleased with those who have an outward appearance of religiosity and piety, but whose hearts are far from God.· We cannot please God and draw nearer to Him by just mouthing prayers, singing worship songs, attending religious services, or praising His name in words, but these things must bubble up from a heart fully and sincerely devoted to seeking Him and doing His will.· If we really want to hear God and know Him, we must surrender all of our desires for selfish gain and seek to know and follow His ways. Our hearts must be submitted to Him.
Don’t be Deceived
But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 2 Corinthians 11:3
· There are many things in this world competing for our attention, but we must give Jesus first place in everything and reject anything that draws us away from Him.· If we are not focused on Jesus, then we can be easily deceived into believing that many things are from God when they really are not.· For this reason, we must renew our minds daily by reading the word and praying in truth and understanding for more knowledge of God and His ways.
· We must use discernment when we listen for God, so that we can distinguish His voice from all the other voices in the world.
Listen for His voice today and have a great day.
John
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hearing God
04/09/2009 by John Marsden.
DEEP CALLS UNTO DEEP
God Hears Us
In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears. Psalm 18:6
· When we feel most alone and at our weakest point, that is when God draws closest to us, carrying us through the difficult times.· We must cry out to Him for help, and He will be quick to hear and come to our rescue. Although God knows our thoughts, we must lift them up to Him in prayer, and ask for His intervention. He will hear when we speak our prayers to Him.· This verse says that our cries come before God, even into His ears. Our prayers do not just float up and around randomly and reach God at some point in the distant future; they come directly to His temple, the place where He dwells and go into His ears where He hears our needs.
God Calls to Us
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. Revelation 3:20
· Our relationship with God is two-way: we speak to Him and He speaks back to us. Just as we expect God to hear our prayers and answer, God expects us to listen for His voice and obey what He speaks to us.· In this passage from Revelation, Jesus is calling out to a church that has grown lukewarm towards Him. Rather than just letting them slide further and further away from Him and His ways, He comes and calls to them and knocks at their door in order to get their attention.· God is calling to each of us to draw nearer to Him, to be on fire for Him and not lukewarm in our faith. When we answer Gods call by opening the doors of our hearts to Him, He will come in and we will enjoy His presence. There is so much He wants to say to us, but we must be willing to let Him speak.
God Reveals Things to Us
He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him. Daniel 2:22
· The bible says that the Holy Spirit searches the deep things of God and makes them known to those who have the Spirit in them.· When we spend time waiting in God’s presence, His Holy Spirit will reveal deep things about God to us so that we can know Him and His ways more clearly.· God’s Spirit searches our own hearts, too, and reveals things inside of us that we might not have known. God can shed light on all our hurts, trials, struggles, joys, and doubts and, if we let Him move in us, He can heal us and reveal truth to us.· We must belong to God in order to have His Spirit in us and to have Him reveal His heart to us. How do we know if we belong to God?
WE MUST WANT TO HEAR HIM
Seeking Him
My dove in the clefts of the rock, in the hiding places on the mountainside, show me your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely. Songs 2:14
· Song of Solomon is a beautiful book about the type of love that occurs between a husband and a wife, but we can draw many great parallels from it to illustrate the love between God and those who belong to Him.· In this verse we see the young woman searching for the one she loves. He is her delight, for his voice and face are pleasing and comforting to her. In the same way, we seek God with all our hearts; He is our greatest love in life, our comfort and delight.· The woman says here, “show me your face, let me hear your voice.” When we pray, we can ask God to show us His face (Moses, too, sought God’s face in the wilderness) and to let us hear His voice. He is a good God who will not disappoint us or deny us these requests.
Submitted to Him
Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts. Psalm 95:7-8
· When God does speak to us, we must be willing to listen to Him and do whatever He commands. Sometimes He will tell us to do things that we may not be very excited about—like giving up sin or ministering to people we may not like—but our hearts need to remain softened to His voice.· What does it mean to harden our hearts? How can we keep them soft? When we are in rebellion against God, doing our own thing rather than seeking to do His will in all things, then our hearts become hardened.
Secure in Him
The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was. Exodus 20:21
· In this story, Moses goes up on the mountain to hear God and receive His instructions for His people to share with the Israelites. When God spoke the Israelites were very afraid and begged Moses to speak to them for God, because they were too scared to hear God’s voice themselves.· It is right to keep a fear of God in your hearts, but if you are walking in purity and holiness, you have no reason to be scared of God or of His voice.· Like Moses, who feared God but not His voice of authority, we can be confident to approach Him in order to hear what He is speaking to us. We must want to hear God and believe that He desires to speak to us out of love.
Exodus 33:7-11Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the “tent of meeting.” Anyone inquiring of the LORD would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp. And whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose and stood at the entrances to their tents, watching Moses until he entered the tent. As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the LORD spoke with Moses. Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they all stood and worshiped, each at the entrance to his tent. The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.
· Moses took time to seek God and listen to what God was speaking for him and for His people. God is always speaking to His children, but we must—like Moses—get away from the camp and quiet ourselves in His presence to hear what He’s saying.· Jesus said that we will recognize His voice and follow Him. As we seek God, we will easily recognize His voice and hear what He is speaking to us more and more.God delights in us and desires to have intimacy with us as He did with His Son Jesus and with Moses, speaking to him as we would speak.
Have a great day.
John
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How God see you
03/09/2009 by John Marsden.
GOD DELIGHTS IN HIS CHILDREN
He Crowns Us
For the LORD takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation. Psalm 149:4
· Who are the people of God? Anyone who loves God and obeys His commandments belongs to Him. We are His children if we receive the One whom He has sent, Jesus.· God delights in us His children, and He is not up in some distant galaxy waiting to point the finger of judgment at us whenever we slip. He is a kind, loving, and merciful God who delights in seeing us joyful, radiant, and strong.· When we humble ourselves before God and submit our lives to Him, He will grant us the crown of salvation, life everlasting with Him.
He Rejoices in Us
The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17
· This image of God is not one we might be used to: God rejoicing (which means to spin about joyfully) over us while singing about us His children.· Think about a mother or father here on earth who delights in her or his child. A loving parent gives her love unconditionally and is so delighted in her child, even if he has done nothing to deserve such love or delight except belong to her.· We belong to God and His delight in us, his love for us, and his rejoicing over us should encourage us to seek Him and His righteousness even more.· When we really like someone and are excited for them, we make the effort to communicate with them. In the same way, God desires to communicate with His children because He is so happy that we belong to Him.
He Loves Us
Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Ephesians 5:1-2
· God loves us so much that He gave His Son to take on our sin and our punishment that we deserved for rebelling against Him. But even in our rebellion, God loved us, and Jesus gave Himself up for us because of love.· When we love someone, we long to be with them. Jesus loves us more than we can fathom, and He desires for us to know Him more and more.· The more we spend time listening to Him, the more able we are to live a life of love as He did. We imitate that which we place before us. Jesus should be foremost in our thoughts, so that we can be imitators of Him.
He Fathers Us
How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! 1 John 3:1
· We expect our Dads here on earth to love us and care for us, but sometimes this is not always the case. Even so, God is the ultimate Father, ready to lavish His love upon us liberally.
· We are His children who belong to Him. He is our protector and provider through everything we go through in this life. Let us look to Him as a Father and listen to His voice, knowing that He instructs us out of love for us.
Have a great day knowing that Almighty God loves you very much
John
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Eyes
02/09/2009 by John Marsden.
Open Eyes
Wednesday, September 02, 2009
“Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest.”John 4:35 NASB
From his hometown of Delft, near Rotterdam in the Netherlands, artist Johannes Vermeer watched as ships sailed to and from the local harbor on the coast of the North Sea. He heard stories from sailors and merchants about new lands.
Around 1668, reflecting this world of exploration, Vermeer completed one of his many masterpieces, a painting called “The Geographer.” A man with compass in hand stares out the window. Light floods the room, symbolizing the new possibilities that were changing their worldview and creating new opportunities.
It’s a scene filled with discovery. Open before the geographer is what seems to be a map. Behind him, a sea chart hangs on the wall, and other charts lie on the floor. Atop a cabinet sits a globe which seems to be turned toward the Indian Ocean, a body of water of great importance for Dutch navigators.
Like many in his time, Vermeer was looking at the world in a new light: fascinated by the prospect of new discoveries…driven to learn, to understand, and to explore. Determined men like these opened up new opportunities for others.
Just as Vermeer’s geographer looks out on a world fresh with potential, the world lays open before us today. But to grasp this potential, we need spiritual discernment. As Jesus taught, we need to open our eyes to see a world filled with hurting people-people who are dying without hearing the Gospel.
God has given us incredible technological resources-tools that can touch their lives and reach them for Christ. Make sure to do your part, for the fields are “white for harvest.” Souls need Jesus. Dedicate your life and resources to evangelism and furthering God’s Kingdom.
Eyes wide open have a great day
John
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Hearing God
31/08/2009 by John Marsden.
In the beginning, after God created man and woman, He spoke with them and walked
around in the garden looking for them. There was fellowship there, because God knew
His people whom He had created and they knew Him.
There was intimacy there that has been lost through the fall.
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How does one regain that intimacy with God?
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How do we know if we’re hearing from Him?
Let’s look at the following passage from John to see what Jesus said about hearing His
voice.
John 10:1-6“I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them.
· Jesus said that those who know Him know His voice and recognize when He’s speaking to them. But they also recognize when someone else is speaking to them and will not follow that voice.
· Jesus is our One True Shepherd who looks out for us. He desires for us to know Him intimately, so He speaks to us continuously. In the next few blogs I want us to learn about the different ways God speaks to His children, what we can do to hear Him better, and what things we might be doing that will prevent us from hearing Him clearly.
Have a great day and listen for His voice He is speaking
John
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Habakkuk 2
20/08/2009 by John Marsden.
- Do you ever get frustrated when you see injustice, like criminals who do not suffer the consequences of their crimes, corrupt leaders who oppress those entrusted to their care, the mean kid at school who is never confronted?
- Yesterday we looked at Habakkuk’s boldness before God in prayer and at how he poured out his heart before the Lord with the things that were troubling him.
- Now we will examine more closely the complaints that Habakkuk brought before God as he cried out to Him in prayer.
Habakkuk 1:12-17
O LORD, are you not from everlasting? My God, my Holy One, we will not die.O LORD, you have appointed them to execute judgment; O Rock, you have ordained them to punish. 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? You have made men like fish in the sea, like sea creatures that have no ruler. The wicked foe pulls all of them up with hooks, he catches them in his net,he gathers them up in his dragnet; and so he rejoices and is glad. Therefore he sacrifices to his net and burns incense to his dragnet, for by his net he lives in luxury and enjoys the choicest food. Is he to keep on emptying his net, destroying nations without mercy?
- These passage of Scripture is a response to God’s prophecy that people more wicked than Israel would come and bring about the judgment on God’s people who had rebelled against Him. Obviously, this upset Habakkuk, even though he knew that God was just and that His people had rejected God’s commandments, deserving punishment.
- In these verses, Habakkuk points out the apparent inconsistencies with God’s nature and His allowing all these wicked people to prosper. God is from everlasting, holy, just, and pure, while those who are evil are treacherous, oppressive, and idolatrous.
- Habakkuk wonders why God can tolerate such people and allow them to remain unpunished, much less allowed to prosper.
SOMETIMES EVIL APPEARS TO PROSPER
It Seems as if God is Blind
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
- Habakkuk is a godly man, so like God, he longs to be pure, holy, and just. As such, he hates all the injustice, wrongdoing, destruction, violence, and strife that is around him going unpunished, and—it seems—unnoticed.
- Habakkuk is bewildered. Was God blind? Did He not see all that was happening?
It Seems as if God Doesn’t Care
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
- Of course, Habakkuk knew that God sees all and hears all that men do and say, so his next question was “do You care, God, that all this evil is going on?”
- Habakkuk knew of God’s righteousness and purity. He wanted to know why God kept silent about all the injustice going on.
- Do you ever feel like God doesn’t see or that He just doesn’t care about all the injustice and sin going on in the world? In your own life?
It Seems as if Being Righteous is Useless
Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in vain have I washed my hands in innocence. Psalm 73:13
- While this verse does not come from Habakkuk, it seems like something he might have been thinking to himself at the time.
- All around him, the wicked were prospering and the weak and righteous were being oppressed. Why not just give up trying to follow God and start living a life of sin like all those others who seemed to be doing really well?
- But Habakkuk knew, and heard God say, that the wicked would not go unpunished, that His divine retribution would be sure and swift against the wicked people, both Israelites and those who would come to oppress them.
- In this we can be sure, that God is always good, always just, and always true to His word. Though we may not understand His ways or timing, we surrender ourselves to His good judgment, trusting that He ultimately has the victory in all things.
BUT GOD WILL BRING JUDGMENT
God Sees Everything
Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Hebrews 4:13
- Habakkuk knew this, David who wrote many of the Psalms knew this, the writer of Hebrews knew this, and we all can be sure of this, too. That God sees everything plainly and openly is certain.
- Even the deepest darkness in the hearts of those who appear righteous, holy, and pure is seen by God, because He dwells in inapproachable light that shines into all the darkest places of our hearts and our world.
- God knew what the rebellious Israelites were doing; He knew the wickedness in the hearts of those whom He was sending to bring judgment upon His people; He knew the purity of Habakkuk’s heart when he cried out to Him for justice.
God is Patient
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9
· Sometimes it does seem as if God doesn’t see or doesn’t care or is powerless against all the darkness that fills our world, but the truth is that God is patient.· Yes, He will ultimately bring judgment against all those who do not walk according to His ways, but He sincerely wants to see people repent of their wickedness—no matter how great it may be—and turn from their darkness to His light.
God is Just
For the revelation awaits an appointed time;it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay. Habakkuk 2:3
· God’s word is never failing, and His faithfulness to what He has spoken is true. We can trust and believe and hold onto all the promises spoken to us in His word. We can know that God is just and not doubt it.· God promises that all will be repaid according to their works, as Habakkuk knows. This gives us reason to hope and rejoice, because in the midst of any persecution, we can be sure that God will ultimately win over any evil.· Sometimes, it may seem that God will never act, but as He says here to Habakkuk, we must wait for His judgments and look for them and be ready.
OUR ATTITUDE TOWARDS EVIL
Resist Evil
See, he is puffed up; his desires are not upright—but the righteous will live by his faith— Habakkuk 2:4
- So what do we do in the meantime, while darkness seems to be spreading rampantly everywhere we look?
- First, we decide that we will not join with the wicked, but resist them and their works. We will be righteous and this we will do by faith in Jesus.
Reserve Vengeance for God
Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. Romans 12:19
- Secondly, we will not take the work of God into our own hands. God says that we are not to take revenge or repay evil for evil. Instead, we save vengeance and retribution for God.
- Let us not rob God of His own justice, but, as Paul wrote, “leave room for God’s wrath” to happen in His perfect way according to His perfect will.
Raise Your Voice
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
- Lastly, we can, like Habakkuk, come before God in fervent prayer. We can intercede for those who are being oppressed and persecuted and for the righteous, that God would act swiftly on their behalf.
- Jesus is our mediator, allowing us to come before God in boldness to present our petitions, requests, and intercessory prayers to Him. Let us speak up for those in need and against the darkness that threatens them.
In closing
Psalm 73:3-20
But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from the burdens common to man; they are not plagued by human ills. Therefore pride is their necklace; they clothe themselves with violence. From their callous hearts comes iniquity; the evil conceits of their minds know no limits. They scoff, and speak with malice; in their arrogance they threaten oppression. Their mouths lay claim to heaven, and their tongues take possession of the earth. Therefore their people turn to them and drink up waters in abundance. They say, “How can God know? Does the Most High have knowledge?”
This is what the wicked are like— always carefree, they increase in wealth.
Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in vain have I washed my hands in innocence. All day long I have been plagued; I have been punished every morning.
If I had said, “I will speak thus,” I would have betrayed your children. When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny.
Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin. How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors! As a dream when one awakes, so when you arise, O Lord, you will despise them as fantasies.
- The Psalmist who wrote this particular psalm came before God like Habakkuk, wondering why the wicked were allowed to prosper despite all the horrible things they were doing. He almost gave in to the thought that all of his purity and righteousness were in vain and useless.
- However, upon further meditation in God’s presence, he remembered all that He knew about God: that He was just and that the righteous would be delivered.
- Let us remember God’s faithfulness, especially when we think about all the bad things going on in our world today. We are not to despair and lose hope, but to run to God and cry out to Him for justice.
Have a great day
John
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