Breaking News!

 

 Breaking News! “70 die and over 300 Displaced in the Recent Earthquake that Rocked City X; 

Forest Fire Outbreak in City Y has left over 4000 Homeless as Fire-fighters Continue to Battle the Fire; Another Car bomb Has Gone Off This Morning Bringing it to a Total of 8 This Month; Flood has Displaced Many and Destroyed Properties Worth Millions After Rain Poured for Over 18 Hours in City Z” and the list goes on and on. News these days are about disaster, tragedy, poverty, war, crime, corruption and things like such. Nature itself is in a constant state of upheaval, with earthquakes, famine, killer storms and hazardous whether and climatic conditions around the world. It was not always this way.

When God made the world, it was good. The world was a sanctuary in which every part of God’s perfect creation pointed to a perfect creator. However, sin devastated the world and distorted God’s design. While we can recognise God’s handiwork in creation, this world’s glory is far from what it once was or what it ought to be.

Despite all these, there is one hope that we have – “He will make all things new” (Rev. 21:5). We will have the opportunity to experience and enjoy all that God planned for us from the beginning. Thus, we should join every creation in this cry as we grieve over the sinfulness of this present world and express a desire for Christ’s soon return.

Like a pregnant woman, all around us we observe a pregnant creation. The difficult times of pain throughout the world are simply birth pangs. However, it is not only around us; it is within us as well. We are also feeling the birth pangs. The pain is bearable because we know this temporary sorrow will soon give way to a joy and eternal life. At His appointed time, God will create a new heaven and earth and we will live with Him forever.

What a privilege to be counted among the people from every race and nationality who will see God’s face and praise Him throughout eternity. The sorrows of this life will become distant and unimportant the moment we step into the Lord’s glorious presence.

Jesus’ redemptive work changes everything. Knowing Him gives us hope and a purpose beyond this life. Even when struggles and trials seem overwhelming, we can say with Job, “Still, I know that God lives--the One who gives me back my life-- and eventually he'll take his stand on earth” (Job 19:25). When life seems out of control, we should always remember God is in control. Our Redeemer has risen from the grave, victorious over sin and death.

If you have not accepted the free gift of salvation that is available through Jesus, now is the time. Begin a relationship with Him today and allow His redemptive work to transform your life.

If you already have a relationship with Christ, take time this week to thank Him for all He has done, doing and will do for you. Ask Him to help you live out your faith and share His message with others as you watch for His return.

Take A Bite...

Take A Bite

A man argued the possibility of Jesus’ resurrection. He contended with everyone that cared. One day he brought his argument to a professor. While he was busy making his point, the professor was busy eating an apple. 

The man had finished presenting his point and the professor continued eating his apple. The man waited on the professor to make his point, but he did not, all the professor did was continue eating his apple. When he was done with the apple, the professor now turned to the man and asked him, “This apple I just ate, can you tell me if it was sweet or sour?” the man could not answer, all he said was that I did not eat the apple so I cannot say how the taste is.

Many people are like this man arguing baselessly on issues about which they have little or no information. All they based their argument on are hearsay.  Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see--how good GOD is. Blessed are you who run to him. Psalm 34:8. Many have never tasted God in the first place to know how good He is. All they do is stand aside and observe without actually tasting what or who God really is.

To taste or actually know whom God really is takes a little more than just thinking it or saying it. When we want to taste God, we have an active role in the transformation process. We should make every effort to avoid exposure to evil influences, study the Bible, because a mind that meditates on God’s transforming truth is not easily swayed by humanistic arguments and worldly ways of thinking. Another thing to avoid is having a high opinion of one’s self.

We are to make certain sacrifices. We cannot make a sacrifice without giving up something. Sacrifice does require surrender, but it can also bring rewards. For instance, you may have sacrificed sleep to care for a new born. Perhaps you sacrificed financially to get through college or to buy your first home. People willingly make sacrifices when they love someone or have an important gaol in sight. This should be the attitude of anyone who earnestly needs to taste and have first-hand experience of whom God is.

One cannot and should never boast that he or she has attained perfection. Even Paul never portrayed himself as the ideal Christian perfection. We should see our quest to taste God as dynamic, ever growing journey. We can always draw closer to God, gain a deeper understanding of His word, experience a greater measure of the spirit’s transforming power and become more like Jesus. We should never stop hungering for the spiritual growth. We must surrender ourselves completely to Christ and daily invite Him to renew our minds.

Is God Impartial With Everyone?

GOD, how long do I have to cry out for help before you listen? How many times do I have to yell, "Help! Murder! Police!" before you come to the rescue? Why do you force me to look at evil, stare trouble in the face day after day? Anarchy and violence break out, quarrels and fights all over the place. Law and order fall to pieces. Justice is a joke. The wicked have the righteous hamstrung and stand justice on its head.

Maybe that’s not exactly your complain, it may be that the girl that sits beside you in class sleeps with the lecturers to pass her exams, or that your colleague in the office sleeps with your superiors and gets promotions or that your rival bribes his way into getting that contract or many other distressing situations like that. Sometimes, there is this lingering question in your mind – is God impartial with everyone?

Sometimes we think that God has human weakness like getting tired, being bored, wandering away or even ignorant of what we are experiencing. The truth is if we look back how God has been involved with us in the past, we will realise He has never been late, even though He did not come the time we expect Him. Yet He always answered at the right time and in the right way.

God promises may seem too good to be true when we face those distressing situations and tiring conditions. However, these promises are to encourage us when we are struggling not to give up. God knows where we are. He will help us today just as He has helped others before us. You know what; God assures us that no matter how bleak a situation looks, God will never leave us helpless. He would strengthen and uphold us, when all else fails.

Then is again as Paul ask (Romans 8:31-39) – what can separate us from the love of God? I'm absolutely convinced that nothing - nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable - absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has loved us.

God is never late, He never fails, as Paul we should boldly say it – nothing can drive a wedge between Christ’s love and us. Our only responsibility is to stay faithful and trust that He will help us get through the crisis, stronger than when we started.

SUNDAY SCHOOL DIARIES: The Activated Will

SUNDAY SCHOOL DIARIES: The Activated Will

The Activated Will

Last week we discussed about a prince who offered to die in place of a young poor orphan who had erred. This act is what the theologians call a vicarious sacrifice – the innocent dying in the place of the guilty. That attribute belongs solely to Jesus Christ.

In the time past, God had commanded the Israelites to offer sacrifices on the Day of Atonement – the blood of bull for the priest and goat for the people, just to cover their sins, not to cleans them. The offering had to be made each year. To remedy the situation, God made a permanent arrangement for the sacrifice to be made for the last time – the vicarious sacrifice of Jesus.

Jesus took the sorrows of the world on himself. He had done nothing worthy of death. We were the ones who had turned our own way and needed a way back to God. He was wounded, pierced, and then led to be slaughtered like an animal. Despite all these humiliation and injustice, while still being innocent, He did not defend himself. He willingly took the punishment that we deserved. He did all these so we can leave at peace with God.

 

God’s love for people is so great and His mercy so all-encompassing that He knew the death of His son was humanity’s only hope of salvation. The blood of Jesus provides inner cleansing that turn sinners into children of God. This was done through justification – the act of removing from sinners their guilt and the penalty for that guilt and replacing it with righteousness when they believe in Jesus as Saviour.

The value of our redemption is extravagant beyond imagination. No amount of money or any possession can match the value of the gift that God has given us. If we saved everything we could ever earn while living on this earth, it would not be enough to buy our salvation. The richest person alive does not have enough.

Since Jesus died, he activated His will. If we accepted Him, we become co-heirs with Him and have full right to lay claim to the inheritance that was promised the children of God and we will thus be reunited with God.

“Like a will that takes effect when someone dies, the new covenant was put into action at Jesus' death. His death marked the transition from the old plan to the new one, canceling the old obligations and accompanying sins, and summoning the heirs to receive the eternal inheritance that was promised them. He brought together God and his people in this new way.”

(Hebrews 9:16, 17, MSG)