God
Like A Pumpkin
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS: Why do I keep failing as a Christian?
Praying With The Prayers Of The Bible: the Prayer for Holy Love
SERMON NOTEBOOK – 'People Like Us'
Learn to 'wait well' for things
Like A Pumpkin
A lady had recently become a Christian and been baptized. Curious, one of her colleagues at work asked her what it was like to be a Christian.
The lady was caught off guard and didn't know how to answer. Then she saw the office 'jack-o'-lantern' on a nearby desk and blurted: "Well, it's like being a pumpkin."
Her colleague asked her to explain that one. And so she said: “Well, God picks you from the patch and brings you in and washes off all the dirt on the outside that you got from being around all the other pumpkins.
“Then he cuts off the top and takes all the yucky stuff out from inside you. He removes all those seeds of doubt, hate, greed, etc.
“Then he carves you a new smiling face and puts his light inside of you to shine for all to see.
“It is our choice to either stay outside and rot on the vine or come inside and be something new and bright."
Are you something new and bright? Will you be smiling today, and shining with his light?
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS: Why do I keep failing as a Christian?
Having begun as a Christian, I get so dispirited at my same old sins. I keep thinking that I'll have to go back to the beginning again.
No, there's no need to do that. If you are finding it hard, it's a good sign – that you're going on with Christ; but that you're now facing opposition!
Learn the unique truth of the biblical teaching on Justification. Once we accept Christ's saving death for us, we are said to be 'justified' in God's sight (Romans 3:24; 5:1; Titus 3:7). This is a technical word, and justification even features on the computer. 'Justify' flashes up when you want your column of type to match up to a single straight norm down the right-hand margin.
It's the same in Bible terminology. How can any of us in the human race match up, morally, to 'God's norm', which is perfection, and so be acceptable to him? It's impossible, because sin – which is falling short of God's standards – is universal across the entire human race (Romans 3:9-20).
It is here that the good news of Christ shines at its brightest – in the truth that, despite our sins that deserve judgment and hell, God has himself provided the means by which we can be declared righteous. He has come in the Person of his Son, to bear the penalty of our sins himself at the Cross. By this way alone we can be declared to 'match up' to his righteousness.
Justification, then, is more than forgiveness, acquittal or pardon. If we were simply 'forgiven' (which indeed we are through faith in Christ), there would always still exist the uncertainty of what happens when we sin again. But the truth of justification assures believers that – whatever our character – on account of the Cross, and through faith in Christ, the very righteousness of Jesus has been permanently credited to our name. This is not the same as progressively making us righteous (the truth of sanctification – John 17:17; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-7). It's not even that we have been declared innocent, and that our file is empty. We have been declared positively and permanently righteous! That is Justification.
Certainly all true believers sigh over their sins, and desire to be more like Christ; keeping short accounts with him, and seeking his forgiveness when they fail him. But we don't need to start all over again. Justification stands for ever.
God's grace is its source (Romans 3:24). It all stems from his love, freely given. 'We are justified by grace.'
Christ's death is its means (Romans 5:9). An exchange has taken place. 'We are justified by blood.'
Our faith is its channel (Romans 5:1) How does it reach me? Only as I reach out and thankfully accept in trust what Christ has done for me in his death. 'We are justified by faith.'
God has done it all. No charge can ever be brought against you (Romans 8:33) – it's God himself who has justified you for ever!
From The Top 100 Questions by Richard Bewes Christian Focus Publications.
Praying With The Prayers Of The Bible: the Prayer for Holy Love
1 Thessalonians 3:12, 13, runs: 'May the Lord ...establish your hearts unblameable in holiness.' Paul's first letter to the Thessalonian church, dating from about 51 AD, is generally regarded as the first book in the New Testament to have been written. That means that this prayer is the first New Testament prayer to have been composed.
Paul has already highly commended the genuine spiritual experience and character of these new Christians. He thanked God for their faith, love and hope, 1:3; they were examples to others, 1:7; their faith in God was being widely spoken about, 1:8; and having turned from idolatry they were now serving the true God and expecting Christ's Second Coming, 1:9, 10. It is for these new and enthusiastic believers that Paul now prays.
The prayer asks for two great blessings for these Christians. First that they may abound in love toward each other and to the world, and then that their conduct will be characterised by holy living. What a model prayer this is for Christians in every age! Note Paul's words, 'may the Lord make you increase and abound in love' (v.12). This is not merely asking that these believers will love one another, but that their love will be full and overflowing. Perhaps Paul is recalling that Jesus said the world would recognise his disciples by their love toward one another (John 13:35). But this love, the essence of Christian experience, is not narrow or parochial. Paul prayed that their love would abound not only to each other but also 'to all men.' What a picture of what his church should be! All of us who claim to be his people should be known by our love for one another and for the world for which he died.
Then comes the second request in the prayer, that their hearts will be 'established unblameable in holiness.' (v.13). The word translated 'established' means to be fixed, to be settled, indicating constant character. In this world no Christian can be faultless but by his grace and mercy we are called to be blameless. In the prayer Paul brings together the condition of our hearts - overflowing in love, and the quality of our conduct – steadfast in holy living. What a combination of holy love, a reflection of what Jesus was!
One other aspect of this prayer is worth noting. When Paul prays that the love of these Christians will abound to each other, he adds that this is how he feels about them; 'as we do to you' (v.12). Likewise in 2:10 Paul says the Thessalonians are witnesses of his holy, righteous and blameless conduct among them. The love and holiness for which Paul prays for these believers can be seen in his own life and work. Surely the most pressing need in all our congregations is that all of us as Christ's disciples will consistently bear witness to his love controlling our hearts and our conduct.
SERMON NOTEBOOK – 'People Like Us'
Bartimaeus: Mark 10: 46-52
Mark's account of the healing of the blind beggar Bartimaeus takes place on the road to Jerusalem, just as Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho. In contrast to the disciples, Bartimaeus is presented to us as a person of faith to imitate.
A Key Question
Jesus' question to the man was important: 'What do you want me to do for you' (51)? It challenged his lifestyle as a blind beggar over many years. Was he really prepared to live differently i.e. stand on his own two feet and work for a living? Change is always threatening, since it is often more comfortable living with our problems!
In what ways has this been true in your experience?
A Right Response
Bartimaeus is a model of faith, courage and true discipleship. He recognised who Jesus was ('son of David'), believing that he had power to rescue him ('your faith has saved you'). He stopped begging (he left his cloak for collecting money behind), and followed Jesus on the way. It tells us that faith is available to all, and often it's the unexpected people who grasp it most strongly.
How has following Jesus challenged your lifestyle?
A Wrong Response
In the previous verses, Mark records how Jesus put the same question to James and John, as he did to Bartimaeus (36). In stark contrast to the man's simple request for sight, they asked for power, prestige and glory. Therefore, they missed the point that the kingdom of God turns the world's expectations upside down!
In what practical ways should this affect our approach to prayer?
The healing of Bartimaeus is a sign that Jesus wants to open the eyes of his followers, to see that he can bring salvation to all, even those normally excluded from 'polite' society!
Learn to 'wait well' for things
'My future is in Your hands...'
In her great book, When, God, When? Joyce Meyer writes: “God has taught me to keep living the life I now have, while I am waiting for the things that are in my heart to come to pass. We can become so intent on trying to birth the next things that we neither enjoy nor take care of the things at hand. I had a vision from God ten years before I began to see it fulfilled. During those years, I believe I missed a lot of joy trying to give it birth outside of God's timing.”
Learn to enjoy where you are, while you're waiting to get to where you want to be. After all, all your life you will spend more time waiting that you will receiving. And when you receive what you're waiting for now – you'll begin waiting for something else. That's life! If we don't learn to 'wait well', we'll live with endless frustration.
Waiting well is what will deliver our dream. Listen: “in due season we shall reap, if we faint not” (Gal. 6:9). “Due season” is when God knows we're ready, not when we think we are. He has set appointments to accomplish certain things in our life, so we might as well settle down and wait patiently, because that's when it will happen – and not before.
God knows what you need, he knows when you need it and he knows how to get it to you. All he asks you to do is trust him.
From UCB 'Word for Today'