206. “Transfiguration” today. Who? Me? The challenging, comforting truths of 2 Corinthians 3:17-18

Posted on February 26, 2017 by Jim Holbeck

After hearing a wonderful sermon by Stuart our new Rector on “Transfiguration” I was prompted to have a look back to an article I wrote some years ago on the same subject but from a different passage of scripture.  It was No 131 on this site, and based on 2 Corinthians 3:17-18.  I reprint it below for the convenience of new readers.

How does one “find oneself”? How do we become the people we were meant to be? How can we fulfil our eternal destiny? How can we find real fulfilment in life? How can I discover and become the “real me? They are all different expressions of the longing we all have for significance. We are familiar with terms such as “To thine own self be true” taken from Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’. There are other well-known sayings which express the need to focus on oneself as supposedly a means of gaining more significance for oneself in life.

However there is another focus in life that all humans are meant to have. It is not a focus on oneself as a means of growing in significance. In fact it had a different focus. It is to turn one’s eyes from oneself and from the things of the world to another object more worthy of our gaze. In the words of the hymn, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of His glory and grace.” To focus on Him is to bring everything into its true perspective. With that gaze we come to recognise that we are not number one in the universe, He is. Our true significance in life comes through coming into a right relationship with Him.

St Paul wrote about that true focus in 2 Corinthians 3:17-18, Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18  And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. We take a closer look at these verses.

 1).        Focussing On The Lord Brings Us Personal Freedom.  2 Cor 3:17.  “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”   What sort of freedom is Paul writing about here? Freedom to become what we want to become in life. Freedom to do what we want to do in life. In reality this freedom is freedom to be what God wants us to be and freedom to do what He wants us to do. How can our will be God’s will for us? Because He changes us from within to be what He wants us to be. He also motivates and empowers us to do what He wants us to do, by the power of His Holy Spirit within us.

2).        Focussing On The Lord Changes Us. Beholding Him And Reflecting Him.  3:18,  And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. Paul uses the term “unveiled faces”. We see the significance of that in verses 14 to 16. He explained that the Jews could not understand the Old Testament because it could only be explained with reference to Jesus Christ to whom it pointed as the Messiah. It was as though a veil lay over their eyes so that they could not see. But when they turn to the Lord, says Paul, the veil is taken away. They at last understand.  

 Paul paints the picture of those with unveiled faces beholding the Lord. He means all believers. As they continue to focus on the Lord in adoration, praise and thanksgiving, something happens. They begin to reflect what they are looking at. In fact the word katoptrizo can have both meanings as indicated in the different translations. The ESV has “beholding” and the HCSB (Holman Christian Study Bible) has “reflecting”. The word comes from  katoptron = a mirror.  How can both translations be correct? You can actually see why when you think about people sitting around a camp fire looking at the flames burning the wooden logs. If you look at the faces of those sitting around the fire with you, you notice that the light shines on their faces. As the glow of the fire lessens, the reflected light on their faces dims as well. When a log is put on the fire, it lights up again. A quick glance at those around us shows that the light has brightened on their faces as well. It is a simple truth. We become like the object we are focussed on. The more we gaze on Christ in love and adoration, the more we begin to reflect Him in our lives.  God begins to change us so that we become more like the object of our adoration, the Lord Jesus.

3).       Focussing On The Lord Brings An Inner Transformation. 3:18

Paul isn’t finished with the message of this change. He now uses another expression “transformation” (metamorphoō = to change or transform. This is the root of the English word metamorphosis) to drive home the same truth. He speaks about an inner transformation, “are being transformed”.  As students of NT Greek would remind us, the verb is in the present continuous tense to show it is ongoing. It is also in the passive voice meaning that this transformation is something that is happening to us rather than something we are doing. It is the same word used for the transfiguration of Jesus as He was transfigured before them, Mat 17:2, Mk 9:2. It is twice used of Christian believers. Here and also in Romans 12:2, Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind… . In this latter verse it speaks of the process of transformation as being through the “renewing of the mind”. In our 2 Cor 3:18 reference it refers to the object or goal of this transformation. It is “into the likeness of Christ Himself”. Becoming more like Him.

4).        Focussing On The Lord Restores The Likeness Of God In Us.  3:18

“are being transformed into the same image”. Humans were made in the image of God. (Gen 1:27)  “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him. However that image was defaced through the sin of Adam and through all consequent human sin. The good news is this, the image of God can be restored in God’s people. When they trust in God, He imparts to them His own divine nature, 2Pet 1:4  by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature. See also Col 3:10 and Rom 8:29.

Some may say, “Surely that transformation can’t happen all at once.” Of course it can’t. Paul goes on to say that this transformation is an ongoing process for those who have received His nature.

 5).        Focussing On The Lord Enables Ongoing Spiritual Growth To Take Place.

“From one degree of glory to another”.  The word “glory” (doxa) has a variety of meanings including idea, appearance, reputation, majesty among many others. As I thought about a short phrase that might sum up these meanings my mind went to “the REALITY of God”.  In this context in verse 3:18 it could mean that the transformation in believers grows as they focus on the REALITY of God. His glory (His REALITY, the reality of His presence) increases in them. They become more increasingly REAL like Him. They begin to show forth increasingly the REALITY of the character of God. This is what is called the process of sanctification. Being more and more set apart from the things of the world and becoming more and more set apart to the REALITY of God in one’s life. It is an on-going process towards wholeness, until we are glorified with Him in the REALITY of His presence in glory,  Col 3:4  When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

 6).        Focusing On The Lord Enables God’s Holy Spirit To Do His Work In Us.

“This (inner transformation) comes from the Lord, the Spirit.” We do the beholding of the Lord.  This is through focussing on Him in God’s word and in expressing adoration and praise and thanksgiving to Him as a living Person, indeed our Lord and Master. As we do so, His Spirit does the transforming into His likeness within us because we are open to the work of His Spirit in our lives. St Paul prayed for this transformation to come to completion in the lives of those to whom he wrote in Ephesus. This is what He prayed for them, Eph 3:14  For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15  from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16  that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17  so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith–that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18  may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19  and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

How important then to get our focus right in life. To be on Him! So that He can transform us! Into His likeness! To become more like Him! To be filled with His fulness!

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205. “You need to realise that it’s only hurting people who hurt others.” (Holbeck Helpful Hint No.1.)

Posted on January 12, 2017 by Jim Holbeck

People who are whole and healed don’t go around hurting other people. They are at peace within themselves and can thus act in peace towards other people. However people who are not at peace within themselves and have not learned to cope with negative situations or difficult people can cause hurt and pain to others.

It means that when some people are acting in a hurtful way towards us we don’t have to go into all sorts of self-recrimination or self-inquisition to try to ascertain what is our problem. As they rant and rave at us we can simply ask ourselves the question “What’s their problem?” This is not being self-righteous.  It is being realistic if we are living as we should be by the grace of God.

In 1988 I was invited to a Leaders of Anglican Renewal Conference at Canterbury Cathedral and at the University of Kent. Leaders had been invited from many countries around the world. It was an emotional experience because many who had been at the previous conference some years before had since that time been martyred for their faith. Many of those at the 1988 conference were going back into very dangerous situations with possible martyrdom an ever present threat.

We were asked to think about what God might have highlighted for us during the conference. As I thought about that I knew that I was going from one diocese to another in just a few weeks’ time. Some folk had warned me that I was getting in as an “outsider” into this other diocese. Some warned me that I could face a difficult time.

As I sat there in the conference I began to think about what my responsibility might be as I went into this new situation. My thoughts went in this direction. As a Christian believer I had to be like Christ to other believers. That was my responsibility. On the other hand they as Christian believers should be like Christ to me. That was their responsibility.

So I didn’t have to see people who were not being kind to me as a threat. I could see them as people who needed healing because they were not fulfilling their responsibility of having a Christ-like attitude to me. They were not fully drawing on the grace of God to be different. To be and to act like Him.

How did it turn out? As I tried by the grace of God to be like Jesus to other people I found that many responded to me in a Christ-like way. On the other hand they were some people I met who were unfriendly to say the least. But because of my experience in the University of Kent I could look at them in a different light. I could recognise their weakness rather than being intimidated by what seemed to be initially a domineering strength. There were a couple of occasions when faced with such people I found myself thinking, “What IS your problem!” It soon became apparent that they were reacting out of weakness rather than strength. They needed healing.

I did learn an important truth along the way. One senior churchman who had a fear of anything charismatic thought he read some charismatic teaching in something I had written. He had misunderstood what I had expressed. But he lost control and for several minutes blasted me at the top of his voice. All I could do was listen and pray for him. Eventually he stormed off. I did recognise that it was his problem and not mine. That was confirmed within hours when he had a massive emotional breakdown and was out of ministry for several weeks. You can’t deliberately grieve the Holy Spirit of God by giving way to the flesh and remain unaffected! Praise God by His mercy He eventually restored our friendship and our mutual respect.

It means then that if YOU are the one with the problem then confess it, ask Him (and others where necessary) for forgiveness and pray for healing so that you don’t behave in an ungodly way again. That is your solemn and inescapable responsibility.

On the other hand don’t carry unnecessary guilt. If it is obvious by their behaviour and attitudes that THEY have a problem, recognise it and act like Jesus towards them. Pray that they will be healed.  Don’t be intimidated by intimidating people for they are “timid” or “fearful” people who are afraid of  people who for some reason threaten them. For as my first hint suggests, “You need to realise that it’s only hurting people who hurt others.”

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204. “Post-truth” trumped by “The Truth” in 2016 and every year!

Posted on January 8, 2017 by Jim Holbeck

‘Post-truth’ has been named the 2016 word of the year by Oxford Dictionaries. Defined as “Relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.”

Sorry, but “Post-truth” has met its match! Jesus “The Truth” wins!  Every time! It is a non-sense when people start talking about Post-truth and take more notice of their feelings than they do of facts.  Feelings are very changeable and are subject to environmental situations and pre-conditioned thinking and attitudes.  Just watch a cricket match on TV and a scan of the spectators shows people watching the same incident can have wildly different feelings. The batsman lofts the ball over the boundary for six runs to win the game. Some folk are immediately jumping excitedly into the air whist others around them burst into tears. Same incident. Differing responses, reactions and feelings. But the official scorer for the game writes the stroke down as a six. Fact! The facts are added up and the team with the better score wins the game. That fact is reported on the TV and in the next day’s papers. Feelings whether positive or negative about the game do not alter the fact that one side won and the other side lost. Fact, not fiction! The same goes for sporting contests in other nations. Wins are recorded as facts, as reality, no matter what one feels about the contests observed. No matter how strongly people may feel about their team, if they lost the game, their feelings cannot alter the fact that they lost.

But what is “truth?” That was the question that the governor Pontus Pilate asked when confronted with the person of Jesus, “What is truth?” He had before him someone in whom he could find no guilt who had been healing those in need. Yet some leaders from His own religious background wanted Him killed. What is truth if so-called religious people are wanting to kill an innocent man?  Eventually he gave in to the insistent demands and allowed Jesus to be crucified. What Pilate did not realise (and what a lot of people in today’s world do not realise) was that Pilate was looking at The Truth. Incarnate in Jesus. Pilate became a “people pleaser” not a God pleaser as he made his decision to hand Jesus over to His enemies.

In what way is Jesus “The Truth?”  He is the truth in several ways. We look briefly at some of those ways.

First of all He is the truth about God

  • When people saw Him they were seeing God manifest in the flesh. As He Himself said, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works.” Jn 14:9-10. To observe the character of Jesus was to see the character of God revealed in human flesh.
  • He is the truth about the activity of God in His world. As those previous words from Jn 14:10 put it, when people heard the teaching of Jesus they were hearing the voice of God through Him. The words had God’s authority. The words had originated in God Himself but were spoken through Jesus.
  • When people saw Jesus perform His miracles they were witnessing God Himself working through Jesus, “but the Father who dwells in me does his works.” Jn 14:10.

Secondly, He is the truth about creation (the origin of the universe)

Jesus existed from eternity and was responsible for creation. Jn 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.”

He came as light into the world He had made but His own people rejected Him, Jn 1:9 “The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.”

Jesus is the Creator and the Sustainer of the whole universe, Col 1:15 “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”

Jesus is the Son of God who created the world and is the heir of all things. He sustains the universe He has made which is His inheritance from the Father, Heb 1:1 “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.”

Thirdly He is the truth about humans

  • He humbled Himself to become a human, “though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
  • He lived as a human, yet without sinning, Heb 4:15  “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”
  • God worked through Jesus in His role as a human, Acts 2:22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know.” (Paul said of his own ministry and that of Peter that God worked through them, “(for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles”). Gal 2:8.  God at work though human instruments. Jesus humbled Himself to live and minister as a human as He allowed God to minister through Him..

Fourthly He is the truth about the way to God

  • He described Himself as the Only way to the Father. As he said to Thomas, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”Jn 14:6.
  • He is described as the new and living way into the presence of God, Heb 10:19-20, “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh.”
  • The whole movement of those who had faith in Him came to be called “the Way” in the book of Acts. Eg., Act_9:2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Act_19:9  But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus. Act_19:23  About that time there arose no little disturbance concerning the Way. Act_22:4  I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women, Act_24:14  But this I confess to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets, Act_24:22  But Felix, having a rather accurate knowledge of the Way, put them off, saying, “When Lysias the tribune comes down, I will decide your case.”
  • Not only was Jesus The Way but He was the ONLY way to the Father.

 Fifthly, He is the truth about the future judgment of the world.

Not only is Jesus described as the Creator and Sustainer of the universe but He is also seen to be the One who ultimately judges the world.

  • He will be the judge of all people as the following verses indicate. “The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son.” Jn 5:22. AND Jn_5:27  “And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man.” AND Acts 10:42  “And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead.” AND Acts 17:31  “because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” AND 2Cor 5:10  “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” AND 2Tim 4:1 “ I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom.” God’s truth about Jesus? He will judge the world!
  • All will be judged according to their obedience to the truths Jesus proclaimed, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” Jn 5:24. AND “The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.” Jn 12:48. Ignoring Jesus and His words is spiritual suicide when He has clearly encouraged us to take Him seriously. Or else!
  • All will be judged according to their attitude to Him, Jud 1:14 “It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones, 15 to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”

Jesus was and is The Truth. He spoke the Truth. All will be judged by their attitude to the truth He proclaimed.

So we need to get back to reality and recognise that there are absolutes in this world.  Life is not just about feelings, even though they are important. We need to recognise that there is a Creator and His name is Jesus.

There is a Messiah, an Anointed One, a Christ, a Saviour named Jesus who brings forgiveness and eternal life to all who trust Him. But to ignore Him as The Truth and to ignore His teachings by failing to recognise that they are eternal truths from God, leads to judgment, not life.

“Post-truth?”  Is no-truth. It is unreality. Those who rely on feelings instead of looking at the facts are running away from reality. It is non-sense in a world made by a Creator who has a plan and purpose for the world and for the people in it. He wants them all to be His friends and to live in a close living relationship with Him. But He has warned us through Jesus that Jesus is the only Way, the ultimate Truth and the only One who can bring life to a spiritually dead world.  In the words of the most well-known verse in the Bible in John 3:16 the facts are these, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”  People are perishing. But God gave His Son so that those who trust Him as the Way, the Truth and the Life will not perish but have eternal life.

The philosophy of “Post Truth” may be attractive to many. If there is no truth because we are “post truth” then I am free to do as I please. I cannot be judged to be in the wrong or to have done wrong because there is no truth by which to judge me. If however there is such a thing as truth (especially absolute truth as there is in Jesus) then I am accountable to live by that truth. As Jesus said we will all be judged by the truth of His words. As creatures of a Creator we have the incredible privilege of being able to know and to love our Creator. But we also have the corresponding responsibility of humbling ourselves before Him and living in obedience to Him and to the truth He proclaimed!

“Post-truth” trumped by “The Truth” in 2016 and every year! Because Jesus, The Truth,  is alive in His world to help us. But He is coming soon to judge the world. He is incomparable! But He is also inescapable in His real world! No matter what one “feels” about Him or His truth! 

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Creation, Evangelism, Forgiveness, Healing, Prayer, Salvation, Temptations | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

203. How to have a blessed life in 2017!

Posted on January 3, 2017 by Jim Holbeck

In my previous article I mentioned the impact that Jesus’ words in Revelation 3:20 had on me prior to my conversion to Christ. I was faced with the fact that the Risen Christ was standing at the door of my life, knocking and asking to enter. His words were, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” In the article I told the story of how I did respond to His gracious invitation and how life for me became new from that moment.

The following short comments are now true for me:-

Christian Truths
“Christ has died! Christ is risen! Christ will come again!”
My Christian Testimony
“Christ has died! Christ is risen! Christ will come again”, so I have invited Him into my life to be my Saviour and Lord.
My Christian Message
“Christ has died! Christ is risen! Christ will come again!” So invite Him into your life to be your Saviour and Lord.
(A glorious but disturbing truth! You are the only person who will ever live, who can do that for you! I pray that you will!)
Have a blessed 2017 in Him!

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202.  “Coming Ready Or Not!” Are We Ready For The Second Coming Of Jesus? (Based on sermon on Sunday before Christmas. 4th Sunday in Advent)

Posted on December 23, 2016 by Jim Holbeck

The 81 year old preacher covered his face with his right hand with his fingers widely spread and with eyes wide open he peered through the gaps in his fingers. As he did so he began his sermon with the words, “Coming ready or not!” Did it mean that he was having a SCS episode (Second Childhood Syndrome episode? My definition!) Or was he practising for the arrival of his grandchildren so he could be more adept at playing “Hide And Seek” with them? The answer came as he said that he was simply quoting what Jesus could say to us today. Jesus could say to us, “Coming ready or not!” because He is!

The first and second comings of Jesus

In this season of Advent we think of both the first and second comings of Jesus. (The word Advent means “coming” or “arrival”) At Advent we think of how Jesus came the first time about 2000 years ago as a baby at that first Christmas.  We also think of how He will come at His second coming in majesty and power to establish His rule completely and unopposed on earth.

The preacher went on to use the 10 words that are often quoted in Communion services to sum up Jesus’ ministry, namely, “Christ Has Died! Christ Is Risen! Christ Will Come Again!” He went on to speak of the relevance those comings of Jesus have for us today. I was highly motivated to listen attentively to every word he said.

 1).   “CHRIST HAS DIED!”  The First Coming Of Jesus

When did that first coming of Jesus take place? Paul gives us the answer in majestic language in Galatians 4:4, “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law.” At the time God chose, He sent Jesus into the world to redeem His people and to enable them to be adopted into the family of God.

Or perhaps a more well-known verse, often called “the gospel in a nutshell” might help us. John, possibly quoting the words of Jesus, wrote,  John 3:16-18. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. He was born as a human, of a human mother so that he might live as a human for humans and eventually die as a human for humans. In doing so He made forgiveness of sins and new life in Christ available for all those who would trust in Him.

 At His first coming

  • He came in weakness to live as a human so that He might die as a human for humans, so that they might not perish eternally.
  • He died so that they might be forgiven and become sons and daughters of God by trusting in Him.

But how can that become possible for you and me? Because He is alive today!

2).   “CHRIST IS RISEN!” We Live In The Interval Before He Comes Again

Death could not hold Jesus and He rose from the dead on the 3rd day. He rose triumphant over sin and death and victor over the powers of darkness. He is alive in His world today.

He is present by His Spirit when His people gather in His name. Jesus promised, Matthew 18:20 “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” He is present with us by His Spirit. He may be unseen but He is present. That is His promise.

 SO WHAT! How does that affect me?

i).  He comes to us individually.  He invites us to open the door of our lives to Him.

In Rev 3:20 is the picture of the Risen Christ standing and knocking on the door of every human heart, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”   The meaning of this verse is brought out in the painting by Holman Hunt, called “The Light of the World.” The picture is of the Risen Christ standing at the door of the human heart. He is holding a lantern representing Him as the Light of the world. He is knocking at a door that is covered with vines. It has never been opened before. His painting shows that there is no handle on the outside of the door. It can only be opened from within. Jesus knocks. He does not charge in uninvited.

I mentioned in the sermon that Jesus is not like some big tough forward in Rugby League football who would knock you down to get the ball off you. I mentioned too that it was my fortune (or perhaps more accurately my misfortune) to play against some of the toughest players in Rugby League history. Men who are still recognised as being among the toughest ever. People like Noel Kelly, Gary Parcell and Dud Beattie who became front row partners in the Australian national team. (In 2009, the three were made Men of League Honourees for their contribution to Australian Rugby League.) Never once in my “crashing runs from the full-back position” (as the Queensland Times newspaper kindly put it) did they ask me if I minded giving them the ball so that they could score at the other end of the field. Never! Nil! Zero! Zilch! Not once in any game I played against them! They simply tried to splatter me over the turf in their efforts to dispossess me of the ball. (I think they misread the paper and thought they had to do the “crashing”, not me!) They succeeded! Often!

Jesus is not like that. He knocks and invites us to open the door of our lives to Him. He respects the free-will He has given us. Amazingly the most brilliant “self-made” people can refuse to open the door of their hearts to Him. Equally amazingly the most needy person with modest intelligence and modest means who needs help desperately can also refuse to open the door of their lives to Him. The terrifying truth is that no one in all of human history can open the door of our lives to Him. It is our privilege and our responsibility alone! None can dodge the God-given opportunities He gives us, but we can ignore them to our peril!

What is happening behind the scenes throughout the world is that Jesus as the Risen One is knocking on the door of millions of human hearts asking to come in. It is obvious that many are opening their lives to Him. It is also obvious that millions are refusing to accept Him as their Lord and Saviour. But as I have already said, “Jesus is coming ready or not!”

 ii).  He invites us to come to Him for help.  When we do become the children of God life takes on a real meaning and is much more fulfilling. But we still live in a fallen world. Life can be tough because people are not perfect and we can go through the same difficult times that others do. But the Risen Jesus wants to help us. He gave this invitation to those who were finding life difficult, Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

The Risen Jesus wants to unite us to Himself, to be yoked together with Him so that He can lead us and direct us on the paths God has for us as individuals. He offers to take the burdens we carry so that we can cope with His help. His yoke is easy because it is so well-fitting. It is designed especially for us. The burden is light because He bears the heaviest loads for us.

 3).    “CHRIST WILL COME AGAIN!” the 2nd Coming

At His First Coming Jesus came in great humility as a vulnerable baby. Born to a humble mother. Born in a humble environment. Rode a humble animal into Jerusalem. Died a humble and shameful death. Given the choice the people chose a murderer instead of Jesus. When asked what should be done with Jesus, the people cried, “Crucify Him!” Abandoned by most. But loved by a few.

At His Second Coming, it will be entirely different! He will come in glorious majesty as the majestic King of Kings and Lord of Lords and every knee, without exception, will bow before Him at His glorious coming. This will not be a time for making decisions about Him. The time for that privilege will be over. He comes to declare His decision about us.

A). Why Will He Come The Second Time?

i). To take us as believers to be with Him forever.

Jesus saw the sadness of His disciples when He told them He was going to leave them. He gave them this promise before His death. John 14:1-6 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. (2) In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? (3) And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. (4) And you know the way to where I am going.” (5) Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” (6) Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

At His Second Coming Jesus comes to gather together all those who believed He was and is The Way, The Truth and The Life and who have accepted Him as such. They will be with Him for ever in His Father’s house. Jesus has already “booked them in”. Our names are already on the doors of our rooms, even as our names as believers are already written in the “Lamb’s Book of Life” (Rev 21:27). Together with Him in glory and in eternal joy and bliss, forever.

 ii).  To bring God’s rightful judgment on the world

Jesus comes to judge all the peoples of the world throughout all the ages. Paul preached in Acts 17:30 “The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31  because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”   Jesus the Son of God, Creator, Saviour, Lord and ultimately Judge of the whole world.

B).  When Will  He Come The Second Time?

When the last person in the world God knows is going to repent and believe, does so, then the end will come. Nothing and no one can stop it. It is inevitable. There were many sceptics in New Testament times as there are many sceptics today. Some scoff in words like these, “Where is the promise of His coming?”  St Peter had the answer 2000 years ago. He wrote, “The Lord is not slow to fulfil his promise (about His second Coming) as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9.   The fact He hasn’t yet returned is a sign of His incredible patience, love, mercy and grace as He waits for that last person to repent and believe. He knows who it is and where and when it will be. We don’t! That’s why we have to be ready because He is coming whether we are ready or not!

 C).    What  will happen when He comes?

Some folk may wonder whether the event will be on free to air TV or whether they may have to get Pay Television to get the coverage. The reality is that it will be simulcast, not on tiny TV screens but on a worldwide global stage so that “every eye will see Him ” (Rev 1:7-8,  “Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.” 8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

 Peter continued his graphic description in 2 Peter 3:10-13,  “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.” 11 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, 12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! 13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”

When He comes in majesty there will be no more corruption and deceit. No more sin. No more sickness or suffering or death. No more wrinkles or arthritis. No more weaknesses for the people of God.  But there will be NO more opportunities to receive Him as Saviour and Lord.

 THE CHOICE WE FACE

Jesus said, “Coming ready or not!” Are you ready? Have you accepted His invitation in Rev 3:20, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” Or is He still standing there, knocking?

Way back in 1958 I was faced with a dilemma as I physically stood on the boundary between 2 states in Boundary Street, Coolangatta on the Qld- NSW border. I had come to realise that as the words of our Trilogy put it, “Christ has died! Christ is risen! Christ will come again!” But how could I get right with God? How could I get that Jesus to come into my life? I realised that I was standing on a spiritual border as well. I was standing on the border of remaining outside the kingdom of God, apart from Christ or I could take the step of faith and open the door of my heart to Jesus. I had been reading some booklets by the Rev John Stott, a Chaplain to the Queen and the Rector of All Souls Langham Place in London. In them he suggested that we need to pray to God using an ABCD plan. Simply put it meant, A=  I had to Admit I was a sinner in the sight of God. B =  I had to Believe that Jesus had died on the cross for me to take away my sins. C = I had to Consider the cost of becoming a Christian, knowing that my salvation was free to me in Him but very costly to Jesus. D = I had to Do something and that was in prayer to open the door of my heart and ask Jesus in.

Just before midnight I knelt beside my bed in the holiday flat I was in (Lincoln Flats, unfortunately no longer there as a memorial) and prayed the ABCD prayer inviting Jesus to come into my life to be my Saviour and my Lord and Master. As I finished the prayer the bells tolled, the horns honked, there were screams of delight and joy outside in the streets, because …..the New Year had come in! I realised later that on that night there had been great joy among the angels in heaven, because a lost sinner (me) had come home!  I had taken a step of faith over the boundary into a new state  (of being in Christ, belonging to the Kingdom of God ) and life began!

This Christmas season, I pray that you might open the door of your heart to receive the greatest present God could ever offer, the gift of His Son and receive in Him the gifts of forgiveness, eternal life, every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3) and everything you need to live for Him,  2 Peter 1:3-4 “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4  by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature.“  And what are those precious and very great promises? Paul tells us they are ours now in Christ, 2 Cor 1:20 “For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. 21 And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, 22 and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.” 

Jesus has promised, “Coming ready or not!” My prayer is that you, your friends and your family will be ready!

Blog No. 202. Jim Holbeck. Posted on Friday 23rd December 2016

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201. “Experiencing The Peace Of Jesus.” Jesus said, “My peace I leave with you.” Adapted from a sermon on John 14:25-31. (No 3 in series of 3 on Love, Joy and Peace)

Posted on December 4, 2016 by Jim Holbeck

PEACE. What is it? Was it when Armistice was declared in 1918? Was it when World War 2 came to an end? Is it the time when noisy neighbours quieten down? Is it when all the visitors finally leave? Have you your own definition?
A). WHAT PEACE IS. In the Old Testament “peace” is used in a number of ways. 
i. National peace. The absence of hostility. For example we read of a peaceful period in the kingship of Asa, king of Judah. 2Chronicles 14:2 “And King Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God. … And the kingdom had rest under him. 6 He built fortified cities in Judah, for the land had rest. He had no war in those years, for the LORD gave him peace.” The king’s obedience to God helped bring peace to the nation.

ii. National peace. There was often peace when a nation was in the will of God. However when a nation was not in the will of God there could be disaster. Jeremiah brought the word of the Lord against the people of Jerusalem who had rejected the Lord. (It could be a prophecy against modern-day Australia in its rejection of the Lord.) Notice the rejection  of God by the people in the underlined words. Jeremiah 6:13 “For from the least to the greatest of them, everyone is greedy for unjust gain; and from prophet to priest, everyone deals falsely. 14 They have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace. 15 Were they ashamed when they committed abomination? No, they were not at all ashamed; they did not know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; at the time that I punish them, they shall be overthrown,” says the LORD. 16 Thus says the LORD: “Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.‘ 17 I set watchmen over you, saying, ‘Pay attention to the sound of the trumpet!’ But they said, ‘We will not pay attention.‘ 18 Therefore hear, O nations, and know, O congregation, what will happen to them. 19 Hear, O earth; behold, I am bringing disaster upon this people, the fruit of their devices, because they have not paid attention to my words; and as for my law, they have rejected it.” There can be no lasting peace when a nation rejects the God of peace!

There could have been peace if the people of Jerusalem had repented of their sin, Jer 6:26 “O daughter of my people, put on sackcloth, and roll in ashes; make mourning as for an only son, most bitter lamentation, for suddenly the destroyer will come upon us.” They rejected this offer of God’s grace as well. They forfeited God’s peace. Punishment came.

The people of Jerusalem didn’t learn the lesson from their history of Jerusalem. Later Jesus came as the Messiah and the Prince of Peace. We read how the people of Jerusalem responded, Luke 19:41  “And when Jesus drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, 42 saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side 44 and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”  Jerusalem means “foundation or city of peace” but they did not recognise the visit of their Messiah, of their prince of peace and consequently they suffered for their rejection of Him.

iii. Individual peace. There can be peace in the sense of tranquility. Eg., in (Psalm 4:8) “In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.” The Hebrew word here for “peace” is Shalom.  You can have a real sense of peace knowing that the Lord is protecting you.

B). WHAT PEACE IS. IN THE NEW TESTAMENT OUR GOD (YAHWEH, JEHOVAH) IS THE SOURCE AND GIVER OF TRUE PEACE

1). OUR GOD (Yahweh. Jehovah) IS THE SOURCE OF PEACE
He is called the “God of peace” on 5 occasions. He brings peace to human situations.
i. Rom_15:33 “May the God of peace be with you all. Amen.” A prayer that the God of peace would keep the Roman believers in peace.
ii. The One Who brought Jesus back from the dead is able to bring us His peace as we do His will. Heb_13:20 “Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant 21 equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen”.
iii. He protects from satanic attack. Rom_16:20 “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.” He wants us to experience His peace.
iv. He changes us to be like Jesus. 1Th_5:23 “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ”
v. He remains close to those who are faithful to apostolic teaching and practice. Php_4:9 “What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”
God’s peace is different to human peace. Jesus said, Joh 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” God’s peace can be experienced even when there is tension and strife.
There is a deep peace in knowing that God’s smile is on you, and His protection is around you as you seek to live for Him.

2). OUR GOD, THE GOD OF PEACE INVITES US TO BE AT PEACE WITH HIMSELF
i. The Fall of humans in Genesis 1-3 brought hostility between God and humans and between fellow humans.
• Human Rebellion by creatures against their Creator God. The human race beginning with Adam and Eve wanted to do their own thing, to be independent of God. Doing our will, not His.
• It brought God’s displeasure against human wickedness. Ezek 18:20, God said, “The soul that sins will surely die.” Separation, Spiritual death is the result of sin.
• All humans are guilty but can be forgiven, Rom 3:23.“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”  BUT Rom 3:24 adds that they were “justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.”
• All humans are guilty, spiritually dead BUT they can be forgiven and live. Rom 5:12 “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned”, BUT when they trust in Jesus they are forgiven and become spiritually alive, Rom 5:17 “For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. 18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.”
• All humans are spiritually dead, Rom 6:23, “the wages of sin is death.” Sin pays wages to those who do it. Death! BUT God gives us eternal life as a free gift when we receive Jesus as Saviour, “but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

ii. God brought the possibility of peace through the coming Messiah, Isaiah prophesied this of the Coming Messiah, Is 53:5. “But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Jesus took our place, bore our punishment, so that we might have peace with God through Him. It was costly for Him. BUT it is free to us in Him!

iii. As we trust in what Jesus did on the cross, we are made right with God. A peace relationship is established. He is at peace with us. We are at peace with Him. Rom 5:1, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” By His grace we can know peace with God and have access to Him at all times.

3). OUR GOD (Yahweh. Jehovah) GIVES US HIS PEACE
There are some wonderful truths in Philippians 4 that can help us learn to experience the peace of God.
i. God can enable us to be at peace with one another. He has reconciled us to Himself and to one another through Jesus’ death on the cross. As 2 Cor 5:17-20 puts it, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”  We have to work out that unity in practice.

However in Philippi two female leaders were not in unity. Paul wanted them to be at peace with each other for the sake of the gospel message. Php 4:2 “I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. 3 Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.”  To “agree” is to be of the same mind (τὸ αὐτὸ φρονεῖν), to think the same thing, to have the same attitude. In other words Paul was reminding them that Christ has made them one. Now they had to live out that unity in practice. If they failed to do so it would be a serious denial of the gospel message of reconciliation.

The mention of Euodia and Syntyche is a reminder that if believers don’t live in unity with each other, they will have no ministry to offer in reconciling others to God or to one another. It is remarkable that these two women are mentioned in the eternal word of God together with Paul’s admonition to them to get their act together! The lives believers live must match the reality of the word they preach! Otherwise it has not power or authority.

ii. God tells us to hand our concerns over to Him in order to experience His peace. Php 4:6 “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”. “Guard” is (φρουρέω , phroureō) from φρουρός phrouros, a guard. The peace of God can act like a sentry on duty to protect the hearts and minds of believers in Christ. (The same word for “guard” is used in 1Peter 1:5 to describe the Lord’s protection of our salvation, “who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”) It is interesting to note that Philippi was a Roman Garrison town. It was always protected by sentries. The citizens of Philippi could always live in peace. Paul was emphasising that God’s peace would always protect them like a sentry when they passed their concerns on to Him.

iii. Paul tells us in Phil 4 how to maintain our peace so that the God of Peace will remain with us. He reminds us that we must focus on the positives in life, Php 4:8 “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things (logizomai = keep on considering, focussing on, dwelling on). To keep focusing on the negatives in life is to give them power over us and lessens our peace.

He also taught that they needed to follow apostolic teaching and behaviour. Php 4:9 “What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice (prassō= keep on practising, putting into practice, make it your habit to keep on doing ) these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” Paul was seeking to live by the truth of God’s revelation in His word. In this way we remain open to His guidance and direction for our lives.

The God of peace with whom we can have peace (Romans 5:1)  can impart His peace in  the lives of all those who trust in Him.

So we come to the end of our 3 part series on Love. Joy. Peace.
As we have seen, these are the characteristics we share with Jesus as we live in close fellowship with Him.
• Jesus said, “Abide in MY LOVE.”
• Jesus said, “These things have I spoken unto you that MY JOY may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”
• Jesus said, “MY PEACE I give to you, not as the world gives, do I give to you.”

The first three parts of the Fruit of the Spirit in Gal 5:22, “love, joy peace.” Qualities we can show forth continually as fruit in our lives as God keeps on filling us with His presence by Holy Spirit. Such fruit (singular) will be ALL these qualities, “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” Gal 5:22-23. 

A Suggested Prayer:
“Father we ask You to fill us with Your Holy Spirit. We want to show forth for every moment of every day, Your love, Your joy, Your peace in our lives. We want those around us to see You in us and come to submit to You as their Saviour, Master and Lord. We ask this in Jesus’ name, and for His sake. AMEN!”

Blog No. 201.  Jim Holbeck. Posted Sunday 4th December 2016

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200. Sharing In The Joy Of Jesus. Jesus said, “… that My joy may be in you.” Adapted from a sermon on John 15:11. (No.2 in series of 3 on Love, Joy and Peace)

Posted on November 20, 2016 by Jim Holbeck

Joy is not hedonism, the pursuit of pleasure. The belief that pleasure or happiness is the most important goal in life. However joy is the result of finding the source of real pleasure, in the Lord, (in who He is and in what He has done) the only One who can bring true genuine lasting joy in life no matter what.
Joy is recognising and acting on God’s steadfast love and faithfulness for us in the past, present and future.

1).  Joy Because Of God’s Faithfulness In The Past
The people of God knew great joy when God gave them victory over their enemies. Eg.,
i). Under King Jehoshaphat. 2 Ch 20:1 “After this the Moabites and Ammonites, and with them some of the Meunites (from Mt Seir) came against Jehoshaphat for battle….  14 And the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel …  15 And he said, “… ‘Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God’s. …   17 You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ , “Hear me, Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in the LORD your God, and you will be established; believe his prophets, and you will succeed.”  21 And when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who were to sing to the LORD and praise him in holy attire, as they went before the army, and say, “Give thanks to the LORD, for his steadfast love endures forever.” 22 And when they began to sing and praise, the LORD set an ambush against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, so that they were routed. 23 For the men of Ammon and Moab rose against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, devoting them to destruction, and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they all helped to destroy one another. AND 2 Chron 20:27 Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat at their head, returning to Jerusalem with joy, for the LORD had made them rejoice over their enemies.” An amazing God using amazing strategies to win an amazing victory. And the people were so grateful.

ii). David won a victory over the Philistines. 1Sam 18:6 “As they were coming home, when David returned from striking down the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with songs of joy, and with musical instruments.” It’s a great occasion for joy when the Lord gives us victory over our enemies as a sign of His steadfast love and faithfulness to us. He loves us with steadfast love. He is faithful. We can rejoice in His steadfast love and faithfulness. (It is interesting that the “steadfast love” and “faithfulness” of God appear together in 39 verses in the Old Testament.)

iii). 2010. Something happened that I had never seen before and have never seen since. A mind-blowing experience in the Cathedral in Sydney on the night of the 50th Anniversary of the Healing Service in the Cathedral. We were celebrating 50 years of God’s blessing, and praising God for the thousands of people over those years who had experienced the love of God in physical, spiritual and emotional healing. Some present had been there for many of those 50 years with wonderful memories of the healings they had experienced and had seen others experience.
In the sermon I recounted some stories of wonderful healings during that time and then I said, “The Healing Ministry is not about Jim Glennon (its Founder), nor about Jim Holbeck (me as the Leader 1988-2006), nor about the new Leader, Chris. It’s all about Him!” (As I pointed skywards).  The Cathedral erupted. There was spontaneous release of joy and praise from all over the Cathedral; shouts of ‘Halleluia’, ‘Praise the Lord’ and hands all over the Cathedral raised in praise; people clapping and people punching the air in praise and thanksgiving. This spontaneous eruption lasted about 2 minutes or so. When it ceased as suddenly as it began, I lowered my raised hand with my index finger still pointing to the sky and finished the sermon. Later a  bishop who had been invited to the service came forward to pronounce the Blessing. Before he did so, he announced to the congregation, “That’s the most fun I’ve ever had in this Cathedral!” Joy was tangible that evening. God was praised and glorified. His people were blessed with a deep joy.

It reminded me of the incident in Jesus’ life in Luke 19:37 when Jesus was entering Jerusalem, “the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, 38 saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” However as we know, there are always party-poopers who want to stamp out what they see to be excesses, “39 And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” Jesus’ reply indicated that God must be praised and if humans hadn’t done it on that occasion the stones would have cried out in praise, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.” Lk 19:40.
God must be praised. If the people hadn’t praised Him that night, one felt that the inanimate bricks which had witnessed God’s steadfast love and faithfulness and power for 50 years would have cried out in praise. It was a glory moment I’ll never forget. The Joy was tangible for the rest of the evening. It was as though God had visited His people and we were glad!

2). Joy Because Of God’s Faithfulness In The Present
In The Good Times
Psalm 4:7. We can have joy even when we live in humble circumstances. Psa 4:7 “You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound.” (Deep joy despite having little rather than shallow frivolity in having excess).
Prov 15:16 Better is a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble with it.
Prov 16:8 Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues with injustice.
Ps 16:8-11. When we have experienced His guidance and blessing. Psa 16:8 “I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. 9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure.” AND v. 11 “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

Sometimes we go through difficult times but they lead to great blessings. I was preaching at St Stephen’s Coorparoo in Brisbane shortly after I had been ordained. I quoted from the passage in John 16:20-21 where Jesus told His disciples that He was about to leave them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. 21 When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.” His disciples would experience great pain when Jesus left them, but they would later rejoice when they knew His death and resurrection and ascension had brought them such blessing. Great pain followed by great joy! At the end of the service a woman came up to me, eyeballed me and said, “You’ve never had a baby have you?” I had to admit that I hadn’t. But I knew of many women who had testified to the truth of Jesus’words. The joy of holding a new born bundle of joy can lessen painful memories.

In Difficult Times
Ps 51:10-12. David, in despair over the consequences of his sin with Bathsheba, turned to God. Psa 51:10 “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. 11 Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation… ..”  He knew he was out of fellowship with God and longed to experience the joy of his salvation once again. He wanted to be forgiven. He wanted to be changed. He wanted a clean heart.

Isa 12:6. Isaiah encouraged the people of Jerusalem to rejoice in God’s presence. Isa 12:6 “Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.” (We need to Practice His Presence! How often do we talk about God as though He were not in the room with us.)  In  Mat 18:19-20. Jesus reminded us, Mat 18:20 “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” This is the whole basis of every Healing service, the presence of Jesus with His people. And His provision for their need in the previous verse, Mat 18:19 “Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.” The twofold promise of His Presence and His Provision for His people when they gather together in His name.

Habbakuk 3:17-18. Joy and rejoicing in times of material hardship such as in famine or drought. Hab 3:17 “Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, 18 YET I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.” (Instead of focussing on our meagre provisions  we should focus on  our Provider, Jehovah Jireh with gratitude for what we have!)

Jas 1:2-4. When undergoing various trials we can praise Him because handled correctly they help to strengthen us. James wrote, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing”. James 1:2-4. Perhaps it is true that often there is no gain without some pain.

Luk 6:22-23. We can rejoice when facing insults and persecution, “Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! 23 Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.”  Rejected by the world but loved by God!

3). Joy Because Of God’s Faithfulness In The Future
Ps 30:5. God can change us overnight when things are tough, Psa 30:5 “… Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” Handing things over to God brings peace and the joy of knowing that He is in control.

Jn 17:5, 17. Jesus in His High Priestly prayer in Joh 17:5 as He prepared to face the cross, prayed, “And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.” AND Joh 17:13 “But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.” (ie., “They will eventually recognise that my death was not a senseless defeat. Rather they will see it as a great victory and the cause for sharing in My joy.”)

Heb 12:2. When Jesus was facing rejection, mocking and certain death, He didn’t focus on His difficulties. He focussed on the joy that lay before Him after His death and resurrection and ascension. Heb 12:2 “Jesus …, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
When we are going through difficulties in life we need to have our focus on the Lord who does “work all things together for good for those who love Him”. Rom 8:28.

4). Joy At All Times. The Fruit Of The Spirit
St Paul reminds us that joy can be our constant companion no matter what the circumstances may be.  It is part of the fruit of the Spirit he described in Gal 5:22 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control.” Joy is a manifestation of the life of Christ in us by His Spirit in the good times and the bad times. Paul wrote in 2 Cor 4:7 “But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 11 For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.”

That’s why we can share His love, His joy and His peace as we pray to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Eph 5:18), to be filled with the life of Christ. To be filled with His love, His joy and His peace.

Blog No.200.  Jim Holbeck.  Preached in Trinity Church Port Macquarie and also posted on Sunday 23rd November 2016

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199. “Abiding in the Love of Jesus.”  Adapted from a sermon on John 15:9-10 (No.1 in series of 3 on Love, Joy and Peace)

Posted on November 13, 2016 by Jim Holbeck

John 15:9-10, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.”

We might well ask, “What is love?” We consider a couple of incidents that might be seen initially as “love stories.”

The first is a true story from the Old Testament in 2 Samuel 13. A young man had fallen in love with a beautiful woman.His name was Amnon, a son of King David.  He told his friend, “I love Tamar.” But he added that she was his half-sister. That meant he could not marry her. Together he and his friend worked out a plan so that Amnon could take advantage of her sexually. It was a horrible plan.  But unfortunately it was successful. Amnon violated Tamar. However immediately his attitude to her changed, 13:15 “Then Amnon hated her with very great hatred, so that the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. Amnon said to her, “Get up! Go!” He told his servant, 17 “Put this woman out of my presence and bolt the door after her.”  It is a true story. But by no means is it a story of true love!  From so-called “love” to hatred in a moment is never true love. True love always seeks the best interests of the other person, no matter what!

The second true story comes from the 20th Century. The occasion was a wedding. During the marriage service the bride-groom promised to fulfil the following vows to his beloved. He promised to give himself to her to be her husband. To live with her according to God’s word. To love her, comfort her, honour and protect her. To forsake all others, and to be faithful to her as long as they both would live. Romantic stuff! It would seem to be Commitment with a Capital “C!”

That night on their honeymoon he went down to the bar for a drink at the hotel where they were staying. There he met an attractive young woman who invited him back to her room. They had a sexual encounter. Then he went up to re-join his wife on their honeymoon.  She found out years later what had happened, the first of many betrayals. I still remember the hurt and pain in her voice as she said to me, “And this was on our wedding night!”  A true story but by no means a story of true love!

We could ask the question, “WHAT IS ‘LOVE’?”  There is a very simple one word answer in 1 John 4:8,   “God is love.” He is the origin, the source and the pattern of True Love.  (Perhaps some further explanation is needed.)

1). GOD LOVES US WITH TRUE LOVE

Fortunately we don’t have to guess whether the God of this universe loves us. He has revealed His love for us both by His actions and by His words.

i). He has shown His love in the death of His Son on the cross

In a verse called “the gospel in a nutshell” are these words, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16. He died so that we could be forgiven and enter into eternal life.

St Paul wrote that God has revealed His love for people who did not deserve His love, “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8. The apostle John put it in similar words, “In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 1 John 4:9. John also wrote about true love as being God’s love for us rather than our love for Him, “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” 1 John 4:10. His love is to be seen as the only true pattern for true love.

 ii).  His love is there for us for ever. God’s love for His people never ceases.  Paul writing from personal experience recognised that nothing and nobody could ever separate us from the love of God, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38  For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” Rom 8:35-39.  No matter what situation we may be in, God’s love is available for us if we reach out to Him. We are loved by One who is the very embodiment of love Himself.

2).   GOD WANTS US TO LOVE HIM

It’s amazing that the Creator God of this whole universe wants us to love Him. The early Israelites were taught to recite the Shema, a Hebrew word meaning to “hear”. “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” Deut 6:4.   Jesus affirmed that command from God. When He was asked about the Greatest commandment He replied, “The most important (commandment) is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” Mar 12:29-30. He then added another commandment concerning love, “The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 12:31. 

 God wants us to love Him and to express that love. It is His purpose for us. We are fulfilling our God-given destiny when we love Him. As St Peter put it, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. 10  Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” 1 Pet 2:9-10. We express our love for Him in praise, adoration and thanksgiving as His chosen people.

3). WE ARE TO LOVE OTHERS WITH HIS LOVE

We have a God-given responsibility to be concerned for others.  God commanded His people in Lev 19:16-18 in words that would be good to obey in election times and indeed every day.  “You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand up against the life of your neighbour: I am the LORD. 17 “You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbour, lest you incur sin because of him. 18 You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbour as yourself: I am the LORD.”  Loving one’s neighbour was not a new initiative in the teaching of Jesus. He brought the teaching from Leviticus with a new emphasis into the world of His day.

John wrote that love for one’s neighbour is a test for our purported love for God. If there is no love for one’s neighbour then any professed love for God is not true love for Him, “If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. (21) And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.” 1 Jn 4:20.

4).  WE CAN LOVE OTHERS WITH GOD’S (AGAPE) LOVE

How can we follow the pattern of God’s love? By allowing Him to express His love through us to others by His Holy Spirit. In the following verses, the Greek New Testament word for “love” is “agape” which is used of God’s love or love which has its origin in Him. It is love for the unlovely, for the unworthy, for the undeserving. It is a love that always seeks the best interests of others.

 The Holy Spirit pours out His (agape) love in and through us.  Rom 5:5  “… God’s (agape) love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” This love just doesn’t trickle into our hearts. The word Paul uses for “poured” is ἐκχέω (ekcheō) which is used of the shedding or pouring out of Jesus’ blood for sinners. Mat 26:28; Mark 14:24. It is used of new wine “bursting” through old wineskins, Luke 5:37. In Acts 10 many were amazed when God “poured out” His Holy Spirit on the Gentiles, Acts 10:45. So the sense is more a deluge of His love rather a trickle into our hearts.

 The Holy Spirit expresses the presence of His life in us by His fruit, the fruit of the Spirit, Gal 5:22  “But the fruit of the Spirit is love (agape) , joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” If the Spirit indwells us then the fruit of His life in us should be plain  to see.

Love towards others is a consequence of being born again, of God. “Beloved, let us love one another, for love (agape) is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.” 1Jn 4:7. To be born of God is to be born of the Spirit. To be born of the Spirit means we have become sharers of the divine nature.  To share His nature means that we can love others with His love,  2Peter 1:4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.  His love! Through us! For others!

 The question then is this. How can we experience this love of God flowing through us to others?  By asking God to fill us with His Holy Spirit. We are right to pray in this way because that is what He wants for us, Eph 5:18, “ And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.” The effects of that infilling are two-fold. One is in relation to God by expressing our love for Him in praise to Him. The second is in terms of our relationships with others by joining with them in mutual praise and thanksgiving to Him and in our mutual submission to one another because of our reverence for Christ, Eph 5:19 “addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20  giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.”

 We are reminded that this infilling is not a once for all occasion. Rather it is a continual infilling, “Keeping on being filled” with His presence. It also means continually exhibiting all of the fruit of the Spirit all the time. If we are filled by the Spirit of God we will show forth His fruit in our lives, namely, “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Not one or two in this list, but all. “Fruit” (karpos) is singular. The fruit is all those qualities, not some.

Or as Jesus put it in John 15:9-10, it means continuing to abide in Him and abiding in His love, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.”

 LOVE! Being open to God’s love for us! Responding to His love in expressing our love for Him in praise, adoration and thanksgiving. Allowing God’s love to flow through us to others as we keep on praying to be filled with the Spirit of God and allowing His fruit to be manifest in our lives. It means abiding in Him and putting into practice all He has commanded us. In the words of St Paul as he set out what true love is and what it is not in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, “Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never ends.” 

A Prayer: “Lord, please keep on filling us with Your Holy Spirit so that Your love may flow through us to help meet the needs of a needy world. AMEN”

Blog 199. Jim Holbeck. Posted on Sunday 13th November 2016

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198. Does God Really Listen To Us When We Pray? Some Thoughts On Prayer. 1 John 5:14-15

Posted on October 27, 2016 by Jim Holbeck

A friend recently remarked that when he prayed he often wondered if anyone was listening. He said he believed that God did listen but nevertheless the thought kept coming back. In reply I mentioned some of the Bible verses that tell us that God does listen and that He delights to answer our prayers. The following are some of those verses. However our conversation stimulated me to do some more thinking on the subject.

In 1 John 5:14-15 John affirms that we can know God listens to us when we pray. We can also know that He answers our prayers. There are 2 main words for “know” in New Testament. One is the verb (ginosko ) from the noun (gnosis = knowledge.) It can mean beginning to know and increasing in knowledge. The other main word is (oida a perfect tense form of the verb εἴδω =  eídō meaning “to see.”) It means having a full or complete knowledge. It is used twice in these verses.

 1).        WE CAN “KNOW” THAT GOD HEARS US WHEN WE PRAY. 1 Jn 5:14

1 Jn 5:14) “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. (15) And if we KNOW   (οιδαμεν =oidamen)   that he hears us–whatever we ask— …” John is stating the fact that God hears prayers that are prayed according to His will.

Another fact my friend found helpful was the statement that God takes us seriously. He is supremely motivated to listen and to answer our prayers.

We see that even in the Old Testament. For example in Isaiah 65:24  “Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.” He knows what we are going to say and to pray at any moment. So in that sense it may be that His answer is in the process of being fulfilled even as we pray. In Jeremiah we see another aspect to prayer, Jeremiah 33:3  “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” When our hearts are inclined to call out to Him, He listens and answers and may bring greater enlightenment to us. A reason why prayer  is answered is found in Zechariah 13:9  “They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The LORD is our God.'”  Calling on His name means trusting in who He is and in what He has done. They are described as “God’s people” who acknowledge that “The Lord is our God.” God listens particularly to the prayers of His people in this personal relationship with them.

 But what are the conditions for answered prayer? God is certainly not a robot who responds instantly and positively to whatever we pray. John gives us the answer in 1 Jn 5:14. “if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.”

i). We have to be in the centre of God’s will, and praying according to God’s will for our prayers to be answered. Again it is about the intimacy of our relationship with Him. As Jesus promised in John 15:7 “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” Remaining or abiding in close fellowship with Him enables us to come to know Him more closely and to discover more of Hs character and His will. The real measure of that is if we are taking His words seriously and living by them. It means that if we are abiding in Him and allowing His words to abide in us, we are being drawn into a closer relationship with Him. Then we will have a greater understanding of His will. Our prayers will then be in closer conformity to His will. It is these prayers that He promises to answer.

We see the same truth a few verses later in John 15:14 “You are my friends if you do what I command. … 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit–fruit that will last–and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other.” Being a true friend to Jesus by obeying Him enables Him to be a TRUE FRIEND to us by blessing us with answers to our prayers.

 ii).  We have to get rid of doubt and truly trust Him.

Mk 11:22 “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. 23 “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.” AND

Jas 1:6 “But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.” Doubt is a lack of trust and a breach of love.

 iii).  We need to get rid of pockets of unbelief. Jesus speaks with the father of a boy with an unclean spirit. Mar 9:21 Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?” “From childhood,” he answered. 22 “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” 23 “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” 24 Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

Many of us have faith for some things to happen. But there may be pockets of unbelief in all of us regarding other things. It is a mature person who prays to the Lord, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” Only God knows what those pockets are. Having faith in the sufficiency of my faith is entirely different to having faith in the sufficiency of the Lord.

iv).  We have to live lives pleasing to Him. 1Jn 3:21-23, “Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.”  To “receive from Him whatever we ask” is conditional. It is conditional on keeping His commandments especially His commands to believe in His name and to love others.

 v).  We have to have the right motives in praying. Jas 4:2  “…. You do not have because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” A failure to pray will mean a failure to receive. A failure to pray with the right motive will also mean a failure to receive. We are to live for His glory, not ours.  To do His will, not our own. To fulfil His purpose for our lives, not to ask Him to simply satisfy our desires for our sakes.

 2).    WE CAN “KNOW” THAT GOD ANSWERS OUR PRAYERS. 1 John 5:15

1 John  5:15) “And if we know that he hears us–whatever we ask—we KNOW (οιδαμεν =oidamen) that we have what we asked of him.” It is not saying, “Might possibly get” or “Perhaps may get sometime in the future”. Whether we like it or not the words are in the present tense, “we have”.

I once advertised the topic of a coming sermon. It had this title, “We Ask! He Hears! We Have!” It drew some interesting responses. Among them was this, “Where did you get that from?” It was a natural response. It seems too glib or too good to be true. It certainly wasn’t true in the experience of some of the questioners that when they prayed they immediately got the answers they were seeking. But we have to take God’s word seriously and to reflect on what it is really saying, even when it doesn’t seem to fit in with our experience. Reality is what God says. It is not what we feel or have experienced thus far in life. I told my questioners that I got the sermon title directly from these verses in 1 John 5:14-15, “…  we ask …  he hears … we have.”  (I had simply deleted the intervening words.) They are the natural ways to interpret those verses.

 We might ask, what did Jesus teach about answers to prayer?

It was interesting meeting up a week later with the friend I mentioned at the beginning of this article. He shared that it had encouraged him to realise that God takes His people (including him) seriously. I responded in words that I have reflected on ever since, “Yes, He takes us a lot more seriously than we take Him.”  I realised afresh what an indictment that is on us as humans! God Almighty, the Creator of all things and all people takes us seriously. Enough to send His Son to die for us on a cross and to offer us forgiveness and new life in Him! Enough to ensure that all His promises to His people are fulfilled in Christ! As St Paul wrote,  2 Corinthians 1:19-20 “For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not Yes and No, but in him it is always Yes. (20) For all the promises of God find their Yes in Him …”. The promises are ours in Him!

St Peter said the same, that God’s promises are ours in Him, 2 Peter 1:3 “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.” Promises that enable us to become like Him. Yet how seriously do we take Him? How seriously do we take His promises to us?

Jesus made many promises about prayers being answered. The following are some of them.

  • Mark 11:24 “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”  The answer to our prayer is available to us now in Christ [you have received] but is released to us [will be yours] according to His timetable, not ours.
  • John 14:13 “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”[The important thing to note is that prayer has to be in His “name”. It has to be in accord with Who Jesus is and dependent on what He has done. It has to be for the glory of God, and not simply for our own personal convenience! Though of course God delights to give us what we need to live for Him.]
  • John 16:23-24, “In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.” Jesus was stating that the time would come when His disciples would not need to ask Him for help. They could ask the Father directly and He would give them whatever they asked for in Jesus’ name.

They could do so because Jesus had opened the way for them to approach God directly and because they now belonged to the family of God as His children,  Ephesians 2:18 “For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.” The writer to the Hebrews put the same truths in these words, Hebrews 10:10 “And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. … 10:19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, … 10:22  let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” Confidence to come before God personally with the full assurance of faith.  

 Is There Any Limit To What God Can Do In Answer To Prayer?  

Paul wrote these encouraging words in a Doxology in Ephesians 3:20, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” God can do far more than we can ever ask for in prayer. In fact He can do much more than we could ever imagine. How does He do it? According to His power that is at work in us.

What then is the upper limit? Sorry, I have no answer because God says of me that as a finite human being I cannot even begin to imagine the unimaginable. I just know it is more than I can imagine. Even the fact that I know that God hears and answers our prayers came by revelation from Him through His word. My experience in prayer confirms this revealed truth.  But what I do realise is that it is His power not mine. Perhaps what I need to do is to act on Paul’s command in Philippians 2:12  “…  work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13  for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” Perhaps it is time for all of us to cease trying to imagine the unimaginable and to cooperate with God as He works in us to give us the willingness and the ability to do what He wants to do in and through us by His power. The things that please Him! Perhaps even unimaginable things for His pleasure? Imagine that! (No I can’t, but He can!)

Blog No.198. Jim Holbeck. Posted on Thursday 27th October 2016

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197. “FAITHFULNESS.”Adapted From A Sermon On The Fruit Of The Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23.

Posted on October 20, 2016 by Jim Holbeck

This is the 7th in the list of the nine characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit in Gal 5:22-23. We look first of all at what Faithfulness is not, before seeing what it really is.

 1). WHAT FAITHFULNESS IS NOT.  Some Examples Of Unfaithfulness

Just a few weeks ago a famous New Zealand Rugby player was waiting with his team to catch a plane at a New Zealand airport. The story goes that he left the team and apparently met up with a young woman in a toilet that was reserved for disabled people. Those who saw him enter the toilet later judged it to have been a sexual encounter. When the news broke, people were shocked and vented their disgust. But the reactions were varied. Some condemned the couple for using a toilet that was set aside for disabled people. “How dare they take up that space!” was the criticism. A majority of others however, knowing that the player had a well-known partner, condemned him for being unfaithful to her. (People do not like unfaithfulness.)

Many years ago I was counselling a woman who was having marital problems. Her husband had been unfaithful on a number of occasions. But I was even more disgusted when she told me he had been unfaithful even on their wedding night. She told me that soon after they had arrived at their hotel for their honeymoon, he had gone down to the bar for a quick drink before retiring. There he met a young woman drinking alone who had invited him back to her room where a sexual encounter took place. I still remember the deep sadness in her voice as she said, “Even on our wedding night!”  (People hate unfaithfulness.)

A Senior Clergyman who was well-known and respected in his diocese reached retirement age. A big function was held for him and his wife. After the function he suggested that his wife go home while he finished tidying his office. However he never went home. People were shocked to discover that immediately after the function he had run off with the woman who had been his secretary. (People were disgusted. People hate unfaithfulness.)

If a famous footballer, a top lawyer and a senior clergyman can’t be faithful, who can? Well, all of us should be and can be by the grace of God.  But we need to understand what faithfulness looks like. To do so we need to look beyond human individuals to the supreme example of faithfulness. That is God Himself.

 2). WHAT IS FAITHFULNESS? The true pattern is found in God Himself.

There are many passages in the Bible that describe the faithfulness of God. We look at two from the Old Testament and two from the New Testament.

2  Old Testament Passages.

i).  He Is Faithful in His mercy and provision. Lamentations 3:22  “The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; 23  they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. ”  He is faithful to His people every day.

ii). He is Faithful to His eternal promises. Deuteronomy 7:9. He fulfils His promises to provide for His people. Deut 7:9,  “Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations.” He is always faithful and He will be faithful for ever.

2 New Testament Passages

i). 1Cor 10:13. He promises to help us overcome temptation. “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” 

BUT if we do fall to temptation, God has another promise for us.

ii).  He is faithful in forgiving us and cleansing us. 1 John 1:8-9.  “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins & to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

(He is “Faithful” to His Old Testament promises to forgive His people when they repent of sin and ask for His forgiveness. He is “Just” because justice has been done. Jesus died in our place and bore the punishment we deserved for our sin.)

3). HOW CAN WE BECOME FAITHFUL PEOPLE?

What do we have in mind when we say we want to be faithful people? The picture in the minds of many is that we are weak frail people who want to do right things but are too weak to do them without God’s help. So we cry out to God, “Please make me to be a more faithful person.”  OR as we sing these words in the hymn, “Just a closer walk with Thee”.  [ “I am weak but Thou art strong, Jesus keep me from all wrong, I’ll be satisfied as long, As I walk, let me walk close to Thee.”] It is a prayer in which we recognise our weakness and we cry out to God for His help.

It Is Asking God To Give Us What We Think We Don’t Have.

BUT there Is Another Way Of Looking At How We Can Become More Faithful People. We go back to Gal 5:22-23 and try to work out what it is saying. Gal 5:22 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control.”

What is fruit? It is the outward expression or manifestation of the life within.

The apple is the outward manifestation of the life within the apple tree. The fruit of the Spirit is the outward manifestation or expression of the life of the Holy Spirit who dwells in every believer.

”Fruit” is singular. So the fruit is ALL those qualities or characteristics of the Spirit being manifest in and through our lives.  Not just one or two, but all the fruit, all the time!

Does that characterise us? It should! But HOW can it happen?

4).  BY ALLOWING THE HOLY SPIRIT TO FILL US WITH HIS PRESENCE

Paul wrote, Eph 5:18 “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit”. It is a command. It is in the present continuous tense, “keep on being filled”. It is passive in voice. We can’t fill ourselves. We have to be filled. Only God can fill us with His Spirit.

When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we are filled with the life of Christ. The fruit of His indwelling life is seen through us and we show forth the fruit in our lives,  (“love AND joy AND  peace AND patience AND  kindness AND goodness AND faithfulness AND gentleness AND self-control.”)

As we ask God to fill us with His Holy Spirit we are asking Him to fill us with What We Already Have Within Us by His Spirit. God’s resources are made available to us by His indwelling Spirit. It’s as though we are getting out of the way (dying to self) and letting God flood us with His indwelling presence by His Spirit. It is allowing His life, His character, the fruit of the Spirit to be expressed though our lives.

So we could say that “Faithfulness” is not something “out there” to be hankered after. It is something we already have within us by the Holy Spirit. It is allowing God to express His character, His Faithfulness through us as we allow ourselves to be continually filled with His Spirit.  BUT HOW?

5).  THROUGH PRAYER. PRAYING THAT GOD WOULD FILL US WITH HIS SPIRIT

There’s a wonderful hymn that captures this desire to be filled with the presence of God. It was written by Theodore Monod, a French pastor who spoke at Keswick conventions and Deeper Life meetings. It has the theme that before we become believers we are full of self and have no place for God in our lives.  The first verse has these words, “Oh, the bitter shame and sorrow, That a time could ever be, When I let the Saviour’s pity, Plead in vain, and proudly answered,  All of self, and none of Thee,  All of self and none of Thee.”

 Then we become Christians and give Him a little space in our lives. The next verse ends with the words, “Some of self and some of Thee.” Later we give Him a bigger place in our lives. The next verse ends,  “Less of self and more of Thee.” Finally we come to that point in our lives where we say something like this in the final verse of the hymn, “Higher than the highest heavens,   Deeper than the deepest sea, Lord, Thy love at last hath conquered; Grant me now my heart’s petition, “None Of Self, And All Of Thee.”

I believe there are thousands of people in our churches who are at that point in their lives where they want all that God has for them in Christ. They want a sense of reality. They want more victories and less defeats. They want to be more faithful. Deep down they are crying out in their hearts, “Lord, I want NONE of self and ALL of Thee.”  They desire what St Paul prayed for his readers in Ephesus to experience, namely to be filled with God’s fullness, Eph 3:19  “and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”

Are you one of those people? If you are, you might like to join me in a prayer asking that God would fill us with His Spirit. Then and only then can we show forth the fruit of the Spirit in our lives day by day and moment by moment. Only then can we become the people God wants us to be, those characterised always by “faithfulness.”.

A PRAYER TO BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT

“Heavenly Father, I ask You to forgive all my sin and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness.  

Fill me afresh with Your Holy Spirit so that the fruit of the Spirit might be seen in me for every moment of my life.

Enable me to show forth continually “love + joy +  peace + patience +  kindness+  goodness +  faithfulness + gentleness +  self-control,” (the evidence of Your presence in me).  

Thank You for hearing me and for the answer You are bringing me, even now as I pray. AMEN.”  

Blog No.197. JIm Holbeck. Posted on Thursday 20th October 2016

Posted in Bible verses. Comments, Forgiveness, Healing, Real Life Stories, Temptations | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment