123. What’s Wrong With The World? Rebellion Against God! Romans 1:17-18

Posted on June 19, 2013 by Jim Holbeck

“The world is in a mess!” Countless people around the world would agree with that statement. But why is it so? God has some answers. He used St Paul to express in Romans 1 some good news and some bad news. The good news was that God has revealed His character through the good news of the Gospel message. So in verses 16 to 17 Paul shares his appreciation for the gospel message which had led to his salvation, 16)  For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.(17)  For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” God in His mercy and love has made known to humans what He wants from them. The term “righteousness of God” in verse 17 in its simplest definition can mean “what God wants.” The righteous are those who by faith always seek to do “what God wants.” The unrighteous don’t trust Him! Neither do they seek to do what He wants! The good news God has revealed is that He accepts all those who trust in Him by believing in the gospel of His redeeming and forgiving love. In response to His love they desire to always do what He wants, by trusting in Him for every moment of their lives.

But there is another revelation to be found in the following verse. It also reveals something about the character of God. This time it is a revelation of His wrath. Rom 1:18  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. How can God be characterised by love and also by wrath? It helps us to understand that “wrath” (orgē in the Greek New Testament) doesn’t mean anger out of control, as we often observe anger among humans. Rather it is His settled disposition against all that is evil. The tense of the verb confirms that. It is present continuous tense showing that this revelation of God’s wrath is an ongoing revelation. It is still being revealed. He knows how damaging sin is to the human race. That’s why He abhors it. That’s why it incurs His wrath.

Towards what is that wrath directed? Verse 18 tells us, the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men.  Instead of being godly, humans were ungodly, living in ways that did not reflect the character of God. Instead of being righteous, they were characterised by unrighteousness. They didn’t do what God wanted. But what was so heinous about that? Paul tells us, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. If they had been godly and righteous as followers of God they would have shown forth the character of God in their human lives. But they didn’t. Instead of revealing what God was like in their character, and revealing what God wanted through the deeds, they “suppressed” the truth. This is a very strong word. It means here more than just being difficult towards people who want to live godly, righteous lives. Rather it means that God wanted to reveal Himself and His ways through human instruments but they suppressed the truth. They held it down, did not allow it to be revealed as they lived in ways opposed to God’s will and desire for humans. In the very descriptive words of AT Robertson, “Truth … is out in the open, but wicked men, so to speak, put it in a box and sit on the lid and “hold it down in unrighteousness.” Their evil deeds conceal the open truth of God from men.” (Word Pictures in the New Testament).

 There was a human who did in fact live the godly, righteous life that God wanted to be manifest in humans. His name was Jesus. His words and His life revealed the truth about God, Jn 1:14  And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. He didn’t suppress the truth; He revealed it! Just as every human is meant to do as a creature made in the image of God!

If God’s wrath is being revealed against those who suppress the truth then who might those people be? That is what we will look at in later articles. It is important that we do so. As the writer to the Hebrews put it, rejection of God and of the truth of God has inevitable consequences, Heb 10:29  How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has spurned the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? … 31  It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. God is never deceived. A life characterised by rebellion against God and the ongoing rejection of His will (what He wants) will not have a happy ending.

But praise God there are those who do repent of their rebellion against God and receive the truth in Jesus. These are seen as those who become righteous in the sight of God, 2Cor 5:21  For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Good news for those who repent and believe in Jesus. Bad news for those who continue in their rebellion against God.

Blog No.123.  Jim Holbeck. Posted On Wednesday 19th June 2013

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122. Healing. A Hidden Gem In The Story Of The Centurion In Luke7

Posted on June 2, 2013 by Jim Holbeck

In my last article I wrote of the “such faith” of the Centurion that astounded Jesus and brought wonderful healing to someone in desperate need. As I was writing I was led to reflect not only on the special faith he possessed in Jesus, but also on the very fine character of the man. The story focusses on the healing Jesus brought to one of the Centurion’s servants. Luke records in his Gospel that the servant was highly valued by him. (ESV).

When we look a little more deeply at this passage in the original Greek we see that the sick man was a “servant” where the word is doulos. This is the usual word for a slave or a servant, one who lives in servitude to another person.  Such servants or slaves had no privileges or rights and could be discarded like old clothes or tools when their usefulness came to an end. The word used for “highly valued” is (entimos). It can mean “precious”, “valuable”, “esteemed”. It is used only 5 times in the New Testament.  In two occurrences it refers to Jesus, in 1 Peter 2:4 where He is described as “a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious”, and in 1Peter 2:6 as “a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious.”

It is surprising that the word used in such an exalted way of Jesus could be used to describe a human relationship. One could understand it to some extent in Philippians 2:29 in the description of  Epaphroditus. The believers in Philippi  were to welcome him as Paul’s “brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need, 26  for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. 27  Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. 28  I am the more eager to send him, therefore, that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious. 29  So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men, 30  for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me. It was obvious that such an outstanding Christian man should be seen as precious and held in high regard in the churches.  He had nearly died for the work of Christ.

 That is why it is very surprising to read that the Centurion highly valued the servant in this way. He too had nearly died, in serving the Centurion.  But the Centurion showed incredible care for the servant in sending the Jewish elders to ask Jesus to come and heal his servant. Then perhaps with an after-thought he realised that when Jesus came He would have to enter his home. He knew that the Jews saw Gentile homes such as his own as unclean. So to prevent Jesus being put in a compromising position he sent his friends to suggest an alternative to Jesus. They were to tell Jesus that all Jesus had to do was to speak healing into the man from a distance. As he himself as a Centurion could cause things to happen by speaking a word of command, so he believed that Jesus as a man under God’s authority could bring healing by a word from a distance.  It was “such faith” that Jesus commended.

However there appears to be another hidden gem in the narrative. In verse 7 we read the words of the Centurion, Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed.  The word “servant” here is different to the word in verse 2. It is “país” which can be read as a more personal term.  In this context it seems to imply that the servant was a young man or a person of whom the Centurion was particularly fond.  In the words of AT Robertson in Word Pictures in the New Testament, “Pais literally means ‘boy,’ an affectionate term for the ‘slave,’ doulos (Luk_7:2), who was ‘dear’ to him.”  In Australian parlance it could be read as, “But say the word, and let my young fella (or the young bloke) be healed.”

The passage made me think about many of the people I had worked for and with during my life. There were many who were similar to the Centurion who valued their employees or their less- senior workmates. But there were some who unfortunately did not seem to care very much for their employees or those under their care. Having counselled hundreds of folk over the years, it is certainly true that people can tell the difference.

How the church and the world need people who notice the needs of others, and who are willing to take some responsibility towards finding ways of meeting them. The Centurion was such a person. Perhaps we all need his virtue of valuing people and his faith to believe that Jesus can bring healing and blessing to people “out there” as we pray for them “here”!

Blog No.122.  Jim Holbeck. Posted on Sunday 2nd June 2013

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121. Healing. What Characterised The “Such Faith” Of The Centurion In Luke 7:1-10?

Posted on June 1, 2013 by Jim Holbeck

Sometimes people have amazed us. It may have been some unexpected aspect of their character. Or it may be that we were amazed at the things they said. That was the impact that Jesus had on people. But it may surprise us to realise that Jesus was twice amazed at people. He was amazed at the unbelief of those who should have known better, His own countrymen in His own hometown of Nazareth. Mk 6:5  And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. 6 And he was amazed at their unbelief.

However the other incident in which we are told that Jesus was amazed is in Luke 7. He was amazed at the faith of a most unlikely person, a Roman centurion. Let’s see what we can learn from this man about the nature of faith that brought commendation from Jesus and ultimately great blessing to someone in desperate need?

1).   POSITIVE ATTITUDES THAT BRING BLESSING. (As seen in the Centurion)

i. He noticed human need.  7:2 Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death. This Gentile military man in charge of about 100 soldiers was unusual. At that time servants had no rights or privileges. They had no value in the eyes of their masters. But this centurion was different. He had come to know that not only was this servant quite ill, but also that he was at the point of death.

ii. He cared about humans and their needs.  7:2  Now a centurion had a servant … who was highly valued by him.    Luke writes that the Centurion valued him highly but he used a word (entimos) that means “precious”. Peter used it in his first epistle to describe Jesus as “precious” to God.  1 Pet 2:6  For it stands in scripture: “See, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” 7  To you then who believe, he is precious. Jesus was obviously precious to His Father in heaven. He was to become precious to His disciples when they came to fully understand why He had come to earth and the relevance of what He had come to do. But here in the beginning of Jesus’ ministry we come across an important military man who saw one of his own servants as “precious”.

iii. He longed for human need to be met.  3 When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant. He wanted his servant to be healed. He sent the Jewish elders to ask Jesus to heal the servant. He didn’t rely on his status as a military commander. He humbly sent the Jewish elders to ask Jesus as a fellow Jew, for help.

iv. He was open to God and to God’s people. That was seen in:-

a). His love for the people of God.  “He is worthy to have you do this for him, 5 for he loves our nation.  He stood against the anti-Jewish feeling of the time. The Jewish people could know protection under his care. His love had been seen in his attitude and in his actions towards the Jews.

b). His support for the people of God.  and he is the one who built us our synagogue. The word (autos) here would seem to indicate that the Centurion (himself) was responsible as an individual for the building of their synagogue. He was concerned that the people of God should be able to meet together and to learn from their scriptures in their synagogue.

c). His concern for the honour of the God of Israel.  He apparently wanted the Jewish people to honour their God. The synagogue would play a big part in that possibility.

d). His openness to the ministry of Jesus.  He was willing to approach Jesus. That was surprising when many Jewish and Gentile hearts were already hardening towards Him. Perhaps he recognised real care and authority when he saw it in another person, for he himself was a caring person whilst possessing great authority.

2).   POSITIVE FAITH IN JESUS’ POWER TO HEAL. 7:6

i).    He humbled himself to ask Jesus for help.  7:3, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant. … 7:6 And Jesus went with them. But then we read, 7:6 … When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof.

The Jewish elders were saying about the Centurion.  He is worthy to have you do this for him.

He was saying of himself, I am not worthy to have you (Jesus) come under my roof.

Their comparison. They compared him to other people, He is worthy to have you do this for him because he has done this and this and….    

His comparison. He compared himself with Jesus. If Jesus was God’s servant in healing people then he felt unworthy to ask Him favours.

He may have begun to realise that He had asked a holy man of God to go to his unclean (in the sight of the Jews) Gentile home to minister to the servant.  (And Jesus had begun the journey!)

But as he reflected on what he had done, he realised something. Jesus didn’t have to go into the house for healing to take place. We see now another dimension to his positive faith.

ii).    He believed in the authority of Jesus to heal by a word. 7:7 Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed.  This is really quite amazing. A Gentile, a non-Jew believing that all Jesus had to do was to say a word of healing and healing would take place, even from a distance. Why would he believe such a thing? Because of his own experience of the power of words coming from someone with authority. He as a military man could utter a word of command and it would happen. He knew that words spoken from someone in authority accomplished what was commanded. So he believed that Jesus as a man with God’s authority could command healing to take place, and it surely would.

3).   JESUS’ AMAZEMENT AT THE CENTURION.  7:9.

We see here Jesus’ surprise at the faith of a Gentile. He called his faith, “such faith” 9 When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” Such faith to believe that Jesus could and would heal a lowly slave. Such faith to believe that Jesus could do it from a distance.  (There were many by this time who had faith in Jesus’ willingness and ability to heal. But this was the first time he had encountered someone who believed Jesus’ word could heal from a distance.)  Even Jesus was astounded at who possessed such faith,  a Gentile, “… not even in Israel have I found such faith.”

4).   THE HEALING.  7:10. 10 And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well. Imagine the surprise of the Jewish elders and the Centurion’s friends as they arrived back at the house to find the servant well and whole. The word for “well” is from hugiaínō (which is the source of English word “hygiene”) meaning to be sound and healthy. What a contrast they saw. The servant about to die in utter weakness but now whole, sound, healed.

It is interesting to note that Jesus healed from a distance on another occasion. Even more interesting is that He did it for another Gentile. A Gentile woman asked Jesus to heal her daughter who was some distance away. She showed her faith in Jesus’ character and power by saying that she believed that He could and would help her even though she was a Gentile. He said to her, Mark 7:29  “For saying that, you may go–the demon has left your daughter.” 30 So she went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.

THE CHALLENGE FOR US TODAY

i). We need to emulate the positive attitudes we see in the Centurion.  Attitudes such as

a).   noticing human needs;

b).  caring enough to want  to see those needs met.

c).  all with an openness to God and to the people of God.

ii).        We need to emulate his faith that God does heal and can do so from a distance.   To realise Jesus can heal today in the same ways, for He is the same yesterday, today and for ever.  (Heb 13:8).

One of the privileges involved in Christian ministry is seeing how God answers prayer in bringing healing to those some distance away. That was a frequent occurrence in the Healing Ministry at St Andrew’s Cathedral in Sydney during the time was the Leader of the ministry. Very often in our services we would pray with someone in the Cathedral for one of their family members or friends who lived in other parts of the globe. At a later time they would return and tell us what healing had taken place in answer to prayer. Sometimes it was at exactly the time we were praying with them in the Cathedral for their loved ones! Or over a period of time they would report on the progressive healing taking place in their loved one “out there”.

What might He do through us if we had the same positive attitudes and the same positive faith as the Centurion? What might He do through our prayers if we really believed we can pray for people “here”, and “out there” with the expectancy that He is willing and able to heal “here” and “out there”?  I suspect a lot more would be happening than we are seeing at the moment.

Blog No. 121. Jim Holbeck. Posted on Saturday 1st June 2013

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120. A Tribute. The Rev Thomas John Jewett. Australian Pastor-Teacher. 1927- 2013.

Posted on May 17, 2013 by Jim Holbeck

“He WAS my bishop!” These were the opening words as the preacher began his sermon. The occasion was the Thanksgiving service for the late Tom Jewett in the Anglican church in Devonport Tasmania. ( A summary of Tom’s ministry as Director of Teen Challenge in Sydney, Director of the London Healing Mission in the UK and as founder, with his wife Anne, of Isaiah 61 Ministries can be found on his website http://www.tomjewett.com.au/about.html ). I had just spoken at the service and paid tribute to Tom’s ministry as I had experienced it. I had made the remark that Tom would have made a great bishop in the church.

The preacher had taken hold of my words and was expressing his gratitude to God that Tom had indeed mentored and encouraged him in his ministry over many years, as bishops are meant to do. I was to learn a little later in the service that there were many ministers in a number of different denominations around the world who indeed had looked to Tom for spiritual and practical help for their ministries. He had indeed fulfilled the requirements for a bishop as I had outlined them in my tribute.
Firstly, as we see above, he was a pastor to the pastors. His counsel and encouragement were known and appreciated by pastors in Australia, Great Britain and in many parts of Europe.
Secondly, he was a pastor to the people. People flocked to attend his Seminars on Healing in Australia and overseas. They came from a wide variety of backgrounds. I would see well-known medical specialists and others in the Health professions in these gatherings. There would also be full-time Christian workers, and those from business and legal professions. Joining them would be people from affluent backgrounds, and those from very, very humble circumstances. They all came with an openness to hear from God through Tom and to be ministered to by Tom and his wife Anne after his talks. Very often they would pray with people for hours after the meeting, so concerned were they to ensure no one would miss out on what God wanted to do through them for those present.
Thirdly, he was a great administrator. Experienced business folk marvelled at his ability to see the whole situation quickly and comprehensively as he chaired meetings. That ability was seen in the secular world as well. Tom worked on major projects for Tasmanian and Federal Government agencies. Can you imagine a Motel being constructed in 6 weeks, in time for the Queen’s visit to Hobart? If Tom was supervising the work it could have been. Indeed it was! He supervised the building of the six upper floors at the same time as he was supervising the furnishing of the lower floors! Shopping Centres and other notable buildings came into being under his supervision. The same careful control and care marked his leadership of Christian organisations.
As part of my tribute I asked the congregation to imagine the situation if Tom had ever been appointed the Archbishop of Canterbury. There was widespread laughter! They laughed, not because it was so unlikely, but because they knew that Tom would have done things differently. He would never have tolerated anything that was heretical in the church. As someone who loved the church of God he would have done all in his power to ensure that false shepherds did not come in to spoil the flock. Lambeth Conferences when the Bishops of the world-wide Anglican Communion meet, would have been quite different if Tom had been doing the inviting and the programming!
So as we gathered in the beautiful St John’s Anglican Church in Devonport Tasmania to celebrate Tom’s life and ministry we were sad to know that we would not see him any more in this life. But there were lots of smiles and plenty of laughter as we recalled together the life of a man who loved his wife and family, who loved his church and served it so faithfully for several decades of ministry. Moreover, he left us a wonderful example of a pastor who loved and served His Lord throughout his life. What Paul wrote to Philemon could easily have been written to Tom Jewett, Phm 1:7, For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you.
Together with thousands of folk around the world we assure Anne and Alexander and Victoria of our gratitude to them for sharing Tom with us. We also assure them of our ongoing love as we continue to support them in our prayers.
Blog No. 120. Jim Holbeck. Posted on Friday 17th May 2013.

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119. Same-Sex Marriage and God’s plan in Genesis 2:24

Posted on April 14, 2013 by Jim Holbeck

There appears to be a shift towards the acceptance of the concept of same-sex marriage. I say “appears” because of the dubious nature of the research involved in various studies. However many prominent people have shared that they have recently changed their minds and are now in favour of same-sex marriage. Their comments focus on three major reasons for a change in their thinking.

The first reason is that people want to be fair. Few people want to see others being deprived of what they think should rightfully belong to them. So there is a stress on justice and equal rights. There is a strong sense of this in nations like Australia where an underlying characteristic is that everyone should give others “a fair go”.  It is a good attribute provided that what they want to have “a go at” is legal and beneficial. But we live in a world where God has given His creatures free-will. That does not mean licence to do whatever one wishes, but freedom to do or to refuse to do what God sees as best for His creatures. This involves both privileges and responsibilities. We have the privilege of being sexual beings. But there comes with that privilege, the responsibility to ensure that any sexual activity is to be carried out in the relationship He has endorsed, namely between a man and a woman in marriage. In God’s sight, chastity is the only other option. It might sound an impossible option to live by, but millions in every generation have done so. Many by seeking God’s help.

A second reason is that with more “outings” taking place people among prominent celebrities, some family members or personal friends have also been encouraged to “come out” as being gay. It is a very difficult thing to look at those close to us living in what appears to be a loving same-sex relationship and see that there is anything wrong with such a relationship. As one writer put it, when we are faced with beloved family members or close friends declaring themselves gay, out goes theology with its belief that God has spoken His mind about sex in declaring that only in a loving husband–wife relationship is it acceptable in His sight. One’s theology is overcome by a deep desire to maintain those close relationships and not to pass judgment on their personal activities. (Or by the temptation to twist one’s theology to cater for recent personal circumstances). That is perfectly understandable. Who would ever want to drive a wedge between ourselves and those whom we love? But in such cases we are faced with a choice. Either to go by what God has said in His eternal word or to disagree with what He has said. To reject His commandments is a breach of love towards God. To water down God’s commandments in order to maintain our friendships is not an act of love towards our loved ones. It is misplaced loyalty. His commandments can’t be watered down. What we can do is to love all people by seeking their best interests whilst disagreeing with the forms of sexual activity of some of them.

Some months ago a very loving, gracious Christian woman asked to share a deep concern with me. It turned out that her daughter had declared herself to be gay and was now living in a lesbian relationship. Some of the woman’s friends had expressed to her their sadness at what had happened. Others had suggested that she should think about closing her home to her daughter and her new friend. The woman asked me what her response should be. I suggested to her the following.  I reminded her that she had an unique relationship with her daughter. She was the only mother her daughter would ever have.  Nothing could change that. Christian love demanded that she continue to love her daughter by seeking her best interests. That meant being always available to her daughter when her daughter wanted contact or whenever she was in need. It meant keeping her heart and her home open to her daughter.  But Christian love also demanded that she not consider the lesbian relationship as blessed by God especially in the light of Bible teaching that He saw such relationships as contrary to His will. Nevertheless she could love the daughter’s partner by seeking her best interests. It was not condoning the relationship but loving both partners in spite of the relationship. The woman told me later that she had come to experience a real love for her daughter’s partner who meant so much to her daughter and who was not trying to turn the daughter against her mother.  The mother had come to know real peace in loving both parties in the relationship. But she still held to Bible teaching that such a relationship was contrary to the will of God. She had begun to pray that both her daughter and her partner might discover and walk in the will of God for them. In the words of the Lord’s Prayer she was humbly praying that God’s kingdom might come and His will be done in their lives as well as in her own.

A third reason why there appears to be a shift in the attitude towards same-sex marriage is that some gay advocates have been extremely successful in selling the concept that “being gay is normal”. Others go further and suggest that gays are born that way having a gay gene. There appears to be no medical evidence for such a concept. On the other hand there are thousands of those who once embraced the gay lifestyle believing they were gay, who have turned their backs on that lifestyle and embraced heterosexual marriage. Others have chosen chastity until they meet a life-partner of the opposite sex. The trouble is that evidence to show this change is usually ignored or suppressed. Those who seek to give testimony as to the change in their sexual orientation are often shouted down or persecuted. In recent days there has been a disturbing trend towards silencing those who have asked for and received counselling to be successfully set free from their homosexual life-styles. Their vocal opponents believe it is not possible to change, so they feel they must silence those who say they were changed.  Because of this some have coined a new word “homo-fascist” to describe those who seek as one writer put it, to demonize, marginalize, and silence any criticism of or opposition to homosexual acts. It is sad that such terms as homophobe and homofascist have come into our vocabulary. Sad too that we can’t listen to each other without calling each other names or trying to ridicule or silence each other’s views.

As we discuss this whole topic we must never forget that the Creator who created all things and all people knows everything about human nature and what makes us what we are. He has revealed His will about sex and family life. He still declares same-sex activity as abhorrent in His sight. My very deep concern in all this lies in the fact that marriage and family life have always been the mainstay of society (even though some families have not been open to His guidance and love). Any attempt to overturn God’s plan for His world by redefining marriage to be something it was never meant to be, will have disastrous consequences. It will open the way to a push to have other sorts of relationships recognised which are far removed from the plan of God. In Australia we already have those who are pushing for relationships such as polyamory (the practice of having more than one open romantic relationship at a time). It could even lead to anarchy when people who have turned their backs on God and His laws and human laws based on His laws, feel no responsibility towards anyone else. They live only for themselves using others for their own advantage.  This is the very antithesis of marriage as God planned it where a man and a woman come together in love in marriage and bring up their children in safety, security and in self-giving love. Marriage cannot be redefined. If it is, the cohesion of society will be damaged beyond repair. It will need a later generation to recognise they are creatures of a Creator and submit to His will in all things, especially marriage and family life as He intended.

Blog No.119. Jim Holbeck. Posted Sunday 14th April 2013.

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118. US SUPREME COURT AND REDEFINING MARRIAGE. Decision? Division? Treason?

Posted on April 7, 2013 by Jim Holbeck

What should the US Supreme Court decide on the possibility of redefining marriage? One answer is really simple. They should decide not to make a decision. One reason expressed is that they are not qualified to do so. Marriage is a “given” in its present form. As I wrote in my previous article, marriage is a given from the Creator Himself. It has the formula “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” Gen 2:24. It was given by God the Creator for the benefit of His creatures. It is His only pattern for marriage. It cannot be “extended” to those of the same sex because that would be contrary to the Creator’s expressed will regarding Marriage. His view of marriage is permanent because He alone is permanent. People with various opinions may come and go but His precepts are eternal. No matter what humans may decide, His will for marriage remains the same. He does not adapt His will to meet the vicissitudes of changing cultures. Rather those in changing cultures are meant to get into line with His declared will for humankind revealed in the Bible. 

Another answer is that the Supreme Court should defend Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act. This states, Section 3. Definition of marriage. In determining the meaning of any Act of Congress, or of any ruling, regulation, or interpretation of the various administrative bureaus and agencies of the United States, the word ‘marriage’ means only a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife, and the word ‘spouse’ refers only to a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife. Regardless of any other decisions the Supreme Court may make, that definition of marriage should remain the basis for American and every other society. Any other relationship cannot be described as marriage by this definition.

We have to live with the “givens” of life. For example there is a defined unit of measurement called a “metre” or “meter” in the USA. Humans didn’t just pluck the measurement out of the air. Rather they came to that measurement by observing the measurements of our given world, and decided that a certain length, a certain proportion of the earth’s measurements, should be one metre. But I have a problem with the given metre length. It rules me out of gaining the Gold Medal for the 100 metres sprint at the next Olympics. The metre in its present prescribed length discriminates against older folk like myself. I certainly could not beat Bolt or the next bolter while a metre remains one metre long. However if the definition was changed so that for me alone it now measured 10 metres, I might have a chance of getting the Gold Medal. You’ve done the Maths. I would only have to run 10 metres in the race! Everyone else has to run the full 100 metres! Some unkind folk might object to this special allowance being given to me alone. They would argue that the definition of a metre can’t be changed. It must always remain the same length.  They would be right!  But it is the same thing with God’s definition of marriage. It’s a given. It can only be used for the relationship of a man and the woman who becomes his wife. His pattern for marriage is unalterable.

Division. If the US Supreme Court were to decide to redefine marriage so that is no longer just between a man and a woman it would be contrary to the Creator’s wishes and plan for His creatures. It would certainly cause a division. Most of those who hold to the Biblical view of marriage will never change their minds about the nature of marriage to accommodate other views. In their minds God has set the pattern for marriage. They will accept no other pattern. They will not tamper with God’s revelation of His will in His word about marriage to fit in with changing cultural patterns. Division would be regrettable but inevitable.

Another factor needs to be kept in mind. It is the possible danger that could come to millions of people around the world if the definition of marriage is changed to include same sex couples. There are those in other religions and in other cultures for whom the thought of “gay marriage” is anathema. If the US Supreme Court does decide that marriage can be extended to same sex couples it could cause an even greater hardening of people towards Americans. In some cultures the USA is already seen as “The Great Satan” because of the perception that it is corrupt and immoral. Certainly many in other countries who have become aware of American produced films and TV productions think they have reason to believe Americans are immoral. When you think of the many shows which depict people in authority in the United States such as parliamentarians, police personnel and military as being immoral and corrupt it is no wonder that some in other countries think that is a true picture of America as a whole. They are certainly encouraged strongly to believe so. So if a US Supreme Court as the highest legal authority in the land were to come out in favour of something that these people see as anathema, it would give the leaders in such lands and cultures incentives to really poison the minds of those who don’t know better. It could help to incite even greater hatred towards Americans at home and abroad. It could make it extremely dangerous for American nationals living in such places. It could make it even more dangerous for Christian and Jewish minorities in many lands.  It could be said of them (as those friendly with America) that they are “friends of the Great Satan”. It could place their lives at risk.  This is no idle speculation. This is reality in today’s world in many countries.

Treason? Someone said recently that it could be a treasonable offence if the US Supreme Court were to come out in favour of extending the definition of marriage to include Gay Marriage. They reasoned that if such a decision led to the deaths of Americans and others in the USA and beyond, the judges would be culpable. It sounds a bit dramatic. After all they are only doing their job! In the USA treason is defined as follows in the Constitution. Section 3 -. Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. There are those in the world who are the enemies of the USA and want to see the destruction of the Great Satan. To give such enemies ammunition to use against Americans (“Look at their Supreme Court. See how immoral and corrupt these Americans are”) and the incentive to destroy them would not fit the definition of treason. However decisions have consequences. There are many astute observers in today’s world who believe that what could be seen as an acceptance of same-sex marriage by America’s highest court could lead to a proliferation of attacks on Americans and others around the globe. One hopes and prays that the nine members of the US Supreme Court can arrive at a decision that doesn’t eventually lead to great bloodshed.

There was a time when another court was considering what to do with those who preached God’s truth. The initial thought of those in the court was to silence those with whom they disagreed by killing them.  The messengers were Peter and the apostles. Their motivation in preaching the truth they preached was, “We must obey God rather than men”. However a very wise man named Gamaliel gave a stern warning to the court.  He said to them, “Men of Israel, take care what you are about to do with these men. …. I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!”  Acts 5:38-39. There are millions of people around the world praying that the members of the US Supreme Court will not be found to be opposing God by the decisions they reach.

A final comment. Why is there supposedly a swing towards the acceptance of “same-sex marriage”? There are a number of reasons. But that will be the focus of the next article.

Blog No. 118.   Jim Holbeck. Posted on Sunday 7th April 2013

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117. Divine Comedy 2. God in the Dock regarding Marriage. Genesis 2:24

Posted on March 30, 2013 by Jim Holbeck

No, this has nothing to do with Dante’s famous classic! Rather it refers to a situation that God has allowed in His divine providence and over-ruling as the Lord of this universe. It is a ludicrous situation. But it is not funny. It has to do with many people around the world attempting to change the definition of “marriage”.

Well, where did the concept of “marriage” come from? It came from the Creator of all things, God Himself! It was His idea! From the beginning! As He created the human race He instigated the concept of marriage. He did so according to the formula He devised. It was this, Gen 2:24  Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. From this union children would be born with a mother and a father and grandparents as well. Marriage could lead to an ongoing increasing family where the children would have loving parents to love and protect them. All in all a wonderful concept that has lasted for aeons, though some have abused their God-given privilege as parents.

But now in 2013 we have the situation where the US Supreme Court is considering a couple of cases which could lead to a re-definition of marriage. Thousands are waiting with bated breath to see what these nine people decide and how their lives might be changed as a result. (Could millions of people’s lives around the world be affected by the decision of nine people? It sounds absolutely crazy, but the answer is yes!) Leaders in other countries are also considering a re-definition of marriage.

If we take a step back to assess what is going on we arrive at this conclusion. It is God Himself who is in the dock. His concept of marriage is under critical scrutiny. His formula that has worked so well for generations is in danger of being tampered with. His thoughts expressed in His revelation to humans about marriage are in the Bible for all to see. To reject His words expressing His concept of marriage is really a rejection of Him. It is serious stuff! It is potentially alarming for generations to come!

Here are the characters in this Divine Comedy 2. The creatures are in revolt against their Creator! Those who owe their existence to Him are in danger of ignoring His words, rejecting His plan and purpose for the world and substituting their own. How pathetic! How short-sighted! How revolting! The Bible says that when people have done that to God in the past, He laughed at their pathetic attempts,  Psa 2:1-12 (1)  Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? (2)  The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying, (3)  “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.” (4)  He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. Some folk think they are becoming free by rejecting what God has said about marriage. They think they are progressive and inclusive by declaring blessed, other relationships He has strictly forbidden.

But there are others in this Divine Comedy. There are those who see that God is God, that His will must be done, in His way, to His glory. They accept His plan and purpose for humankind especially in seeing that marriage is as He expressed it in Genesis 2 and as Jesus affirmed it in Mat 19:5  ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? And as the apostle Paul affirmed it in Eph 5:31  “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” Yet it is these people who are faithful to their Creator God who are at present being castigated as old-fashioned, out of step with modern thinking, unloving and even called homophobic when the opposite is the truth. (See my article on who are the real homophobes.)

In this Divine Comedy 2, God is not laughing at those being thus castigated. He is laughing at those  whom He sees as “the wicked” in His sight, Psa 37:12-15, The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him, (13)  but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he sees that his day is coming.(14)  The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose way is upright;(15)  their sword shall enter their own heart, and their bows shall be broken. God is not mocked, even by those who are advocating a form of marriage that He sees as a mockery in His sight.

Divine Comedy 3. The year 2113. All the characters in Divine Comedy 2 have gone. They have left their mark for good or evil in the world. Only God remains from all in the cast. No matter what the characters managed to do or to change in their lifetimes, (whether it be to help introduce gay marriage, polygamy or even polyamory, meaning open relationships with more than one person at a time) His view on marriage will still be the same, Gen 2:24  Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

Job the Old Testament character placed God in the dock to ply Him with all sorts of questions as to why he had suffered when he was such a righteous person. But the time came when God reversed the roles, placed Job in the dock and said in effect, “Now it’s my turn to question you. Just who do you think you are? I’m your creator. You have to answer to me.” Job confronted with his human weakness blurted out before God, Job 42:2  “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. 3)  ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. 4)  ‘Hear, and I will speak; I will question you, and you make it known to me.’ 5)  I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; 6)  therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”

Divine Comedy 2 will only end happily for those who humble themselves before God as Job did. We may put God in the dock and question His view on marriage and judge Him (and those who follow Him) as guilty of discrimination. But He has told us as our Creator that He will not “extend” His revealed concept of marriage to any other relationship. As His creatures, dependent on Him for even our next breath, neither should we! The time will come for all of us when He will place us in the dock, not to ascertain our views, but to judge us according to His!

Blog No.117.  Jim Holbeck. Posted on Saturday 30th March 2013

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116. THE “ABCDE” OF BECOMING MORE OPEN TO GOD FOR HIS BLESSING. “E” for Enthroning.

Posted on March 14, 2013 by Jim Holbeck

In the previous article we looked at the need to dethrone any idols we may have in our lives so that we may give the Lord His rightful place as our ruler. The idols need to be dethroned so that the Lord may be enthroned in our hearts. This concept is seen in Psalm 22:3, Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. This gives us a wonderful picture of the nature of worship. God’s people exalt Him as the Holy One in their praises. He sits enthroned on those praises. It reminds us of another passage in the Psalms where God’s people are encouraged to focus on Him in praise and thanksgiving, Psalm 100:4) Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! As the next verse says, such praise is based upon His character, 5) For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

As Christian believers we need to enthrone Jesus as the Lord and Master of our lives.  Why? Because the Father has highly exalted Him. Paul wrote about that in Philippians 2 verses 8-9,  And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name. What should be our response? It should be to worship Him and to declare Him to be Lord of the universe, and our Lord, Phil 2:10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

 Paul not only taught those truths but He also prayed that his readers might know and experience those truths personally. Look at how he prayed in his letter to the Ephesian believers. He prays that they might know and experience the greatness of God’s power that He used in raising Jesus from the dead.   But he went on to remind them of the place that Jesus occupies in the sight of God, Eph 1:19 (I want you to know) what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20  that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places. One might think that would be sufficient for his readers to want to exalt Jesus in their own lives. But he adds to that in his prayer. He describes Jesus now being,  21  far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. Jesus is Lord of all, for ever! He rules! In the present and throughout the ages to come!

Paul adds yet another series of concepts in the prayer, 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church. He rules over all. All are subject to Him. God gave the One who is head over all things to be the head of the church.  The church he describes as “the body of Christ”, 23 which is his body. It cannot exist independently of Him.  He indwells and guides and empowers it. The final concept in the prayer stresses that all fulness dwells in Jesus and that He fills all things, the fullness of him who fills all in all. No wonder He is worthy of praise and adoration. Jesus IS Lord but we  need to enthrone Him as Lord in our own lives. He tolerates no rivals.

Summing up, how did you go on the ABCDE we have looked at in these 5 articles?

  • Are you willing to Abide in Jesus and in His word?
  • Are you willing to Believe, to believe the promises of God and to act on them?
  • Are you willing to Consecrate yourself and your body to do the will of God no matter what.
  • Are you willing to Dethrone all the idols in your life, no matter how attractive they might be to you?
  • Are you willing to Enthrone Jesus as Lord of your life?

If you are willing to do all those things then you are becoming more open to receive what God has for you in His plan and purpose for this world.   Theodore Monod put in a hymn what our response might be. He begins the hymn with the words, Oh, the bitter pain and sorrow, That a time could ever be, When I proudly said to Jesus, “All of self, and none of Thee.” The next verse shows some growth. It has the words, “Some of self, and some of Thee.” Then comes the more mature saying “Less of self, and more of Thee.” The final verse has words that show total commitment, “Higher than the highest heaven, Deeper than the deepest sea, Lord, Thy love at last has conquered: ‘None of self, and all of Thee’.”

My prayer. Lord, may it be so in the lives of all Your people. AMEN.

Blog No.116. Jim Holbeck.  Posted on Thursday 14th March 2013

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115. THE “ABCDE” OF BECOMING MORE OPEN TO GOD FOR HIS BLESSING. “D” for Dethroning

Posted on March 12, 2013 by Jim Holbeck

 In the previous articles we looked at three of the factors involved in becoming more open to God for His blessing and healing. We saw the need to Abide in the Living word, Jesus and in the written word, the Bible. Then we looked at true Believing as an essential element. Following that we saw how we need to Consecrate ourselves to God. As we come to “D” we see the need to Dethrone the idols we may have in our lives to replace them with Jesus.  

 In the well-known hymn by William Cowper, “O for a closer walk with God”,  he has these challenging words, The dearest idol I have known, Whate’er that idol be, Help me to tear it from Thy throne, And worship only Thee. What is an idol? A short definition would be, An idol is anyone or anything that takes the central place of God in our lives. What is idolatry? Idolatry in the Old Testament stood for the worship of idols which were symbols of false gods. It also stood for the worship of symbols representing Yahweh the God of Israel. We see this in Exodus 20:4-5 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them.

Paul adds to this by showing that human desire (covetousness) for the forbidden is idolatrous because it is giving false value to those things or people as necessary for personal fulfilment, Col 3:5  Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. It echoes the words in the Decalogue in Exodus 20:17  “You shall not covet your neighbour’s house; you shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbour’s.” To covet these is forbidden because they belong to other people. Ultimately only God can bring fulfilment to His creatures, not things or other people.

 William Cowper recognised that it was all too easy for believers to allow other things or other people to take the central place that the Lord is meant to have in human lives. As someone once put it, “Whatever takes first place in our affections has become for us our god.” Cowper wanted God’s help in removing all the idols in his life to enable him to worship only God Himself.

It is very worthwhile doing a little inventory in our lives to see whether we have allowed other idols to take the Lord’s place in our affections. What are the gods that have pushed Jesus from the centre of our lives? Let’s do a test of our priorities. Jesus taught that we are to love God with all we are and have, Mar 12:30  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.’ Even love for another person such as one’s neighbour is a lesser priority than loving God, Mar 12:31  ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’

Here is the first test. Regarding people. Do we spend more time thinking about a particular person than we do thinking about God? Why should a fellow creature occupy a greater proportion of our thinking than the Creator Himself.

Possessions. Do we possess our possessions or do they possess us? Are they our security or is God our security. I once came across a family who would not go away for holidays together because the father had a precious plant he could not trust anyone else to care for. The plant took precedence over his God-given responsibility of caring for the needs of his wife and children.

Much of the attraction towards gambling is due to the thought process that the thing being won will bring more personal satisfaction and fulfilment in life. But things don’t satisfy. Only God does.

Position and status. Do we long for honour in the eyes of people or do we long for God’s blessing perhaps even in a position with little status? I remember a Lady Mayoress in an Australian city saying over 50 years ago that many of the women who helped her in charity work were motivated more by the desire to gain recognition by being seen with her, than by a motivation to help those in need. Good work. Wrong motivation!

Time. This is a real test of our priorities. How much time is given to our pursuit of God and how much is given for our own selfish pursuits? How much more time do we spend reading fiction than we do reading the Bible as the inspired word of God which can inspire us to become what we were meant to become?  How much time do we spend talking to others about our problems than we do in talking to God who wants to help us with our problems? And who incidentally can do a whole lot more for us than any human can.

As we do this personal inventory it may be that we begin to see more clearly that we have made idols of things that once were peripheral in our lives. Or we may see that we are becoming infatuated with someone and losing sight of our need to be focussed on the Lord and then on people through His eyes.  Perhaps it may be time for us to do as William Cowper did and to pray, The dearest idol I have known, Whate’er that idol be, Help me to tear it from Thy throne, And worship only Thee.

Dethroning every idol so that we might Enthrone Jesus as Lord of our lives.

Blog No.115.  Jim Holbeck. Posted Tuesday 13th March 2013

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114. THE “ABCDE” OF BECOMING MORE OPEN TO GOD FOR HIS BLESSING. “C” for Consecrating

Posted on March 11, 2013 by Jim Holbeck

There is a twofold aspect to Christian living. One is that God is at work in us to make us what He wants us to be. The other aspect is our willing response to His work in us so that we are cooperating with what He wants to do in us and through us. Paul expressed it so succinctly in Philippians 2:12-13, … 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. The verbs in these verses show the commitment or the consecration needed on our part to enable that to happen. In verse 12 the word for “work out” is  katergázomai which denotes the concentrated effort required to fulfil a task. Eagle eyed folk will spot the “erg” in the middle of the word and recognise immediately that “erg” is the unit of work or energy in physics. The prefix “kata” in the word adds intensity, so what Paul envisages is a “concentrated effort to work out” the implications of the salvation we have received by faith.  

The verbs for “work” and “works” in verse 13 is energeō from which we get our English word “energy”. God is at work in us as believers. Our response is to work out in practice what He is inwardly working within us. We are to energetically work out through our lives what He is inwardly motivating and energising us to be and to do.

Let us look at a couple of ways in which that commitment might work out practically, or how we might be personally consecrated to do the will of God. But first of all a few comments on what is meant by consecration. We see the theme of personal consecration or commitment to God in the words of the well-known hymn by Frances Havergal, Take my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee. In the hymn the worshippers offer themselves completely to God in these words as they ask God to take the following aspects of their lives, my moments and my days… my hands… my feet … my voice…  my lips…  my silver and my gold … my intellect… my will… my heart … my love … myself. The hymn concludes with the declaration coming from a total commitment, and I will be ever, only, all for Thee.

The word “consecration” is not used in the New Testament as such in most translations, but the concept is certainly there. There are many words in the Greek New Testament that come from the common root (hag). No, this is not a demeaning word for older females! It has the meaning to be “separate” or to “separate from”.  Such words are hagios meaning “holy”, and hoi hagioi meaning “the saints”.  Others are hagnos = “pure”; hagiosunē = holiness; hagiasmos = sanctification; hagiazō = sanctify. When you look at the context where these words are used, you find a common theme. It is separation FROM the world and its values etc, and separation TO God for His purposes. So a “holy” person is not just someone who tries to refrain from doing evil. Rather a holy person is someone who seeks God’s help to do that, but who also commits themselves completely to do the will of God, again with God’s help. Such consecration marked the life of Jesus and it must mark the lives of all His followers.

 1).        Consecrating Ourselves To Live Totally For God.  Some theologians in earlier times have talked about a Divine Exchange. In simple terms it could be expressed in words such as these, “He died for us so that we might live for Him.” That is the theme of Paul’s teaching in 2Corinthians 5:15  and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. The believer has a new focus in life, doing God’s will and not his or her own. If Jesus sacrificed His life for us in His death, then it means we should live for Him for the rest of our lives. He gave Himself, drawing His last breath for us. We must give ourselves for Him, drawing our last breath for Him. And all the other breaths till then.

2).        Consecrating (Or Presenting) Our Bodies Into His Hands In Serving Him. As part of this total consecration to God it is necessary for the believer to give all they are and have to Him. Paul puts it like this in Rom 12:1-2,  I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.  He had already used a similar expression in Romans 6:13 of presenting or handing oneself over to God,  Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. Of course this makes sense when we realise that our bodies are God’s gift to us. They really belong to Him. We realise they are doubly His because He redeemed us through His blood. His death brought us life. We belong to Him, lock, stock and barrel. Our bodies are His so that He can do in and through us (as we willingly respond to Him) what He wants to do.

Acting on this truth we can offer ourselves to Him in this way, “Lord I offer myself completely to You. I invite You to do in my body and through my body whatever You wish.”  It also means that we can ask the Lord for healing whether it be in body, mind or spirit. We can pray an unselfish prayer for healing, “Lord heal me for Your sake so that I can do your will to your glory, for the rest of my life.” I continue to be amazed at what God does in the lives of those who pray such an unselfish prayer. They become more open to God as they pray. He heals them to enable them to fulfil His eternal plan and purpose for their lives, and not just to remove the pain.

Blog No.114. Jim Holbeck. Posted on Monday 11th March 2013

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