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Published on 4 Comments on Malachi 4:2 Hey listen! The celestial beings are saying something!

This being the Christmas season, we’ve been singing Christmas carols at church. And like all good contemporary churches, the words are put up on a screen at the front of the sanctuary. We don’t even have hymnals, so that isn’t an option. Occasionally there are typos on the screen, and I’ve come to accept that. After all, no one is perfect. There is one typo however, that comes up at Christmas time, that I’m sure the person typing thought was right. It is in the carol, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing! written by Charles Wesley in 1739. He wrote more than 6000 hymns in his lifetime, that were theologically sound and full of doctrine.

Interestingly, Charles Wesley didn’t take kindly to people changing the words of his hymns when they reprinted them. In one of his hymnals he wrote, “I beg leave to mention a thought which has been long upon my mind, and which I should long ago have inserted in the public papers, had I not been unwilling to stir up a nest of hornets. Many gentlemen have done my brother and me (though without naming us) the honour to reprint many of our hymns. Now they are perfectly welcome to do so, provided they reprint them just as they are. But I desire they would not attempt to mend them, for they are really not able. None of them is able to mend either the sense or the verse. Therefore, I must beg of them these two favours: either to let them stand just as they are, to take things for better or worse, or to add the true reading in the margin, or at the bottom of the page, that we many no longer be accountable either for the nonsense or the doggerel of other men.”

The verse I'm referring to goes like this:

Hail the heaven born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Risen with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die.
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.

Hark! The Herald Angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”

Did you figure out what word I’m talking about? Sun. I’m sure that many of you thought that it should read Son, didn’t you? You certainly wouldn’t be alone. If you were to Google this carol, you would find that Son beats out Sun by a ratio of about two to one on lyrics websites. Son seems to be the more logical choice, since we are talking about the birth of the Son of God. I’ve actually had a pastor tell me that Sun is a typo. But it isn’t!

The term Sun of Righteousness comes from Malachi 4:2. It is part of a divine revelation from God concerning the Day of Judgement. (Malachi 1:1, Malachi 3:16-18, Malachi 4:1) A time is coming when evil will be abolished, and all the arrogant evildoers, those who chose not to believe in God, will be burned to ashes. But for those who respect God, for those who have accepted His gift of love, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in His wings. It is figurative language, with a parallel between the controlled burning of the furnace and the Sun. The burning furnace that will consume the wicked will bring destruction, but the Sun of Righteousness will bring warmth and healing. Like the centre of our own solar system, the Sun brings light and life.

Perhaps in these days of tolerating everyone’s beliefs, it makes people uncomfortable to talk about what will happen to those who will not accept Christ. I agree that it isn’t very pleasant to think about, but that does not mean that it won’t happen. God is a holy God, and the time will come when He will no longer tolerate those who do not trust in Him. He has made His existence and power very clear, (Romans 1:18-24) and He has given us the choice, but we must not kid ourselves about what the consequences of our choices will be. This is why the herald angels sang, “Glory to the newborn King!”

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Published on 4 Comments on Luke 9:26 That’s A Lot Of Pressure

When you think of peer pressure, do you think of what children or teenagers go through at school? They often encounter pressure to do things that under normal circumstances they would never consider doing. Or how about a college student away at school being pressured to take a drink or drugs so that they can make some new friends? Those are the kinds of pressure that come to mind for me when I hear the term, but peers can pressure people to do good things too—to participate in team sports so you can have fun (even if you hate team sports), to be part of a group that is helping others, or even just a group for social reasons.

Today, I want to discuss a kind of peer pressure that has been on my mind for quite some time. If you are in the habit of forwarding e-mails, or sharing Facebook posts, you may have encountered this as well. Very often at the end of a touching or inspiring e-mail, the recipient will be told to forward it, and remember that if you are ashamed of Jesus and His words, He will be ashamed of you too. (Luke 9:26, Mark 8:38) What purpose does saying this have? Only to make the recipient feel guilty or afraid and pressured to forward the e-mail on. Is that really necessary? Is it that important to share the e-mail. If the message is inspiring enough it would get shared anyway; I often get the same ones from multiple sources.

In Luke 9:23-25 Jesus told His followers that in order to follow Him they would have to take up their cross daily. They would have to put Jesus ahead of themselves in everything they did. (Philippians 2:8-11) They would have to serve God, not money. (Luke 16:13) They would have to love their neighbours as themselves. (Matthew 19:19) They would have to pray continuously with thanksgiving. (I Thessalonians 5:17, Philippians 4:6-7) They would have to endure suffering with grace, and wisdom. (II Timothy 2:3, I Peter 2:19-20, II Timothy 4:5, Hebrews 10:32-36) They would have to rely on His strength. (II Corinthians 12:9) Jesus’ followers then needed to be willing to proclaim Christ in the face of physical persecution and even death, and that is still true for many Christians around the world today. There are many more important ways that we can proclaim Him that don’t require sending unwanted, guilt-inducing e-mails to our friends.

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Published on 2 Comments on I Peter 3:3-4 Inside Out

I’ve spent a lot of time with teenagers over the years, and without wanting to stereotype or say that all teenagers fit into the same category, I would say that generally they are trying to be accepted, to fit in and to know that people like them. (Perhaps those feelings don’t disappear when we leave the teenage years behind.) I have known a lot of teenage girls especially who have tried to impress people by the clothes and make-up that they wear.

I Peter 3:3-4 instructs us not to focus on external beauty, but on the condition of our hearts. This passage was specifically addressed to wives of unbelieving husbands, but I think that it applies to everyone. Our inner beauty will shine through as long as what we wear to enhance our outer beauty doesn’t speak more loudly. Peter was not saying that we should dress in rags and take no consideration of our grooming (because that would speak loudly too); he was warning against being outrageous and drawing attention to our physical features. I Samuel 16:7 tells us that people look at outward appearance, but God looks at the heart. It is our hearts that He is concerned with, but the condition of our hearts is displayed in our words and actions, including the way we dress.

I think parents really need to focus on open communication with their children and teaching them to be modest, sincere and pleasing to God. And they need to do it before the influence of the world tells them otherwise. Henry Winkler, as his character Arthur Fonzarelli, in the old sit-com Happy Days, once said, “I only got one thing to say to you Shortcake. You put out an advertisement, someone is going to answer that ad.” In Romans 12:1-2, Paul said that instead of selling out to the world, we should make our bodies a living sacrifice—alive, holy and pleasing to God.

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Published on 3 Comments on Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 The Value of Friendship

I belong to a book club/Bible study group made up of a dozen or so ladies ranging in age from about 35 to 75. We encourage each other, and help each other out by sharing from our wide base of experiences, as well as with practical things like painting and kitchen duties. And we laugh. A lot. These ladies have become very dear friends to me, and I look forward to and treasure our times together. It has never mattered what book we chose to read; I attend because I value their friendship.

In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon, a king known for his wisdom, laments the meaninglessness of almost everything, but in Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, he promotes the benefits of companionship. Life is better with a friend or two. Labour is easier. Some tasks are just too difficult, even for a strong, independent person to do alone. If one gets hurt or into a bad situation, another is there to call for help. If they are travelling through the wilderness, as many would have in Solomon’s day, they can huddle together to stay warm. Today think of being in a stranded vehicle on an isolated highway in the winter. And, perhaps, most important of all, they can protect each other from their adversary. We do that in our group. We help each other to see how the enemy, Satan, is attacking our souls, and we stand together on God’s word, and through prayer, to fight back. Like a three-stranded cord, we are stronger together.

In the beginning, when God created each aspect of the universe, He declared it good. The first thing that He declared not good was that man was alone. (Genesis 2:18) So He created a helper suitable for him. Galatians 6:2 instructs us to bear one another’s burdens, and Hebrews 10:24-25 tells us to not give up meeting together. We were made for community. George Eliot described a best friend as a “well-spring in the wilderness”, an oasis. Take time to cultivate your friendships. All other striving is meaningless without them.

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Well here we are again December. Sometimes the days and months seem to fly right by, and sometimes they seem to move so slowly. The fact is the length of a minute, day or week doesn’t change; it is all about our perceptions and expectations. Do you remember when you were younger--or maybe not so much younger--waiting for Christmas? You had asked for something you really wanted, and you could hardly wait until Christmas morning to see if Santa / a parent / a sibling… had listened to your request.

The Israelites had been waiting for not weeks or months, but years, centuries even, for the Messiah who had been promised to them. As a matter of fact, God gave them a hint in Isaiah 7:14, and it was still about 700 years before the promise was fulfilled. As I said in my last post, waiting can make you doubt. Some of the Israelites may have even forgotten what they were waiting for. But a man named Simeon didn’t. (Luke 2:25-32) He was very devout, and he was waiting patiently for the Lord to reveal His gift, the Messiah. He had been told by the Holy Spirit that he would see the Messiah before he died. (Luke 2:26) Just as an aside: isn’t it a good thing that Simeon recognized when the Holy Spirit was speaking and then listened to Him? That is what brought Simeon to the temple the day that Mary and Joseph arrived with Jesus. The Bible doesn’t tell us how old Simeon was, but it does tell us that now that he had seen the Messiah, his life purpose had been fulfilled. He was ready to depart from this world. (Luke 2:29)

The people of Israel had been waiting an incomprehensibly long time for their Messiah to be revealed, and many of them, like Simeon, remained faithful to the task. The very same Messiah is here knocking at our door, and all we have to do is open it and let Him in--no waiting required. (Revelation 3:20) It can be Christmas morning for us at any time. All we have to do is accept the gift.

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Recently a friend of mine asked this question on her Facebook page: How big is the gap between the life you're living and the one you want to be living? I wonder how many people are truly living their dreams. Perhaps some have achieved earlier dreams and now they want something more, while others are still struggling to reach their desired milestones. The truth is that there is always something getting in the way of our dreams, and we have to find our way around it if we want to succeed.

Regular readers of this blog may have noticed that I often include Jeremiah 29:11 as a reference in my posts. I do so because it is a verse that clearly states that God wants what is best for us. He is not an ogre up in the sky playing games with our lives. He knows that we have dreams because He is the one who placed them within us, but He also has a higher purpose.

The people of Israel certainly didn’t dream of being exiled to Babylon, and they didn’t intend to stay long if they could help it. Jeremiah the prophet sent them a letter to say that they would be there for 70 years, so they might as well settle down, build houses, plant crops and do their best to help the Babylonians to be prosperous. When their time of exile was over, God would restore them to their land. (Jeremiah 29:5-7, Jeremiah 29:10)

Seventy years! Can you imagine how many doubts about God would run through your mind in that amount of time? God planned to give the exiles a future and a hope, prosperity and not harm, but these plans were not immediate. And they were part of a bigger plan that applies to us too. God’s bigger plan was that the people of Israel would learn to turn to God, to seek Him with all their heart. (Jeremiah 29:12-14, Deuteronomy 30:9-10)

So what should we do when we encounter obstacles on the way to our dreams? I think the most important thing we can do is to remember God’s higher purpose—we need to trust and rely on Him. Then I think that we need to continue to work to make the best of our circumstances, and to help those around us, as Jeremiah instructed the exiles to do. In time, we will get past the obstacles and back on the road to our dreams.

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Some people are insensitive. I’d like to believe that they aren’t that way intentionally, but on the other hand, it would be nice if they intentionally tried not to be. Unfortunately, sometimes, because of their own expectations of how things should be, they say hurtful things to people who aren’t meeting their expectations. Now, I’m not talking about reproving someone in love because they have done something unbiblical; I’m talking about things like criticizing people for being single or not having children. Somehow we are all expected to grow up, get a job, get married and have a family, in that order. It doesn’t happen that way for everyone, and so, hurtful, insensitive comments make us think that we’re doing something wrong or that we are in some way not good enough. Satan loves to plant the seed of worthlessness in us and then water and fertilize it to make it grow. This is far from the way God sees us.

Ephesians 1:4 tells us that God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, and that His purpose for us is to become holy. The larger context (Ephesians 1:3-14) tells us that in Christ we are blessed with every spiritual blessing. (Ephesians 1:3) We are predestined and adopted according to the pleasure of His will. (Ephesians 1:5) He has freely bestowed His grace on us. (Ephesians 1:6) We have been redeemed and forgiven through Christ’s willing sacrifice for us. (Ephesians 1:7) Because of this we belong to God. (Ephesians 1:11) We have been sealed with the Holy Spirit who gives us the assurance of our redemption and inheritance and will be with us until the time when all of this is completely fulfilled.

There are many other places in scripture that tell us of the value we have in Christ.

We are:
- the salt of the earth and the light of the world. (Matthew 5:13-14)
- more valuable than the birds that God cares for. (Luke 12:24)
- heirs of the prophets and of the covenant. (Acts 3:25)
- called. (Romans 1:6-7)
- co-heirs with Christ. (Romans 8: 17)
- God’s co-workers. (I Corinthians 3:9)
- God’s temple and bought at a price. (I Corinthians 3:16-17, I Corinthians 6:19-20)
- part of the body of Christ. (I Corinthians 12:27)
- a letter from Christ. (II Corinthians 5:20)
- children of God. (Galatians 3:26)
- heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3:28-29, Galatians 4:6-7)
- children of promise. (Galatians 4:28)
- members of God’s household. (Ephesians 2:19-20)
- children of light. (Ephesians 5:8-10)
- chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, and we are called out of darkness into His wonderful light. (I Peter 2:9)

Don’t let Satan keep you in the darkness. The next time someone says something hurtful to you, focus on what God thinks of you instead.

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Today is Black Friday in the United States of America—the day following the holiday Thursday of Thanksgiving and the traditional kick-off to the Christmas shopping season. It is commonly believed to be the busiest shopping day of the year. (Statistics show that it has been in the top ten for many years.) Although here in Canada some retailers (mostly American chains) offer some Black Friday specials, there is nothing like the hype that I hear from the United States. Never having experienced it for myself, I only speculate that mobs of people line up for hours waiting for stores to open, and then fight (I hope not literally) through the crowds to get the best deals they can on the things they want, then line up again to pay for them and get out of the store. I have to wonder if people are making rational choices about what they are buying or are they being influenced by crowd mentality. Do they go into the store for one or two things, things they wanted before they went through the door, or do they go and see what the best deals are and then congratulate themselves for all the money they’ve saved. Michel Bell, author of Managing God’s Money would tell you that you haven’t saved anything; you’ve just spent less than the original price on the sticker. That’s not necessarily a bad thing if it is for an item that you already wanted and had justified buying, but you need to make a rational decision, a God-led decision, about it first, not just buy on impulse.

Is there something, besides the necessities of life, that you like to spend your money on? Do you have a favourite hobby or pastime? Is it expensive to enjoy? Is it part of your regular budget? It’s what you really like to do, so it is where you invest your extra cash when you have some. This is pretty normal for most people; they put their money where their desires are. Our money follows our heart. But the Bible tells us that the opposite is true. Our heart will follow our money. (Matthew 6:21)

In Matthew 6:19-20, Jesus told His listeners to keep an eternal perspective. Don’t focus on things that will remain on this earth at the end of your life. Focus on that which has eternal significance. There are so many poor and needy people in every country of the world that could use your help. There are many who don’t know who Jesus is. There are many charities that work to heal people, to save lives, to make life just a little bit better for those who are less fortunate. Please take time today to think about what matters most to you. Where is your treasure?

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Published on 1 Comment on Philippians 4:6-7 Gratitude

Stress. There are so many circumstances in life to cause us worry or anxiety, from everyday annoyances, like getting the kids to school on time or not burning dinner, to huge tragedies. The earthquake and tsunami in Japan come to mind. So does the Chretien family. (Missing – Al and Rita Chretien) Is there really a way to be stress-free? The Apostle Paul tells us how.

In Philippians 4:6-7, Paul echoes Jesus' words (Matthew 6:25-34) when he tells us not to be anxious about anything. Nothing. But then he tells us what to do instead: In every situation, through prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God. One simple sentence is the cure to all our anxiety; let’s look at it closely.

(a) In every situation. Every situation. That means the small, everyday annoyances as well as the devastating tragedies; God cares about every single detail of your life. (Luke 12:6-7) There is nothing too big or too small to bring to God, for He desires that we trust Him and rely on Him for everything. Nothing will catch Him by surprise, and He invites us to come to Him boldly with any request we have. (Hebrews 4:14-16)

(b) Through prayer and petition. Some versions translate this as “by prayer and supplication”. What are the differences between these three terms? I believe that prayer is a more general term and encompasses all of our conversations with God. As followers of Jesus, we should have an attitude of prayer, or some would say live in an atmosphere of prayer, such that we feel God’s presence with us constantly and we are always in communion with Him. When we petition or supplicate, we are asking more earnestly for our needs to be met. Supplication gives more of a sense of pleading, but both terms include the idea of humility. When we are told not to be anxious, it is not that God expects us to stop caring about the situations in our lives. What He wants is for us to bring our cares to Him, and especially to lay at His feet the responsibility of all those things that are out of our control.

(c) With thanksgiving. I think when we have a lot going on that concerns us, we sometimes forget to be thankful. We focus on what we don’t have instead of what we do have. God has given us so many blessings, and many of them we take for granted. In I Timothy 6:8, Paul said that he would be content just to have food and shelter. I’m sure that if you are reading this on a computer, you have so much more than that. We need to take time to thank God for our blessings, but we also need to thank Him for all the things we see as hardship as well. Ann Voskamp, author of one thousand gifts, has said, “If I can take everything in my life and see it as grace, a good gift from God’s hand, and give thanks for it, there is joy in this. That joy really is a function of gratitude. And gratitude is a function of perspective. Can I see the things to be grateful for? If I can see the things to be grateful for, I can find joy.”

So, can we be stress-free? Yes. In fact we are commanded to be stress-free, but it is a command with a promise. If we will take all of our cares to God, and if we will be thankful, we will have peace that is beyond our comprehension, peace that comes from knowing that God loves us and has all things in His control. A peace unlike any earthly peace. (John 14:27) This peace will protect our hearts and minds the same way that a sentinel stands on guard to protect the garrison—a way that will keep us free from anxiety.

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Today's post was written by Ron Edmondson. The myth he addresses is prevalent, but the truth is more encouraging.
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I occasionally like to correct a myth I have heard all my life. How many times has someone said to you, “God will never put more trials on you than you can bear”? I challenge you to show me that in the Bible. The problem I have with this myth is that it keeps so many believers wondering why they can’t handle their problems, falsely believing they should be able to, because someone once told them the lie that God would not put more on them than they could.

Yes, we do have the promise that we will not be “tempted beyond what you can bear” (I Corinthians 10:13), but we need to understand what that verse is saying. It says that God will not allow Satan to bring temptation, or enticement to sin, into our life that is too much for us to say no to it. When we are tempted to sin, God will make a way for us to resist it. That is because He wants us to live holy, just as Christ who calls us is holy.

Consistently, throughout the Bible, I read where at times God allowed more trials, more pressure, than His children could bear. Elijah, the powerful prophet of God who held back the rain had a time when the trial must have been bigger than his ability to handle it. Consider this verse: “The angel of the LORD came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” (I Kings 19:7) Once when Paul wrote to the people at Corinth (II Corinthians 1:8), he told them that he and his followers faced trials “far beyond our ability to endure”. David, the great war hero and man after God’s own heart, told the Lord that “troubles without number surround me” and “I cannot see”. He couldn’t see clearly, because he was overwhelmed with the storms of life! Another time David said “Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck.” (Oh how I identify with David there!) Jehoshaphat prayed, “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” II Chronicles 20:12) It sounds like he was facing more than he could handle on his own.

Are there times when God allows more troubles in your life than you can bear? Absolutely! Positively! If you can accept my testimony as an example, let me tell you that sometimes life throws more at me than I can handle, at least more than I can handle alone. The reason God allows you and I to experience times when we are consumed by trials, when they are bigger than our own strength can handle, is so that we have nowhere else to turn, except towards Him. We are faced with one solution, that we realize Christ is our only hope!

After Paul wrote that his trial was bigger than his ability to endure, he offers an explanation. “But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.” (II Corinthians 1:9) He recognized that this overwhelming time of trouble, that he couldn’t handle alone, had caused him to focus more on the power of God, and allow God to work His perfect will.

Are you being challenged beyond your ability to endure? Don’t believe that you can do it alone! You can’t! Jesus said, “apart from me you can do nothing!” (John 15:5) Did you get that point? Nothing! Don’t try anything today without relying on the power of God! He knows you're weak, but He is available to help, if you will call upon Him! When we are at our weakest, He is strong!