Recently, My oldest son, Tom (18)  and I have enjoyed looking at the census in England and Wales tracing relatives. This information does not explain why someone died, or the quality of his life.  Dates, place of birth and occupation can only tell you so much. We came across a ninety year old who was born at sea in the 1760s . She was of independent means and when she was old she lived with her daughter. She was one of  Martyn’s (my husband) ancestors. The men in his family seemed to have lived much shorter lives, leaving behind young widows and small children. This has prompted me to encourage the males in my family to live healthy lives to move away from any genetic curse!

Did our Relatives Believe in God?

I have also wondered whether these long forgotten family members are in heaven. Was the inclusion of a name like Joshua indicative of  faithful parents or was it a fashionable name  in the late nineteenth century? In nineteenth century Britain it is likely that most of our relatives at least believed in the existence of God, in the same way that most early Americans did. But we should understand that  acknowledging God’s existence is not enough.

Is Believing in God Enough to go to Heaven?

The Bible explains that the devil believes in God: James 2:19 “You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?” This verse does not say that faith is unimportant- it is essential. However if someone does  not exhibit any Christ like behavior, that person is not a Christian. Real faith results in a changed life, impacted profoundly by the Holy Spirit. Even the devil believes that Jesus is God.  We need to encourage others to enter into a relationship with Jesus rather than there being satisfied with an awareness of His existence.

The fact is that I will not know the fate of most of our ancestors this side of heaven, but I can impact the eternal future of  those who are alive now. So much is achieved through prayer. We should pray persistently for those who are spiritually lost and we should seek opportunities to help them understand how much Jesus loves them.

Will Our Relatives Find our Names in the Census ?

One day we may be a name, attached to a date of birth with an address that a future relative discovers on a census. How sad that in many cases we do not even know the full names of our great grandparents and we can’t even find them on a census. In truth, none of this is of any importance compared with whether our names and those of our loved ones are written in Jesus’s Book of Life. Unlike the census, we are not recorded in it because we live in a certain place. Rather,  our names will be there if our sins have been forgiven by Jesus; if we have received the Holy Spirit and if we are “new creations ” : God’s children. Please pray that your loved ones will be adopted into God’s family through faith in Jesus, through His grace that we can never earn..His gift is free but life changing.

Jesus’s “Book of Life” is Like a Census for Eternity

Hopefully we will meet ancestors in Heaven. I can do nothing to influence this, but I will strive to pray, encourage, and help those who are living that they may be added to God’s eternal “census”: never to be forgotten by the “King of Kings”. Instead of reminding us of dead relatives, the “Book of Life” reminds of wonderful, eternal life in heaven. I hope to see you there!

This is a post from: WomenRespond.com

The Book of Life is like a Census. Are our Names in it?

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This is a post from: WomenRespond.com

Peter’s faith – a video

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God Shakes Our Lives To Help Us Focus On Him.

For a long time I have been frustrated that few people in sunny Southern California are really hungry for God’s love and help. My prayer has been “Lord please do what it takes to make people (including myself) seek your presence.” The answer to prayers like this may initially shake our lives but ultimately re-establishes many on a firmer foundation, resulting in a deeper awareness of Jesus.

The Witch Creek fire ravaged our area a year and a half ago and three years before that another massive fire burnt many homes. Watching the television from a hotel surrounded by concrete in San Diego, during the most recent fire, I watched as brush about half a mile or so from our home was in flames. The reporter was windswept and shouted that without water being dropped by helicopters, he did not know what would stop the fire spreading. It was too windy for helicopters. The wind was blowing towards our home and while my kids escaped to see a movie, my husband, Martyn and I watched and prayed.

God Has An Eternal Home For Us.

I prayed about what Bible verses I should read. Immediately I turned to 2 Corinthians: 5: 1. It reads, “For we know that if the tent , which is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens……….” This describes our physical bodies, death and our future eternal bodies in Heaven, but it also reminded me that if my home was destroyed, God had a much better plan.

When we pray fervently and faithfully, we receive God’s peace and the knowledge that whatever happens we will be blessed. On this earth the worst that can happen is to be killed or to experience the painful death of a loved one. 2 Corinthians reminds us that our “earthly tent” or body is temporary and it is “burdened” (verse 4) and we groan. We are not supposed to put our trust in our health, or in our physical appearance, or in our property. Our temporary existence is far less important than our future eternal existence in Heaven.

Don’t Put Your Trust In Homes, Physical Strength Or Income.

If we have the Spirit of the living God living in us we have a “guarantee” (verse 5) from God.  If we are Christians, what is mortal will be “swallowed up by life” (verse 4). Are we focusing too much on our homes, our physical strength and our incomes? All of these things will age, decay and pass away. Instead we should focus on the heavenly body and home that we will receive from God.

The Holy Spirit is life. The Holy Spirit is the life of Jesus indwelling our earthly bodies if we are believers. When life is challenging are we not more likely to seek strength, wisdom and power from Him? If our homes and bodies will one day die, burn or crumble down,  surely we should be thankful when our circumstances test and challenge our faith? Our perception of what life is about should be dominated by the one who offers us life to the full, for one day Jesus will give us a new heavenly body that will never suffer pain and death. Our home will be Heaven.

If We Worship Our Bodies And Our Homes We Will Not Worship God

Let’s receive the challenges that threaten our safety and prosperity as reminders to focus on Jesus. 2 Corinthians 4 encourages us that as we face difficulties we are dying to ourselves, carrying in the body the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our bodies. As we are afflicted by pain, persecution, an aging body, disease or poverty… Jesus  transforms us if we seek Him. If we worship our bodies and our homes we will not worship God.

“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

Our home survived the fire but this no longer seems very important. If we turn to Jesus through the challenges we will realize that our lives are much more than the homes we live in and our physical bodies. Rather than blaming God for fires, loss of income, or declining health, let’s see these challenging experiences as opportunities to re- focus our lives on Jesus. Of course Jesus can heal our diseases and bless our finances but He may wait a while so that we receive the deeper blessing of seeking more of His presence.

This is a post from: WomenRespond.com

Focus on the Heavenly Body and Home that God has Prepared for Us: 2 Corinthians 4 and 5.

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I believe that God is all powerful and He is the epitome of love.  He wants us to get to know Him because He alone can turn our lives around and secure us a place in Heaven, if we realize that we desperately need to be forgiven for our innate selfishness.

If we don’t even believe that God exists why would we ask Him to help us. If we think that life is easy and fun why would we bother to find out who Jesus is? Certainly in Southern California where the sun shines constantly and the beach and the mountains provide beautiful places to escape to, many people may think that they are already in  Heaven..

Today’s San Diego Tribune online described how many people had drifted away from faith:

Loss of faith attributed to spiritual drift

Study explores reasons people change religion
By Jacqueline L. Salmon
“More Americans have given up their faith or changed religions because of a gradual spiritual drift than switched because of a disillusionment over their churches’ policies, according to a study released yesterday.”

My hope is that the swine flu may halt that spiritual drift.  Drifting into a lifestyle where Jesus does not feature may seem a good idea when life is easy. It may be fun to spend the day at the beach or watching sport, but neither will really help us if our loved ones become fatally ill. If this threat of swine flu wakes us up spiritually and encourages us to trust Jesus, that would not only help us cope with the possibility of swine flu,  it would give us a reason to feel confident about future crises and the ultimate challenge: death.

Please do not panic about the threat of swine flu. Instead, I would like to encourage you to put your life and the lives of your loved ones in Jesus’  hands. A verse in the Bible tells us who He is: “He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; He alone is God.” (1 Timothy: 1:17) Life has many challenges. Jesus is bigger than your problems. He rose from the dead and He is alive although we cannot see Him. I do hope that you will find out about Him in the Bible, find a good church or email me. Jesus is much bigger than swine flu.

This is a post from: WomenRespond.com

Swine Flu: Should we Panic or Trust God?

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To live a good Christian life we need more than self effort.

As a Christian I must avoid giving the impression that life is more about trying hard by applying self effort than seeking and receiving God’s  power and strength. 2 Peter 1 addresses both “diligence” or effort, and the “divine power” that Christians receive from God. In verses 5-7 we are told by ‘giving all diligence” (by working hard),  add to your faith, virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self control, to self control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.” Yes, we must work diligently to develop Christian virtues but if we were to read these verses out of context we might conclude that hard work and focus alone will result in the development of all of these important Christian qualities.

In fact, if we just try, try, try again without sitting at the feet of Jesus, humbly receiving His power, His grace and His love, as well as studying His word, and seeking His direction through prayer, we will fall flat. Our priority as Christians should be to receive God’s empowering presence: the Holy Spirit, continuously seeking His help and mercy, knowing that in our own strength we can do absolutely nothing.

We need to receive the gift of faith.

We become Christians when we obtain the gift of faith which enables us to put our trust in Jesus who through His sacrifice, made it possible for us to be forgiven and to be set free from spiritual darkness and the punishment that we deserve. 2 Peter 1:1 reminds us that this faith is not something that we purchase but it is obtained from God. It is precious and it is only possible for us to receive it because of what  Christ did for us when he shed His blood on the cross. A fundamental truth is that this faith cannot be earned by our own effort. Rather it is a gift thanks to Jesus’ life giving effort. 2 Peter 1: 2 explains that the precious faith is “by’, or thanks to, “the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.”

This faith is not weak but powerful. Peter writes that this faith is just like his own faith (verse 1) and the faith of the apostles. There are no second class Christians. We all receive a faith that can move mountains. Let’s receive it and ask for the strong faith that helps us to focus on Jesus,  knowing that only He can help us navigate the challenges that we face. With such a faith we can apply every effort to be godly, but without faith we cannot.

God calls us to Himself. We cannot become Christians through trying hard.

A living faith in Jesus is the gift of God that we receive as Christians. The Holy Spirit, God Himself in us, is the one who gives us faith and the one who sustains our faith, giving us all that we need to live godly lives. 2 Peter 2-4 reminds us that we cannot take any credit for becoming Christians as “His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue…” God called us to Himself.  He called us through what He achieved, through His “glory and virtue”. We can never be good enough to receive His love and forgiveness, but we can receive with love and thanks His Holy Spirit who makes it possible for us to live for Jesus in a godly way.

The Holy Spirit transforms us so that we can live good lives.

Without God’s indwelling presence we cannot have faith and without faith we cannot please God. If we have not been transformed by the Holy Spirit, becoming a “new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17)  we are incapable of true virtue, knowledge, self control, perseverance. godliness, brotherly kindness and love(2 Peter 1:5-7) even if we try very hard. These virtues will develop when we belong to Jesus and when, through faith, we are empowered by the Holy Spirit. God Himself lights the fire in us to give us the diligence that we need to apply to life, to be the pure, holy people that He has called us to be. Without Jesus, our effort will glorify ourselves rather than Him.

Why can we not exhibit these Christian qualities unless we are Christ’s children, indwelled by His Spirit? Until we become Christians we are spiritually dead and slaves to sin. We are lost. Of course non Christians are capable of acts of kindness but they are not pleasing to God as the motivation is self oriented. Self control for a Christian includes standing firm for Christ whatever the opposition. Love must involve sharing the Gospel, for how can we truly love someone unless we share the great news of God’s salvation gift? How can a non Christian please God when he has no concept of Jesus?

Jesus offers us a new life. He will help us to do what is right.

Peter describes “the corruption that is in the world through lust.” (verse 4). Many are stumbling along in darkness, trying to find the way, but not possessing the power to rise above the depravity of this world. Lust and selfish ambition dominate this world and until we receive Christ’s forgiveness and the presence of His Holy Spirit we cannot do what is right. Receive the gift of life and freedom from sin that Jesus offers and enter a new life with Jesus at the center. Then you can do what is right, with His help.

If you are a Christian, do not forget that you were cleansed from your sins by Christ(verse 9). Do not turn your back on the power and love that Jesus offers. If you are not showing these Christian virtues in your life (verses 5-7) you are in a dangerous place, turning your back on your Savior, Jesus. All Christians will produce “fruit”. Their lives will show God’s love making a difference. Ask God to have mercy on you. Repent and seek His forgiveness. In this life time, it is never too late to curl up in a humble heap, crying out for God’s mercy and help. How we respond to God now will affect our eternity.

A fruitful life is proof that God is at work in you.

If when you read 2 Peter 1:5-7 you realize that your faith is not effective or fruitful, ask God to fill you with His Holy Spirit. Make “your call and election sure” by responding to Christ in obedience and diligence (verse 10). A fruitful life is proof that God’s love and power are actively equipping that person to be an effective Christian. Keep trusting, keep receiving, keep following. You are on the way to Heaven: “…an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 1:11)

Without Jesus empowering us we cannot please Him. Our self effort alone is hopeless. When we receive the gift of faith, through what Jesus did on the cross , we will be equipped to do what is right. To this  faith we add effort and diligence, but we must never rely on ourselves. God supplies us with the love, power and motivation that we need to please Him. What a relief! When I cry out seeking God’s help, admitting that I cannot control a situation, He will supply me with the knowledge, goodness and patience, self control, love ….(2Peter1:5-7) that I need to do His will. Jesus will encourage me as I run the race that He leads me along: the journey that will bring glory to Himself. Jesus will  lead others to worship Him, as they see how He is impacting our lives! Run the race with enthusiasm and effort but remember that God gives you the power that you need. Do not run alone!

This is a post from: WomenRespond.com

Self Effort and Divine Power: What does 2 Peter:1 Teach us about being an effective Christian?

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Jesus’ family was poor and they could not have imagined the modern “essentials” that we give to one another at Christmas. There would have been no clutter to get in the way. The Roman census had forced the young couple to leave their families in Nazareth to travel to Bethlehem, adding their names to the list. They would have had very little with them.

There was no baby shower, no hospital help, no material comfort. We can be assured that God was there ensuring that His Son entered this world safely. He announced the birth with angels and a radiant star. He sent both shepherds and wise men to worship Jesus. We are also encouraged to worship Him. Our focus should be on the Savior and we should not remember Him briefly at Christmas and then forget.

The wise men gave Jesus valuable gifts: far more significant and costly than Mary and Joseph could have imagined. Do you realize that God wants to give you gifts way more valuable than those that your relatives can buy in the store? God is a “triune” God which means that He is one in three persons. At the first Christmas God the Father stayed in Heaven, as God the Son was born in Bethlehem. Once Jesus returned to Heaven after He died and rose from the dead (to secure the forgiveness and salvation for those who believe in Him) believers were filled with the third person of the Trinity: God the Holy Spirit. They were also given special gifts so that they could effectively help people on earth be blessed by God. These include  the “gifts” of communicating God’s message and the ability to help and to heal others.

Let’s push aside the clutter and the materialism and instead let’s worship Jesus. He alone can give us the gifts we need to be cleansed of our sins, filled with love and to have the capacity to love and to help our world as we share Jesus with them. In the movie “The Grinch who stole Christmas”, the Grinch’s heart trebled in size when he saw an unselfish response to Christmas and he became a good Grinch. When we receive the gift of Jesus’ presence (God the Holy Spirit) in us, our hearts will more than treble: they will burst with love for Jesus and for others.

John’s Gospel explains that Jesus came into the world that He created and most  people failed to recognize Him or to believe in Him. There are exceptions and some people responded and continue to respond to Jesus…”to all who believed Him and accepted him, He gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn – not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.” John 1: 12-13

If you are willing to walk away from your old sinful life and become a child of God, Jesus will give you a new, clean heart, capable of love that even the reformed Grinch was not capable of. You can be re-born as a child of God with the Holy Spirit(Jesus) in you.

Please receive the best Christmas present that you can receive. By now you may have grown tired (already) of your Christmas presents but Jesus is fulfilling forever.

This is a post from: WomenRespond.com

The Best Christmas Present

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Perhaps the changes are partly driven by the spluttering economy. Most Americans actually celebrate Christmas and it makes good marketing sense to target this huge national festival with its proper name to encourage more present buying. Whether the tiny minority of atheists like it or not, the vast majority of their compatriots still consider Christmas Day special and celebrate it.

While I was cooking some food for a Christmas Eve party, I was half watching the movie “The Grinch who Stole Christmas.”  Alice and Martyn were really watching the DVD but I was doing the usual multi-task viewing.

After the Grinch stole the people’s presents he was expecting them to moan and wail but instead the little girl took them to a higher level and they sang happily, celebrating Christmas despite the absence of presents. When the Grinch saw that their Christmas was not reliant on what could be bought in the store, his heart trebled in size and he became a transformed creature!

My youngest still strongly connects Christmas with acquiring the must-haves of teenage living. Materialism is a negative aspect of Christmas and I can see how the Christmas cheer in Whoville after the disappearance of the gifts was a wonderful tribute to their focus on more important aspects of Christmas.

Finally the ‘Whos’ ended their rivalry over which family had the best Christmas lights. Community unity in the face of a common enemy is precious. We will not encounter the threats of the Grinch this Christmas unless we choose to be entertained by him.  However we should remember that we need our family and friends and we will be happiest when we strive to keep the peace and enjoy and encourage one another. The quality of the food or the presents should not be the dominating features of Christmas.

To focus on what is important, we need to put the Christ (Jesus) back in Christmas. Only He can help us choose the right priorities and enable us to love our families even when they are materialistic, and unhelpful. As Christmas is the celebration of His birth it would make sense for us to make some time for Jesus. The beginning of the books of Luke and Matthew tell us more of Jesus’ birth. Reading these verses on Christmas will help us keep the right focus.

Merry Christmas!

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A ‘Who’ Christmas

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Sian and Lee Strobel

I was very pleased to attend Lee Strobel’s seminar at the National Outreach Convention in San Diego recently. He was confident that apologetics was even more necessary in the postmodern world than before. In the old days, listening to Christian talks was almost acceptable but now people who are not Christians are more likely to turn up if there is a debate and if both sides are heard. He described a very well attended debate at his church, Willow Creek, in Chicago. An atheist and a Christian were locked in debate. Many journalists were excited about this opportunity and the debate was heard throughout the country by many people, both Christian and non Christian. Many became Christians as a result.

Lee Strobel was a journalist and he enjoys looking for evidence. He applies this skill brilliantly to investigate the Christian faith. His first experience of doing this resulted in a dramatic life change. His conclusions resulted in his becoming a Christian. He searched for facts and he was surprised that it took him two years to find out “who was Jesus?” He thought that he would be able to dismiss the claims of Jesus quickly but he was proved wrong.

When I gave my life to Christ when I was seventeen, I had attended church for most of my life. Although I had never heard a good sermon before I went to college, I had heard important verses in the Bible in the Anglican liturgy, in the traditional village church that I attended growing up in England. Although no one applied these important truths to my life, I was aware that I had sinned and that Jesus was the Savior. I knew that forgiveness was important and that God was much more important than me. When I went to a good church, It did not take me long to believe, as I was already half way there.

Today in America, most kids do not attend church. This is true of most people in Europe too. We can’t expect people to become Christians overnight. The danger is that we give them a short message about Jesus and encourage them to sign up. However if they have not had the opportunity to ask questions, and do not understand the problem of sin and the importance of the cross, as well as the need to repent, their faith may well be ill founded.

We must teach the Bible and we also need to answer people’s questions and discuss important issues with respect and integrity. I recommend Lee Strobel’s DVDs and books as they address issues that I do not have time to investigate. I can lend a book or refer to one to help answer others’ tough questions. I purchased Lee Strobel’s DVD “The Case For Christ” which is broken into six sessions to investigate the evidence for Jesus. There is opportunity for discussion and Bible study, but the DVD gets people started and addresses some important issues.

I want to help people find out about Jesus. My priority is to pray for their salvation. If some show an interest I want to be equipped to teach them the Bible, to address their questions and to be a consistent friend, showing them the love of Christ. Let’s expect our friends to ask questions and let’s know how to help them as they investigate Christianity.

This is a post from: WomenRespond.com

Lee Strobel at the National Outreach Convention

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Yesterday I taught the Bible to teenagers at the Fellowship of Christian Athletes’ club at my daughter, Alice’s, middle school. I wanted them to understand the differences between a child of God and a child of the devil. I drew two columns on the white board, one for each type of child. There is a tendency in this culture to either over or under emphasize the devil. The children are usually shocked when I mention him and they are also offended by “hell” considering it to be a bad swear word rather than a real place where many are heading.

The kids wanted me to create a third column for those people who were not Christians but did not intentionally get involved with devil worship or witchcraft. I explained that I could not as the Bible clearly teaches that unless we are rescued out of the kingdom of darkness by Jesus ( Colossians 1:13 ) we are under the power of the evil one and are children of the devil.

I taught from 1 John 3:7-10: “Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God. So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love his brother does not belong to God.”

This passage does not say that by behaving well we can earn our way into the family of God. Instead it explains that when we become part of God’s family, Jesus enters us and because we are now led by the Holy Spirit, we are changed and we cannot keep sinning routinely (although we will still make mistakes).

How do we become part of God’s family? The teenagers who prepared their testimonies believed that baptism was the clear proof that someone had become a child of God. The Bible explains that baptism is symbolic of a believer passing from death to new life and this is a powerful image. The reality is that some people get baptized and then settle down to a life of sin with the smug assumption that they have done what it takes to go to heaven one day. A baptism must be accompanied by a dramatic spiritual new birth, if it is to be more than a historic ritual. John 1 explains that ..”to all who believed Him and accepted Him, he gave the right to become children of God.” They are reborn-not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan but a birth that comes from God.” God re- creates us when we respond to Him, believing and receiving Him, accepting Him as Lord of our new life and repenting of the messy lives we used to live.

Once we are under the leadership of Christ, rather than (wittingly or unwittingly) under the devil’s authority, we will change, so long as we really are living under the authority of Christ with His Spirit.1 John 2:3 says that ..”we can be sure that we know Him if we obey His commandments.” If we refuse to obey Jesus we are not His children. Jesus commands us to love one another in a Christ like way. 1 John 4:17 challenges us to copy Jesus. He showed us real love by giving up His life for us. Similarly, “..we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?” This is made even more challenging by the following verse: “Dear children let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.”

We are taught to be like Jesus: “Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did.” If we are Christians we will obey Him and resemble Him, otherwise we are not His children. I John makes this very clear. A very important part of being a Christian is loving God and loving other Christians. Elsewhere we are also told to love our enemies: we are commanded to love everyone, but if Christians fail to love those who are members of the body of Christ, how can we effectively help people who are not part of the Christian family? We know that walking as Jesus did involved meeting all sorts of people, to heal them, to cast out demons, to teach them the truth and to invite them into a relationship with Him. Without Christ’s love we will fail to reach out to those who so desperately need His love.

If we are God’s children are we letting Him lead us, are we obedient, do we give up our lives to help others, are we asking Jesus to fill us with His Holy Spirit? Thankfully Jesus will forgive us and re-instate us as he did with Peter. We are told in 1 John that we will not continue to live a life of sin once we have been dramatically re-created as Christians, as Jesus is in charge of us. I John 1:8-10 encourages us that when we confess our sins Jesus will forgive us and purify us. Sin should be the exception rather than the routine. Let’s make sure that we are truly living as children of God: forgiven, transformed and radiating the love of Jesus in action. We can be full of good intentions but thankfully Jesus did not just profess His love for us but He demonstrated it on the cross. Let’s follow his lead and show others that we are truly God’s children expressing His love, extending His hand of mercy. If you are not yet a child of God, ask Him to rescue you from the kingdom of darkness and receive Him so that He will live in you, dramatically changing your life.

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A Child of God, or a Child of the Devil?

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The arrival into the land that God had promised them (constituting modern day Israel and beyond) could not be a haphazard, disorganized event. They had to cross the River Jordan that was in flood stage and then the goal was to defeat the people living in the cities so that it could truly become their nation. This was not to be any nation. It was God’s people, in God’s place, to live for God’s purposes.

The River Jordan was parted by God

It was appropriate that God’s people should be led by God and this is why the priests, carrying the ark of the covenant, where God was present, (see my blog about the Ark of the Covenant) went ahead of the Israelites. The people were told to keep a distance of about a thousand yards from the ark and were warned not to go near it. The power of God is tremendous. Trifling with Him was and is dangerous. Joshua encouraged the people that the parting of the river would show “that the living God is among you” (Joshua 3:10) and that He would drive out all the people groups currently living in the land that God had promised to them.

What does consecrate mean?

It was essential that the Israelites should be led by God but it was also essential that His people should be clean and pure. Joshua told them before their departure,”Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.” This involved a purification ceremony, which in essence showed them the importance of approaching God with a pure heart.

A covenant is a two way agreement or promise. God always keeps His promises but we need to be constantly reminded of the response He requires of us. To consecrate themselves to God, His people, the Israelites had to be cleansed, through an outward display of ritual washing. Also offering sacrifices was usually part of this cleansing process. The most significant sacrifice involved the shedding of the blood of an animal, reminding them that without the shedding of blood there could be no forgiveness of sins.

God’s people had to be holy, to be set apart, forgiven and pure. The Israelites, who after years of wandering in the desert, learning to obey God, were finally ready to enter God’s land. They had consecrated themselves to God and they were to follow the ark which was filled with God’s presence, and He led them. There was no question of them running ahead of God. They had to follow His instructions relayed by Joshua, and contained in the ark of the covenant. When they were unclean or messed up they had to consecrate themselves.

It was God who parted the river and led his people

Joshua and his followers were living before Jesus arrived on the scene and much of our religious practices as Christians have changed as a result of Christ’s ultimate and final sacrifice. He has liberated the believer from the power of sin once and for all. However, the important principles have not changed: God is in charge and we must follow Him obediently. The ark (with God present) led the people, showing them the way to go. At the river, the priests carrying the ark on poles had to touch the water’s edge with their feet, before God performed a miracle, then, “the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away….while the water flowing down to the Sea of Arabah (the Salt Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho.” (Joshua 3:16) The priests stood on dry land in the center of the river, holding the ark of the covenant until everyone had crossed.

Christians are Highly Regarded by Jesus: We are a “holy nation” and “a royal priesthood”

The priests had to move forward in faith, trusting in God for His words to be fulfilled. Similarly we are expected to have faith, despite what things look liked. The swirling, deep water was threatening, like so much that we face today, but we must trust that God is in control, keeping His promises. Since Christ came, the opportunities He offers to His followers are tremendous: We are compared to priests and we are called to be holy : we must also be consecrated and cleaned up through forgiveness. 1 Peter chapter 2 tells us that if we are God’s children, chosen by Him, we “like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”(verse 5) Like the priests at the time of Joshua, we must demonstrate faith and we can draw close to Jesus offering our lives to Him as a sacrifice. Peter continues a few verses later reminding us of the incredible status of being a Christian, given to us by Jesus, not through our own merit: “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.”(verse 9) If you are a Christian do you realize how highly Jesus regards you?

Like the Israelites we must consecrate ourselves to God. We too are his people

God led the Israelites through the river. He dramatically parted the water, ensuring that they could walk through on dry land. God is the one who calls us. He is king, Lord, boss….We are to give Him praise, declaring all that He has done, sharing the good news. We don’t know who will respond to Him but He does. We are expected to be consecrated: cleansed through repentance, forgiveness, living a Holy life, changed by Jesus. At the time of Joshua only the tribe of Levi could be priests: the Levites. We, in contrast, do not have to be from a special family or tribe. We simply have to follow Jesus, who is God: following Him, in faith and obedience, like the Israelites following the ark.

Are we inclined to think that we are not good enough for Jesus? Of course we are not good enough, but He will forgive us and change us. Do we assume that God will only choose those with clean and respectable clothes and white teeth and a good job. My blog post about Rahab the prostitute shows that this is not true. 1 Peter 2:9 reminds us that we were called by God out of darkness into His wonderful light. I might have had clean clothes in my dark life before I became a child of God but I was selfish and proud. Rahab the prostitute probably dressed as a harlot but she recognized the mighty acts of God and she faithfully followed Him and God changed her. Might there be beautiful, clean, charming people who visit churches, but who have not yet trusted God and are still in darkness? I think so.

Please be encouraged that God is God and He does the leading and the calling. We are relatively small and weak, whatever our income or appearance, and we are called to believe, to follow and to obey. We are invited to leave behind a life of sin and darkness to live as children of God leading good, unselfish lives, dedicated to pleasing our Lord: Jesus.

This is a post from: WomenRespond.com

God’s People arrive in the Promised Land

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