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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I have just been reading about Oswald. J Smith who became a Christian just over a hundred years ago in Canada. He was a sixteen year old who went on the train with his younger brother to hear a well known preacher. Times have changed. Today it would be likely that the local journalists might sneer at what was preached in the churches. In 1906, Dr Torrey’s (the preacher) words were published word for word every day in the newspaper. Oswald’s mother was very pleased that her son wanted to go to the evangelistic crusade. She did not tell her boys until later that she wrote to Torrey asking that he would pray that her sons might be converted. Today many people, especially the young, turn up at a Christian meeting without the encouragement or prayers of their parents.

The two boys, staying with their aunt, attended the final eight meetings of the crusade. The preacher taught about  Jesus dying on the cross for our sins.  Oswald remembered hearing Isaiah 53 emphasized: “But He was wounded for MY transgressions; He was bruised for MY iniquities(Sins), the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5-) This was an Old Testament prophecy about Jesus dying for us- wretched sinners. We are all separated from God through our sin that deserves to be punished. Jesus took our punishment on Himself as He died a painful death on the cross.

Oswald J. Smith was raised my a mother who so wanted her kids to become strong believers that she wrote a letter to the preacher to pray for them. No doubt they attended church regularly with their family, but the mother knew that church attendance was not enough. It was essential that they should have a conversion experience: recognizing their need for forgiveness, faithfully submitting to Jesus as Lord:  beginning a brand new life in Christ.

At the end of one of Torrey’s sermons, the brothers went up to express their desire to receive Christ, to become children of God. To start with Oswald felt like a “chunk of lead”. Later he recognized that this was the power of Satan pulling him back. Do we realize that we are in a spiritual battle and that the devil is happy for us to believe in Jesus but not for us to receive forgiveness and to be filled with the Holy Spirit? If you are in the habit of attending church, but you have not received forgiveness and the infilling of the Holy Spirit, do not continue to be satisfied with your condition. If you were needing help in the sea you would not merely look at the life boat, you would get in, if you had any sense. We need to understand our need for a savior and let Him save us as we step forward in repentance and faith, with a thankful heart, for we  can never be good enough for Him: we can never earn our salvation.

Oswald J.Smith describes His conversion: “Then suddenly, it happened. I cannot explain it even today. I just bowed my head, put my face between my hands and in a moment tears gushed through my fingers, and fell upon the chair, and there stole into my boyish heart a realization of the fact that the great change had taken place. Christ had entered and I was a new creature. I had been born again. There was no excitement, no unusual feeling, but I knew that something had happened, and that ever after all life would be different. That was January 28th, 1906, when I was 16 years of age, and it has lasted to this day. Yes, and it is going to last, praise God, throughout the countless ages of eternity.”

Your conversion may not look exactly like Oswald’s, but there must be a change of direction: from sin and death to holiness and life, through the power and mercy of Jesus. Oswald was no longer under the control of our enemy the devil, but instead he was under the loving and powerful control of Jesus, through the Holy Spirit. Who owns you? Who leads you and where is he taking you? Please don’t assume that Jesus is your Lord if you have not asked Him to forgive you, change you and deliver from the power of darkness.

Oswald J. Smith went on to live for a further 80 years. He became a brilliant pastor, hymn writer and author and he sent out hundreds of missionaries. His wonderful, Christian life, which is continuing into eternity, began with one faithful step of faith, as he responded to Christ’s call. Have you taken that step and if you have, are you praying for those who have not. Is your church teaching that we need more than a good attitude, we need to recognize that we need our Savior to set us free from the power of sin. As new people in Christ, we should expect to make a radical difference, being the “body” of Christ reaching out to bring hope, truth and healing to a generation who are not reading the latest sermon in their local newspaper. We must heed the message and share the truth that “..unless you turn from your sins and become as little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Jesus’ words in Matthew 18:3)

+ I have quoted from “The One Year Christian History-A daily glimpse into God’s powerful work”. This is written by E. Michael and Sharon Rusten and it is published by Tyndale. It is excellent. Do not read it instead of daily Bible reading, but if you have time add this to your daily prayer and Bible reading . It will  encourage you as you see how others  have put Jesus first.

This is a post from: WomenRespond.com

Conversion: a Brand New Life in Jesus

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If you have not seen the movie please go, if it is still showing at a movie theater where you live. Bring friends and family. It is ideal for anyone who is 13 and above, although some younger girls might also appreciate it.

The message reminds us that Jesus wants us to offer love rather than passive indifference or resentment. Love is an action and we can’t wait for our husband, child or friend to be pleasant before behaving in a godly manner. If Jesus is our Lord we have His power and His help to love unconditionally. “Fireproof” shows that with Jesus, true love is possible.

Thanksgiving and Christmas are times when the quality of our relationships are tested, especially when we are worried about finances or job security. Rather than focusing on others’ attitudes to us, let’s offer Jesus’ love without expecting anything back. In Ephesians 4:17-the end of the chapter and Ephesians 5 there are many examples of putting off the old sinful nature and putting on Christ. My challenge to you is to read these verses and apply them. If we are Christians, we are not living as we ought if we hang on to sin. We need to repent of any behavior that is ungodly but typical of our lives. Don’t simply remove it, but replace it with the godly alternative.

Ephesians 4: 21 exhorts: “Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from Him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life , which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature created to be like God- truly righteous and holy.”

We could develop a forty day challenge for ourselves, covering the period from Thanksgiving until the new year. Each day, I suggest we focus on a behavior that we must stop doing, repent of it and replace it with its godly replacement. The process should be cumulative. We should not forget about Biblical lessons that we have already learned, as we learn new ones. The challenge is to keep all aspects of godly behavior going …………! We can’t do this in our own strength. We must abide in Jesus, receiving the love and the stamina to persevere from the Holy Spirit.

The first challenge is in Ephesians 4:25 is “stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth…” I need to pray about this. When am I withholding truth? When am I agreeing with lies to keep people happy? How can I tell truth in a gentle, loving way? The second challenge is about anger in verses 26-27. I will let you work out what you need to “put off”regarding this and what godly behavior to replace it with.

I believe that as we apply the Bible to our lives, we will be changed. How else can we love our husbands, relatives or friends? We need God’s help but we also need to persevere. The movie “Fireproof” demonstrated changed lives. God encourages us to improve our relationships too. He wants to transform our lives and as we become more like Him, we will be much easier for others to love! We may even find that they change too, especially if they seek Jesus’ help.

This is a post from: WomenRespond.com

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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.

This is a post from: WomenRespond.com

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

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My son James, who is a junior at high school, was writing an essay about the American Dream and how this ideal has changed for Americans through the centuries. Last night he asked me to edit his writing and it was this that prompted me to think about this further. James compared the colonists’ focus as pleasing God rather than themselves. Their ultimate hope was heaven and this was their “dream”. At the time of the revolutionary war the dream was now related to freedom. Unless they were free and independent they could not be fulfilled. The Romantics were intrigued with nature which was reflected in their art and literature. The American dream for them was to focus on the natural world, to escape from the urban, to see this as their ultimate goal.

I am sure that many other influences have affected the “dream” through the years but I thought that the analysis of the colonists, the patriots and the romantics was fascinating. I was particularly intrigued by the reference to Jonathan Edwards, one of the “colonists” who influenced the “Great Awakening” revival and encouraged many to focus on Heaven rather than on worldly pursuits.

Jonathan Edwards wrote “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” My son, James , said that many of his class mates were put off by the strong references to God’s anger and man’s pitiful nature in Edwards famous sermon preached in 1741. However, I see it as a necessary warning to those who have not recognized that without God’s mercy they are on the way to hell. Edwards says “There is nothing that keeps wicked men, at any moment, out of Hell, but the mere pleasure of God.”

Unless we respond to Jesus we are incapable of correcting our own sinful nature, to make ourselves good enough for Heaven. In today’s Christian market place we are accustomed to hearing the “prosperity Gospel” and Christian book stores are full of self help advice on how to be a better Christian mother, lover, sister etc…. If we are not careful we will miss the point. Unless we repent and believe in Christ and obediently follow His Word, we are on a dangerous, wrong path. There is a real danger that we will try and improve ourselves without falling at Christ’s feet, seeking mercy from His righteous anger. Let’s make sure that our friends understand why we need to submit to Christ. Avoiding mentioning hell might be politically sensitive but we all need to know that hell is a place where we deserve to go and we can only avoid it if we seek Christ’s mercy and forgiveness.

In Edwards’ sermon: “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” he refers to the likely response of someone who finds himself in hell. This individual had planned to avoid this awful destination but had failed to follow Christ’s path, following his own dream instead:

“No, I never intended to come here: I had laid out matters otherwise in my mind; I thought I should contrive well for myself — I thought my scheme good. I intended to take effectual care; but it came upon me unexpected; I did not look for it at that time, and in that manner; it came as a thief — Death outwitted me: God’s wrath was too quick for me. Oh, my cursed foolishness! I was flattering myself, and pleasing myself with vain dreams of what I would do hereafter; and when I was saying, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction came upon me.”

We should be loving, welcoming, sensitive and kind yet not to the extent of avoiding telling the truth to those who without Christ will perish. Edwards was preaching a sermon in church. It seems totally appropriate to challenge people directly in church: to wake people up to the necessity of pleading for Christ’s forgiveness rather than assuming that Jesus will pamper them.

Many people do not attend church. They may be pursuing the American Dream or a version of this: prosperity or freedom or New Age ideology. Little seems to have changed. People continue to dream but Christians are Jesus’ representatives on earth and like Edwards, we can help them understand our fate. We need to show, through our behavior, that we are God’s children, changed by Him to reach out in kindness and self sacrifice. Our generous and loving response to those who are not Christians will make it more likely that they will want to listen to God’s message of hope and warning. If we genuinely care about their eternal future we will explain about heaven and hell. We might find Jonathan Edwards’ fire and brimstone preaching offensive, but avoiding spelling out the truth to both Christians and non Christians is ultimately much more offensive.

The parable in the Bible about Lazarus and the rich man (Luke 16: 19-31) reminds us of the reality of hell. The rich man goes to hell and the beggar, Lazarus, goes to heaven. The rich man wants his brothers to be warned about the horrible reality of hell. His life of luxury could not help the rich man in his eternal plight and his desire for his relatives is not a life of ease or of political correctness, but that they should be told the truth. I want to emphasize that we should avoid any type of American dream that fixes our attention on present riches, or on created things rather than on the Creator. The message of the Bible will be offensive to some but it will persuade others to seek God’s mercy. Jesus received God’s righteous anger when He died on the cross, receiving the punishment that we deserve. We can only expect God to avert His anger if we follow Him on His terms and seek His forgiveness. In contrast, worldly dreams may be inspiring but if they are not true, we will be bitterly disappointed one day.

This is a post from: WomenRespond.com

The American Dream compared with Jonathan Edwards’ “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”

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God does not suggest in His Word that homosexuality is the only sin to be avoided with the penalty of the offender being kept outside His kingdom. In 1 Corinthians 6:9 there is a list of various practices which will exempt people from a relationship with Jesus now and in the future, unless repentance and godly change take place: “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.”

We should not give the impression that we are singling out homosexuality. Rather we should stand up to limit any legislation that encourages greater freedom to promote any of the behaviors listed in 1 Corinthians chapter 6. Churches should clearly teach the dangers of all of these. For example we should be concerned about drinking laws. In the UK a few years ago it was made legal for pubs to dramatically extend their opening hours. Drunkenness increased. Adultery has already become almost acceptable. I am saddened that the partner who commits adultery, leaving his or her family, does not get penalized. Did Christians fail to stand up in the past to limit the consequences of adultery, by failing to petition for just legislation?

I was discouraged by one of the letters in my local newspaper, the “News Chieftain” this week: A woman wrote: “As a Christian I am ashamed that resources are being used to support this offensive proposition when we could be helping our parishioners who are struggling financially and losing their homes, feeding the hungry and teaching children tolerance not hate. That is what Jesus would do. Shame on them! My God loves all of his children.”

This woman writes half truths. Unless we are careful it all sounds so plausible. Certainly we must help the hungry and the poor, but this does not mean that we should not stand up for Biblical truth. John chapter 8 verses 31-32 explain “If you abide in My word you are my disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” Free from what- freedom from sin and its consequences.

God loves everyone but the woman is wrong in claiming that we are all His children. Our response to Him determines whether we become His children. We can be adopted into His family if we believe in Him and receive Jesus: His love, His forgiveness, His presence and His word. “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” John 1: 12-13

Ultimately, if we are Christians, freedom should not be a free for all, but a desire to be free from sin. Rights should be about receiving what God offers us. Only He can give us the right to become a child of God. If we are headstrong and persistent in going our own way and ignoring His instruction in the Bible regarding adultery, homosexuality, drunkenness… we are not putting ourselves under His authority and we do not want to become His children.

When I was a teacher in England , I treated the kids as I would treat my own children. I wanted the best for them. As a Christian I oppose any legislation that is likely to push kids away from God. If Proposition 8 is defeated, homosexuality will be normalized just as adultery has been. Adultery has resulted in many children and adults being torn apart. The children are more likely to repeat the behavior that they have observed and the victims are miserable. Adultery is easy to do in this country and it breaks human relationships and it separates the offenders from God and His kingdom. Homosexuality will increase if Prop 8 is opposed, pushing more children and adults into a lifestyle that is opposed to God’s will.

Legislation does not discourage adultery. If one of the married couple breaks the marriage to have an affair with someone else, he or she is not penalized. However, it is unlikely that teachers will teach adultery as a good thing-yet…! In the case of homosexuality, teachers are likely to promote this lifestyle in California. Why else has the teacher’s union donated $1.25 million for the No on 8 campaign? Children will be adopted by homosexual couples in greater numbers and if the law is applied as wholeheartedly as hate speech has been in Canada, Christians will be arrested for teaching the Biblical message regarding homosexuality.

I want more people to understand God’s liberating truth. The truth that truly sets us free from sin. I will vote yes on Prop 8 because marriage is between a man and a woman who become one flesh and have children. Homosexuals, like adulterers are separating themselves from Jesus by their behavior. God does love them and so should we, but we cannot promote any behavior that separates them or anyone else from God.

If Proposition 8 is defeated, people will be encouraged to get involved with a lifestyle that will separate them from Jesus. If we are Christians we must teach the whole Word of God. It is important that we are free to teach the truth about sin. This includes homosexual acts as well as adultery, theft etc. We must also teach that Jesus is the only one who can forgive us from the sin that we are guilty of. He can forgive and welcome adulterers, homosexuals, drunks, prostitutes…. into His kingdom, but this is less likely if Christians are not permitted to call certain behavior wrong. We need to know in what ways we are sinful so that we can seek God’s forgiveness and help. Truth leads to freedom. Let’s vote to promote God’s truth: If you live in California please vote Yes on Propositon 8.

This is a post from: WomenRespond.com

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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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Abortion, in my opinion, is also a terrible tragedy that is ongoing. Sadly it is not a past atrocity like the concentration camps designed by the Nazis to destroy those they considered sub-human, notably the Jews. They killed about 4 million within a few years. There are approximately 4 million births in the US and at least 1.3 million abortions annually. 1.3 million is a huge number and should get our attention now.

When I was 16 and studying French at school, the French assistant was selling badges with the words, “A woman’s right to choose.” Of course as a young woman this seemed very reasonable and, typically, as a British teenager I had not heard much about abortion. I pinned the badge on my sweater and within minutes a Catholic friend asked me what on earth I was doing. He explained that abortion was not the removal of a small piece of tissue from a woman’s body but rather the killing of a baby created by God.

I am aware that there are many women who have had abortions in their past who are still suffering the pain of a decision that dramatically affected the fate of their child. Jesus offers forgiveness and in every church women should be available to offer the support and compassion to those suffering from post abortion trauma . The Christian counsel must also make it clear that abortion is a sin and repentance is necessary.

Failing to address abortion is not helpful. Parents and kids need to be aware of the pain suffered during an abortion for both the mother and baby. Teenage pregnancy is not fixed quickly and easily by an abortion. “…and still they weep” is a book written by Melanie Symonds, illustrating personal stories of women who have experienced abortion. Their grief affected their lives dramatically and in many cases the women who tell their stories wish that they had been aware of facts before making the fateful decision. Grace was confused when she had a miscarriage years after the abortion. The doctor told her that the baby had stopped growing at 12 weeks. She wondered how he could tell the age of the baby when her mom had told her that a baby was not alive until the quickening at about 20 weeks.

Better health education today hopefully informs teenagers that babies in the womb are not just pieces of flesh but they are alive from the beginning. By twelve weeks the child is perfectly formed and looks exactly like a tiny baby because that is exactly what he is. A film “The Silent Scream” shows what happens during the abortion of a ten week old infant. As he is torn apart by suction, a scream is clearly visible as the baby reacts. The assumption that such a young baby cannot feel pain is incorrect.

The Bible makes it clear that it is God who is responsible for the creative process of making a child. When I was pregnant I did not even know the sex of my babies. It should not be a surprise that God is responsible for the process: Psalm 139:13-16 declares that “you (God) created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made…”

I can understand how teenagers and mothers can be overwhelmed when they discover that they are pregnant at a difficult or embarrassing time in their lives. I believe that churches should teach clearly the value of human life from a Biblical perspective and the dangers of responding sexually outside marriage. Abstinence should be taught. We must also demonstrate Christ’s forgiveness and reassure women that if one of them becomes pregnant within or outside of marriage, the church members will offer practical support and love to help care for the baby.

There are all sorts of women who have had abortions for many reasons. They may not realize why they have experienced so much depression and a feeling of guilt. We need to help these women experience the love of Jesus and His forgiveness. I believe that we need to respond with love and concern to this societal tragedy. Remaining silent will help nobody.

This is a post from: WomenRespond.com

Abortion: hurting mothers and babies

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Lust is a sensual response to another person. In fairy stories such as “Cinderella”,

Cinderella - lust or love?

the prince “falls in love” with a girl who had been recently transformed by her fairy godmother. She was no longer the poor, abused stepdaughter, but rather a well dressed princess. How easy it is to be attracted to someone who appears to be well off, accomplished and beautiful. However, appearance is skin deep and we should warn our teenagers as well as our friends that “falling in love” is often no more than a fatal attraction.

Fairy tales usually have happy endings but if people in the real world assume that attraction equals love, they are in danger of committing themselves to a beautiful witch. The book of Proverbs in the Bible makes the point graphically in chapter 11 verse 22: “Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion.”

The book of Proverbs highlights the most valuable quality of a woman: “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” (Proverbs 31:30) The word “fears” in this context means someone who takes God seriously, obeying His commands and worshiping Him with reverence.

It seems that most of the warnings regarding falling for beauty rather than judging character and faith is directed at young men. Men are in general more likely to focus on the physical and sexual than women and they need to be warned in particular. However, increasingly, it appears that many modern girls are also motivated to get into a physical relationship with the man of their dreams before they have considered marriage or even a solid friendship.

God’s Word shows the right way of living for everyone, but obeying it is only fully possible if we seek His help. The Amplified translation of the Bible helps us understand God’s will on this matter: “For this is the will of God, that you should be consecrated (separated and set apart for pure and holy living): that you should abstain and shrink from all sexual vice, that each one of you should know how to possess (control, manage) his own body in consecration (purity, separated from things profane) and honor, Not (to be used) in the passion of lust like the heathen, who are ignorant of the true God and have no knowledge of His will.” (1 Thessalonians 4:3-5)

Sexual purity is an important aspect of being a Christian. A true Christian is different from those who do not follow Christ and we must be self disciplined and godly in the way that we view our own and others’ bodies. We are called to be pure and honorable. Passionate lust is not the right motivation for any behavior and sex should be restricted to marriage. Sexual purity applies not just to sexual intercourse but to any act that is passionate or lustful. Even engaged couples need to avoid situations when they would be tempted to engage in premature sexual activity of any kind.

Does God tell us to remain pure because He is a kill joy? He warns us to avoid a lust driven lifestyle because the consequences cause so much damage, to our lives as well as others’, to our Christian witness and to our relationship with Christ. Controlling our bodies and our passions throughout life will bring tremendous blessing. If you have failed to live a sexually pure life, Jesus will forgive you if you approach Him in a humble and repentant manner. He can give you the power to change. Find a mature Christian who can help you and pray and read the Bible daily.

If Jesus is our focus, the joy we will receive from honoring Him and others is far superior to fulfilling the fantasies of minds that focus on the body in a lustful way. If we worship Jesus we should have the right attitude to others, offering what is good and kind and pure and self-controlled. This is love. In some cases when a man and a woman have tested one another’s Christian character, while offering appropriate Christ like love and compassion as friends, they may choose to marry, entering a life long commitment. Then they will be ready to share the gift of sexual intimacy which in the context of marriage is an important aspect of love, binding the two into one unit which no one should separate.

This is a post from: WomenRespond.com

Lust or love?

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I can click my phone and see whether Tom is online. If there is a green circle with a tick or a check in it he has been using the internet recently and there is a possibility that he is in his room and will answer. A green circle with a moon suggests that he has been away from his computer for a while: it’s dormant. Of course as a mother, recently separated from her eldest son, I am interested to see the signs of life communicated by his computer. It’s very vague and it is possible that Tom has abandoned his sloppy high school study habits and is now able to study without being repeatedly distracted by the internet!

It struck me that my trying to work out what Tom is up to by clicking a button on my Skype phone is a bit like the way many people respond to God. They have a vague understanding of who He is and they make some efforts to find out about Him based on hearsay, a TV program or the occasional Bible verse that a well meaning friend or relative sends their way. Conclusions that are drawn from this sort of information are very sketchy and are often wrong.

I do not want to call my son too often as he may soon learn to resent the interference. Similarly, many people do not want to bother God. Perhaps they feel that their problems are too small or that He is too busy.

My concern is that many people’s understanding of God and Christianity is based on a few inaccurate assumptions. One of my purposes in writing this blog www.WomenRespond.com is to make it clear how Jesus can affect every part of life and how the Bible can show us so much about Him, giving us a clear picture of who He is and how He can help us.

When I was small we used to dream of having phones with pictures.

Talking to Tom on Skype

Tom’s phone has a built in video camera so when I actually get through to him I can see him as well as hear him. This is, of course much more gratifying than looking at the little green circle, indicating whether he is online or not!

It is also possible to have a clear picture of God too. He is not a strange old man who criticizes us as he watches from Heaven. Rather, He came to earth in human form as Jesus. Although we have no portraits of Him, we can read Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in the Bible and we can read eyewitness accounts about how He made the sick well, how He showed deep sorrow, weeping when his friend Lazarus died, even though Jesus was about to raise him to life. We can find out how Jesus showed compassion to a woman with a bad reputation and the way in which He spent time with those that others avoided. His teaching was not boring or politically correct: it was bold and radical. If it wasn’t for the fact that He returned from the dead three days after he had died, hanging on two pieces of wood, in the shape of a cross, we may have reason to forget Him. However, Christians for the last two thousand years have given their lives to Jesus. He proved by His words and actions that He really is God.

It is important that we move to the next level regarding our understanding of Jesus. A sketchy awareness of God is inadequate, in the same way that checking whether my son has been using the internet does not enhance our relationship! This morning Martyn and I wished Tom a happy 18th birthday on Skype and this was the next best thing to being with him. One day Jesus’s followers will be with Him in Heaven and this will be incredible. Until then, let’s draw close to Him through reading the Bible, meeting with Christians and through prayer.

There are times when a phone call is ended abruptly because one of the speakers is being unpleasant. It is typical of us to assume that we are generally right and if a conversation ends in this way we are inclined to blame the other person. When the relationship is with God and when the conversation is prayer, it is essential that we do not self righteously cling to our rights and justify ourselves. Reading the Bible helps us understand when we are proud or faithless or disobedient. We need to come before Jesus with humility asking Him to reveal to us where we need to change, yielding to His authority and asking Him to forgive us. If we do not come before Jesus with the right attitude, He warns us that He will end the conversation until we change. If we are experiencing a temporary distance in our relationship with Jesus, we must not blame Jesus, as unlike us He is incapable of wrongdoing. Instead we need to get right with Him. If you have never been close to Jesus, He is calling out to you to confess your sins and to believe in Him. He is like a wonderful, loving father who is ready to welcome His children home if we come on His terms rather than hanging on to our own agendas!

To finish, I will quote some Bible verses to show the consequences of a wrong attitude to Jesus as well as a right one. James 4:3 warns: “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” Another problem is illustrated in Isaiah 59:2 : “But your iniquities (bad thoughts, words and actions) have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.”

The great news is that “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14) The consequences of responding in the right way towards God will impact our land as well as our own lives. Let’s communicate with Jesus on His terms and receive His blessing!

This is a post from: WomenRespond.com

Attitudes towards God

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