Remembering Good Friday

Remembering Good Friday

The last week of Jesus’ life was called the “Passion Week”, and that week takes up about 30% of the four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke & John. As a matter of fact, in the gospel of John which has 21 chapters, the Passion Week actually starts right in the middle, at chapter 12.  God does not want us to think that the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ was just something that sort of happened at the end of his earthly life.  What took place on the cross on that last week is the central part of a central life which is the central point of the Bible.

This is a story about the worst day of human history.  A story about the creation’s killing of the Creator.  

This is the story of Good Friday.

It all began with one miracle of Christ.  It was the straw that broke the camel’s back. 

Lazarus, who was one of Jesus’ best friend, had become ill and died.  And then after being dead for four days, Jesus came and raised Lazarus from the dead.  The raising of Lazarus was so dramatic that great crowds came from Jerusalem just to see Lazarus. 

The leaders of Israel said, “The whole world has gone after him!”  And they feared that the Romans will see this as a threat and send their soldiers to clamp down on the apparent unrest.

Caiaphas, the high priest said, “Do you not know that it is expedient for one man to die than for the whole nation to perish?” 

And from that time on, Israel’s leaders plotted to kill Him.  Jesus became an official enemy of the state.

On Sunday, Palm Sunday, Jesus, in fulfillment of Zechariah’s prophecy, entered Jerusalem on a colt, the foal of a donkey, a humble servant and king.  It was called the “Triumphal Entry”.  

The multitude removed their coats and laid them before him like a red carpet.  They cried, “Hosanna!”, which means, “Save us.  Rescue us.”  They believed that this Jesus, who could raise the dead, will deliver the nation of Israel from their Roman oppressors.

Jesus then entered the temple and saw them buying and selling animals, and exchanging money in the house of God. And taking a length of rope, he drove the animals from the temple, overturning the money-changers’ tables. 

The chief priests and the elders gathered around him and demanded, “By whose authority do you do these things?” 

His answer?  “My father’s house shall be a house of prayer for all the nations, but you have made it into a den of robbers.” 

For five days, Jesus would answer challenges and attempts to discredit him.  Daily he would come to the temple, and taught them about the kingdom of God, and he ended the week with a harsh denunciation of Israel’s leaders,

“Woe unto you, Pharisees, hypocrites, sons of serpents, white-washed tombs…,” and he prophesied that Jerusalem would soon become desolate and Israel would never see Him again until they cry out, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”

As Passover approaches, it became obvious that a betrayal was needed.  Jesus could not be arrested publicly, because a riot would occur amongst the common people, creating the very problem that Israel’s leadership was trying to avoid.  
But.., if someone from the inside, could find out where in Jerusalem Jesus would eat his Passover, and then inform the leaders, a private arrest could be arranged. 

Judas, the treasurer, was that man.  He looked for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to the chief priests.  Jesus, knowing this, circumvented Judas.  

When the question arose, “Where would we eat the Passover?”, and Judas was leaning closely listening for the place where they will be alone, Jesus simply said, “Two of you.  Go into the city.  You will find a man carrying a pitcher of water.  Follow him.  He will take you to a room upstairs which is fully furnished.  And there we shall eat the Passover.”  Thus, the disciples did not know where the room was until they got there.

And so they gathered together in the upper room for the Passover meal.  During the meal, Jesus said, “One of you who breaks bread with me will betray me”.  And then he said to Judas, “Whatever you are going to do, do it quickly.”  So, Judas arose and went out.

Then Jesus and His eleven disciples went over to the garden of Gethsemane, and there he submitted himself completely to the will of God, accepting the cross.  “Not my will, but Thine be done.”

Judas came back to the upper room with a band of soldiers.  Finding Jesus had left, he knew where he would be, where he had gone so many times with his disciples.  And he brought the soldiers to Gethsemane to arrest Jesus.

Jesus said to Judas, “Will you betray the Son of man with a kiss?”
In no way was Jesus surprised.

“Whom do you seek?” he asked the soldiers.

“Jesus, the Nazarene”, they answered.

“I am, who speaks to you,” Jesus said.

And at the sound of the divine Name, the soldiers just fell to the ground!

You take me only because I allowed you to take me.  Where I want to go, soldiers are not needed.  A little child could have led me to the cross.

Peter then rushed forward with his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.  Jesus cried out, “Stop!  No more of this.”  And Jesus then performed the last miracle of his earthly life when he restored the servant’s ear. 

The plan of the Jewish leaders were simple.  But it was complex in the doing.  

Jesus must be found guilty of sedition.  Crime against Rome.  
He must be found guilty twice, with a day intervening the two trials, according to Jewish custom.  
But the trials must be late at night, and then early in the morning, so that the populace can remain sleeping, and they could not react and defend whom they thought was their deliverer.  

So, how do you betray a man, arrest him, try him illegally, twice, bring him before a Roman judge, press charges and indict him, and crucify him on a public cross, all before Jerusalem began to stir?

First, he was led to Annas, the godfather, the former high priest of Israel.  His conviction carries weight.  He asked Jesus about his teachings and his disciples.  Jesus said to him, “Ask those who heard me.  I did not teach anything in secret.”

One of the guards immediately struck Jesus on the mouth.  Annas had no more to say.  The trial had backfired. 

Jesus was immediately taken to Caiaphas and the awaiting Jewish council for His second trial.  False witnesses came forward but their lies contradicted each other.

One of them then said, “He said he would destroy the temple.”  Actually what Jesus said was, destroy his body, which is the temple, and he would raise it up in three days.  It was a mis-quote.  With no corroboration, there was no guilt to be implied. 

Caiaphas, the high priest, seeing he was losing the set, sought to win the match.  He arose and played his trump card, “Are you the Christ, the son of the living God?” 

Jesus replied, “I am. And you shall see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of God in power, and returning in the clouds of glory.” 

Caiaphas rent his clothes at this blasphemy.  “What further need have we for witnesses? We have heard it from his own mouth,” he said.  Jesus was found guilty not of crime against Rome but of crime against God, of blasphemy. 

The Sanhedrin then surrounded him, laid hands upon him, blindfolded him, and beat him, mocking him, saying, “Prophesy, O Christ.  Who hit you?”

They then placed him in Caiaphas’ dungeon to await the next day.   

Just before dawn, the Sanhedrin quickly assembled as Jerusalem slept. 

Again, the question was put to Jesus.  “Are you the Christ?”

Jesus answered, “If I tell you, you will not listen.  And if I ask you a question, you will not answer.  But from now on you will see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of power.”

This third trial was the shortest of all the trials. Jesus knew his death was sealed and pre-arranged.  Three times he has been tried, by Annas, Caiaphas & the Sanhedrin, and three times he has been found innocent of sedition.  And the multitude of them arose and they hastily led him to Pilate, the governor of Judea, who awaited to pass a pre-arranged judgement of crucifixion.

“What evil has he done?” said Pilate. 

The crowd replied, “If he was not an evil doer, we would not have delivered him up to you.” 

He said, “Then try him yourself according to your law.” 

They replied, “We are not allowed to put anyone to death.  Only Rome could formerly execute.” 

Then someone calls out, “He claims to be a king!” 

That, Pilate could not ignore.  He took Jesus into the ruler’s residence called the praetorium for a private audience.

“Are you a king?”

Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world.  I came to bear witness to the truth. Those of the truth hear my voice.”

Pilate saw that this has turned not into politics and law but into metaphysics and religion, and he simply dismissed him, “What is truth?”

He returned to the platform to the gathering crowd, and announced, “I find nothing in him worthy of death.”  
Meaning: Jesus may be a religious fanatic but he is not a threat.  Definitely not to Rome.

The crowd cries, “He stirs up the multitude all the way to Galilee.” 

Aha . . . , Pilate thought.  

Galilee.  

The ruler of Galilee, Herod, is in Jerusalem for the Passover feast.  If this man is from Galilee, then to Galilee’s leader he shall go.  And Pilate delightedly sent him away to Herod.

Four times Jesus has been tried.  Four times he has been found innocent.

Now, Herod has heard much about Jesus and merely wanted to see a miracle from him, but Jesus would not even speak to him.  He consigned Herod to his own darkness. Herod placed a purple robe on him and a reed in his hand and mocked him and sent him back to Pilate, finding no guilt in him.

Jesus has now been tried five times and found guilty of only claiming to be the Son of God, a confession that was not punishable by Roman law.

It is now about 7:00 am.  This is now taking much longer than planned.  The leaders feared a riot may ensue.  A crowd is gathering in an awakening Jerusalem.

Pilate announced that he and Herod have found Jesus not guilty concerning insurrection.  That he will have him released.  The crowd, however, cried for his execution. 

There was a custom to release a prisoner on Passover.  Pilate thought that if he were to put Barabbas, a convicted criminal and murderer, next to Jesus, and offered to release one of them, they would have no choice but to have Jesus released.

“Shall I release for you Jesus or Barabbas, who is a known insurrectionist?”  
And yet they cried out, “Give us Barabbas.  Away with this man!”

Pilate then tried another means of release.   He had Jesus scourged.

Man frequently die from scourging.  In Jewish law, a man can be beaten 39 times, no more than 40.  But these were Romans.  First they played what was called the game of the king, where the would-be messiah was surrounded blindfolded and beaten.  “Who beat you?  Who hit you?  Prophesy.”  And then his robe was removed.  And he was chained to a post where two lectors lashed him with a cat-of-nine-tails, leather straps embedded with bones and metal.  And then a crown of thorns was placed on his head. And a purple robe was laid over his wounds. 

And after the scourging, Pilate brought him out.  Isaiah prophesied that he was more disfigured than any man.  And he pronounced to the crowd, “Behold, the man.”  

Meaning: Look on him.  He is no threat.  He is nothing but a weak man. 

“Crucify him!” cried the crowd again.

Pilate said, “Take him yourself, for I find no guilt in him.” 

Then someone said, “We have a law.  And he ought to die because he made himself to be the son of God.” 

And now the truth was out.  This man claimed divinity.   We normally would think such a man mad.  But Pilate had never seen a man like this man.   He took Jesus back into the praetorium privately and looked at him, with his bleeding, wounded, nigh unto dead body.   And he asked him, “Where are you from?” 

Roman mythology spoke of God walking amongst men.   Pilate thought, am I trying Apollo?

Jesus was silent. 

Pilate said, “Don’t you know I have authority to release you or to crucify you?” 

Jesus said, “You have no authority unless it has been granted to you from above”.

And because of this answer, Pilate was more afraid and made efforts to release him to which the crowds call out, “Release this man and you are no friend of Caesar.” 

A friend of Caesar was a political inside position.  Pilate has to make a choice.  Do I do what is just?  Or do I do what is expedient for my career? 

He said to the crowd with contempt, “Behold your king.”  This was his crime.  Not sedition.  He was just a king you did not want.

“Away with him and crucify him!” 

“Shall I crucify your king?” 

“We have no king but Caesar.”

Suddenly a note from his wife was stuffed into Pilate’s hand. Pilate’s wife has had a nightmare.  The note read, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man.  I suffered much because of him.” 

That righteous man.  She and her husband knew already who he was.  Pilate knew he was being used as an executioner in a political setup. 

Pilate called for water and he washed his hands.  And he said, “Let it be known that I find no guilt in this man”, to which the nation responded with words that have echoed for 20 centuries.  “His blood be on us and our children.”  And thus he handed Jesus over to be crucified.

Six times tried.  
Six times found innocent.  
Guilty of being divine.

It is now 8:00 am and the march to Calvary began.  
Six trials will be followed by six hours of suffering.  
Three at the hands of man.  
Three at the hands of God.

Jesus is too weak to carry his cross.  His soul would bear the sins of the world but his body could not bear his cross.

A Jew from North Africa, Simon of Cyrene, was forced by the Roman guard to carry it.  

They arrived outside the city, on the hill of Calvary.  Criminals cannot die within the gates of Jerusalem.  They were considered unclean.  The book of Hebrews said he died outside the camp bearing our reproach.

They came to a hill called Golgotha, the Place of the Skull, or in Latin, it was called Calvary.  Myrrh is offered to Jesus as a type of sedative to make a man easier to handle at his time of execution.  Jesus refuses it.  He will offer no resistance. 

“The cup which the Father handed to me, shall I not drink it?” 

And he was crucified between two criminals.  Isaiah said, “he was numbered among the transgressors.”  And as the nails were being driven in, he utters the first of seven words from the cross.  It was a prayer of mercy for the Roman soldiers:  

“Father, forgive them.  They do not know what they do.”  

These Romans had no idea who he was.  Had they known, Paul said, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 

A sign indicating his crime was placed above him, as was the custom.  The sign merely read,

Jesus of Nazareth.

King of the Jews.

And it was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek, because of the open and public place of his crucifixion.  Pilate ordered the sign as a testimony to Jesus’ innocence. 

It is about 9 am.  The soldiers beneath him divided his garments. His seamless robe cannot be torn so they cast lots for it.   Those who passed by, mocked him.  “You saved others.  You cannot save yourself.  Come down from the cross if you are the Christ.” 

Both thieves cursed him, “If you are the Christ, save yourself and us.” 

But Peter said, “while being reviled, he would not revile in return.”  While suffering, he uttered no threat. 

Then, one of the thieves, perceiving his character, hearing the mocking, seeing the signs of his innocence and his claim to messiah, knowing it is Passover when a lamb has to die, suddenly has his first light pierced onto his soul, and he cried to his partner, “Do you not fear God? We are receiving what we deserve for our deeds. This man, he has done nothing wrong.”

And then to Jesus, “Remember me, when you come into your kingdom.” 

This man understood that Jesus was the messiah, the King. 

He understood that he was not dying for himself; He has done nothing wrong. 

He understood that he dies for others. 

He offered to Christ only faith and repentance, when he said, “Jesus remember me.” 

Jesus said, “Today, you will be with me in Paradise.” 

His faith saved him.

It is now 12 o’clock noon.  Jesus looks upon his mother.  The last thing a Jewish son did for his mother was to care for her. 

Jesus said, “Woman,” and then looking towards John, said, “Behold thy son.” 

“Son,” he said to John, and looking to Mary, “Behold thy mother.” 

And thus, he did his obligation to his mother as his last act of faithfulness.  Mary was told 33 years earlier by Simeon, “A sword shall pierce your soul.”  She wondered no more at those dark words.

And then the sky went dark in divine displeasure as the light of God’s countenance was turned away. 

A nation has committed its highest crime. 

A soul would receive its highest punishment. 

Here God would lay on him the iniquity of us all. 

Here he who knew no sin, would become sin. 

Here God caused the iniquity of us all to fall on him, we who have strayed like sheep. 

Here one dies, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God. 

Here God gave his only begotten Son. 

For 3 hours from 12:00 to 3:00 he hangs in silence.  There is no record of Jesus saying anything.  

Like the Holy of Holies, we are forbidden access.

At 3:00 pm, a voice breaks through the darkness. 

“My God, my God, why has thou forsaken me?” 

It was not a question.  It was an announcement. 

He was forsaken of God but for no sin of his own. 

He died for sinners for whom the stroke was due. 

His tongue, cleaved to his mouth and so he said, “I thirst.”  And to his mouth was pressed a sponge on a stick.  A sponge of sour wine and vinegar. 

He has poured out his soul unto death.  

There was nothing left under the burning Sinai of God’s judgement as the Passover lamb was roasted. 

He then cried aloud with his last remaining strength for all to hear. 

“It is finished.”  

And he lowered his head like an obedient soldier.

Not that he was defeated by death. 

But prophecy was fulfilled.

Sin was paid for. 

The shadows of the Old Testament sacrifices were fulfilled in the substance. 

Divine wrath was satisfied.

And with his life’s purpose completed, the son now returns home. 

He recited what Jewish women taught their little boys,

“Father into thy hands I commit my spirit.”

Suddenly an earthquake shook the earth.  The veil of the temple was torn from God to man.  The captain of the guards, seeing the nobility of his death, said, “This man was innocent.  This man certainly was the son of God.”

Many of the crowds, terrified at the events, have fled.  They now returned, beating their breasts, knowing that they have taken the innocent life of their brother.

Sabbath, beginning at sundown, was approaching.  The body could not be taken down on Sabbath nor could it hang all night until Sabbath. Death would thus have to be hastened. A soldier would approach with a flagerian, a club, to break the legs of those who were hanging, causing them to hang with no support and suffocating to death.  The criminals’ legs were broken.  Jesus, however, was already dead.  The Bible says of Jesus, the Passover lamb, “not a bone on him shall be broken.”

The captain, perceiving that he was dead, pierced his heart with his spear, and blood and water poured forth.  Jesus was already dead.  John would later write from a verse in Zechariah, “They shall look on me, God, whom they have pierced.”

Normally a criminal’s body was cast cursed into the Hinnom valley.  But two members of the Sanhedrin, Joseph and Nicodemus, requested for the body from Pilate.  They took it down, wrapped it in a linen shroud and laid it in a nearby garden tomb, the tomb of Joseph.

The Pharisees came to Pilate.  They said, that deceiver said in three days he will rise from the dead.  If his disciples come and steal the body, the last deception will be worse than the first.  If this man was thought to have risen from the dead, then all that he has said will be regarded as true.

Pilate said, take a guard and make the tomb as secure as you know how.  Make it physically impossible for anyone to steal that body from the tomb.  A stone was rolled in place over the tomb. A Roman seal was placed on the tomb.  And a Roman guard was placed with soldiers around the clock.

Friday night passed.  And on Saturday, Sabbath began.  Then, Sunday morning will come either to give evidence to the greatest deceiver who has ever lived, or to the greatest event that has ever occurred for the salvation of man.  Will He rise from the dead on Sunday, or was He the greatest liar who ever lived?  

That is another story for Easter Sunday...

The story of Good Friday is so simple that even a child can understand. 

Either Jesus dies or I die. 

If Jesus dies. I don’t need to die. 

It is finished. 

Our perfect life we could not live, was lived by Jesus.

Our punishment which we deserved was laid upon the back of Jesus. 

It’s done. 

It’s finished. 

And in Christ, I receive my salvation. 

In Christ I receive redemption. 

In Christ I am filled with the Holy Spirit and made a new creation, that the marred image of God may be restored in me. 

Without Good Friday, Christmas would be meaningless.
Without Christmas, there would be no Good Friday.

The apostle Paul would later testify : 

"For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: 

that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 

(1 Corinthians 15:3-4 NIV)

Pandemic

If you had told me a few weeks ago that we will not be able to have any church services at all in Malaysia, I would have laughed and say you are crazy.

Then, last Monday, the government imposed a Partial Lockdown or Movement Restriction Order on the whole of Malaysia where everyone is to stay at home and not leave the house unless it is absolute necessary, like for essential marketing, etc…  It was a desperate measure needed to contain the spread of the pandemic Covid-19 virus.

Suddenly, everyone went berserk, panicking and grabbing everything on the supermarket shelves.  

Like a herd of buffaloes where one runs, all run.  

Like the pigs running down the hills at Gerasenes. 

It was group fear.  Herd mentality.  That is the way we humans are.

We are some place that a lot of people have not been before. 

It has shaken up our way of doing things. 

It has shaken up our sense of control.

And we forget that God is in control.

We have never been through a pandemic, a world-wide affliction, before.  We have only seen it at the movies. 

It feels so unreal.  

It feels so strange.

Maybe this is just what we need..?

“He humbled you, causing you to hunger …………, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.” (Deuteronomy 8:3 NIV)

To make us understand that we do not live by our strength alone…?

I was meditating on James 1 last week.  James tells us to consider it pure joy whenever we face trials of many kinds, because the testing of our faith will produce perseverance resulting in maturity of our Christian character.  And in the same context in verse 5, he urges us to seek wisdom from God who gives generously to all who asks.  Why?  Because people facing trials often do lack wisdom.  Wisdom in understanding the nature and purpose of trials and knowing how to respond.

We need wisdom to change our focus from fear to faith.  This is our chance to practise what we believe.  To trust God.  To believe His Word.  And a few years down the road, we will be able to say, "Remember 2020?  God took care of us!"

The Old Testament tells the story of a man named Jehoshaphat.  He was in big trouble.  Three armies were marching against him and Jehoshaphat was terrified, and he asked everyone to fast and pray.

He prayed, “O our God, won’t you stop them? We are powerless against this mighty army that is about to attack us. We do not know what to do, but we are looking to you for help.” (2 Chronicles 20:12 NLT)

That should be the posture of the Christian:

We have never been here before, and we do not know what to do…

We are helpless, but our eyes are fixed on you, God Almighty!

We appeal to God’s character

We confess our own inability, and

We fix our eyes on the Lord.

That’s all we can do in a situation like this.  We cannot understand it.  Even the people who are smart enough to understand it do not truly understand it. 

We can either pray, or we can worry.  But worry is not going to change anything.  It will not help to fight off the virus.

“Can anyone of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” (Matthew 6:27 NIV)

Rather than worrying and be anxious, scriptures call us to respond in prayer. 

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (Philippians 4:6 ESV)

Worrying will lead to panic, whilst praying will lead to peace.

“You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” (Isaiah 26:3 KJV)

In the midst of uncertainty, we need someone in whom we can trust.  And we can trust in God.

“….for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”  

So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:5b~6 ESV)

“Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid.” (Isaiah 12:2 NIV)

When everything around us does not make sense, we have to remind ourselves that God is not perplexed at all.  He is still on the throne.                                 

During the dark days of WW2 in London, when bombs were raining down on the city, the people were living in constant fear.  There was this one man’s undaunted voice that would be heard regularly on the radio all over the nation inspiring them to new hope. 

Their cause was just,

their government was resolute,

their army will not fail them. 

The people listened and they took heart. 

That voice was the voice of Winston Churchill.

What Winston Churchill did for the English in WW2, Jesus does for us in whatever struggle that we are in. 

The battle is the Lord’s. 

It is the voice that we listen for. 

It is the voice of absolute certainty and power and strength. 

He speaks to us of peace and He gives us encouragement. 

He raises our morale. 

He fills us with the strength that we need.

Let us spend more time on His Word.  In times of stress, we are very sensitive to the Bible.  We can hear the Shepherd’s voice clearly.

Whenever we read the Bible in good times, we have to prepare our hearts, to remind ourselves that without the Lord we will be in trouble.  But now, we do not have to prepare our hearts quite so much because we are in trouble.

Remember "Operation Lallang"?  Every Christian just went to church like the chicken to the roost.  We needed no coaxing!

We need to spend more time in the Word. 

We need to show Christian love and compassion to our neighbours in tangible ways, more now than ever.
Share with those who are in need of, like, masks...?
Sometimes, our lack of physical needs is an opportunity for the body of Christ to respond...

Let people see our lives, that we are different.  That our God is Who He say He is.

We need to pray.  God is removing a lot of our confidences.  And we are learning again to rely on God and on each other.

Pray for protection from the Covid-19 virus.  Pray for healing for those stricken with the Covid-19 virus. Pray for those in the frontlines.  Pray for our country. 

God is in control.  The earth is hurling through space at 66,000 mph.  If God is not in control, we are in deep shit.  We are in big trouble…

We will get through this.  This is like nothing we have ever experienced before.  God can use this to strengthen us, to grow us, to help us realise what is really important in life.  As we pray for each other, encourage each other, move forward, follow the instructions issued by the Ministry of Health, we can make it through and come out on the other side, victorious.

We have a lot of questions that we don’t have any answers to, but we have no question as to Who is in control.

God's Will For Your Life in 2020

GOD’S WILL FOR YOUR LIFE IN 2020

The next year is about to start.  What is God’s will for your life in 2020?

Sometimes knowing God’s will is as easy as choosing what is right or wrong.  Other times, we struggle to choose between what is  right or left.  There are some things that we can be very sure are God’s will for our lives.  God has spoken in His Word.  You don’t need to sit around for months and wait for a still small voice telling you what to do.  Such as :-

1. Sharing your faith (Matthew 28:19)

2. Abstaining from sexual immorality (1 Thessalonians 4:3~7)

3. Rejoice always, pray continually, giving thanks in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:16~18)

4. Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – and be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:1~2)

5. Pray at all times in the Spirit (Ephesians 6:18)

6. Promote unity among your brothers and sisters (John 17:20~23)

7. Love radically and unconditionally (1 Corinthians 13:4~13)

8. Know God and his Son Jesus so that you may truly experience the quality of eternal life right now (John 17:3)

9.  Try to avoid the deeds of the flesh and experience the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:19~25)

10. Know the role of the Holy Spirit in your life (John 14~16)

11. Know what you believe and why you believe and be able to give a reason for the hope within you to others (1 Peter 3:15~16)

12. Find contentment in God (1 Timothy 6:6~7, Hebrews 13:5)

13. Forgive others so you can be set free (Matthew 18:21~22)

14. Work on training your mind to dwell on those things that are honourable, true, praiseworthy, and pure (Philippians 4:8)

15. Try to avoid idolatry (Exodus 20:23).  An idol is anything that consumes you other than God. 

And as for those other matters that require a right or left decision, like :

Should I take that job offer?

Marry that Christian man or woman whom I truly love?

Homeschool or government school?

Should I buy a house?

Have this surgery or not?
etc....

16. Know that it is OK to choose.  Part of being Adam was that he acted freely as God gave him freedom.  Robots do not glorify God, sons and daughters do.

17. Pray over your decisions.

18. Allow God to guide and direct us through circumstances.

19. Allow God to guide us through the counsel of other Christians, for “where there is an abundance of counsellors there is victory.”(Proverbs 15:22)

19. You do not need to have a “sign” or “confirmation” for every decision you make.  God’s will is not necessarily something wild or bizarre.  Sometimes, you may just need to do a bit of homework, with a pinch to wisdom, to make a right decision.  Sometimes, it is that "gut" feeling. 

20. What if you made a “wrong” decision?  Did Paul make a wrong decision in choosing Mark as his missionary partner, who would later "desert" him?  Was Paul wrong in disagreeing with Barnabas, who would later split up with him?  Sometimes, we forget that God is sovereign.  Our decisions never take him by surprise.  God is able to cause all things to work together for His good purposes.  The disagreement between Paul and Barnabas resulted in two mission teams. The spread of the gospel was doubled, and God was glorified.

21. Finally, make certain you are obeying God in the things He has revealed so you can be guided in what He has not.  God does not steer parked cars.  Faithful folks will always be led.

So, 
   Relax,

      Do right

         Be free

            Be strong

               Be wise….

                  Then trust God.

Abraham - the friend of God

dawnbible.com

Abraham walked with God (Genesis 17:1, 24:40, 48:15).

Abraham walked away from everything that was familiar to him, packing his bags, leaving his home country and moving to the place where God led him.  By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed.  His entire life was a walk by faith and not by sight (Hebrews 11:8). 

Abraham was 75 years old when he obeyed God to leave the Ur of the Chaldees, and he died when he was 175 years old.  Abraham walked with God for about 100 years of his earthly life.

How often does God talk to Abraham?

There are only about eight recorded instances where God spoke to Abraham during those 100 years! (Genesis 12:1, 7, 13:14, 15:1, 17:1, 18:1, 21:11, 22:1)

If God was talking to Abraham, say, every other day or so, he probably would not have made all the mistakes that he made, the lies, Hagar, Ishmael, etc…

Yet Abraham was called “a friend of God” (James 2:23).

So, what was Abraham's relationship with God like?

Apparently, it was often characterised by long periods of silence in between each encounter that Abraham had with God…. 

But it was a life of faith.

“Abram believed the LORD, and He credited it to him as righteousness.” (Genesis 15:6)

What was it that kept Abraham’s faith strong in his walk with God even though scripture records that God only spoke to him less than 10 times during his entire life-time..?

Abraham did not consider his limitations (Romans 4:18, 19)

   He believed God and His Word (Romans 4:20a)

      He strengthened his faith by giving glory to God for the promise yet to be received (Romans 4:20b-21)

I sometimes wonder about those who always have “God-spoke-to-me” kind of fresh revelations on a regular daily basis.  I may not be as spiritual as them, but I draw comfort from the life of Abraham.

I will meditate on the Word of God, as Abraham did.

It is okay to have seasons of dryness.  I will trust His heart when I don't see His hand.

It is alright if I do not always receive fresh insights in my quiet times, but I will thank God for the many reminders from His Word of what I already know about Him and His will for my life, just as Abraham was daily reminded of God’s unchanging promise to him whenever he looked at the stars at night, and the desert sand by day (Genesis 22:17).

I will strengthen my faith by praising & thanking Him for the precious promises in His Word, even though bad things may happen, because I know He is in control. 

I will make mistakes as Abraham did, sadly… 

Nevertheless, I will endeavour to live a life of intentional obedience to His revealed will, the best I know how.

And I will seek always to walk with God, by faith.   As Abraham did.

“He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?”  (Micah 6:8)