SATURDAY JANUARY 29, 2011

Read Colossians 3:13 and Ephesians 4:32

How Must I Forgive?

Colossians 3:13

• Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

Ephesians 4:32.

• Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

These two verses make it clear that we are to strive for the same standard of forgiveness that God has given us. This standard is outlined in pages 1-4. Nothing less is acceptable in the Lord’s eyes.

But be wary of Luke 7:47. In Luke 7:40-50 Jesus shows through the prostitute who touches Him that our level of forgiveness for others mirrors how much we understand our own forgiveness by the Lord.

• “Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven--for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.”

Thus the person who finds it hard to forgive another may need to grow in their understanding and appreciation of the Lord’s forgiveness of him/herself. They need to realise some startling and often hard to accept truths:-

• My sin against God is greater than any other person’s sin against me. (Matthew 18:22-35).


• My own sin drove Jesus to the cross to be cruelly punished and to be separated from His Father (see all the gospel accounts of the death of Christ). My sin caused Jesus more pain than anyone’s sin has caused me (1 Peter 3:18, 1 John 4:10).


• If God can forgive me the greater debt, then I can forgive others the lesser debt.


• God’s grace is far greater than my hurts, my anger, my bitterness etc. God’s grace can change me from the inside out.

Conclusion:

Forgiveness is a complicated and sensitive matter. It is so primarily because when we are sinned against, we are hurt to the core of our being. Forgiveness reaches in and touches both our core and the other person’s with genuine love and acceptance. It is often a painful process involving both the sinner and the one sinned against and even the whole church.

The bottom line of forgiveness is the grace and mercy that has been poured out to you by the Lord Himself. As you understand more and more of His love and grace to you personally you will be quick to repent and quick to forgive (in the full sense of the word). In this sense, forgiveness is not merely a process or a decision but a reflection of Christ’s own love for you. How well or how poorly you reflect Christ’s love and forgiveness depends on how much you appreciate and appropriate it in your own life.

FRIDAY JANUARY 28, 2011

Read Leviticus 19

How Do I Treat Those Who Refuse To Repent?

The practical question arises, How do I treat those who fail to or refuse to repent? How can I move forward in my walk with the Lord? How can I get past the hurt, the hate, the anger, the bitterness...?

Unfortunately we have been fed a lie for a long time. We have been told over and over again that there are only two options - either your forgive someone or you twist up with bitterness and grow to be a cranky old person. This is simply not true! There are many examples of believers (as shown above) who never offered full reconciling forgiveness to the unrepentant and who still did not twist up in bitterness and anger.

Below are several steps that may help you find release from bitterness, pent up anger, hurt and pain and so on. These suggestions are applicable to Christians who refuse to repent, loved ones that have hurt you, aggressors that cannot repent (e.g., that have died) and so on:-

• Turn to God and let God be your deliverer. In all the Psalms listed earlier one truth comes out again and again. The Psalmist turns to God, pleads his case and waits for the Lord to deliver or vindicate him. What you are doing when you turn to the Lord is asking Him who is far greater than your enemy to deliver you, to help you, to escort you etc. In your anger,  hurt and/or bitter moments you must turn to the Lord and cry out to Him.. If you  repeatedly fail to come to the Lord (Hebrews 4:16) you are allowing bitterness and other destructive emotions to build up.

• Make a firm choice and decision that you will not seek revenge neither in deed nor in mind. As you dwell on the revenge and the justification or rightness of your own revenge, you are twisting yourself up in knots. Consciously and consistently decide to let go of the need to get revenge. Leave that to God. This may need lots of prayer, repentance on your behalf and even a mature Christian on whose shoulder you can cry and scream on.


• Realise and know, accept deep within yourself that nothing has happened, is happening, or will happen to you that is not within the Lord’s sovereignty. You must be fully convinced of the Lord’s sovereignty if you are to remain untwisted and unbitter! Take Joseph as an example. He was sold into slavery by his jealous brothers. He was taken from freedominto a foreign land and made a slave. He was thrown into jail for years in Egypt. He could have turned out very bitter, very hurt, very resentful. However, he was very clear that God had a purpose in his betrayal, pain and suffering. In Genesis 45:5-8 Joseph says to his brothers,

“And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will not be ploughing and reaping. But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt.” Later on (when Joseph’s father died and the brothers feared retribution and sought forgiveness) Joseph says these words on a similar vein, ‘But Joseph said to them, "Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children." And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.’

says these words on a similar vein, ‘But Joseph said to them, "Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children." And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.’

Joseph gave up the right to judge his brothers or to take revenge and saw the Lord’s sovereign hand in all that happened to him. If you do not see and accept the Lord’s sovereignty in your life and pain, you will probably always be bitter. Accepting the Lord’s sovereignty shows purpose and meaning in all you suffered. It allows you to have hope for the future, your future.

• Along these lines, you must know deep down inside yourself that Romans 8:28 is true for you and your situation:-

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.

This statement/promise from God is true no matter what happens to you. As a Child of God, you can rest assured that everything (even the sins and hurts committed against you) have been worked out by your sovereign God for the good of those who love Him. Even if you can’t see the truth, you can still rest assured that this promise is true. Memorise this verse. Learn to believe it. When you doubt or are bitter or feel like exacting revenge, repeat this verse and dwell on it.

• Whether or not you remain angry is really your choice. Even though complete forgiveness is not given to the other party, you can choose not to harbour the anger and the bitterness of being hurt (James 1:19-20, Philippians 4:8). This happens as you immerse yourself in God’s grace and allow Him to work in your life. Prayerfulness is compulsory for getting rid of your anger.  As you leave room for the wrath of God, your anger will dissipate more and more. However, giving up your anger does not mean changing the way you see sin. What was done was sinful and will always remain sinful. We are never called to call sin ‘good’ and something good ‘sinful’. By choosing to give up your anger you are not choosing to condone the sin or to call it anything but sinful.
  
  
  
  • Whether someone repents or not is ultimately between them and God. While you may be involved in calling them to repentance you will not be judged according to their repentance or lack of it. You will be judged on  how YOU act/react/speak etc. Even when you are sinned against, you are still called to be holy and righteous. Thus make up your mind to act and speak in ways that please God so that you can be perfect just as your heavenly Father is perfect.
  
  
  
  

• Make time to pray for repentance for the other person (2 Timothy 2:24-26). The more you argue and quarrel with that person the angrier/more bitter you will become.

And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the

hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the

devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

• As you have opportunity, do good to those who have hurt you. This is often very difficult and painful but as mentioned earlier can help with their repentance or will concrete their condemnation.

• James 4:6 (read in context and note the words ‘more grace’), Hebrews 13:9, Hebrews 4:16 and 2 Peter 1:3-4 show that God’s grace is what changes us. If you have been sinned against and hurt by others, your natural reaction will be to hate, seek revenge and so on. But God promises you more grace so that you can be godly and righteous, so that you can heal, so that you can love again! Turn to God and lavish yourself in His grace and let it heal your wounds. Let His grace dissolve your anger and free you from bitterness.

• Continue to harbour what we have called the spirit of forgiveness, trusting God to bring repentance and full restoration of that relationship.

Many people will argue that the above points represent forgiveness. But as page four outlines, forgiveness involves far more and cannot and should not be separated from repentance, reconciliation and restoration of relationships.

THURSDAY JANUARY 27, 2011

Read Deuteronomy 6:1-7

Reaching a Conclusion?

So what can we conclude about the scenario between a Christian and non Christian who fails or refuses to repent? The Scripture is clear that forgiveness (in the full sense outlined on page 4) is not offered to the unrepentant (be they believers or unbelievers). As you re-read through the summary of what full forgiveness entails, you quickly realise that it is impossible to apply many of these things to the unrepentant. It is especially difficult, if not impossible, to love freely those who refuse to repent.

Indeed, there is very little said about forgiving those who refuse to come to the Lord (i.e. unbelievers) in repentance. What is talked about is their eternal damnation and/or condemnation by the Lord. What is said is that we are to hold out the offer of forgiveness without being yoked to them.

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 26, 2011

Read Matthew 3

Jesus.

Did Jesus continue with the pattern of the Old Testament or did He instigate a radical new truth that leaves the Old Testament unusable to New Testament believers?

It is clear that Jesus taught about forgiveness and loving one’s enemies. These have been discussed in detail. Several other factors about Jesus’ ministry must be pointed out in regard to forgiveness.

1. Jesus proclaimed the Kngdom of God and called people to repentance (Matthew 3:2, Mark 1:15). Repentance would lead to forgiveness. Those, we assume, who do not repent are not forgiven.

Jesus denounced the cities that saw His miracles and failed to repent, showing that judgement day would be a terrible ordeal for them (Matthew 11:20-26). Those who failed to repent are judged and condemned showing that they are not forgiven.

2. When He was confronted by the hypocrisy and ungodliness of the Pharisees Jesus literally blasted them. (Matthew 23:13-29) No mention of forgiveness is made. If we are called to automatically forgive those who sin against us (Didn’t the Pharisees etc, seek to kill Jesus and thus sin against Him?), then we should imagine that the Pharisees would have been told about their forgiveness. Quite the opposite occurs! They are condemned in the strongest language.

3. There is no mention of Judas being forgiven for his sin. Jesus plainly says that he has gone to where he belongs (John 17:12). Judas was a non Christian (John 6:64) and he is clearly not forgiven by Jesus.

5. The repentant thief on the cross is offered paradise while the other thief, who was unrepentant, was not offered life eternal in paradise (Luke 23:40-43). The Greek of vs 43 can NOT be misconstrued to be talking about more than only 1 person. Only the penitent thief is offered forgiveness, not the unrepentant one!

TUESDAY JANUARY 25, 2011

Read Acts 7:1-60

However, it is feasible and believable that some would be brought to repentance by your doing good deeds to non Christians.

When they come to the Lord and are forgiven by Him, you are called to offer your forgiveness and to be reconciled to them. See Acts 9:26-27 when Saul (i.e. Paul) was converted.

But we must study those verses that might appear to mandate forgiveness to non Christians.

Luke 23:34

• Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.

Acts 7:60

Then he [Stephen] fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he fell asleep.

From the context of the two verses it is clear that both Stephen and Jesus are talking about non Christians.

However, as discussed earlier this is not a mandate to forgive all non Christians who hurt us or sin against us. It is, rather, a mandate, to have what we have called a ‘Spirit of Forgiveness’ towards these non Christians. We need to be ready and willing to forgive in the full sense of the word as soon as they repent.

The Psalms:

There are many Psalms where God’s people (who are deemed wise, holy, righteous etc) specifically tell us that they HATE evil doers, their sin and they actively and constantly pray for their destruction.

Nowhere are these desires or prayers chided or rebuked by the Lord. The people who pray these things (eg David) are used by God to judge and condemn those they pray against, often through Holy War. In other places, these men and women who prayed thus are considered to be righteous, holy men and women close to God (Acts 13:22), eg, Psalm 140, Psalm 94, Psalm 79, Psalm 70, Psalm 69, Psalm 59, Psalm 52, Psalm 35, Psalm 31, Psalm 28 etc.

We must remember what is being reflected in these Psalms. It is God’s own anger and hatred and wrath for the ungodly, the sinners, the unrepentant! This Psalmody is taken up elsewhere in the Scriptures through Holy War. God takes up the battle against His enemies and destroys them. In the New Testament, this Holy Warfare culminates when God will send all His enemies (the unrepentant) to hell for all eternity.

Other Holy Men and Women:

There are literally dozens of examples of other Holy Men and women who hated the enemies of the Lord and cried out for their destruction. The same point as made above still holds.

¨ Moses hated the Egyptians and their practices.

¨ The judges of Israel hated the enemy and were called to destroy them through holy war.

¨ Nehemiah and Ezra hated those who worked against God’s plans and actively sought to stop them. Again no mention of forgiveness is made. Reconciliation is openly avoided as shown in Nehemiah’s ousting of Tobiah from the Temple of the Lord. Nehemiah 13:7-8.

¨ The prophets often denounced and decried those who continued to sin, be they kings of God’s people or the enemy nations.

In neither these people, nor in the Psalms is there any hint of forgiveness being offered to those who sinned and refused to repent.

Yet, look at how gracious God really is. For the foreigner who comes to God and humbly accepts His ways we read these gracious words.

Leviticus 19:34

• The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the LORD your God.

Exodus 12:49

• The same law applies to the native-born and to the alien living among you.

The picture is getting clearer. Those who repented and came to God for forgiveness were forgiven and were treated as God’s people. All nine points of page 3 were applied to these people. If we are called to forgive as the Lord forgave us, then we are to apply these nine points to others when they repent and seek our forgiveness!

What about the Prophet Hosea?

Hosea was called to show love towards, and to even marry, a prostitute (1:2-3). Do we see here an example of how we are to unconditionally love and forgive and be reconciled to an unrepentant sinner?

Several reasons tell us no.

• The introduction of Hosea makes it clear that this is a command to Hosea a prophet through which God shows His people a living parable. Isaiah was called (Isa 20:3) to walk around barefoot and naked for 3 years. No one argues that we should  follow suite.


• Hosea’s wife Gomer is specifically called to repent in 3:3.


• Gomer represents Israel in the living parable and Israel is called to repentance (or face judgement!!) in chapter 14.

MONDAY JANUARY 24, 2010

Read Matthew 5:38-48

The Christian and Non Christian

The Biblical position between a non Christian and a Christian is much more opaque. There is no simple solution or guideline to follow. Rather several principles or truths need to be studied and considered and then the big picture needs to be applied.

In Matthew 5:38-48 we are told to love our enemies.

• "You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?

Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Our motivation according to this passage is the Lord’s perfection (vs 48). God is perfect and His perfect love causes the sun to rise on the righteous and the unrighteous (vs 45). However, these unrighteous people are still hell bound! The Lord has not lavished them with His saving and forgiving love. While Christ has died on the cross for the sins of the whole world, these unrighteous have not yet been forgiven. If they fail to repent (Acts 2:38) they too will be sent to hell. Even though God ‘loves’ these unrighteous people, He is not imperfect or unrighteous in Himself when He sends them to hell. Love and judgement are not mutually exclusive.

Even at a cursory reading of Scripture it is clear that the Lord has different levels or degrees of love towards the repentant and the unrepentant. The former are lavished with deep affection and are adopted as Sons of the living God while the latter receive rain and crops and provisions but still are sent to eternal damnation!

If our love for our enemies is to mirror the Lord’s perfection and righteousness, then our love must mirror His. We are to provide for their needs. We are to give them our cloak, go an extra mile with them and so on but we are never to be yoked with them (2 Corinthians 6:14).

How do we overcome this apparent contradiction?

The Lord longs for all men to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4, 2 Peter 3:9). His love for the lost is meant to bring them to repentance (Romans 2:4, Acts 14:15-18). But if they fail to repent they will be condemned. In all of this the Lord our God is righteous and just.

How can you and I mirror that kind of love?

Romans 12:19 is instructive.

• Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head. "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

As we deal with our enemies, we are not to harbour desires or thoughts of

revenge. Rather, we are to leave judgement to God. This can be a difficult and ongoing process where you constantly repent of vengeful thoughts. But

remember, no matter what happens God will still deal with the other person’s sins. You do not have to exact revenge! As you deal with your enemy, you provide for their needs. In heaping burning coals on their head, you are confirming their judgement. Burning coals are a symbol of judgement! (2 Samuel 22:9-15, Psalm 18:7-14, Psalm 119:1-4, Psalm 140:10,   Ezekiel 10:1-19).

Prayer:-

• Spend time praising God for his love and forgiveness towards you       personally.


• Ask God to bless the children’s ministry and youth ministry this year. Pray for Jane and Brad as they head up children’s work and youth work respectively. Pray that God would grant them wisdom in planning, ability to execute plans and godliness in all things.

SATURDAY JANUARY 22, 2011

Read Matthew 18:15-35

Forgiveness Among Christians:

The above will become clearer as we make yet another distinction - forgiveness between Christians and forgiveness between a Christian and a non Christian.

Throughout the New Testament it is assumed that forgiveness is to be offered to a Christian only when they repent.

Let’s study several passages to see what is said:-

Luke 17:3-4

• So watch yourselves. "If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him.  If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him."

The sequence is very clear. When and if your brother sins against you, rebuke him. You are to go to your Christian brother with a spirit of love and forgiveness to show him his sin. The goal is to win your brother over and to restore the relationship. The goal is to apply the nine points of forgiveness in section one.

This passage is NOT and CAN NOT be twisted to be saying that we must forgive first and then go to our brother. Read the passage again and again until you see the sequence clearly.

Matthew 18:15-17

• If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

Before we begin, let me point out a common misconception. Many people read this passage as being about reconciliation and as having nothing to do with forgiveness.

They argue, in some instances, that forgiveness comes first, then you take up Matthew 18:15-17. However, such arguments fail to take account of the context. Jesus was speaking these words to Peter and he clearly understood that forgiveness was an integral part of this process in Matthew 18:15-17. In vs 21 of the same chapter Peter, being somewhat astounded by Jesus’ teaching, asks a question. Have a look at what Peter asks.

• Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?"

If Peter were to use the words of Jesus he might have asked ‘How many times must I go to my brother, be reconciled through forgiveness?’ or again, ‘How many times, Jesus, must I go through this process of calling my brother to repent, winning him over and forgiving him?’

The point is clear. Forgiveness and repentance and reconciliation are so closely and intimately united that they form an integral part of the whole process. Repentance is mandated before forgiveness is complete. Reconciliation occurs after repentance and forgiveness have occurred. Separating them can be dangerous and hurtful and can lead to unscriptural processes.

In this passage, notice again the chain of events -

1. When your Christian brother/sister sins against you, you are to go and show them what they have done wrong. (Matt 18:5). Go with a gentle heart (Galatians 6:1), with a view to restoring the relationship. If you are vengeful or angry or seeking to slam-dunk the other person, do not approach them until you have cleared your own heart. Take the plank out of your own eye first.

2. If your Christian brother repents, you have won them over. You are called to forgive them there and then (Matt 18:5). From our earlier distinction it is here that the Spirit of Forgiveness becomes the Word of Forgiveness offered to another.

3. But if the other person will not listen to you, take one or two others along (preferably mature Christians or elders respected by the other party) so that they can adjudicate the matter (Matt 18:16).

4. If your Christian brother repents, forgive him and let the relationship be restored there and then. Be reconciled together.

5. However, if the Christian brother refuses to repent, you are to tell it to the whole church (vs 17). The idea is that the people in the church are to have less and less to do with the unrepentant person until godly sorrow overwhelms them and they repent.

6. If they refuse to listen to the church then we are to treat that person as a pagan or tax collector. These people were considered unclean and were ousted from the love and community of the church. Again the idea is that the person misses the love, fellowship and blessings of the church and they repent, coming back into fellowship and godliness. Then we are to complete the process of forgiveness.

From a careful reading of Scripture it is clear that this process was applied in the early church. See 2 Corinthians 2:1-11. Read it very carefully, noting how Matthew 18:15-20 has been applied and worked out. Satan outwits us if we fail to go through this process, not just if we fail to forgive. Taking this verse (10) out of context leads to serious errors that deny the need for repentance or lessen its role in the process of forgiveness.

Throughout the early church we see that many people were removed from the fellowship of the church because they refused to repent of their ways. It would be both ludicrous and offensive to Scripture to assume that they were forgiven (in the sense of a reconciled relationship) but then still kicked out of the fellowship!

1 Corinthians 5:11-13

But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.

What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?

God will judge those outside. "Expel the wicked man from among you."

Titus 3:10

Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time.

After that, have nothing to do with him.

2 Timothy 3:1-5

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.

People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God--having a form of godliness but denying its power. have nothing to do with them.

We will consider later what to do if a person refuses to repent or is unable to repent (e.g., due to death, serious illness etc).

Prayer:-

• Pray for the ministry of Creation Ministries in 2011. Pray that God would use them powerfully to bring many sceptics to believe in the historicity of Genesis 1-11 and to faith in Christ Jesus. Ask God to bless them with all the ministry resources and finances they need to impact the world for Christ.

FRIDAY JANUARY 21, 2011

Read Luke 17

The Word of Forgiveness.

Making a distinction between the word of forgiveness and the spirit of forgiveness is helpful. Many of the Scriptures link forgiveness to repentance. A careful reading of these passages shows that there is no other way of reading these except to conclude that when one repents I am called to forgive them.

Luke 17:3-4

• So watch yourselves. "If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him."

Notice the conditional ‘if’ in these verses. There is no alternative presented except to forgive when a person repents.

Other passages to consider are Hosea 14:1-4 and Matthew 18:15-35, Deuteronomy 29:19-20, Jeremiah 5:2-9, Lamentations 3:40-50.

Prayer:-

• Ask God to bless this year’s Committee of Management with wisdom, insight and an ability to tend to our finances and resources in a way that promotes the Kingdom, grows it and nurtures it.


• Pray that the MOPS ministry will continue to reach out, to touch lives with the grace of God and to make disciples for Jesus’ name.

THURSDAY JANUARY 20 2011

Read Luke 23

The Spirit of Forgiveness vs the Word of Forgiveness.

However, to avoid Biblical error on forgiveness it is helpful to distinguish between what we can call, ‘The Spirit of Forgiveness’ and the ‘Word of Forgiveness’.

The Spirit of Forgiveness.

The Spirit of forgiveness is the willingness and the offer of forgiveness to another even when that other person refuses to repent. Since the goal of forgiveness is a reconciled and mutual relationship, this full step can only be taken when the other party repents. By adopting a spirit of forgiveness we let go of the hurt, desire for revenge etc and we continue to work towards full reconciliation where and when possible. Such a technical separation allows us to distinguish between full forgiveness and reconciliation and the offer of forgiveness held out to an obstinate and unrepentant party.

When Jesus was being crucified He uttered these amazing words, ‘Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.’ (Luke 23:34). Several truths need to be stated about this incident (and Stephen’s parallel words in Acts 7:60) before we make a blanket application to all Christians:-

• Neither Jesus nor Stephen said ‘I forgive them.’ Both prayed that God would forgive them. It is a request rather than a statement.


• If the people crucifying Jesus or stoning Stephen were actually forgiven at that point, we have a blatant contradiction to the rest of Scripture. Such a blatant contradiction would render Scripture as fallible, errant and worthless to us. Assuming these sinners were forgiven, the contradiction runs thus. The rest of the Bible says that we must confess our sins and accept Jesus as Lord before we are forgiven and hence saved. We must believe in Him. We must repent and turn to Him. We must call on His name. None of the accusers and crucifiers did any of these (to our knowledge). If they were actually forgiven when Jesus or Stephen uttered these words then the Bible is contradictory! It cannot, in this scenario, be reliable to us.

We can over come these difficulties by noticing that both Jesus and Stephen had a Spirit of Forgiveness. They were ready and willing to forgive those who sinned against them. When you sinned against Jesus He had this spirit of forgiveness. When you repented and came to Him for forgiveness, He actually forgave you - the relationship was reconciled.

We can read the passages that call us to forgive in this light.

Matthew 6:14-15 and Mark 11:25.

• For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Note that even the Lord’s prayer is in the context of us asking for forgiveness.

• And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.

As we will study later, forgiveness among Christians is dependant upon repentance. The commands to forgive everyone who has sinned against us needs to be considered in light of this spirit of forgiveness. We offer forgiveness even if the other party remains unrepentant and the relationship unreconciled. When the other party does repent forgiveness is fulfilled.

When we do this we have no contradiction in Scripture to passages such as Luke 17:3-4, Deuteronomy 28-30, Hosea 14:1-4 etc. where forgiveness is dependant upon repentance.

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 19, 2011

Read Matthew 6:1-16

Other Basic Teachings on Forgiveness.

As we read through the Scriptures, we need to be assured and accepting of these other teachings about forgiveness:-

• Matthew 6:14, Mark 11:25, show that we must make a decision to forgive others and be ready and willing to forgive.


• These passages also show that forgiveness of others is mandatory. God commands us to forgive.


• Passages such as Luke 17:1-4, Matthew 18:15ff, Deuteronomy 29:19-20, etc demand repentance as a forerunner to forgiveness. Jesus Himself told us that we are to proclaim repentance and forgiveness in His name. Both go together in our preaching to the nations (Luke 24:46-47).

Prayer:-

• Pray that God would grant our Session great wisdom and insight and godliness as they lead us through another year. Pray that these men will be Spirit filled, Spirit led and able to walk in the Spirit in their own lives before they teach and lead us.


• Pray that all of the ministry leaders and servants will be refreshed and renewed in the Lord before the busy-ness of 2011 comes upon us. Pray that all will be ready for a another year of joyous and profitable service.

TUESDAY JANUARY 18, 2011

Read Luke 24

Hebrews 10:30, Romans 12:19, Deuteronomy 32:35 et. al.

• Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. (Romans 12:19)

If we are to take Psalm 103:10 and these verses on revenge seriously then when we decide to forgive someone:-

• We relinquish our right and our desire to take revenge.

Luke 24:46-47

• He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem”.

When Jesus died on the cross it was evident that the pain of our rebellion and sinfulness towards God was born by Himself. He chose to bear our sins (1 Peter 2:24) upon Himself. He suffered for our forgiveness.

The implication for us?

• If we are to forgive someone for their sins we choose to bear their sins upon or within yourself. This is closely related to the previous point. We choose to bear the pain of their sinfulness.

This can be a very painful step. For Jesus, it was exceedingly painful. Being whipped and beaten, being crowned with thorns, being nailed to a cross with nine inch nails was painful. But being rejected by His infinitely close Heavenly Father and being cursed by Him was spiritually painful in the most unimaginable way! When we choose to forgive another, we choose to bear the pain of their sin against us.

Hosea 14:1-4

• Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God. Your sins have been your downfall! Take words with you and return to the LORD. Say to Him: "Forgive all our sins and receive us graciously, that we may offer the fruit of our lips. Assyria cannot save us; we will not mount war-horses. We will never again say, 'Our gods' to what our own hands have made, for in you the fatherless find compassion."

“I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them.”

When God called the Israelites to repentance they were, among other things, to seek the Lord’s forgiveness. When they asked God to forgive them He made a startling and amazing and overwhelming statement. “I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them”. If we are to forgive others as the Lord forgave us (Col 3:13) then we must follow vs 4. We cannot heal people of their waywardness but we can do the other two things:-

• When I forgive someone their sins against me I choose to love them freely.


• When I choose to forgive someone their sins against me I choose to turn my anger away from them.

If we take this passage as a serious consideration in forgiveness (which the Lord Himself does!!) then we see clearly that forgiveness is closely tied to relationship, to reconciliation and repentance. They are so closely and intimately linked that we really should not be separating them. But more later. Any talk of forgiveness without relationship and love and repentance is bordering on, if not already, heresy.

Putting all these together we get a picture of what it means to forgive

someone their sins against us.

When I forgive someone for sinning against me I choose to:-

• never again accuse that person of that sin.


• not to bring it up in the future.


• not to bring it up in another argument or clash.


• not to talk about that sin with another person.


• not to treat that person as their sins deserve.


• to relinquish my right and desire to take

revenge.

• to bear their sins upon myself, i.e. to bear the pain of their sinfulness.


• to love them freely.


• to turn my anger away from them.

This is no easy ask. It is not a simple thing to do. You will only forgive someone (as the Lord forgave you) as you grow in love and appreciation for all that the Lord has done for you. In effect, your life will mirror what you understand or appreciate that you have received from the Lord. Luke 7:47.

Take Note.

Forgiving someone for their sin against you does NOT mean that you accept their actions or deeds as right. At no stage are we called to change the truth about the sinfulness of their actions. The other person sinned and what they did/said etc will always remain a sin.

Prayer:-

• Pray that everyone in your church will have opportunity to talk about God’s forgiveness with non-believers. Pray for a growth in God’s kingdom as we seek to share the love and forgiveness of the Lord.


• Pray that the Student Life members who have been on mission will have a refreshing break and be renewed in their walk with the Lord. Praise God for their service and faithfulness. Pray a special blessing of rest upon them before the new year begins.

MONDAY JANUARY 17, 2011

Forgive

Read  Hosea 14

Forgiveness is the most fundamental aspect of the Christian life. At the very outset of your walk with the Lord, you are offered His unlimited forgiveness.  Having been set free by His forgiveness, we are called to forgive those who owe us a debt.  But as we read through the Scriptures to study forgiveness, we find some amazing and some rather challenging truths. Please read all the passages in their context and take the time to look up each and every verse, to meditate on them and to pray over them. Resolve and agree now to let Scripture be your SOURCE OF AUTHORITY, rather than experience or what others have told you.

What is Forgiveness?

The Bible does not actually spell out for us what forgiveness entails. There is no verse in the bible that lists in detail the things you must do or think or say when you forgive someone else. What we must do is search the Scriptures and let the Scriptures teach us about what forgiveness really involves.

The starting point on deciding what is involved in forgiveness is asking ourselves what the Lord has done for or to us in forgiving us. Since we are told (Col 3:13 et al.) to forgive others as we have been forgiven by the Lord, we can apply what we learn about God’s forgiveness to forgiving others.

Several passages spell out what God did for us in forgiving us.- Jeremiah 31:34, Hebrews 8:12.

• “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."

From these passages about the new covenant it is clear that when God forgives us He

chooses not to remember our sins any more. He is not forgetting, but rather consciously choosing not to dwell on our sins and iniquities.

Several implications are imminent for us as we forgive others for sinning against us.

1. In offering to forgive someone we choose not to remember their sins. i.e.

• We choose never again to accuse that person of that sin.


• We choose not to bring it up in the future


• We choose not to bring it up in another argument or clash


• We choose not to talk about that sin with another person.

Psalm 103:10 tells us that when we turn to the Lord for forgiveness:-

• · ...He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to

our iniquities.

The implication for us is very clear.

• When we choose to forgive someone we determine not to treat that person as their sins deserve.

Often when we are hurt by someone, the greatest block to forgiveness is our somewhat natural desire for revenge. Deep down we cry out for vengeance. We yearn to see the offending party get what they deserve. We cry out for justice. This passage (Ps 103:10) hints at another verse in the Bible.

Prayer:-

• Pray that the message of God’s forgiveness would ring out loudly from the Burmese students training at Grace college and RBC. Pray that the team going in November would be a great catalyst for the preaching of forgiveness and repentance.


• Pray that there will be reconciliation in your own congregation where needed..

SATURDAY JANUARY 15, 2010

Read  Exodus 20

What if I choose not to seek reconciliation?

Everyone will suffer! As mentioned earlier, you may move towards hatred for that other person and he/she has no real chance of changing.  Others in the church suffer because of the friction and warring that is occurring. During our gathered time of worship (Sonday ‘Church’) we are standing before God divided and fractious.

Nothing good comes from choosing not to deal with issues.

Even worse, the bottom line is that by choosing this option you are choosing to disobey God.

What if the church leaders are the ones sinning?

The process of Matthew 18 should still be followed. If one or more witnesses are required then you need to be very careful who you take along. Other leaders would be ideal, if that is possible. You should seek to find godly men and women who are impartial and exceedingly obedient to God’s Word to use as witnesses to settle the matter.

We are told in 1 Timothy 5:20 that elders who sin are to be rebuked publicly.  But we are warned immediately before this that a person is not to entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses.

What if I am approached by someone as a ‘sinner’ and that person is being        unreasonable?

Praise God that the other person is following Matthew 18. Should that person’s desire or charge be unreasonable you should seek to show them as lovingly and as gently as you can that they are not being scriptural. If they can’t see the truth then (as per Matthew 18) two or three witnesses should be called so that the   matter may be settled by their testimony.

To avoid such issues we need to take a decisive stance on God’s Word. We need to see it as our complete and ultimate authority and we need to know intimately what it says. In the final decision God’s Word should tell us what is sin, what is not and who is at fault, if anyone!

Prayer:-

• Pray  that God would be glorified through the life and activities of your church.


• Pray that every member /believer in your church would be ready and willing and able to listen to the promptings and leadings of the Holy Spirit

FRIDAY JANUARY 14, 2010

Read  1 Tim 5:17-25

I’ve been hurt so many times in the past, why should I bother with all this          reconciliation stuff?

The bottom line of our love and reconciliation efforts boils down to what Jesus has done for me  personally. 2 Corinthians 5 ties it together well.  See vs 14-21:-

For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.

And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again.

So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation.

We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's      behalf: Be reconciled to God.

God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.

Since Jesus died for both me and my brother (who has offended me) we are both a new creation in Christ. Jesus has dealt with our sins and has lavished us with His love. I have been reconciled to God and I should become an agent of reconciliation. I should seek reconciliation with others.

Until heaven comes, relationships will always be painful. But as more and more      Christians treat each other with the grace that Jesus has given us, we will begin to find joy and depth in our relationships.

Relationships will always remain shallow and painful if we keep running away. But if we work through this process outlined in the Scriptures our relationships deepen and mature and give us more and more joy/elation  than pain.

Prayer:-

• Pray that God would bind together the teams that are headed on mission this year. Ask God to build unity, focus and purpose into those teams. Pray that all finances will be raised as needed.


• Spend time praising God for who He is and what He’s done both in your own life and in the history of redemption/salvation.

THURSDAY JANUARY 13, 2011

Read  Romans 12:17-21

Can’t I just drop the matter and move on?

Resolving conflict is difficult and often tear jerking! It is painful but it is necessary. This alone makes a lot of people scared of conflict resolution.

When most people “drop” an issue they don’t offer full and unlimited forgiveness. They merely try to forget about it, or they busy themselves so much that they have no time to think about it.  They store up the matter in their heart and           eventually (after more repeated sins against them) explode or leave the church. This is sinful! The matter should have been dealt with at the very start.

What if I can forgive the person without approaching them?

We need to establish what our real authority is.  The Bible says that if we feel sinned against or hurt by someone then we are to go to them to seek reconciliation.  If God’s Word is my authority in life then I will seek to do as it says. There may be issues you choose to overlook (bad habits, annoying tendencies, for    example) but these could not normally be classed as sinful.

What if reconciliation is not possible because, for example, the other person has died or moved abroad?

Reconciliation is exceedingly difficult with a dead person! However, if you      harbour unforgiveness  in your heart you will be the one who suffers. See the parable in Matthew 18:23-34 and note what Jesus says to the person who refuses to forgive in vs 35! Though it may be incredibly difficult, seek to forgive that person as quickly as you can and to let go of the bitterness and unforgiveness.

If the person has merely moved away then you can always ring them or send them an email. If possible get together face to face where you can work towards full reconciliation.  There are very few inaccessible places left on our planet. You should be able to contact almost every person you need to.

Prayer:-

• Ask God to show you if there is someone you need to be reconciled with. Pray that doors will open for reconciliation and that God would be         glorified as you obey Him.


• Ask God to allow the believers in Nigeria to preach the message of reconciliation powerfully and regularly. Pray that they continue to see the churches grow as many people put their faith and trust in Christ Jesus.

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 12, 2010

Read  James 1:22-27

Common Questions

What does it mean to treat someone like a tax collector?

When Jesus spoke this teaching tax collectors and prostitutes etc were shunned and avoided. They were not kept as close friends or confidants. When someone refuses to repent in the church we need to make some distance between them and ourselves so that they are encouraged to repent. They should not remain our deepest friends and confidants while refusing to repent.

What if I confront my brother and he changes but only for a short time?

Jesus again made this situation clear. He knows that we are human and he catered for our needs.  When Jesus had finished the teaching on reconciliation Peter asked Him:-

"Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.’

Since Christianity is a team sport we need to run together and help each other  over the long haul. Change takes time in people. We need to be gracious and generous towards those who sin against us and help them as much as we        possibly can.

In Luke 17:1-5 Jesus taught a similar thing. The Apostles realised how difficult this would be and immediately said to Jesus ‘Lord, increase our faith’. Being patient and sticking by someone is hard, often heart breaking, work. But Jesus tells us to stick with it.

If I know that I have sinned against someone, what do I do if that other person won’t come to see me?

In Matthew 5:23-24 Jesus said these word:-

"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.

This command is addressed to the person who knows that there is an issue with another party whether they are at fault or not. It is their responsibility to seek reconciliation.

How do I approach someone who has sinned against me?

We need to approach the other person with an attitude of love and a desire to be reconciled. Our goal should be to win them back into an honest and open relationship.

Spend much time praying before you go to the other person and pray along the lines of Psalm 139:23-24:-

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.

See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Prayer:-

• Pray that you would have opportunities to share the love of Christ and to talk about His forgiveness with non believers today. Pray that God would use you to bring others into His kingdom.


• Pray that the church in India would continue to grow and expand despite pressure and persecution . Pray that all believers would be exceedingly willing to share their faith at every opportunity.

TUESDAY JANUARY 11, 2011

Read  Proverbs 24:14-20

The How To of Conflict Resolution.

The basic steps to conflict resolution are given to us in Matthew 18:15-17.

• If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.  But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.'  If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

Let me spell out the steps clearly and plainly.

Step 1.

If you feel that a brother or sister in Christ has sinned against  you in some way you are to first and foremost go to that person.  This is to be just between the two of you.

Please note the pitfalls of taking too long to do this step, if  you wait and brood, or think over the situation:-

• You may end up going to your brother/sister in anger and not in love as the anger and indignation wells up within you (Ephesians 4:26-27)


• You open up more opportunities for gossip and  slander to come out of your mouth. If you need  advice organise to meet one of the elders or the minister and talk with them.


• If that other person sins against you again before you have a chance to reconcile your anger will increase and ...who knows what you will do.


• The other person may genuinely be unaware that he is offending or sinning against you.

But if your brother or sister listens to you and the relationship is reconciled then you have won your brother/sister over. God has truly been glorified.

Step 2.

Let’s assume that the other person that wronged you won’t listen. What do you do?

Jesus tells us plainly in the Matthew 18 passage:-

If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over,

But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.'

You are to take one or two others along so that the matter may be resolved by the testimony or judgement of two or three others. But be warned. At this stage it would be very easy to stack the deck in your favour. You could easily choose 2 or 3 friends that

would support you no matter what. Then together you can shoot down the opposition in flames and walk off into the sunset with glorious, Yes glorious, victory. If you do this God will not be glorified. Rather choose godly men and women (elders of the church??) who can reflect on the situation and give godly, Scriptural counsel to you and the other party.

Again, if the matter is dealt with then offer your complete forgiveness to the other    person. You should resume an open and honest relationship with that person.

But what if he doesn’t listen, even to the mediators?

Step 3

Again, Jesus raises the possibility that this may happen. Look again at the Matthew 18 passage.

• If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

If there is no repentance from the sinning party then the whole church needs to know. The divisive person is to be warned by the church and then, if no repentance is seen, then he/she is to be asked to leave the church.

The premise of this harsh stance is simple. Divisions and factions and animosity will not be accepted by God in His church. Those who keep creating disunity should be removed. How does this work? When a person is asked to leave the church they miss the love and fellowship of the church, they miss the care and concern and the Christlike treatment they had received and they are drawn to repent of their sin(s) and to come back to God. You can read 2 Corinthians 2:1-11 carefully to see how Matthew 18 has been applied.

Prayer:-

• Pray that your church would be a church of reconciliation. Pray that individuals would be greatly concerned to glorify God by following Matthew 18. Pray that relationships will be restored where needed and that forgiveness would be offered.


• Pray that the Christians in North Korea would have many opportunities to share the love and forgiveness available through Christ Jesus.  Pray that the hidden and underground churches would grow immensely through their witness.

MONDAY JANUARY 10, 2011

Conflict Resolution

Read Matthew 18

There are several factors that make conflict in God’s church (at least in this side of heaven) unavoidable. What are these factors?

• We are human (not yet fully sanctified)


• We are diverse - Christianity is not a homogenous group of like minded people but a diverse mix of ages, ethnic groups, sexes, intelligence levels etc.

Since conflict is unavoidable it is no surprise that God has given us many instructions about conflict resolution.

Basic Premises About Conflict Resolution:

Before we begin any serious study on conflict resolution let us spell out the  basic premises under which we are working. If these assumptions are not adhered to or believed, we undermine the whole structure of God’s church.

• Resolving conflict within God’s body, the Church, is mandated by God Himself. We must, therefore, seek to resolve and settle all issues that cause any friction within God’s church. It is not optional. The modern trend of leaving church as soon as things heat up must be stopped immediately. Leaving a church should be the final step after all avenues have been completely and utterly exhausted.


• Conflict Resolution should be seen as positive not negative. Our aim should always be to reconstruct a relationship and to enter into deeper fellowship with the other person(s) we have had a falling out with.


• When seeking to resolve conflict we should always adopt an open mind and heart and be willing to look at ourselves, our sins and our actions as well as the other person’s - Matthew 7:4-5.


• Seeing as God has given us steps to resolve conflict we should seek to follow His steps rather than relying on our own wisdom.

Prayer:-

• Pray that your session has great wisdom in leading the church in conflict resolution. Pray about any conflict you know of.

SATURDAY JANUARY 8, 2010

Read John 13:34-35

Conclusion:

The study of the church has several implications for the individual Christian.

1. You do not do church or go to church. You are the church - the family of God formed by the blood of Christ.

2. If I am Christian then I am a vital and indispensable part of this larger unity called the church. Being a solo Christian is not an option for any believer.

3. Being a part of the body of Christ means I should commit to the body of Christ.

4. I have a vital role to play in the church and I need to make sure that I use my gifts and abilities in ways that God has determined.

5. I am as much responsible for edification and growth of the church as any other member.

6. Since God has sent His son Jesus to die on a cursed cross for me and my sins and since He has adopted me as His child (hence into His church) and since He has filled me with His Holy Spirit (after the resurrection) my priorities in life should be:-

+ Loving God without reserve or limit. I need to give God my whole life. Everything I am and own is His.

+ Loving God’s Children. Each and every other believer is now my brother and sister. I am to love them all as I love myself. These are the first two greatest commandments.

+ Loving God and loving His people are expressed and channelled in the NEW TESTAMENT through God’s people - the church!

+

This may be a hard call and exceedingly painful. It may fill you with great fears and trepidations. You may have to face all kinds of ‘what if’s as you seek to apply these truths in your life.  But please remember, God has said:-

... "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."

So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" Hebrews 13:5-6.

The Lord, your God is your helper. You can trust Him and cast all your cares upon Him (Psalm 55:22). He will not let you down. He will not lose control of your situation. He will not put you through more than you can bear (1 Cor 10:13). God has proven His love and commitment to you by sending His Son, Jesus the Messiah, to die on a cross for you personally and to be raised to eternal life as Lord and judge for you. Given that proof, you can walk confidently giving everything over to God because He will never leave you nor forsake you.

Prayer:-

• Pray that your church will be a haven of love and acceptance.


• Pray for the various people in your church - use the directory.


• Pray for your church to be a church that reaches out into the community.

FRIDAY JANUARY 7, 2010

Read Ephesians 4

Common Questions Asked About the Church

How can I find my role in the church?

God has promised that He has given you gifts and abilities to serve the church 1 Cor 12:7, for example. If you want to find your role/function in the church follow these steps.

i. i. Pray - asking God for wisdom and guidance.

ii. ii. Look at the needs in your congregation/church.

iii. iii. Fill a need that you would like to fill.

iv. iv. Stick at it for 6 -12 months and then assess your performance with a mature Christian/elder/minister. If you have made a discernable difference in people’s lives, you have found at least one of your gifts. YOU MAY HAVE BEEN GIVEN SEVERAL GIFTS

I’m just too busy to get involved. What can I do?

I am responsible for where I choose to put my energies. I have choices. I can choose to put God and His people first, second, third or last on my list.

I have to work regularly on Sondays. What do I do?

We wish to avoid legalism that says, ‘Thou shalt attend church every Sonday.’ Yet we should yearn and want to come to church. It should be our utmost priority to spend time with God and His children. In the book, ‘Faith Despite the KGB’ we read of a believer who refused to work in jail (he was arrested for his faith) on Saturday and Sonday. He wanted to spend Saturday doing God’s work and the Lord’s Day (Sonday) meeting with God. This believer was punished and tortured but God gave him such productivity during the week that none of the prison officers/guards bothered trying to make him work on the weekends!!! You need to decide if work is more important than God. You need to decide if you want to make a stand for God. You need to decide where your priorities lie.

If I don’t like someone at my church what should I do?

Work through the section on conflict resolution and apply it to yourself and that person. You need to figure out why there is an issue or blockage in the relationship and prayerfully seek to remove it.

Prayer:-

• Pray that the mission teams going to Burma, India and possibly Vanuatu this year will be knit together in love and unity. Pray that all needs (finances etc) will be raised up. Ask God to prepare both the team and the people they  will be helping.


• Pray that our finances will be more than adequate to meet our needs. Pray that we would have excess funds to help the poor, to feed the hungry etc and to start thinking about building on the land at the back of the church.

THURSDAY JANUARY 6, 2010

Read Matthew 28

The Role of the Church

Having considered the ‘church’, what then is the role of the church?  Biblically we can define 4 functions of the church.

Evangelism:

Matthew 28:18-20 is instructive here.

Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Acts 1:8 also adds to this:-

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

Given these two passages alone, it is clear that the church is meant to take the good news of God’s forgiveness out to the world. We are the light, the salt of the earth. We are given this mission and    everyone in the church should be working towards this mission.

Edification:

Ephesians 4:11-13 sums up our role in edification.

It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Each person in God’s church has the immense privilege of being involved in this edification.  1 Cor 12:7 tells us:-

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.

No matter how old or how young you are as a Christian God has given to you so that you can give to others for their good. He has blessed you and endowed you with gifts and abilities so that you can be a vital part of the body of Christ.

Worship:

Edification concentrates on believers and focuses on them. Worship focuses on the LORD.   Worship should not be seen solely as a 1 hour gathering with other        Christians. Our whole lives are lived as worship to God. We are to give ourselves sacrificially to the Lord each and every single minute of our lives (Romans 12:1-3).

Yet we are commanded to gather together regularly for instruction in the Word and for edification of each other. 1 Cor 16:2, Hebrews 10:25). As we gather together we are to focus on God - to exalt and praise His name, to refocus and rededicate our lives to Him and to give sacrificially to each other.

What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church. 1 Cor 14:26

Notice that three things must be present for the church to be  balanced:-

Þ Focus on God - Worship

Þ Focus on each other (ie other Christians)- Edification

Þ Focus on non Christians - Evangelism.

If any one of these elements is crowded out or neglected the church will suffer loss.

Social Concern:

The church also has a role to play in the wider community. We are to be doing acts of love and concern for both the Christian community and the non Christian community.

See the parable of the good Samaritan. James 1:27, 1 John 3:17-18.

The churches social concern has many angles:-

Þ We are to meet the needs of the community around us  displaying the love of Christ to them.

Þ We are to condemn and speak out against unrighteousness (see Amos) and injustices.

Þ We are to avoid being yoked to non believers even though we serve them

and give sacrificially to them. How this is done is best seen in Jesus himself. He ministered to the needy. He ate with them and interacted with them. He healed them and gave them wholeness but He was never yoked with them.

• Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?  What harmony is there between Christ and Belial ? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people."  2 Corinthians 6:14-16

Þ As Jesus proclaimed the Kingdom of God He ministered to the poor and needy. As Isaiah identifies for us, these were direct manifestations of the Kingdom of God.

Þ

• "I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness. Isaiah 42:6-7.

As we minister to the poor and needy we too should be mindful of proclaiming the Kingdom of God.  The acts of Christ-like love and compassion are visible signs for the world to see that the Kingdom of God has come.

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 5, 2010

Read Matthew 16

The Church and the Kingdom of God.

Jesus spoke some amazing words about the church.

And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

Jesus tells us that He will build His church and that even the powers of hell will not overcome it.  Given the truth of this matter, we the church should be proclaiming the

Kingdom (or rule) of God  to the world. We are God’s instrument in this cosmic battle against the forces of evil and we should march forward valiantly and victoriously, for Jesus Himself has assured us the victory.

The Visible and Invisible Church

Throughout history and in our own day we can often see a rather large discrepancy between the church as described in Scripture and the church as it actually exists on earth.

The visible church is the church on earth that we actually see and deal with. It contains people who are not genuine believers and even people who seek to lead God’s people astray. (Acts 20:29-31).    The invisible church is all genuine believers (past, present and future) who genuinely belong to the body of Christ and seek to serve Him with their lives.

Prayer:-

• Pray that the church in Vietnam would continue to grow and be strengthened. Pray that God would provide bibles for the many believers. Pray that leaders will be raised up to teach and disciple the many believers. Pray that the Holy Spirit  will be powerful and active in lives in this land.


• Pray for the church in Iraq as it suffers persecution and attack. Pray that believers will find their comfort and strength in Christ and that they would be courageous in sharing the gospel, making disciples and living out the Christian life.

TUESDAY JANUARY 4, 2011

Read 1 Corinthians 12

As we continue with the imagery of the church we see that it is also  …

The Temple of the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 12:13 makes it clear that the church was brought into being at Pentecost with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The church is indwelt by the Holy Spirit both on an individual basis and on a gathered basis.

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?  1 Cor 6:19 shows that each individual is filled with the Holy Spirit.

Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you (plural) are that temple. 1 Cor 3:16-17 shows that the gathered believers together are also filled with the Holy Spirit.

With the Holy Spirit dwelling in the church and in its members we should see the fruits of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control) being evident and plentiful in the church. These fruits should form the basis of our relationships together.

It is also the Holy Spirit that conveys power to the church. Acts 1:8

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

The Spirit also brings unity to the church. We are given oneness of heart and soul (Acts 4:32) and we are to share our physical possessions as a sign of our unity (Acts 2:44-45, 4:32, 34-35). It is no wonder that Paul wrote Titus 3:10!!!

Finally the Holy Spirit makes the temple (ie the body of Christ) pure and holy:-

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honour God with your body.

We are to be pure and holy and righteous just as the temple was to be pure and holy and righteous. Anyone who entered the  temple/tabernacle without having their sins cleansed was struck down immediately by the Lord.

Prayer:-

• Pray that the church of God in Australia will be filled with the Holy Spirit and able to do the work that God has called it to do. Pray that individuals will be pursuing holiness and closeness to God.

MONDAY JANUARY 3, 2011

Read  Ephesians 4:1-13

Belong To Church

What is the Church?

‘I go to church’. ‘Let’s build a church’. ‘I got nothing out of church today’. ‘I enjoy my church’.  We use the word ‘church’ in a variety of ways but have we ever really stopped to consider what the Bible says of ‘church’? What is it? How is it meant to function? What’s my role at church?

Biblical Images of the Church.

There are several images of the church in the Scriptures.

The People of God.

2 Corinthians 6:16 sums up what the church is.

... For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said, "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people."

The church is a group of people who belong to God and God   belongs to them. In the Old Testament God created a people for Himself. He chose Abraham and from him came a nation which God brought to Himself. Exodus 19:3ff.  1 Peter 2:9-10 applies this directly to the New Testament church.

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.  Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

The people of God have a deep and intimate relationship with God. He cares and provides for them while they respond in holiness and obedience and praise.

The Body of Christ.

The metaphor of the church as the body of Christ focuses on the fact that the church is the centre of Christ’s activity now, just as His body was the centre of activity when He walked on this planet.

Ephesians 1:22-23 talks of the worldwide church as the body of Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:27 talks about the local congregation as the body of Christ. Both are true. By speaking of the body of Christ the interconnectedness of everyone in the church is highlighted.

+ Individually and collectively we are all connected to Christ who is the head of the church.

over everything for the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way. Ephesians 1:22-23

+ The individuals are all connected to each other just as a body is interconnected. Bearing this image in mind, read 1 Corinthians 12.  Each and every believer in the church is a vital part of the church. No one person can claim to be more or less important than any other.

+

• Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 1 Cor 12:7

+ Each and every single person is given a manifestation of the Holy Spirit (ie a gift or blessing to serve with) so that others benefit.  In God’s church we are dependant upon each other and we should work for the good of each other. See also Ephesians 4:11-16.

The implications and application for our lives of this body of Christ metaphor are tremendous and far reaching. Here are a few of these implications and applications. You can, no doubt, add hundreds more to the list:-

1. Jesus is the head of the church. He is our leader and we are to be radically  obedient to Him.

2. Since we are all members of the body we are to be committed to each other (to the body) in sacrificial love just as Jesus was sacrificially committed to us.

3. Each member of the body should seek to use his/her gifts and Spirit manifestations to serve the body.

4. Disunity in the body will not be tolerated by Jesus (see 1 Corinthians 1:11ff

5. Genuine fellowship (open, loving, honest, deep etc etc) is  to characterise the church.

6. The body is to obey the head (Jesus) and we are to fulfil our mission -  to be holy (Leviticus  11:44-45, Mark 12:28ff, 1 Peter 1:16) and to reach the world with the gospel (Matthew 28:18-20) and to build each other up (1 Cor 12:7)

Prayer:-

• Pray that the church in Egypt would be strong and secure in Christ as it faces opposition from many different angles. Pray that the church would shine the light of Jesus powerfully and brightly.


• Pray that our church here would brightly shine Jesus to the world.

SATURDAY JANUARY 1, 2011

Happy New Year

It is my prayer that you have a blessed and productive 2011 as you shine like stars in your world and take forth the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

This study booklet is a little different to what you have been used to. The material presented will simply flow on from day to day as each topic is presented. You could, if you needed to, simply read all the material as a normal booklet. I have broken the reading into the days of the week with prayer points so that you can continue the blessed habit of reading and praying regularly.

As always I encourage you to be prayerful beyond the points listed here. Ask friends, family, brothers and sisters in the Lord regularly how you can be praying for them and add the  prayer points to your list in this reading booklet. But please, remember. God is not a shop assistant or check out operator. He is not a magical genie that gives us our three wishes each day. To help avoid that mentality you can include all the various types of prayers in your quiet time with the Lord.

Adoration is telling God how wonderful He is and how beautiful His character is.  Focus on God’s character and being, His personality and traits.  Use a CD about God’s goodness and sing along. God is pleased with such worship

Confession is admitting your sins and shortfalls to God. Ask Him to forgive you and rejoice in 1 John 1:9.

Thanksgiving is taking the time to thank God for the thing’s He’s done throughout history, at the cross and for you (and in your life personally). Each and every day you should have dozens of things to thank God for.

Supplication is where we bring our needs and concerns to God. This is where you pray for your friends and family and missionary contacts etc.

May God bless you greatly and use you powerfully in 2011.

Pastor Esa Hukkinen

Read Isaiah 58

Conclusion:

Having studied several Sscriptures and having spent the day in prayer, it appears that fasting is a vital and integral part of the believer’s life. Fasting serves several purposes and ends, being chiefly a way to commit oneself to the Lord above all other things, even the need for food.

Fasting is not an activity in and of itself. It is God directed and carried out in humility, obedience and dependence upon the Lord. Without the right heart or attitude, fasting is a waste of time that serves little or no benefit. Even though fasting is God directed, it has benefits for others around us. Our time of abstinence is a time where we can and should focus on the needs of the poor, those needing justice, the underprivileged and so on. It is possible that the food/money saved by our fasting be dedicated to feeding the hungry.

Fasting can be both corporate and private. Privately, fasting is to be done with a spirit of righteousness and humility. All possibilities of self gain, self promotion and public gaining approval are to be rejected and avoided. Corporately, we are called to fast when collective repentance is needed, when elders are elected and committed to the Lord, when corporate decisions/answers from the Lord are needed and so on.

By all teachings of Scripture, Christians can and should fast for a variety of reasons. Fasting is appropriate when:-

• repentance is called for


• a particular meeting with God is required


• an answer for God is required


• sin needs to be overcome


• elders are elected/chosen and brought before the Lord.

Again scripturally speaking fasting has benefits or blessings associated with it. In particular God promises to hear us and answer us when we fast with a right spirit and attitude.  He promises to let our righteousness shine, to bring healing and wholeness and to guide us.  Indeed Jesus Himself promised that humble, sincere fasting will bring heavenly reward.