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God loves the world incredibly to have sent his son to die for it and bring the good news of eternal salvation by faith in Jesus.
He loves it still through the continued proclamation of the good news from the Bible through the church and Christians.
It is I who doesn’t love the world enough or not understand how to when I don’t share this amazing news of Jesus salvation through the Gospel to a world in dire need of it; under judgement and headed to eternal judgement.
It is I who doesn’t love my friends and family enough when I don’t express love in this godly and eternal way by telling them about Jesus offer in his Gospel.
I repent of this grave sin and pray for courage and confidence to share this news and to keep doing so in prayer that as many may turn to God and live fully for him ahead of his return to bring about the perfect new creation.
If I believe the Gospel and love my family, friends and colleagues and I think I do, then I want them above everything else to be on God’s side and be living for King Jesus to be there in the new creation with him forever.
So help me God in this life to live for this as a faithful disciple. Amen.
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Month: November 2017
Biblical Giving
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Prosperity teaching
Giving is motivated by a greedy pastor and a greedy and naive congregation who want God to serve their cravings for material prosperity. The pastor says, the Lord blesses materially and I’m a living witness but truth is the congregation is the one who has blessed the pastor thanks to their money. What a shame!
Legalism
You have to give, you must tithe, the Bible says so or your will be cursed. Do so and you will be blessed. Bring every penny so says the pastor. And the congregation does this because like the pastor they don’t understand the whole scripture and who wants to be cursed. And of course we could do with a blessing. How miserable!
Biblical teaching
We live in a world under God’s judgement that is headed toward worse eternal judgement but in Jesus we have a great loving Saviour who saves us from this judgement and gives us assurance of eternal judgement. We rejoice in this amazing Gospel, we are grateful of this Saviour and believe this to be the true Gospel.
And the great news is that Jesus is not just a Saviour of a few but the whole world, all those who would believe in him. As our Lord and Saviour we delight in his will that many may be saved and this is our mission. So we give our lives, we give our resources, our strength and ability, skills and gifts to serve our Lord before the glorious future that he brings in the new creation.
And if this Gospel is such good news and we believe it to be so and we want people to be saved then it only follows we would do everything we can to serve Jesus and reach the world with his Gospel.
We don’t give to manipulate God and force is hand. We don’t give out of ignorance and scary warnings of naive preachers. We give because we love Jesus. We give because Jesus is our Lord. We give because we would love the world to be saved through the preaching of the Gospel. We give what we can, if possible we would give more because we believe the Gospel and in God’s plan for the world.
References
Study the Gospels.
Read the Old Testament in light of the New.
Read the Epistles.
Well, study the whole Bible.
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Thank God for his Word
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We delight in your Word dear Lord!
Ours eyes tremble with excitement as we study
Shaking our voices as we read and ponder on them
How we rejoice in the preaching of your Word!
Oh! how we pray that the world would turn to hear
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That they would turn to listen to your amazing Word
To pay attention to the only life giving word
To hear of the great news of your salvation
The amazing news of your forgiveness
And the free offer of eternal life by faith in Jesus
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How outrageous, that we would give our ear to another!
Paying attention to anything other than your Word
Why would we incline our ears to any other voice?
Would we not be the most ridiculous of men to turn from your teaching?
And the most reckless to disregard your warning?
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Deny us the fleeting joy of heeding other voices.
Forbid that we would crave anything other than your living Word.
For the words of men are like wind but your Word is a fortress
Lasting for generations after generations
And giving life to those who cling on them
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Thank you Lord for your Word
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Loving people, Jesus style.
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As Christians, our love for people is not dependent on how lovable they are but on how Jesus has loved us and loved them.
This is true for those perishing but also for those living in assurance of eternal life by faith in Jesus.
As Christians, our love for people is not dependent on how lovable they are but on how Jesus has loved us and loved them.
This is true for those perishing but also for those living in assurance of eternal life by faith in Jesus.
It is particularly true for those we would expect more from but are bound to disappoint us. We are to love them not because it’s easy and deserved but because Jesus loves us, them included.
And if Jesus be the foundation of love then his Gospel has to be the expression of love.
We cannot claim to love people, Jesus style unless we are giving them his Gospel.
Do we suppose to be better than him who expressed his love by dying for a condemned people to be saved?
We cannot claim to love people, Jesus style unless we are giving them his Gospel.
Do we suppose to be better than him who expressed his love by dying for a condemned people to be saved?
Worse are we better than God whose utmost expression of love was to give his son to die that man might be saved?
If we think we understand the love of God in Jesus and want to express this to our friends, family and the world, we must come to the obvious and only conclusion that loving them involves telling them about Jesus and his offer of eternal life by faith. This is true love.
Do you love them? Have you therefore told or planning to tell them about Jesus?
Do you love them? Have you therefore told or planning to tell them about Jesus?
Do you love Jesus? Are you planning then to express that love the way he desires, his style the Biblical way? Tell someone about him, that’s loving Jesus and loving that person.
Let’s not kid ourselves as Christians that we can express love in any other way unless the Gospel be at the heart of what we do and what we are about.
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Bible references
Romans 5:5-8
John 3:16, 17;26
Are you in the dark?
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How is it going to end?
Where exactly is this world headed?
What happens in the end?
Will death have the final say?
Is there an after death life?
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Whether your life is great or miserable
These are questions you must consider
Will your great life end in meaningless?
Are you doomed in misery, pain and death?
When it all ends, what will be its end?
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Few want to think of these questions
They are surely bothersome and terrifying
A few seem to be convinced about the end?
But do you know how it is going to end for you?
Are you in the dark about the end?
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That there is an end is sure and inescapable
We might miss the sunlight tomorrow, not the end
Global warming might be a hoax, but not so with the end
There are rumours of war but the end is sure
What is this end then? How will it come?
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There is a day, sure than yesterday
When Jesus will come to judge the world
A guaranteed end for the sinner and saint
An end of eternal bliss or unthinkable damnation
How will it end for you?
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You shouldn’t live in the dark forever
For a great light shines in this darkness
A light from the world beyond death
An assurance of salvation from the sure unpleasant end
The gospel of Jesus is the light for all who would believe
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You don’t have to live in the dark any longer?
Why live in uncertainty when the future can be known?
Don’t we all crave a secure certain future? Try eternity
Come to Jesus, never to walk blind of the eternal future
See the king of the glorious future is calling to save you
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