The Call to a New Beginning

Isaiah 1:18-20

 

Advent means to come from Latin.  Christians observe the season of Advent as they prepare for the coming of Jesus and Christmas. This tradition goes back to the early church history.

 God chose the people of Israel to be His people, so they could witness to the world God's glory. God gave His laws and expected them to be obedient to Him and His laws.

 The Israelites were to follow God and give glory to God wherever they went. The Israelites did not keep up with God's expectations and failed to show God's glory.

 God called His people to return. God used His prophet Isaiah to call back his children, the Israelites, to repent. Those who repented and returned to God experienced God's blessings. However, many did not return and continued to sin.

 Today Christians already experience the redemption of God, but we continue to wait for the final redemption of Christ's return. We need to prepare our hearts for the return of the Lord.

Advent is a call to return to a new healthy beginning with our Father. Isaiah 1 starts off with God lamenting how the Israelites have abandoned God and His laws. The Israelites gave up their identity.

Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the Lord has spoken: “Children have I reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against me.  The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master’s crib, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.”  Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly! They have forsaken the Lord, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are utterly estranged.  Why will you still be struck down? Why will you continue to rebel? The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.

Isaiah 1:2‭-‬5 ESV

 

For us to return to God, we must remember who we are. If our desire is getting right again with God, we need to acknowledge who we are in God's kingdom. We cannot return to God’s kingdom if we do not know that we are away from His kingdom. From Isaiah we read that even the farm animals knew their place whereas the Israelites did not know their place or who they were.

 

In Isaiah 1, we understand this was a time when the people of Israel were wealthy and creating relationships with other nations for support and security. They turned away from God for complete reliance and tried to find other idols for control. Much like the Israelites, we find idols to give us support, comfort, and security.

 

The question of origin needs to be on our minds constantly if we are going to be compelled to follow Christ is all aspects of our life. We need to ask why we are in our situations as Christians. Moreover, we are governed by the word of God. God's word should shape every action we do. Every time we choose to rebel against God, we hurt the heart of God directly. This hurt against God hurts us, the sinners, more.

 

What exactly does it mean to rebel against God? This is not someone who falls into sin, but those people who continue in sin and do not try to change their ways.

 

No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

1 John 3:6‭, ‬16 ESV

 

In 1 John, the author tells us that if we, Christians, do fall into sin, we must repent, and Jesus will forgive us.

 

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

1 John 2:1 ESV

 

We also need to acknowledge our sinful ways and repent. The Lord will convict us, but we need to be self-aware of our erroneous ways. There will come times when God will reveal to us how we are not following God's ways. However, we try to find excuses for our erroneous ways, or we try to justify the way we live. The result is that we do not return to God. Slowly the Israelites’ trust and the dependence in God started to deteriorate until it became a big problem. From there, the Israelites started to really suffer.

 

Why will you still be struck down? Why will you continue to rebel? The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.   From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it, but bruises and sores and raw wounds; they are not pressed out or bound up or softened with oil.  Your country lies desolate; your cities are burned with fire; in your very presence foreigners devour your land; it is desolate, as overthrown by foreigners.  And the daughter of Zion is left like a booth in a vineyard, like a lodge in a cucumber field, like a besieged city.   If the Lord of hosts had not left us a few survivors, we should have been like Sodom, and become like Gomorrah.

Isaiah 1:5‭-‬9 ESV

 

God convicts us because He loves us and never gives up on us. We need to allow God to heal us even if it hurts.

 

We are only going to return to God if we repent and truly worship Him. The children of Israel continued with rituals and sacrifices, but their hearts were not with God. The Israelites were hypocrites in that they went through the ceremonies and said the words but kept on sinning and living lives that did not please God. Today, many Christians are also hypocrites like the Israelites.

 

When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood.   Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.

Isaiah 1:15‭-‬17 ESV

We do need to return to God, but it is not enough to say that we are sorry. We need to repent of our ways and stop our evil practices.

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

James 4:8 ESV

 

“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.   If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land.

Isaiah 1:18‭-‬19 ESV

 

During Advent, let us remember who we are in Christ, acknowledge our sins and shortcomings, so that we may be able to truly repent in our desire to return to God and live the life that pleases Him.

The Favour Found in Your Striving to Live in Unity

John 17:9-23

Whenever God calls people, He calls them out of their normal life to serve them. Whenever God calls them to follow Him, He gives them a new identity and a new lifestyle or culture that matches their new identity. For example, we have from the bible that Abram becomes Abraham, and Jacob becomes Israel.

    Jesus gives a new identity which is a culture of unity. In John 17: 9-23, we read in Jesus prays that God will keep them and help them to live in unity. As Christians, how are we supporting this community of unity?

    

    Why does Jesus emphasize the unity of oneness with His followers. It is because of the essence of the Godhead is unity. A follower of Christ will pursue after harmony with everyone. Failure to agree with    one another is not the culture of Christ. When Christians fails to forgive someone or to reconcile with others, that Christian needs to question whether the Lord has complete control over our lives.

    There must have been dissension and conflict within the group of believers and even in the leadership. This is most likely the reason Jesus prays so fervently that God will help keep them in His word.

And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.

John 17:11 ESV

    We have to be submissive to the word or command of the Lord. We need to go back to chapter 15 to have a better understanding of what "keep in your name," means.

If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.    “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

John 15:10‭, ‬12 ESV

There are moments that keeping the culture of unity is difficult  Forgiving, loving and reconciliation can be difficult. Jesus understood this and offers to help us to do this. We might not be able to love each other, but in Jesus, He can do this for us. Jesus also tells us his commandments that we might have joy.

But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.

John 17:13 ESV

    The culture of unity starts with the people closest around us. We glorify the Father by forgiving others and allowing others to humiliate us.  It is not easy, but God can give us the strength to overcome.

    Jesus also wants us to have effective prayers, but this cannot happen unless we abide in Jesus. That is to follow Jesus' command to love one another. Our prayers might not be answered if we are not in unity.

“Truly, truly, I say to you,   whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I   am going to the Father.  Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If you ask me  anything in my name, I will do it.

John 14:12‭-‬14 ESV

If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

John 15:7 ESV

    The world will hate us because it is against Jesus. The world represents the powers of darkness. This world does not want you to gain salvation of through the word. Many Christians will fail in their walk with Christ. We need to reach out and help them who have fallen. Instead many of us make fun or hurt them further.

But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.  I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

John 17:13‭-‬14 ESV

    The call to keep unity with one another allows us to stay in unity with God. This healthy relationship with God is necessary. God has forgiven us, so we too need to forgive others. We have a responsibility to forgive or the relationship with the Father will be tainted.

that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.  The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one,  I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.

John 17:21‭-‬23 ESV

    Let's strive towards unity with one another as the Godhead is unified in love, so that we may experience the joy of Christ and effective prayers. 

Found Your Strength in the Physically Absent Lord

John 16:4-15

 Jesus speaks to His disciples on the eve before his death. Jesus tells His disciples that He is going to leave them. The disciples are worried what will happen to them. Jesus needs to assure the disciples that there is help coming to allow them to overcome. Whenever there were problems, Jesus defended them and solved the problems with wisdom and miracles.

 The truth is that the disciples had also realized that Jesus was more than what they thought He was. The disciples now had to believe in someone that they did not really or completely understand. Although this was the same Jesus they first met, Jesus was not exactly who they thought he was.

 As modern day Christians, we go through experiences that we do not see Jesus or His influence in the situation. Sometimes are knowledge of God does not give us satisfactory answers and we become discouraged.

 Jesus assures the disciples that He is going to send the Holy Spirit to help the disciples.

Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.

John 16:7 ESV

 During the hard times when Jesus seems to be physically absent, but we need to understand that Jesus is in Heaven and with the Father. This is the place of unlimited power. Jesus was there in the beginning and returns to the Father.

But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’

John 16:5 ESV

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.

John 1:1‭-‬3 ESV

 Even when things are bad, Jesus is in control. God has glorified Jesus and given Jesus all authority. We should rejoice that Jesus is in control and allows all things to happen.

He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.  All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

John 16:14‭-‬15 ESV

 The helper is here to help us when things are bad. Yes, Jesus allows our situations to become difficult or painful; however, Jesus will send the Holy Spirit to help the disciples to overcome. The Holy Spirit will give us counsel so that we may know what to do and how we may glorify God.

 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.

John 16:13 ESV

 God will give us strength to get over difficult times. 

He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.  Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:29‭-‬31 ESV

 The Lord Jesus does expect us to accept His grace and be obedient. We still have to accept the guidance from the Holy Spirit. If we do not follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we will find ourselves in pain resisting the spirit. The guidance is to give us security. Moreover God will be glorified when we obediently listen to the Holy Spirit.

He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

John 16:14 ESV

If Jesus is sovereign in our lives, we need to ask ourselves what is it that Jesus is doing in our lives is. Whenever Jesus seems absent, it is a call to acknowledge Jesus' sovereign power. We need to let Jesus be in control and take comfort in the direction He leads us, so that we may glorify God in our obedience.

"Be Faithful to the End"(Hebrews 3:12-19)

 Be Faithful to the End

Hebrews 3:12-19

Hebrews is an epistle. We do not know who wrote the epistle, but we do know it was written for Jewish Christians between 50 and 100 AD. Some of the audience had actually seen and heard Jesus while he was on earth while others had only heard of Jesus in sermons. At this time, Christians were being persecuted by Roman empire and many Christians may have been questioning their choices to remain faithful because of the suffering from persecution. Therefore the letter was written for encouragement

The main themes of Hebrews is Jesus' supremacy and warnings against apostacy. Christians who were questioning their faith may have been looking for comfort or salvation in something other than Jesus. In Hebrews 3:12 there is a strong warning to check our hearts.

Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.

Hebrews 3:12 ESV

There is an evil that rejects God through unbelief. This is a willful unbelief that keeps us from salvation. In fact, it is our unbelief that will lead us to walk away and reject God.

For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

Romans 1:20 ESV

We are all called to encourage each other and keep each other in check. Just like pastors or shepherds, as a congregation, we have a responsibility to care for our fellow believers, too. We also need to do this today, right now.

But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

Hebrews 3:13 ESV

We also need to be aware of sin and how dangerous it is. Christians must understand that the devil wants us to fall away from God in sin. Jesus even tells us that just because we call Him Lord, it does not mean He will recognize us.

And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

Matthew 7:23 ESV

This passage is directed towards believers. It is quoted from Psalm 95 vs 7-8. Although the Israelites believed that God existed, they doubted that God was trustworthy. As Christians, we know God exists, but do we truly trust God? 

For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. As it is said, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”

Hebrews 3:14‭-‬15 ESV

For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness,

Psalm 95:7‭-‬8 ESV

We are reminded not to make the mistake of not trusting God. We are to put our faith in God. What will happen if we do not put our faith in God.

For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.

Hebrews 3:16‭-‬19 ESV

The result would be that we would not enter Heaven and rest in God.

The epistle's message still carries truth from the ages. Let us encourage one another and examine our hearts so that we may increase our faith in God in all aspects of our lives.

How to Abide in the Lord as His Branch 

John 15:1-14 

There are two truths which apply to all Christians. The first truth of a Christian is that life flows through us through Jesus Christ, and we have hope that we will go to Heaven where Jesus is waiting for us. The second truth of a Christian is that we need to abide in Jesus who is the vine in order that we can produce fruit. As branches, we will also be pruned to produce more fruit. It is not by our ability to become branches, but it is Jesus. We are, in fact, the product of what Jesus has given us. 

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 

John 15:1 ESV 

It is also not enough to be a branch in the vine. We do have a responsibility to accept what Jesus has given us and abide in Jesus. 

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 

John 15:4 ESV 

Every one of us has access to the resources of Jesus. We just need to take and utilize these resources or we will be malnourished. Of course, it is not enough just to be nourished passively by Jesus, we also need to be active and purposeful in accepting the strength from Jesus as we abide in him. 

The question everyone then asks is, “How do we abide in Jesus?” The first way we can abide in Jesus is through the act of obedience. This is the way that will bring joy in our lives. Also, we have the responsibility to obey Jesus. When we say that we follow or abide in Christ, it means we accept what Jesus has commanded. 

If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. 

John 15:10-11 ESV 

The act of abiding in Jesus requires endurance and sacrifice. Jesus would not have told the disciples to abide in Him unless things were going to be difficult. Jesus knows there would be threats against the disciples to dissuade them from following Jesus. 

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 

John 15:4 ESV 

As Christians we will experience situations that will affect our faith. There will be moments when the promises of God do not seem to have manifested in the ways we thought they would. Yet, we need to press on against sin and take on our role to be followers of Christ. 

In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 

Hebrews 12:4 ESV 

This also means we need to embrace Jesus' pruning. Pruning involves two types of branching cutting. Those branches which do not bear fruit are cut off from the vine and thrown away. The farmers using large machetes have no love loss for cutting off those worthless branches from their life source. The branches that are bearing fruit are pruned by trimming back carefully the branches with pruning shears, so that life will continue in the most productive way. 

There are many things in our lives that distract us from serving God completely. Some of those things may be needed in our lives for a short, but are then removed do we can grow. Other things in our lives may be separating us from God, so God needs to remove them. In our Christian journey, we need to take on our responsibility of accepting Jesus words and commands. We need to accept our pruning so we may grow to produce good, pleasing fruit for God.