God is not ashamed

"That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them." - Hebrews 11:16

These words struck me as deeply profound. The writer of Hebrews points out that God is NOT ashamed to be called their God. 

Even after all that had happened, and how the Israelites had let God down, God was still prepared to be seen as their Saviour. And what is more, he was also willing to prepare a city (home) for them.

Thought: How does it make you feel to know that God is proud to be called your 'Heavenly Father?'

Living in Grace

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What is Faith?

In answer to the question, What is Faith? there are thousands of responses. The Bible gives us many insights into the experience of faith, as well as examples of many faithful people. If I asked you the same question today, what would your response be?

What is faith?

Hebrews 11:1 gives us one of the clearest answers to this question. It says:

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." - NRSV

Putting this into contemporary language, J. Packer writes:

“Christian hope expresses knowledge that every day of his life, and every moment beyond it, the believer can say with truth, on the basis of God's own commitment, that the best is yet to come.” - J. I. Packer

Living in Grace

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The riddle of the Universe

The Universe is a complex system that we only know a small fraction of. However, as Christians, we believe that when we come to know the Author of Life, we get closer to understanding the heartbeat of this universe. 

Michael Green reflects on how the Holy Spirit changed the lives of the disciples so much, that it was as if they had discovered the 'riddle of the universe' and they were prepared to live and die for it. 

“Here were men and women of every rank and station in life, of every country in the known world, so convinced that they had discovered the riddle of the universe, so sure of the one true God whom they had come to know, that nothing must stand in the way of their passing on this good news to others….”

Hebrews 11:3 - By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

Thought: Are you still looking for the answers to Life? Why not place your trust in the Author of all Life?

Living in Grace

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Rewards

  

Hebrews 11:6 – “God rewards those who sincerely seek him.”

Does this Scripture mean that "when we seek God's face,  God will reward our efforts and answer our prayers?" OR does it mean that "our sincere prayers are always answered by God, not matter what the answers are?" I am sometimes left wrestling with what this means. What do you think?

Or maybe it has to do with the first part of the verse that speaks about how we need 'faith' to please God - that our simple asking in faith is all that God requires of us. Just as a child believes their parents will answer their requests, so we need to trust in God's ability to answer our prayers.  Any thoughts?

Living in Grace

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Birth pains and new beginnings

Our kids started new schools today and there was a great sense of nervousness in our house this morning. If you have ever relocated then you know exactly what was happening in our home - moments of excitement, silence, anxiety, questions and finally moving towards the car for the trip to school.

New beginnings can be tough. They can move us way beyond the comfort of the 'ordinary' and the 'usual status quo.' However, they can also teach us many things and fill us with new possibilities and joy.

In fact, this whole experience reminds me of 'birth pains' (not that I had to go through them personally, but I watched Kim go through the pains :). The joy of new birth is always preceded by pain, anxiety, worry, questions, excitement and finally that moment when all the action starts.

That fragile moment that separates pre-birth from birth; or from pre-change to change, is the occasion for FAITH. Moving from one place to the other, with no certainty of the outcome, is definitely an act of TRUST. It is all about believing that God has your back and that God will make a way.

Don't be afraid to go through 'birth pains', especially when we can trust in the grace of God.

Hebrews 11:8 - "By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going."

Living in Grace
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It is not a Sprint!

After our lovely relaxing holiday we have already hit the ground running. A new year, new school experiences for the boys, new adventures in ministry and a whole lot of other things, all acting  simultaneously, have made us a little breathless.

But, then I was reminded, LIFE is not a SPRINT, it is a marathon. If you are finding yourself in the same position as we are - take stock and remind yourself that you can't run through life at a SPRINT. Sure, we can try, but in the end, we will hit the wall and then be forced to rest.

I am trying to heed my own advice, but let's remember these words from Paul - may they motivate us to run with endurance.

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us." - Hebrews 12:1

May God's Grace be upon you today,
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Who are your Heroes of Faith?

Trying to make a list of the influential heroes of the Christian faith is a tough exercise. If you have never thought about it, who would be in your top 5. Which five people have shaped your Christian faith in such a way that you would refer to them as Heroes of the Faith?

I realise that a lot of the people I look up to are no longer alive. Many of them shaped the History of the Church and were hugely influential in their generations. Take for example, people like Tertullian, Justin Martyr, Anthony the Great, Thomas Aquinas, John Wesley, Martin Luther, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Jim Elliot, Corrie Ten Boom, Mother Theresa .... the list goes on.

Someone that I often quote is Thomas a Kempis and so undoubtedly I would call him a "hero of the faith" for me. Another one would be C.S. Lewis and even Charles Spurgeon. Wow, it is hard to narrow them down to just a handful.

The Bible has a great list of some heroes of Faith. You can find it in chapter 11 of Hebrews. Take a read of that list when you get a moment.

Please let me know who you consider to be a hero of the faith. I would love to hear from you.

"This embrace of God sets ablaze a fire within the soul with which the whole soul burns for Christ. It also produces a light so great that the soul understands the fullness of God's goodness, which it experiences in itself, and which is, moreover, much greater than the soul's experience of it. The effect then of this fire within the soul is to render it certain and secure that Christ is within it. And yet, what we have said is nothing in comparison to what this experience really is." - Angela of Foligno

Living in Grace
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