Winter In The Forest

God's Glory Displayed in

Winter Capped Trees
Sweden

For Many People When They Think

of The Book of Revelation it conjures up images of God's judgment upon a godless earth. However, a careful reading of the letters to the seven churches, recorded in the second and third chapters, reveal many wonderful promises that the Lord has made to those who are a part of his family.

The following is a list of these promises:

1. "To everyone who is victorious I will give fruit from the tree of life in the paradise of God." (Rev. 2:7)
2. "if you remain faithful even when facing death, I will give you the crown of life." (Rev. 2:10)
3. "Whoever is victorious will not be harmed by the second death." (Rev. 2:11)
4. "To everyone who is victorious I will give some of manna that has been hidden away in heaven. (Rev. 2:17)
5. And I will give to each one a white stone, and on the stone will be engraved a new name that no one understands except the one who receives it." (Rev. 2:17)
6. "To all who are victorious, who obey me to the very end. To them I will give authority over all the nations. They will rule the nations with an iron rod and smash them like clay pots. (Rev. 2:26-27)
7. They will have the same authority I received from my Father, and I will also give them the morning star! (Rev. 2:28)
8. "All who are victorious will be clothed in white. (Rev. 3:5)
9. I will never erase their names from the Book of Life, but I will announce before my Father and his angels that they are mine." (Rev. 3:5)
10. "All who are victorious will become pillars in the Temple of my God, and they will never have to leave it. (Rev. 3:12)
11. And I will write on them the name of my God and they will be citizens in the city of my God...And I will also write on them my new name." (Rev. 3:12)
12. "Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne." (Rev. 3:21)
    

When one reads such a list of promises the magnitude of it is simply overwhelming. Believers in Jesus Christ have the great expectation of being join-heirs with him throughout eternity!

Victory, position and citizenship is the eternal reality for those who by faith have trusted in the Lamb of God!

Copyright. Bruce January 2006

Note: All quotes taken from the New Living Translation Second Edition.

A Winter's Day in Sweden

Wet snow coating the
trees making for
a wintery fairyland

Do You Really Appreciate The Fact That

the mercy of God is shown "from generation to generation to all who fear him" (Luke 1:50). From God's perspective mercy is a key element in his plan for humanity. Without his mercy we would be doomed. In God's eyes death is the penalty for sin. At birth we enter the world already spiritually dead and in time physical death will be the reality for every person. If it were not for God's mercy all of humanity would spend an eternity in the terrors of hell away from the presence of the Lord. However, for those who put their trust in Jesus Christ he extends mercy.

From the moment of Adam and Eve's fall into sin (Gen 3:6) God's mercy has been evident. It was initially displayed when God did not immediately put them to death for their disobedience. Several verses later the first veiled reference to the redemptive work of Christ is recorded: "I will cause hostility between you and the woman and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head and you will strike his heel" (Gen 3:15). Satan would sense victory but Christ would strike the fatal blow to the head of the evil one.

God's mercy is seen throughout Scripture. The Israelites had been forced into slavery in the land of Egypt for many years. They were constantly mistreated by their task masters. One day, while Moses was working as a shepherd in the wilderness of Midian (Exodus 3:2) God appeared to him in a burning bush. The Lord indicated that he was aware of Israel's suffering "so I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians" (Exodus 3:7-8) and Moses, you are my chosen one for the job. In his perfect timing the Lord was about to extend mercy to his chosen people.

Jesus often showed mercy to those he came in contact with as he walked throughout the land of Palestine. For example a man approached Jesus asking for the extension of mercy towards his son who was troubled with seizures (Matthew 17:15). On another occasion 10 lepers cried out "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" (Luke 17:13). In both cases mercy was extended as healing was given.

God's extension of mercy in practical day to day issues is only of value in terms of time and space --- the here-and-now. His greatest mercy is extended in relation to the spiritual dimension of our existence. This is his willingness to extend salvation to those who believe upon the name of Jesus. The Apostle Peter brings this truth home in a powerful way when he states "It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead...and we have a priceless inheritance...that is kept in heaven for you" (1 Peter 1:3-4).

Does the Lord extend his mercy to all people? The answer is no! God said to Moses "I will show mercy to anyone I choose and I will show compassion to anyone I choose" (Romans 9:14). Jesus makes it very clear that God's mercy is only extended to those who are elected when he stated "no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me and at the last day I will raise them up" (John 6:44).

When humanity fell God was not under any obligation to extend mercy to any of his creation. Everyone deserved the punishment of external separation and damnation. The remarkable thing is that the Lord has seen fit to extend his mercy to even the few who have believed.

Copyright. Bruce January 2006

Note: All quotes taken from the New Living Translation Second Edition.

The Canal's of Venice

Travelling the Canal's of Venice

while time stands still!

When Was the Last Time you Thought About the Holiness of God

and reflected on how it should affect the way you look at life? Mary in her song of praise in Luke 1:49 refers to God as being holy. Holiness is at the very centre of the nature of God. Yet it is something that we seem to take so much for granted today. Many are willing to acknowledge the love and compassion of God. It is, however, no longer politically correct to focus on his holiness because it has the potential to make us feel uncomfortable.

The problem with this perspective is that refusing to think about it does not negate the reality of this central characteristic of God. We are to stand in awe of the holiness of God. It is to have a powerful effect upon how we live our lives.

During their years of wandering in the wilderness, Moses and Aaron were commanded by the Lord to tell the Israelites that they "must be holy because I am holy" (Lev 11:45). God gave them no room for compromise in this regard. This truth is also taught in the New Testament by the Apostle Peter. In his first letter he tells his readers "you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy" (1 Peter 1:15).

The Bible paints a picture of how people in biblical times experienced and reacted to God's holiness. Moses, when confronted by God from the burning bush was told to "Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground" (Exodus 3:5). When the commander of the Lord's army (the pre-incarnate Christ) approached Joshua before the battle for Jericho, the leader of the Israelites' reaction was to "fall with his face to the ground in reverence" and ask "What do you want your servant to do?" (Joshua 5:14).

Scripture teaches that God's holiness, reflected in the brilliance of his being, was something that was to be feared. Moses, at one point, asked God to show him his glorious presence. The Lord responded by indicating that "...you may not look directly at my face, for no one may see me and live" but I will "let you see me from behind. But my face will not be seen." (Ex. 33:20,23). God lives in and radiates incredible holiness and glory.

God's holiness is also the central theme to the angelic hosts. We experience a glimpse of this in the book of Revelation as the angels are involved in heavenly worship. The angelic beings who are serving before the Father are presented as constantly saying "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty --- the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come" (Rev. 4:8).

Why do we feel so uncomfortable regarding God's holiness? It is because holiness is incompatible with sin. This means that God's holiness ultimately demands judgment.

When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden they were expelled from the garden and were cursed by God for their disobedience (Gen 3:16-19). When sin became so great in the time of Noah, God determined to destroy all life by a great flood except for those in the ark. One day in the future, God's judgment will fall upon all of unregenerate humanity during the time of the Great Tribulation. An angel describes God in relation to this Divine wrath as being "just...because you have sent these judgment...your judgments are true and just" (Rev. 16:5,7).

When one finally comes to grips with God's holiness we are confronted with the true essence of his divine nature. The result is a revolutionized understanding of God and how we must relate to him if we are to become more conformed to his holiness.

Copyright. Bruce January 2006

Note: All quotes taken from the New Living Translation Second Edition.

Winter In Winnipeg, Manitoba

A Cold Crisp Afternoon!
But Spring is Coming!

How Often Does Your Soul And Spirit

feel like praising and rejoicing in the Lord God Almighty? If you are like the average follower of Christ this attitude is as changing as the rushing of the ocean tide. As she reflected on the great honour of becoming the mother of God's own Son, Mary, in her hymn of praise, indicated that she knew what it was like to rejoice "in God my Savior!” (Luke 1:47).

As Jesus grew up and she had to struggled with the insinuation that Jesus was illegitimate (John 8:41) and as later on she witnessed his crucifixion there must have been times when she found it virtually impossible to praise and rejoice in her God. The inspired words she spoke under the direction of the Holy Spirit at the time of the Lord's miraculous promise did not make her immune to such future struggles.

When thing are going great there is the tendency to be so focused on "what we have accomplished" that one often forgets to thank God and praise him for those wonderful and positive things that are taking place in our lives. It is easy to become incredibly self-satisfied and feel that God owes us whatever we personally desire. This kind of thinking will lead us into a similar trap that the disciples of Jesus' experienced.

One day James and John the sons of Zebedee brought their mother with them to make a request of Jesus. Simply put, their mum asked that her "two sons sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left" (Matthew 17:21) when the Kingdom of God is established. The Scripture does not tell us who came up with the idea. However, one thing is certain the substance of the subject matter was unacceptable in the eyes of their fellow disciples and in the eyes of Jesus himself. Praise and rejoicing had been replaced by personal greed and pride.

The other disciples are described as being "indignant" about the self-centred request (Matthew 20:24). Most likely this was not a righteous indignation based on an attitude of selflessness but rather a response based on jealousy. Probably they had been secretly harbouring the same desires!

Jesus' two fold response was direct and to the point. First, "You don't know what you are asking" (Mat 20:22) and secondly "I have no right to say who will sit on my right or my left. My Father has prepared those places for the ones he has chosen" (Mat 20:23).

Remarkably, when things are not going well we often find it easier to praise God. Testing has its own way of opening our spiritual eyes and drawing us into a closer communion with God. In the book of Job we read about a man who was going through incredible suffering. His physical tribulations were so great that "he cursed the day of his birth" (Job 3:1) and wailed "Why wasn't I born dead? Why didn't I die as I came from the womb?" (Job 3:11).

However, in his distress, Job though struggling greatly proceeded to make one of the greatest statements of confidence and praise recorded in the Old Testament Scriptures. Responding to the critical comments of a man named Bildad Job stated "But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last. And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God! I will see him for myself. Yes, I will see him with my own eyes. I am overwhelmed at the thought!" (Job 19:25-27).

Our soul regularly needs to praise and rejoice in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We need to develop and maintain the attitude of thankfulness when things are going well. We also require the discipline to develop the affinity to rise above our troubles and give glory to God in times of bleakness. Unfortunately, neither of these disciplines come naturally to most people and therefore they need to be carefully cultivated within our lives.

Copyright. Bruce January 2006

Note: All quotes taken from the New Living Translation Second Edition.

A Quiet Morning Moment

Peaceful Early Morning
Edam --- Netherlands

For Many, Life is a Series of "What If's"

or "What Could Have Beens." Have you ever asked yourself "what if" or "what could have been" questions? If you haven't you are quite unusual. Maybe at times you have wondered "what would my life have been like if my family had been more affluent?"

In times of contemplation you may have mulled over the thought "what if I had gone further in school or pursued a different major at the graduate level?" Occasionally, many are given over to considerations related to "what if I had made a different choice at one of the major cross-roads in my life?" It is also possible that you have even wondered what the impact on your life would have been if your ancestors had handled their lives differently.

This last question is one that Joseph the husband of Mary the "stepfather" of Jesus might have asked himself. He could track his ancestors right back to King David (Luke 3:23-32). How different his life might have been if the kings of Judah had been God-fearing men. The line of David may still have been sitting on the throne in Joseph's day experiencing the blessings of God. If that had been the case Joseph most likely would not have been a poor carpenter living in places such as Bethlehem, exile in Egypt and the disreputable town of Nazareth.

The decline and fall of Judah is recorded for us in the biblical account of 1st and 2nd Kings. During the reign of Jehoiakim, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon invaded the land of Judah for the first of three times. He did the same thing during the times of King Jehoiachin and King Zedekiah (See 2 Kings chapter 24). In the end all the people of Judah except the poorest had been taken captive to Babylon (2 Kings 25:12). In Joseph's day Rome had replaced Babylon as the oppressor of the people.

But God had a special plan for Joseph. It was better than being a part of an earthly kingly family. He was entrusted along with Mary to raise in his household the one who would eventually become the "Lord of all lords and King of all kings" (Rev. 17:14). In Joseph's life the earthly "could have beens" was replaced with the divine "appointment".

There is nothing wrong in musing about the "what ifs" of life. However, it is more important to focus on and be sensitive to the leading of Jesus Christ in our lives through the working of the Holy Spirit. If we have had disappointments in life related to the "could have beens" we must be able to say like the Apostle Paul "...Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus is calling us" (Philippians 3:13-14). When this is the case we like Joseph can view the events of our lives as "divine appointments".

Copyright. Bruce January 2006

Note: All quotes taken from the New Living Translation Second Edition.

Just As In the Days of James Herriot

Cows block a roadway in Yorkshire

Have You Ever Wondered What it Would Be Like

to have a perfect child? Joseph and Mary had such a child! Mary was the mother of Jesus and Joseph was the man God the Father entrusted to function as Jesus' earthly "stepfather".

Mary and Joseph realized from the very beginning that Jesus was an unusual child. Mary was told by an angel that she, while still a virgin, would have a child by the power of the Holy Spirit and that he would be called the Son of God (Luke 1:35).

On three separate occasions an angel spoke to Joseph. The first time was to advise him that he should "not be afraid to take Mary" as his wife because the child she was carrying had been conceived by the Holy Spirit (Mat 1:20-21). The second time was after the visit of the magi when he was told by an angel to "Get up! Flee to Egypt" because King Herod wants to kill the child (Mat. 2:13). The final time was when Herod had died and an angel told Joseph it was safe to return to Israel (Mat 2:19-21).

Then there were the words of the shepherds (Luke 2:16-20) followed by the prophecies of Simeon and Anna at the time Jesus was taken to the temple to be circumcised (Luke 2:25-39). All these things showed that the son that had entered into their family was no usual child.

It must have been quite something to have a child who came every time he was called, who did his homework without having to be constantly pushed and who was only too happy to do any chore promptly and without complaining. His brothers and sisters must have found these traits absolutely annoying.

At the same time much of his development would have been typical of other boys. He would have undoubtedly grown at a normal rate. Gradually, he would have developed his skills and abilities in the practical areas of life. It is fascinating to ponder how quickly he attained to a high level of competency as a carpenter.

As he became more knowledgeable in the various aspects of life his wisdom would have continued to develop. Similarly, as he became more familiar with the Scriptures his understanding of God would have grown deeper and richer.

We have no idea when he realized for the first time that he was the God-man. However, by the age of 12 he was able to state to his parents while in Jerusalem that "I must be in my Fathers house". Even though he realized his unique nature he continued to be subject to his parents while continuing to grow "in wisdom and in stature and in favour with God and all the people" (Luke 2:49-52).

For a unique child like Jesus, his parents must have been quite unique themselves --- certainly one of kind! God would not have entrusted his son to just anyone!

Copyright. Bruce January 2006

Note: All quotes taken from the New Living Translation Second Edition.

Copyright. Bruce January 2006

Note: All quotes taken from the New Living Translation Second Edition.

As the Snow Flies, Think Flowers

This winter has been a snap so far. Therefore it is easy to think of flowers and quaint European Cottages.

A Definition of A Christian

What is a Christian?

A Christian is a person who has experienced a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The word relationship is of special importance in that Christianity in its purest sense is not a religion but a relationship with Jesus Christ.

What Are Some of The Core Christian beliefs?

1. That there is a thing called “sin” that has separated every person from God

Romans 3:23
For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.

2. There a place called hell which has been prepared for the devil and his angels and all human being who have not accepted the renewing power of God.

2 Peter 2:4
For God did not spare even the angels who sinned. He threw them into hell, in gloomy pits of darkness, where they are being held until the day of judgment.

Luke 12:5
But I’ll tell you whom to fear. Fear God, who has the power to kill you and then throw you into hell. Yes, he’s the one to fear.

3. There is a place called heaven which is the dwelling place of God.

Colossians 3:1
Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand.

4. That good works on their own will never make a person acceptable to God.

Titus 3:5
He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.

5. It is by God’s gift of grace that a person experiences the salvation of God.

Eph. 2:8
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.

6. Those who accept the renewing power of God’s grace become a part of his eternal family.

Galatians 4:7
Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.

What Are The Essential Beliefs For Salvation?

• that Jesus Christ is the Son of God
• that he died on a cross as payment for our sins
• that Jesus in being raised from the dead has defeated death and now offers an eternity in heaven to any who will believe in him
• that one needs to repent of their sin

How Does One Enter Into a Right Relationship with God?

This is accomplished through approaching God in prayer. In this prayer we acknowledge the following:

• that we are sinners
• that we are in need of his forgiveness
• that we desire to repent of our sins
• that we thank him for Jesus’ death on the cross that has opened up a way to heaven
• that we ask for his forgiveness
• that we thank him for welcoming us into the true family of God
• that we ask him to take control of our lives
• that we desire him to help us grow in our new found faith

To grow in ones faith there is a need to begin reading the Bible on a consistent basis. This is important because the Bible is God’s personal message for humanity. Two of the best versions available are the New Living Translation Second Edition and the New International Version.

Copyright. Bruce September 2006

Note: All quotes taken from the New Living Translation Second Edition.