The country where death is now just a lifestyle choice. Holland, Daily Mail, Euthanasia v The Sanctity of Life

The country where death is now just a lifestyle choice: A mum with ringing ears. Babies whose parents don't want them to suffer. They've all been allowed to die by assisted suicide in Holland

·        Andre Verhoeven planned to retire at 65 to travel the world with wife Dora

·        He was diagnosed with acute leukaemia and was told there was no cure

·        He chose to end his life at 64 and died in January last year

·        Gaby Olthuis suffered ‘24-hour noise’ in her head, ‘like a train screeching'

·        To end her suffering, she was given a lethal potion to drink at her home

·        She left behind two teenage children, a boy of 13 and a girl aged 15

No one would have predicted that such a devoted husband and family man would one day choose to die by a lethal injection administered by his own GP.

Andre Verhoeven married in his local Catholic church, lived in an unpretentious town south of Amsterdam, and worked as a respected teacher at the nearby secondary school.

He had planned to retire at 65 to travel the world with his wife, Dora.

Instead, he was diagnosed with acute leukaemia, a cancer of the blood, for which he was told there was no cure. Because of complications from the cruel illness, he became paralysed from the neck down.

You might be entitled to think that what people do in Holland is their business and nothing to do with us in Britain. But you could not be more wrong.

If campaigners have their way, the law will be changed here, too, to allow those who wish to end their life to do so at a time of their choosing. For opponents of euthanasia, this raises grave moral questions, as well as concerns that unscrupulous relatives might take advantage of elderly family members — whose estates they might covet — by encouraging them to end their lives.

One of the most vociferous and courageous voices in the campaign to legalise assisted dying was Debbie Purdy, who passed away last week at the age of 51 after refusing food for a year. She had said her hunger strike was painful and difficult, but that her life with progressive multiple sclerosis was ‘unacceptable’.

News of her death came as 80 prominent public figures in the UK called for the legalising of euthanasia here, warning that already one Briton travels abroad every fortnight to euthanasia clinics even as the issue continues to be passionately debated.

Read more here:

What does the Bible say about Euthanasia? Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry

by Matt Slick

The Bible does not specifically mention euthanasia, but it does address issues closely related to it.  Euthanasia is known by different terms such as mercy killing, assisted suicide, etc.  It is the act of assisting someone in his or her own death who is terminally ill, suffering, and in great pain.  The goal of the assisted suicide is to prevent the continuation of pain.

The Bible tells us that we are not to murder (Exodus 20:13).  Murder is the unlawful taking of life, and killing is the lawful taking of life.  Technically speaking, if a nation said that euthanasia was legal, then on a human level it would not be murder.  But as societies often legislate moral issues in contradiction to the Bible, just because a society might say that euthanasia is good does not mean that it is.  We are to obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29).

We are made in the image of God (Gen. 1:26), and it is the Lord God who gives us life (Job 33:4) and who has numbered our days (Job 14:5).  This means that God is the sovereign Lord who determines the day that we die.  Therefore, we are not to usurp God's authority.

In the Bible . . .

In the book of Job, when Job is under great distress and in great pain, his wife says to him “'Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!' 10 But he said to her, 'You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?' In all this Job did not sin with his lips.” (Job 2:9-10).  Basically, Job's wife wanted him to euthanize himself to avoid the pain of his life, but Job refused to do so, and in this he did not sin.

Heb. 9:27, “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment.”

The Bible tells us that it is God who appoints people to die.  Essentially, assisted suicide is an attempt to deny God his sovereign right to appoint who dies when.  We must be careful not to take into our own hands the right that belongs to God.

There is nothing in the Bible that tells us we must do everything we can to keep someone alive for as long as possible.  So, we are not under obligation to prolong the life of someone who is suffering.  If someone is terminally ill and in great pain, we should make the person as comfortable as possible during this process of dying.  We should not hasten his death. Instead, we should let death take its natural course but make every effort to comfort those who are suffering.

Finally, like so many things in the world, when a small compromise is made, many injustices are eventually allowed. If euthanasia is permitted under the emotional and moral claim that it is best for the individual, what is to prevent the government from eventually stepping in and determining who else needs to be terminated?  Might the definition of euthanasia be expanded to include those who are suffering from chronic depression or just don’t like living--or are not productive in society?  We must ask that if the door to killing people in their old age is opened, can it ever be closed again?

Think about it.  The beginning of life is now open to destruction in abortion, and the end of life is now being considered for destruction as well.  Like a vise that closes from either end, how many of those in the middle will fall prey to the depravity of man's moral relativism and love affair with sin that always brings death?

Read more from  the Christian Institute on Euthanasia

Britain warned, as euthanasia rate in the Netherlands soars

The sanctity of life

Christians believe that there is something special about human beings.  Being human is not the same as being anything else in the cosmos - different in nature from being a rock, a tree, a spider or a chimpanzee.  Humans are 'in the image of God'.  That means we share something of the nature of God - we know the difference between good and evil, we have the ability to be creative, we have a capacity to love and seek justice, we have a responsibility toward everything with which we share the planet, and we have a nature which is in some way eternal (some people call this a soul).

Everything Christians believe about the sanctity of life follows on from this.  And the most wonderful of those facts is a belief that God knows every human individually - from the life in a womb that ends tragically early to the great-grandmother who celebrates her hundredth birthday.  Christians also believe that God has a total and unconditional love for every human.  (This is exhilarating but also challenging, because it means he must have loved Hitler as much as he loved Saint Francis of Assisi).  It means that God loves you, wherever in the world you are reading this right now.

Several things follow logically from this:

Human life has a purpose

Evolution has not just led us to an existence in which we are what we are because we were the species that is best at surviving, but because God willed it to be this way and wants us to do something with life.

Human life is very precious

In Christian ethics all humans should treat all humans with honour.  It is utterly unacceptable when people are abused mentally, physically or tyrannically.  It is all too clear that Christians (even Christian leaders) fail in this on some occasions.  This is shameful.

Humans need to respect themselves

That means Christians try to do something worthwhile with their lives.  For almost all Christians it means they try not to throw their one beautiful life away by viciously abusing drugs, alcohol, tobacco and so on.

Humans need to respect others

Out of this has come the laws that have made the UK civilized - about the death penalty, abortion, euthanasia, contraception, embryo experimentation and so on.  All these are controversial and Christians have differing views.  However, they try to have their debates about it in the context of seeking God's best for humankind.

Human life has absolute dignity

Perhaps the most important belief of all is that God himself has lived on earth in human form, and so he has conferred utter dignity on human flesh.  Christians believe that in Jesus God himself was walking and talking on this planet.

From Christianity.org

Ten ways to grow your church in 2015

Ten ways to grow your church in 2015

We’re all familiar with statistics that decry the declining UK Church, but many local churches are bucking the trend. Justin Brierley investigates what has made the difference for those whose churches are bursting at the seams.

Let’s be clear: there is no miracle formula for growing your church. If the magic ingredients could be bottled and sold, someone somewhere would be very rich by now. Nor is numerical growth the only mark of success. Discipleship, local engagement and longevity of commitment are also important. Megachurches in the US account for more than half of all church attendance, but critics point out that such congregations can often be a ‘mile wide and an inch deep’.

Equally, popular new churches that see ‘transfer growth’ from other local congregations (aka ‘sheep stealing’) could be accused of simply rearranging the deckchairs while the Titanic sinks. Planted in ‘hard soil’, some churches may be doing well to simply maintain their present numbers.

Even churches growing at a healthy rate have no cause to be complacent. Congregations that increase to a certain size and then 'plateau', failing to break a glass ceiling of 200 to 300 attendees, are a frequent phenomenon.

The Rise of the ‘Done With Church’ Population by Thom Schultz

 John is every pastor’s dream member. He’s a life-long believer, well-studied in the Bible, gives generously and leads others passionately.

But last year he dropped out of church. He didn’t switch to the other church down the road. He dropped out completely. His departure wasn’t the result of an ugly encounter with a staff person or another member. It wasn’t triggered by any single event.

John had come to a long-considered, thoughtful decision. He said, “I’m just done. I’m done with church.”

John is one in a growing multitude of ex-members. They’re sometimes called the de-churched. They have not abandoned their faith. They have not joined the also-growing legion of those with no religious affiliation—often called the Nones. Rather, John has joined the Dones.

At Group’s recent Future of the Church conference, sociologist Josh Packard shared some of his groundbreaking research on the Dones. He explained these de-churched were among the most dedicated and active people in their congregations. To an increasing degree, the church is losing its best.

For the church, this phenomenon sets up a growing danger. The very people on whom a church relies for lay leadership, service and financial support are going away. And the problem is compounded by the fact that younger people in the next generation, the Millennials, are not lining up to refill the emptying pews.

Why are the Dones done? Packard describes several factors in his upcoming book Church Refugees (Group). Among the reasons: After sitting through countless sermons and Bible studies, they feel they’ve heard it all. One of Packard’s interviewees said, “I’m tired of being lectured to. I’m just done with having some guy tell me what to do.”

The Dones are fatigued with the Sunday routine of plop, pray and pay. They want to play. They want to participate. But they feel spurned at every turn.

Will the Dones return? Not likely, according to the research. They’re done. Packard says it would be more fruitful if churches would focus on not losing these people in the first place. Preventing an exodus is far easier than attempting to convince refugees to return.

Read more here:

10 Ways to Release God's Healing Power, Charisma Magazine

Healing is one of the most controversial subjects we can raise in the church. Yet there is no doubt that the Bible is filled with accounts of Jesus' healing miracles. It seems clear as well from the following three Scriptures that healing is a by-product of the stripes Jesus endured before going to the cross:

"But He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed" (Is. 53:5);

"They brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: 'He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses'" (Matt. 8:16-17);

"Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed" (1 Pet. 2:24).

Furthermore, the Christians in the early church experienced miracles of healing as well. In fact, health and prosperity were objects of prayer for the believers: "Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers," the apostle John wrote in 3 John 1:2.

When we look at the healing ministry of Jesus, we must also recognize the vital connection we have with it: We are His body on earth today (1 Cor. 3:16). Therefore, we must exhibit the same passion for healing that we have observed in Him.

Read more here:

Church Planting - Surf Church - Forgotten Shores

The Way We Walk

[Official Video] Rather Be - Pentatonix (Clean Bandit Cover)

[Official Video] Can't Hold Us - Pentatonix (Macklemore & Ryan Lewis cover)

Words for the Wise, The Messenger's Mission, Romans 10

Romans 10 New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

10 Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. 2 For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. 3 Since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. 4 Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.

5 Moses writes this about the righteousness that is by the law: ‘The person who does these things will live by them.’[a] 6 But the righteousness that is by faith says: ‘Do not say in your heart, “Who will ascend into heaven?”’[b] (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 ‘or “Who will descend into the deep?”’[c] (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? ‘The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,’[d] that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: 9 if you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 11 As Scripture says, ‘Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.’[e] 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile – the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’[f]

14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’[g]

16 But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, ‘Lord, who has believed our message?’[h] 17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. 18 But I ask: did they not hear? Of course they did:

‘Their voice has gone out into all the earth,

    their words to the ends of the world.’[i]

19 Again I ask: did Israel not understand? First, Moses says,

‘I will make you envious by those who are not a nation;

    I will make you angry by a nation that has no understanding.’[j]

20 And Isaiah boldly says,

‘I was found by those who did not seek me;

    I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me.’[k]

21 But concerning Israel he says,

‘All day long I have held out my hands

    to a disobedient and obstinate people.’[l]

Matthews Henry Commentary

Romans 10:14ff

1. How necessary it was that the gospel should be preached to the Gentiles, Rom. 10:14, 15. This was what the Jews were so angry with Paul for, that he was the apostle of the Gentiles, and preached the gospel to them. Now he shows how needful it was to bring them within the reach of the forementioned promise, an interest in which they should not envy to any of their fellow-creatures. (1.) They cannot call on him in whom they have not believed. Except they believe that he is God, they will not call upon him by prayer; to what purpose should they? The grace of faith is absolutely necessary to the duty of prayer; we cannot pray aright, nor pray to acceptation, without it. He that comes to God by prayer must believe, Heb. 11:6. Till they believed the true God, they were calling upon idols, O Baal, hear us. (2.) They cannot believe in him of whom they have not heard. some way or other the divine revelation must be made known to us, before we can receive it and assent to it; it is not born with us. In hearing is included reading, which is tantamount, and by which many are brought to believe (John 20:31): These things are written that you may believe. But hearing only is mentioned, as the more ordinary and natural way of receiving information. (3.) They cannot hear without a preacher; how should they? Somebody must tell them what they are to believe. Preachers and hearers are correlates; it is a blessed thing when they mutually rejoice in each other—the hearers in the skill and faithfulness of the preacher, and the preacher in the willingness and obedience of the hearers. (4.) They cannot preach except they be sent, except they be both commissioned and in some measure qualified for their preaching work. How shall a man act as an ambassador, unless he have both his credentials and his instructions from the prince that sends him? This proves that to the regular ministry there must be a regular mission and ordination. It is God’s prerogative to send ministers; he is the Lord of the harvest, and therefore to him we must pray that he would send forth labourers, Matt. 9:38. He only can qualify men for, and incline them to, the work of the ministry. But the competency of that qualification, and the sincerity of that inclination, must not be left to the judgment of every man for himself: the nature of the thing will by no means admit this; but, for the preservation of due order in the church, this must needs be referred and submitted to the judgment of a competent number of those who are themselves in that office and of approved wisdom and experience in it, who, as in all other callings, are presumed the most able judges, and who are empowered to set apart such as they find so qualified and inclined to this work of the ministry, that by this preservation of the succession the name of Christ may endure for ever and his throne as the days of heaven. And those that are thus set apart, not only may, but must preach, as those that are sent.

2. How welcome the gospel ought to be to those to whom it was preached, because it showed the way to salvation, Rom. 10:15. For this he quotes Isa. 52:7. The like passage we have, Nah. 1:15; which, if it point at the glad tidings of the deliverance of Israel out of Babylon in the type, yet looks further to the gospel, the good news of our salvation by Jesus Christ. Observe, (1.) What the gospel is: It is the gospel of peace; it is the word of reconciliation between God and man. On earth peace, Luke 2:14. Or, peace is put in general for all good; so it is explained here; it is glad tidings of good things. The things of the gospel are good things indeed, the best things; tidings concerning them are the most joyful tidings, the best news that ever came from heaven to earth. (2.) What the work of ministers is: To preach this gospel, to bring these glad tidings; to evangelize peace (so the original is), to evangelize good things. Every good preacher is in this sense an evangelist: he is not only a messenger to carry the news, but an ambassador to treat; and the first gospel preachers were angels, Luke 2:13 (3.) How acceptable they should therefore be to the children of men for their work’s sake: How beautiful are the feet, that is, how welcome are they! Mary Magdalene expressed her love to Christ by kissing his feet, and afterwards by holding him by the feet, Matt. 28:9. And, when Christ was sending forth his disciples, he washed their feet. Those that preach the gospel of peace should see to it that their feet (their life and conversation) be beautiful: the holiness of ministers’ lives is the beauty of their feet. How beautiful! namely, in the eyes of those that hear them. Those that welcome the message cannot but love the messengers. See 1 Thess. 5:12, 13.

The Bible Panorama

Romans 10

V 1–4: CONCERN Paul’s ‘heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved’. Their zeal in trying to establish their own righteousness, which they can never do, shows their ignorance of God’s righteousness. That can only be found in the Lord Jesus Christ, who is ‘the end of the law to righteousness to everyone who believes’. In other words they must come to faith in Christ to be saved.

 V 5–13: CONFESSION Paul shows from the Scriptures the principles of salvation which now apply to faith alone in the Lord Jesus Christ alone. That principle is that when one’s faith in the living Christ is personal and real, that believer will confess this openly and by mouth to others. This will form part of a changed lifestyle. The challenge is whether one’s faith is real enough to produce the willingness to stand out and confess personal faith in Christ. The encouragement given is that anyone trusting in Him, whether Jew or Gentile, will never be put to shame, but will be saved. God’s richness of mercy more than compensates for the poverty caused by our sin.

 V 14–16: CALL Given that whoever calls on Him will know His salvation, the logical question is asked as to how unbelievers are going to hear of Christ in order to call upon Him. The answer is that preachers of the gospel must be sent to tell them, always bearing in mind that even then there will be many who do not obey the gospel and turn to Christ, though the offer is open to them.

 V 17: CONCLUSION The simple conclusion is that saving faith is produced by hearing God’s Word.

 V 18–21: COMPARISON Using the Old Testament Scriptures, the comparison is made between Gentiles, who have believed and come to know God’s blessing, and the Israelites, who are thus provoked to jealousy by seeing outsiders come to know the God who longs that they should turn to Him. Although God will judge sin, He confirms to Israel that ‘All day long I have stretched out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people’. God is always willing to welcome returning sinners, be they Jews or Gentiles.

 Dictionary of Bible Themes

7953 mission, of the church

 The continuation of Jesus Christ’s mission through his followers. Believers are empowered by the Holy Spirit and sent out by Christ to bear witness to him and to preach, heal, teach, baptise and make disciples of all peoples.

The power and authority of the church’s mission

 Believers are sent out by Jesus Christ Jn 15:16 See also Mt 9:37-38; Lk 10:1-3; Jn 4:36-38

 Believers are given authority by Jesus Christ Lk 9:1 See also Mt 10:1; Mt 28:18; Mk 6:7; Mk 16:17-18; Lk 10:17-19

 Believers continue Jesus Christ’s mission Jn 20:21 See also Jn 17:18

 Believers are empowered by the Holy Spirit Ac 1:8 See also Lk 24:49; Jn 20:22; Ac 4:31; Heb 2:4

The task of the church in mission

 Making disciples Mt 28:19-20 See also Ac 2:41-42; Ac 14:15; Ac 16:14-15; Ac 18:8; Ro 10:14-15; 1Jn 1:2-3

 Preaching and healing Lk 9:2 See also Mt 10:7-8; Mk 16:20; Lk 9:6

Proclaiming the gospel Ac 20:24 See also Ac 8:40; Ro 1:9; Ro 15:20; 2Ti 1:11

Bearing witness to Jesus Christ Ac 5:30-32 See also Lk 24:48; Jn 15:26-27; Ac 4:20

 Bringing honour to God Eph 3:10-11 See also Jn 15:8; 1Pe 2:12

The universal scope of the church’s mission

 Lk 24:47 See also Mt 24:14 pp Mk 13:10; Mk 16:15

The church reaching out in mission

To the Jews Mt 10:5-6 The disiples’mission began with the Jews. See also Mt 10:9-15 pp Mk 6:8-11 pp Lk 9:3-5 pp Lk 10:4-12; Ac 11:19 The scattered believers at first preached only to Jews.

To the Samaritans Ac 8:4-8 See also Ac 8:14-17,25

To the Gentiles Paul as the apostle to the Gentiles: Ac 9:15; Ro 11:13; Ro 15:16

Ac 10:34-35 Peter preaches to Cornelius and his family; Ac 11:20-21 Scattered believers preach to the Gentiles; Ac 13:1-3 Paul begins his first missionary journey (with Barnabas); Ac 15:40-41 Paul begins his second missionary journey (with Silas); Ac 16:9-10 Paul is called to preach the gospel in Macedonia; Ac 18:23 Paul’s third missionary journey; Ac 28:31 Paul preaches the gospel in Rome.

Missions undertaken by church officials

Ac 11:22-23 Barnabas is sent to Antioch to strengthen the new church. Paul and Barnabas take gifts to Jerusalem: Ac 11:30; Ac 12:25

Ac 15:22-23 Judas and Silas are sent to Antioch with a letter from the apostles and elders.

Words for the Wise, Standing Strong and Remaining Steadfast, 1 Thessalonians 3

1 Thessalonians 3

New Living Translation (NLT)

3 Finally, when we could stand it no longer, we decided to stay alone in Athens, 2 and we sent Timothy to visit you. He is our brother and God’s co-worker[a] in proclaiming the Good News of Christ. We sent him to strengthen you, to encourage you in your faith, 3 and to keep you from being shaken by the troubles you were going through. But you know that we are destined for such troubles. 4 Even while we were with you, we warned you that troubles would soon come—and they did, as you well know. 5 That is why, when I could bear it no longer, I sent Timothy to find out whether your faith was still strong. I was afraid that the tempter had gotten the best of you and that our work had been useless.

6 But now Timothy has just returned, bringing us good news about your faith and love. He reports that you always remember our visit with joy and that you want to see us as much as we want to see you. 7 So we have been greatly encouraged in the midst of our troubles and suffering, dear brothers and sisters,[b] because you have remained strong in your faith. 8 It gives us new life to know that you are standing firm in the Lord.

9 How we thank God for you! Because of you we have great joy as we enter God’s presence. 10 Night and day we pray earnestly for you, asking God to let us see you again to fill the gaps in your faith.

11 May God our Father and our Lord Jesus bring us to you very soon. 12 And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows. 13 May he, as a result, make your hearts strong, blameless, and holy as you stand before God our Father when our Lord Jesus comes again with all his holy people. Amen.

Footnotes:

3:2 Other manuscripts read and God’s servant; still others read and a co-worker, or and a servant and co-worker for God, or and God’s servant and our co-worker.

3:7 Greek brothers.

Matthew Henry's Commentary

Verses 6-10

Here we have Paul’s great satisfaction upon the return of Timothy with good tidings from the Thessalonians, in which we may observe,

I. The good report Timothy made concerning them, 1 Thess. 3:6. Without question, he was a willing messenger of these good tidings. Concerning their faith, that is, concerning their steadfastness in the faith, that they were not shaken in mind, nor turned aside form the profession of the gospel. Their love also continued; their love to the gospel, and the ministers of the gospel. For they had a good and a kind remembrance of the apostles, and that constantly, or always. The names of the apostles were very dear to them, and the thoughts of them, and what they themselves had received from them, were very precious, insomuch that they desired greatly to see them again, and receive some spiritual gift from them; and there was no love lost, for the apostle was as desirous to see them. It is happy where there is such mutual love between minister and people. This tends to promote religion, and the success of the gospel. The world hates them, and therefore they should love one another.

II. The great comfort and satisfaction the apostle had in this good report concerning them (1 Thess. 3:7, 8): Therefore, brethren, we were comforted in all our affliction and distress. The apostle thought this good news of them was sufficient to balance all the troubles he met with. It was easy to him to bear affliction, or persecution, or fightings from without, when he found the good success of his ministry and the constancy of the converts he had made to Christianity; and his distress of mind on account of his fears within, lest he had laboured in vain, was now in a good measure over, when he understood their faith and the perseverance of it. This put new life and spirit into the apostle and made him vigorous and active in the work of the Lord. Thus he was not only comforted, but greatly rejoiced also: Now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord, 1 Thess. 3:8. It would have been a killing thing to the apostles if the professors of religion had been unsteady, or proved apostates; whereas nothing was more encouraging than their constancy.

III. The effects of this were thankfulness and prayer to God on their behalf. Observe, 1. How thankful the apostle was, 1 Thess. 3:9. He was full of joy, and full of praise and thanksgiving. When we are most cheerful we should be most thankful. What we rejoice in we should give thanks for. This is to rejoice before our God, to spiritualize our joy. Paul speaks as if he could not tell how to express his thankfulness to God, or his joy and rejoicing for their sakes. But he was careful God should not lose the glory of the comfort he received in the welfare of his friends. His heart was enlarged with love to them and with thanksgiving to God. He was willing to express the one and the other as well as he could. As to thankfulness to God, this especially is very imperfect in the present state; but, when we come to heaven, we shall do this work better than now we can. 2. He prayed for them night and day (1 Thess. 3:10), evening and morning, or very frequently, in the midst of the business of the day or slumber of the night lifting up his heart to God in prayer. Thus we should pray always. And Paul’s prayer was fervent prayer. He prayed exceedingly, and was earnest in his supplication. Note, When we are most thankful we should always give ourselves to prayer; and those we give thanks for have yet need to be prayed for. Those whom we most rejoice in, and who are our greatest comforts, must be our constant care, while in this world of temptation and imperfection. There was something still lacking in their faith; Paul desired that this might be perfected, and to see their face in order thereunto. Note, (1.) The best of men have something wanting in their faith, if not as to the matter of it, there being some mysteries or doctrines not sufficiently known or believed by them, yet as to the clearness and certainty of their faith, there being some remaining darkness and doubtings, or at least as to the effects and operations of it, these being not so conspicuous and perfect as they should be. And, (2.) The ministry of the word and ordinances is helpful, and to be desired and used for the perfecting of that which is lacking in our faith.

The Bible Panorama

1 Thessalonians 3

V 1–5: TRIBULATION The Thessalonians have gone through tribulation and afflictions. Paul sent Timothy to them to encourage them, edify them, and let them know that such trials are normal for the Christian church. Paul is concerned that Satan may tempt them to compromise or abandon their faith because of their tribulations.

V 6–8: TIMOTHY Timothy returned to Paul with good news of their progress, especially in faith and love. They remember Paul, and want to see him and his fellow workers. Paul is also going through afflictions, and this news comforts him. He lives for the joy of seeing his converts stand and glorify Christ.

 V 9–11: THANKS He describes the joy and rejoicing which lead him to thank God for the Thessalonians. His round-the-clock prayer emphasis is that he may see them and help them in their faith in Christ. He continues to pray that God will direct his way to them.

 V 12–13: TIES Meanwhile Paul prays that their love will strengthen towards one another and that they will be established in holiness. He reminds them that Christ is coming again with His saints.

The Bible Panorama. Copyright © 2005 Day One Publications.

Dr. Ravi Zacharias - Christian Leaders + Pride

The plans I have for you

The plans I have for you

The plans I have for you

By: Berni Dymet | Dec 2014

Well, here we are, the beginning of another year, another New Year. Who knows how many of these you and I have left? But while we do have a new year ahead of us at our feet, I want to share some good news with you, some really great news, some fantastic news, are you ready?

So, what are your plans for this year? Maybe you’re planning on changing jobs or studying or maybe you’re planning a great holiday or planning on buying a new home or renovating or a new car. What’s the plan? Companies spend a small fortune on creating their strategic plans. But a down turn in the economy, an accident, sickness, those things can bring those plans unstuck in an instant.

So what is the plan? I mean if God has a plan for my life, for your life, what would it look like?

I don’t know if you’re a parent but what does a parent’s plan look like for their children? Well, we want them to be healthy, we want them to be happy, we want them to discover their talents and to use them and to be fulfilled. But also we want them to experience and taste life. You know as parents we do want them to be allowed to make mistakes, to learn for themselves, to grow for themselves and to have a great life.

The last few days on A Different Perspective, we’ve been looking at the things that can hold us back from living a great life. You know – the habits, the behaviours, the bad ways of thinking, the anger, the dissent, all those things that yield lousy fruit in our lives. It’s almost like sometimes we’re enslaved to them. We’ve broken so many New Year’s resolutions over the years, we just can’t get free from them.

YEAR IN REVIEW: What the Bible Really Says About Homosexuality

YEAR IN REVIEW: What the Bible Really Says About Homosexuality

One
night I was reading the stories of people who had left the church because they
thought God hated them simply because they were attracted to the same sex. I
was so overcome with emotion that I put the book down, got alone in another
room, fell to my knees and wept. The pain of these men and women for whom Jesus
died was palpable and heartbreaking.

Could
it be that we have been misinterpreting Scripture when it comes to their
salvation? Could it be that there is some new understanding of the Bible that
would allow us to affirm committed, same-sex relationships?

If
not, does that mean that we tell a 15 year-old girl who identifies as lesbian,
"If you want to follow Jesus, you'll have to be celibate for the rest of
your life, never enjoying the companionship of a spouse and abstaining from sex
for life"? Do we tell her, "If you do want to be married, you'll have
to find a way to be attracted to men"? Is that the good news of the
gospel?

A
spate of books, videos, articles and blogs would tell us that, indeed, that is
not the gospel and that the good news of Jesus is that you can follow Him and
enjoy a committed, homosexual relationship too. And some of the authors of
these books, videos, articles and blogs claim to be committed Christians
themselves.

How
do we sort this out?

It's
really not that difficult. God's Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our
path (Ps. 119:105). It is "living and active, sharper than any two-edged
sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow,
and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart" (Heb. 4:12-13).

If
we will humble ourselves before the Lord, keeping our focus on Jesus and asking
the Father to give us His heart for those who identify as LGBT, letting the
unequivocal testimony of Scripture guide us, we will find clarity.

So
what does the Word of God say about homosexual practice?

Here
are five simple truths that will help separate truth from error and biblical
revelation from emotion. (For those wanting a more in-depth treatment, please
see my newest book, Can You Be Gay and Christian?)

1)
The testimony of Scripture remains unchanged: The Bible forbids homosexual
practice.

It's
clear that the vast majority of those who have changed their views on what the
Bible says about homosexuality and now believe in "gay Christianity"
have done so based on either their own same-sex desires and attractions or
their interaction with "gay Christians" (or with any gay or lesbian
person who challenges their assumptions).

In
other words, they have not changed their thinking based on study of the
Scriptures alone, since no new textual, archeological, sociological,
anthropological or philological discoveries have been made in the last 50 years
that would cause us to read any of these biblical texts differently.

Church Planting - Surf Church - Forgotten Shores

Words for the Wise, Ephesians 3, God can do more than we expect

Ephesians 3 The Voice (VOICE)

For Paul there are two kinds of people: Jews and Gentiles, or to put it another way, insiders and outsiders. The Prince of Peace is establishing peace where division and hostility once ruled unchallenged. In the Jerusalem temple, a stone wall separated Jewish from non-Jewish worshipers. According to Paul, the cross is God’s instrument to dismantle the wall, end the segregation, and make the two into one. God wants one people of God. That has been His plan all along.

Today walls continue to exist, erected strategically to separate people by race, religion, class, culture, and sex. Those who erect these walls, protect them, and maintain them will find that they are enemies of the gospel that brings all together into one worshiping family.

3 All this is exactly why I, Paul, am a prisoner of Jesus the Anointed, His representative to the outsider nations. ² You have heard, haven’t you, how God appointed me to bring you His message of grace? ³ And how the mystery was made known to me in a revelation? I briefly wrote about it earlier. ⁴ When you read what I have written, you will be better able to understand the depth of my insight into the mystery of the Anointed One, ⁵ a mystery that has never before been shown to past generations. Only now are these secrets being revealed to God’s chosen emissaries^[a] and prophets through the Holy Spirit. ⁶ Specifically, the mystery is this: by trusting in the good news, the Gentile outsiders are becoming fully enfranchised members of the same body, heirs alongside Israel, and beneficiaries of the promise that has been fulfilled through Jesus the Anointed.

⁷ I became a servant and preacher of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace as He exercised His amazing power over me. ⁸ I cannot think of anyone more unworthy to this cause than I, the least of the least of the saints. But here I am, a grace-made man, privileged to be an echo of His voice and a preacher to all the nations of the riches of the Anointed One, riches that no one ever imagined. ⁹ I am privileged to enlighten all of Adam’s descendants to the mystery concealed from previous ages by God, the Creator of all, through Jesus the Anointed. ¹⁰ Here’s His objective: through the church, He intends now to make known His infinite and boundless wisdom to all rulers and authorities in heavenly realms.¹¹ This has been His plan from the beginning, one that He has now accomplished through the Anointed One, Jesus our Lord. ¹² His faithfulness^[b] to God has made it possible for us to have the courage we need and the ability to approach the Father confidently. ¹³ So I ask you not to become discouraged because I am jailed for speaking out on your behalf. In fact, my suffering is something that brings you glory.

¹⁴ It is for this reason that I bow my knees before the Father,¹⁵ after whom all families in heaven above and on earth below receive their names, and pray:

¹⁶ Father, out of Your honourable and glorious riches, strengthen Your people. Fill their souls with the power of Your Spirit ¹⁷ so that through faith the Anointed One will reside in their hearts. May love be the rich soil where their lives take root. May it be the bedrock where their lives are founded so that together ^18-19 with all of Your people they will have the power to understand that the love of the Anointed is infinitely long, wide, high, and deep, surpassing everything anyone previously experienced. God, may Your fullness flood through their entire beings.

This is a doxology of praise to the One with power that is beyond understanding.

²⁰ Now to the God who can do so many awe-inspiring things, immeasurable things, things greater than we ever could ask or imagine through the power at work in us, ²¹ to Him be all glory in the church and in Jesus the Anointed from this generation to the next, forever and ever. Amen.

NIV Application Commentary

The Doxology (3:20–21)

The doxology brings the first half of Ephesians to a close at the place it began in 1:3, in giving praise to God. Doxologies in the form “glory to God” are frequent in the New Testament, though most are much briefer. The use of “glory” in Ephesians and throughout the New Testament is fascinating. God is a God of glory (1:17; Acts 7:2), and his glory reveals who he is (John 1:14; Rom. 6:4; Heb. 1:3). God gives glory to Christ (John 17:22; Acts 3:13; 1 Cor. 2:8; 1 Peter 1:21) and people (Rom. 2:10; 8:30; 1 Cor. 2:7). Christians are transformed from glory to glory (2 Cor. 3:18). People are to do everything for God’s glory (1 Cor. 10:31) and are to give glory back to God (Eph. 1:6; Phil. 1:11). In the eschaton further glory will be revealed (Rom. 8:18). “Glory” is a word that virtually encompasses the whole of Christianity. Here the focus is on the praise and honor that should be given God for his saving work.

This doxology is striking in its assertion that glory is given to God “in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever.” No other passage mentions the church explicitly in a doxology, although other doxologies imply it because Christians are the ones giving the praise. To suggest that the church and Christ are accorded equal status is presumptuous. The passage only assumes an unending relation between God, his people, and Christ. The presence of the people with God, made possible by Christ, will be a cause for eternal praise. This is what Paul had in mind in 1:18 with the expression “the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints” (see also 2:7).

In verse 19 the love of Christ is beyond understanding, and in verse 20 the activity of God is beyond expectation or thought. The heightened language throughout the prayer shows the depth of Paul’s emotion. A wordplay occurs in the Greek text of verse 20 between “to him who is able” (to dynameno) and “power” (dynamis). Note the preponderance of words for God’s activity, a theme that has marked the letter from 1:1.

This doxology sums up the intent of the first half of the letter. We should praise God for his astounding work in Christ Jesus. Paul’s point is not merely that God is able to do beyond what we expect. Rather, this power is already at work in us (cf. the similar language in Col. 1:29, which describes God’s work in Paul’s ministry). God does not fit the limitations of our expectations. The language is reminiscent of Isaiah 55:8–9: God’s ways and thoughts are exceedingly beyond our ways and thoughts. God is at work and eager to work in us to achieve his purposes for salvation.

The Bible Panorama

Ephesians 3

V 1–7: REVELATION The fact of the oneness of all believers in Christ leads Paul to pray the prayer that comes later in verse 14. But first, writing from prison, he digresses to disclose his apostolic authority which enables him to deal with some important things. God revealed to Paul individually what, through the Spirit, He revealed to His prophets and apostles collectively, that believing Gentiles would be part of the same body as believing Jews. Thus his message is not a subjective ‘bright idea’ of Paul’s own making, but one that can be seen objectively as having come from the Holy Spirit.

 V 8–13: RICHES His task is to make the ‘unsearchable riches of Christ’ known to the Gentiles and to make all see the wonderful things that God has done in Christ. He expects to suffer tribulation in doing this and tells them so. His tribulation will lead to their glory.

 V 14–19: REQUEST He prays, in submission to the Lord Jesus Christ, that these Gentile believers will be strengthened by the Spirit inwardly, and know Christ’s indwelling in their hearts. He asks for stability in their Christian life and an understanding, with all of the Christians, of the immensity of the love, fullness and will of God.

V 20–21: REMINDER Paul reminds them that God is able to answer their prayers ‘exceedingly abundantly’ above their expectations. God acts with the power of the resurrection and of the Holy Spirit, which power is also experienced within each Christian and is limitless. Paul wants God to be glorified for ever in the church.

Middle of the Road - Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep 1972

Words for the Wise, Cast all your Anxiety upon Him. Matthew 6

Matthew 6:25-34 Nasb

25 “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? 

27 And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? 28 And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin,

 29 yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!

 31 Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ 32 For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.34 “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

1 Peter 5:7 Nasb

 ⁷ casting all your anxiety on Him,  because He cares for you.

Matthew 7:7-11 Nasb

⁷ “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. ⁹ Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? ¹⁰ Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he?

¹¹ If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him

1 Timothy 6:6 Nasb

 ⁶ But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment.