God's Treasure Hunt

 King Saul of Israel had failed miserably. God commissioned Samuel, the prophet and high priest, to find a new king. God sent Samuel on a treasure hunt. He was to find the young man chosen by God and anoint him as the next king.

Where was Samuel sent? Not to Jerusalem and not to a noble family. God sent Samuel to a farm. The farmer had strong and handsome sons.

Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, “The LORD has not chosen these.” 1 Samuel 16:10 NIV84

The farmer had another son, but he was only a boy.

Then Samuel asked, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” Jesse replied. “But he’s out in the fields watching the sheep and goats.” 

“Send for him at once,” Samuel said. “We will not sit down to eat until he arrives.”

So Jesse sent for him. He was dark and handsome, with beautiful eyes. And the LORD said, “This is the one; anoint him.” 1 Samuel 16:11–12 NLT

Samuel was directly led by the Holy Spirit.

Today many of us are so wise in our own eyes. We are taught that we have the whole Bible and theological training. We think we no longer need the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Or else we do what we think is right and assume we are led by the Spirit.

Some Christians are too easily led by emotional impressions, but it is dangerous to rely on our own human understanding of the Bible without the help of the One who inspired it.

And what are the results of this educated Christianity? In many formerly Christian countries, Christians are merely tolerated. The power and glory of God are not found in most churches.

Many churches have excluded the Holy Spirit, just like King Saul, but God is looking for outsiders and children like David who will continue His work with the love and power of the Holy Spirit.

 Agostino d' Antonio, a sculptor of Florence, Italy, wrought diligently but unsuccessfully on a large piece of marble. "I can do nothing with it," he finally said. Other sculptors, too, worked with the piece of marble, but they, too, gave up the task. The stone was discarded. It lay on a rubbish heap for forty years.

Out strolling one day, Michelangelo saw the stone and the latent possibilities in it. It was brought to his studio. He began to work on it. Ultimately, his vision and work were crowned with success. From that seemingly worthless stone was carved one of the world's masterpieces of sculpture—"David!" (cf: 1 Samuel 16:13)

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF 15,000 ILLUSTRATIONS SIGNS OF THE TIMES By Dr. Paul Lee Tan  

 You may be rejected by the world and even other Christians as a worthless stone. God still has good plans for your life.

Love One Another

 No community can function without leadership. As Christians, we need leaders, elders, preachers, teachers and managers. Parents must have authority over their children. But when Christianity is dominated by hierarchy, we have lost our way.

But he said to them, “The kings of the gentiles lord it over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. 
But not so with you; rather, the greatest among you must become like the youngest and the leader like one who serves. Lk 22:25–26 NRSVue

I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. Jn 13:34 NRSVue

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Jn 15:12 NRSVue

I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another. Jn 15:17 NRSVue

Owe no one anything, except to love one another, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. Rom 13:8 NRSVue

Let us then pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. Rom 14:19 NRSVue

Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. Rom 15:7 NRSVue

For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; likewise, the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. 1 Cor 7:4 NRSVue 

The essence of Christian marriage is not male dominance but equal partnership. 

… being subject to one another out of reverence for Christ. Eph 5:21 NRSVue

There is no longer Jew or Greek; there is no longer slave or free; there is no longer male and female, for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. Gal 3:28 NRSVue

Gender based hierarchy violates the key biblical principle of mutual love and respect.

Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, Eph 4:26 NRSVue

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you. Eph 4:32 NRSVue

Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Col 3:13 NRSVue

Now concerning love of the brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anyone write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, 1 Th 4:9 NRSVue

Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing. 1 Th 5:11 NRSVue

See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all. 1 Th 5:15 NRSVue

God wants you back.

 If you have ever had a son or daughter who turned against you and disappeared, you know what heartache feels like. 

Jesus told a story about a young man who claimed his inheritance while his rich father was still alive and travelled to a foreign country. There was no internet and there were no mobile phones. The father did not mount a search party but every day he went out and looked down the road to see if his son would come back. 

One day he looked out and he actually saw his son in the distance.

I don't want to share personal family secrets but I know what this father went through.

Jesus also told a story of a farmer with 100 sheep. One sheep ran away and was lost. The farmer left his 99 sheep behind and searched for his lost sheep until he found it and took it home.

Today I read a news story about a young couple who went for a holiday on Kangaroo Island off the coast of Australia. They took their one year old pet dachshund with them. One day their beloved Valerie escaped and disappeared into the bush.

They were heartbroken and after searching for 5 days, they had to return home without their pet. The people on the island were very compassionate and deeply concerned. They searched with video cameras and drones for over a year. 

A farmer set up a trap with food for Valerie’s owners were afraid their spoilt house dog might not survive in wild country where snakes and other predators were a constant danger. Finally, a strong, muscular little dog got into the trap. The farmer saw Valerie on his remote video camera and pushed the button to shut the door and lock her in.

Valerie’s owners were beside themselves with joy to get their Valerie back. They had a pet cat and two other dogs but they loved Valerie like their own child.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Jn 3:16 NRSVue

If you are not in a personal relationship with Father God, He wants you back. He will stop at nothing to win your trust.

(Jesus said…) “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. Jn 10:11 NRSVue

If you are not sure you believe, you might be like Valerie, the little dog that panicked and went wild. If you are not sure, you can talk to God. 

“If you are real and you do love me, please help me to believe.”

God wants to forgive you, to love and care for you.

If Christians have bullied you, abused you, or betrayed you, God did not do it.

For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.” Lk 19:10 NRSVue

God Promises to Help in Dark Places

 When you are going through hard trials, God promises to help. Here are some Bible promises that you can rely on. 

You are weak, but you refuse to stop believing.. God will reward you.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Mt 5:3 NIV

You are broken, misunderstood, mistreated, but you refuse to blame God. God wants to comfort you.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Mt 5:4 NIV 

You are in a dark place. You see no way out, but the light of God's love shines in the darkness.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. Jn 1:5 NIV

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. Ps 23:4 NASB95

You are in trouble, but Jesus is on your side. Don't give up!

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Jn 16:33 NIV

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Rom 8:31 NIV

When you are mistreated, never give in to hate and bitterness. God still loves you. Never give in.

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Rom 12:21 NIV

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. Jas 1:12 NIV

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. Ps 23:4 NASB95

 God is our shelter and strength,. always ready to help in times of trouble. 

So we will not be afraid, even if the earth is shaken. Ps 46:1-2 Good News Bible
 

You Can Pray for Everyone

 I was reading a book of daily devotions by Max Lucado, when I was inspired by his teaching on this verse. 

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, 1 Ti 2:1 NRSVue

He encouraged me to pray for people all around me.

The name of man immediately came to mind, a man who was in my class at school 60 years ago. I looked him up on the internet and read the story of his amazingly successful career. 

There was no mention of Christian faith, so I prayed for him to have a direct personal encounter with Jesus Christ. You can have everything in this life and have no hope for eternity.

What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Mk 8:36 NIV

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 
and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” Jn 11:25–26 NIV

Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Jn 14:6 NRSVue

God is your creator. If you have been successful, it is because God gave you talents and you used them. But never forget who gave you the ability.

I prayed for this man, and I am sure God will answer.

“Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. 
For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Mt 7:7–8 NRSVue

If you have faith in Jesus, you can ask for blessings for yourself and God will answer. 
You can pray for your family and friends and God will answer.

But don’t stop there.

Pray for everyone. But that is surely impossible. True. But when I go for a walk or go shopping, I often notice someone who looks sad or broken and I quietly pray. I am sure, that when I go to heaven, I will meet some of those sad and broken people who caught my attention and I prayed.

If you follow Jesus, never underestimate the power of God to answer your small prayers.

Sabbath Law and Christian Freedom

 In the New Testament, many of the Christians were slaves. It is interesting that Paul does not completely abolish the Ten Commandments in his letters. 

Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery, 
idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, 

envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Gal 5:19–21 NRSVue

(See also 1 Corinthians 6:9–10.)

Paul forbids idolatry, adultery, theft, greed, etc., but in no letter does he forbid work on the Sabbath.

Why?

Many Christians were slaves. If a slave was ordered to work on the Sabbath, he could be killed on the spot for disobedience. 

Paul claimed that we must be faithful to the ethical principles in the Old Testament, but we are no longer like the Jews under the law. 

In the Roman Empire, slaves had no human rights. A slave was the property of his master, just like a tool or a donkey. Some slave owners valued their slaves as human beings, but they were not obliged to do so.

There was a woman from Canada in Saudi Arabia. Her husband was Arab. She wanted to leave him and return to her homeland, but she was not allowed to because in Arabia a wife is the property of her husband.

The situation is similar for young Arab women. If they emigrate and want to lead a free and independent life in the West, they can be abducted or murdered because they are considered the property of their father.

When I read in a Christian devotional that I belong completely and unreservedly to God. I felt intimidated. 

As a young Christian, I attended churches where the pastors ruled over the members in a very authoritarian manner. It was like the Catholic Church in the Middle Ages. If the priest or bishop condemned or excommunicated you, you thought you were lost and damned. 

I was excommunicated as a young Christian. I panicked and despaired. It took me years to learn that a pastor was not my master, that I was not an unemancipated child, that I did not have to tremble before God like a slave.

For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 
For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” Rom 8:14–15 NASB95

Abba means daddy or papa. 

What does it really mean to be God's property?

But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me, And the Lord has forgotten me.” 
“Can a woman forget her nursing child And have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you. 

“Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me. Isa 49:14–16 NASB95

God wants to help you.

 Jesus left Judea and returned to Galilee. It was a long walk, and at noon he took a break at a well in Samaria. 

There he found a woman drawing water from the well.

 It was taboo for Jews to talk to Samaritans. Jesus was also a Bible teacher, and no rabbi was allowed to speak to a woman alone. 

When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?”

Jesus was alone with this woman because his disciples had gone to the nearby town to buy supplies. The woman was surprised that Jesus spoke to her.

So the Samaritan woman said to him, “How do you, being a Jew, ask from me water to drink, since I am a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) Jn 4:9 LEB

Jesus answered and said to her, “If you had known the gift of God and who it is who says to you, ‘Give me water to drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” Jn 4:10 LEB

Are you a little religious, virtuous and idealistic? That's a good start, but there's more. Many pastors preach humanistic philosophy, and their listeners have nothing more than vague ideas about God and eternal reality.

Are you a Christian? Do you expect an eternal future in heaven? That's good. But if you knew what Jesus wants to give you here on earth, you would pray from the heart and expect miracles.

Are you entangled in drug addiction, prostitution, pornography or the occult?
 
The woman in this story was despised in her society, but she may not have been to blame.

The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband,’ 

for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true!” Jn 4:17–18 NRSVue

In this society, only the man had the say. Five husbands had rejected her? Why?
Was she unable to bear sons? 
Had she been sexually abused and was unable to satisfy her husband? 
Was she extremely depressed, traumatised and moody?

How could she survive as a woman who had been divorced five times? As a beggar? As a prostitute?

Jesus did not look at her sins, but at her need. He simply loved her.

Jesus died on the cross for you and your sins. He simply loves you.

No matter where you are, Jesus wants to bless you.

When you entrust your life completely to Jesus, God's Spirit comes and dwells in your spirit.

Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, Eph 3:20 NRSVue

Why do we expect so little from God? What is your problem?
Have you failed? Jesus can give you strength and wisdom to live a new life.

Are you caught up in a colourless, decent religious routine? Jesus freed the decent Jews of his time from their religious treadmill. Jesus gave his disciples a new life filled with joy, freedom and adventure.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. Jn 10:10 NRSVue

Are you addicted to pornography? You can never enter God's heaven with pornography, but Jesus can set you free.

Jesus was tortured on the cross. Through his suffering, he took the punishment for all your sins upon himself.

If only you knew how God can and wants to help you, you would cry out for God's help and have a new life.

Supernatural Gifts Today

 A conservative Bible-believing preacher in Australia was travelling through the country. As he left one village, the local tribal elders waved goodbye to him.

When he drove into the next village forty minutes later, the same tribal elders greeted him. He was driving his car, but they had already arrived using magical powers.

The preacher knew that he had failed as an evangelist. The indigenous people looked down on him because their witchcraft was more powerful than the theological doctrines preached from the pulpit.

The frustrated evangelist went to a charismatic preacher and sought advice. He had come to the conclusion that charismatic gifts of the Spirit are still necessary today.

In the Bible, we repeatedly find spiritual warfare. Sorcerers persecute the believing Jews and, in the New Testament, the Christians, but the prophets and later the apostles prove through miracles that the true God is stronger.

When Moses stood before Pharaoh, he threw his staff on the ground and God turned the staff into a snake. The Egyptian magicians also produced snakes, but Moses' snake swallowed the Egyptian snakes. 

In Acts chapters 2 and 3, God used amazing miracles to bring thousands of Jews to faith. In chapter 2, 120 disciples proclaimed the gospel in various languages they had never learned.

In chapter 3, Peter and John healed a paralysed man in Jesus' name.

In Cyprus, the mission was hindered by an evil sorcerer.

Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said, 
“You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord? 

Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind for a time, not even able to see the light of the sun.” Immediately, mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand. Acts 13:9–11 NIV

During the Cold War, a faithful Christian wanted to bring a shipment of Bibles to an Eastern European country. At the border, he had to go through customs. The customs officer looked directly into his car, where there was a stack of Bibles, but he could not see any Bibles. 

From the first day of Pentecost, the spread of the gospel was accompanied and confirmed by signs and wonders. God has never ceased to reveal His miraculous power.
 
In our time, millions of Muslims are converting to Christ. 
Numerous Muslims experience or observe miraculous healings in Jesus' name.
Countless Muslims are visited by Jesus in dreams and visions.

What is God's key to opening this seemingly locked door?
Signs and wonders. What is behind them? God's love for lost souls.
How is God's power released in such a wonderful way? The passionate intercession of faithful Christians.

God's Love like Mother and Father

 We have a lovely baby granddaughter. She is nearly 9 months old. She is so wonderfully loved and cared for. Our son and his wife adore her, and they care for her with all of their heart, all their soul and all of their strength. 

She is a really happy child because she is so loved and cared for. If only all babies were loved and cared for like her. When I think about this, I feel sad for all the babies who don’t have this kind of love and care. 

It is often not the fault of the mother. The mother is overwhelmed by economic pressures, relationship tensions, other children to manage. She has to go back to work when the baby is only two or three months old because she needs the income to pay the rent or the mortgage. 

As I thought about this, I felt God was telling me that he loves me with the kind of love that our granddaughter is loved. He delights in me. He does not focus on my faults. He cares for me with deep devotion. He wants me to be aware of this and respond to his love.

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 1 Jn 4:10 NIV

Shout for joy, you heavens; rejoice, you earth; burst into song, you mountains! For the LORD comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones. 

But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me.” 
“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! 
See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me. Is 49:13–16 NIV

Can Women Teach Men?

 Can women teach men? Can a woman teach a man? Can a wife teach her husband?

Smith Wigglesworth was an evangelist who healed the sick and raised the dead. He never went to school and he was illiterate until his wife taught him to read the Bible. 

Carl Benz constructed the first car but he lacked the confidence to test drive it. Two years later, his wife took it upon herself to drive the car from one German city to another.

In World War Two, a team of British women worked out how to defend convoys of ships against German submarines. Many seamen owed their lives to the lessons they learned from these women.

In the Bible, the prophetess Deborah governed Israel, sat in judgement in legal disputes and taught the ways of God to all the people. She was called and gifted by God to do this.

There are fundamentalist legalists today who use proof texts to give women even less freedom in the church than some women had in the Old Testament. 

This whole mindset is contradicted by Paul’s writings.

There is no longer Jew or Greek; there is no longer slave or free; there is no longer male and female, for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. Gal 3:28 NRSVue

Pursue love and strive for the spiritual gifts and especially that you may prophesy. 1 Cor 14:1 NRSVue

This was addressed equally to men and women. The proof of this is in the following verses.

Any man who prays or prophesies with something on his head shames his head, 
but any woman who prays or prophesies with her head unveiled shames her head—it is one and the same thing as having her head shaved. 1 Cor 11:4–5 NRSVue

Clearly women should prophesy if they are decently dressed according to the customs of the day. Otherwise the text makes no sense.

For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Gal 5:1 NRSVue

The Prime Minister of Australia was a family friend who valued the advice of my grandmother. Many prominent men owe a part of their success to the advice of their mothers, wives, sisters or secretaries.

The cardinal rule of Christian love and fellowship is mutual submission.

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Eph 5:21 NIV

This means that wives should submit to their husbands but husbands should also submit to their wives. This can be difficult to understand if you leave out the loving guidance of Jesus over both marriage partners. 

Mutual submission is not always easy. It cannot be taught with simple formulas. Every couple has to learn how to apply it. It takes time, effort and practice.

If a man lords it over his wife, he dishonours his wife but he also dishonours Jesus.

If a man is not willing to learn from his wife, he is very misguided and he will suffer the consequences. 

Empathy for Victims of Trauma

 Children love to play. In summer, they play in the water and in winter they love to play in the snow.
But one particular Russian woman in Germany hated the snow because she spent her childhood in Siberia. Cold weather is fun, but extreme cold is torture.

Not all people who come from the same country or climate react in the same way. I know a German man in Australia who loves the tropical heat. Other Europeans love winter sports. 

There are truly devoted Christians who love Jesus and worship from the heart in church services, but there are also Christians who fulfil their religious duties for years but can hardly stay awake because of sheer boredom.

Then there are Christians who were brutally abused as children in church or school. For them, worship is torture. 

Some become mentally ill and never recover. Others commit suicide, and others become angry atheists or seek peace in yoga, Buddhism, or the occult.

Some find their way to God in evangelical churches or the Pentecostal movement. 

Normal people have a hunger for tender physical touch, but those who have been severely burned or injured cannot bear to be touched.

Those who have been harassed, abused, or humiliated in church may find church services threatening, not only in Catholic churches, but also in evangelical churches or in the charismatic movement.
 
In the Psalms, we read that we should praise and worship God with reverence and enthusiasm, but will God condemn a wounded soul if someone just wants to pray quietly?

There are also many people who experienced sexual abuse in their childhood or marriage. They are no longer fit for marriage, but they still have strong sexual feelings. 

If they want to obey God, not commit adultery, reject promiscuity, and any kind of sex outside marriage, they may seek relief in masturbation. Should we criticise this escape route when there is no mention of it in the Bible?

In Jesus' earthly life, we see God's deep compassion for wounded and rejected outsiders. Paul emphasises not the law, but the grace of God. Hopefully, we will learn how Jesus and Paul loved our fellow human beings and ourselves with God's mercy.

Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Rom 8:1 NRSVue

Love is the Answer

 From his birth in Bethlehem to his death on the cross, Jesus was surrounded by conflict and rejection. He was born in a stable. Mary and Joseph had to flee to Egypt to save their child from being killed.

When Jesus began his ministry, he was opposed and persecuted by the religious leaders for three years until they had him executed on false charges.

His country was occupied by brutal Roman soldiers. The Jewish people were divided into religious and political factions. There were religious legalists, violent freedom fighters, and corrupt collaborators who worked for the Roman occupiers.

In this chaotic environment, Jesus loved people, cared for them, practised and taught forgiveness, and loved his enemies.

The world we live in today is catastrophically chaotic. 

Our environment is stressful. There are conflicts in families, communities, and Facebook groups because of different political or religious views, gender identity, and all kinds of difficult issues. 

We see Jesus as a role model in the Bible. He also lived in an extremely stressful time. He loved Jews and non-Jews, Roman officers and cared for prostitutes. 

Paul was a true disciple and also a wonderful role model. He loved and respected men and women, slaves and intellectuals. 

There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Gal 3:28 NIV

In the lives of Jesus and then Paul, we always see kindness. Of course, kindness was not always possible. Jesus and Paul could also confront people, but they wanted to treat everyone with kindness as much as possible.
 
Kindness is often lost in this day and age. So many people are overwhelmed by stress and hurt. Rejection has become an epidemic. So many people are rejected, and then they become increasingly defensive. 

Many people hate themselves. How can they love their fellow human beings?

The antidote is not culture war, but kindness and love.

In the daily news and on social media, we see war, culture wars, hatred, and violence, murder, and corruption over and over again. Of course, we often react with outrage, but then we are in danger of becoming habitually horrified.

Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; 
for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. 
Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. 
Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Ps 37:1–4 NIV

… “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’” Lk 10:27 NIV

The antidote we need is not culture war, but love. You cannot love God without receiving God's love.

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 
Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 1 Jn 4:10–11 NIV

But if you hate yourself, you cannot receive God's love, nor can you love your neighbour. 

We need spiritual therapy. Think of beautiful memories. Thank God for people who have loved or helped you. Don't let the horrors of this world take away the blessings God has given you in your life. 

God is with you in Troubles

 This life can be very hard. It is normal to feel overwhelmed at times. Jesus came to give you comfort and peace, but your daily experience is often very different, even if you believe in Jesus.

Shortly before his death, Jesus told his disciples that they should be prepared for serious problems.
 
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Jn 16:33 NIV 

Jesus knows that we too will encounter difficulties, but he has sent his Holy Spirit to help us through all our problems.

Are you too young or inexperienced to cope with your situation? God wants to guide you with his wisdom.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 
in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Pr 3:5–6 NIV

Are you old and feeling weak? That is not a pleasant feeling, but God wants to encourage and strengthen you.

[God] .. forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, 
who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, 
who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. Ps 103:3–5 NIV

We often have to resist our natural thoughts and feelings by holding on to God's promises so that we can receive God's peace and strength.

God promised to look after the believing Jews in the Old Testament and he kept his promises. As followers of Jesus, you and I can rely on the same faithful love of God for ourselves.

Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been borne by me from your birth, carried from the womb; 
Even to your old age I am he; even when you turn grey I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save. Isa 46:3–4 NRSVue

Jesus Wants You to be Free

 Jesus died to set you free.
Jesus died to save you from eternal death, to free you from despair and endless hopelessness, without God, without friendship, without comfort.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Jn 3:16 NRSVue
 
Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Rom 8:1 NRSVue

Jesus died to free you from your twisted, selfish human nature.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 2 Cor 5:17 NKJV

Jesus died to free you from loneliness.

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 2 Cor 13:14 NIV

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 1 Jn 1:7 NIV

Jesus died to free you from sickness.

… “He took our infirmities and bore our diseases.” Mt 8:17 NRSVue

Jesus died to free you from legalism.

Welcome those who are weak in faith but not for the purpose of quarreling over opinions. 
Some believe in eating anything, while the weak eat only vegetables. 
Those who eat must not despise those who abstain, and those who abstain must not pass judgment on those who eat, for God has welcomed them.

 Who are you to pass judgment on slaves of another? It is before their own lord that they stand or fall. And they will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make them stand. 
Some judge one day to be better than another, while others judge all days to be alike. Let all be fully convinced in their own minds.

 Those who observe the day, observe it for the Lord. Also those who eat, eat for the Lord, since they give thanks to God, while those who abstain, abstain for the Lord and give thanks to God.
Those who do not eat meat do so for the glory of the Lord, and they also give thanks to God. Rom 14:1–6 NRSVue

Jesus died to free us from authoritarian leadership.

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Eph 5:21 NIV

Submission is mutual.

 You gladly put up with fools since you are so wise! 
In fact, you even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or puts on airs or slaps you in the face. 2 Cor 11:19–20 NIV

Here Paul teaches through the Holy Spirit that Christians have the right, even the duty, to resist arrogant, authoritarian, or cruel church leaders. 

God sacrificed Jesus to free women from the arrogant rule of men.

 The extreme subordination of women was not God's intention in creation. After the Fall, God sadly predicted that because of sin, women would be enslaved by men.

To the woman he said, “I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labour you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.” Gen 3:16 NIV

But in the new covenant, women are free.

There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Gal 3:28 NIV

It is wonderful that Jesus wants to give us freedom, but we do not receive that freedom automatically.
 
There are people everywhere who do not believe in freedom, even in the church.

 There are many people who do not want to allow you to be free.

But Paul says:

For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Gal 5:1 NRSVue