Chosen

“For God said to Moses, “I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose.” So it is God who decides to show mercy. We can neither choose it nor work for it.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭9‬:‭15‬-‭16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

My God chose me from the 1500 people who lived in Bingara, NSW. The eldest child of a nobody family living its life in rural NSW, Australia. I was 4 when I first encountered his call, a visitation in the night of God’s messenger who marked me with a passion for Jesus. Why me? I have only a chance idea that my great grandmother may have prayed for me, for she alone knew Jesus, personally. My mother’s family were all non-believers. My father and his siblings grew up in Catholicism, but this was not their history, their forebears were Anglican.

I am currently in a nowhere town in rural Nepal sensing God’s hand on a group of young children, a young man who serves them, and their children’s home parents. God has brought me here for a purpose. He has a plan and I want to be involved.

I sense God’s love for these people. What are His plans for them? Last night they heard how Jesus had come as saviour into our lives, and sent us to bless them.

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=wIMR0BjMdxw&si=NkgNWiLlIMeLj_UF

The law

“The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins.”Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

We can come to view the Law of God as a task master, however Paul tells us it is good and holy:

“But still, the law itself is holy, and its commands are holy and right and good.”Romans‬ ‭7‬:‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Jesus summaries the Law as: ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’Matthew‬ ‭22‬:‭37‬-‭39‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Jesus taught that the Law was deeper, He said “You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’ But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell.”Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭21‬-‭22‬ ‭NLT‬‬

We excuse ourselves but then judge others, there is no place for that. We are not God, Jesus is Lord. When we stand before the Father He will ask what we did with the free gift His Son gave, He will not ask our opinion.

Sin wants to rule us, Jesus set us free. We should embrace that and live in His freedom! Amen!

The point

“So, my dear brothers and sisters, this is the point: You died to the power of the law when you died with Christ. And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead. As a result, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God.”Romans‬ ‭7‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This verse can be confusing, as we still adhere to the laws of the land; we still obey our God and His ways. However, we do not live to just be a law-abider, we live in faith for what Jesus has won for us. Keeping the law will not make us holy, He did that. Our relationship with Him is what matters. He is not only our saviour, He is our friend and lover. Our good deeds are a result of that relationship.

Yesterday, my friend Chelle and I travelled for 14 hours over a landslide deveststed terrain in a Jeep. My deriere attests to the journey, it is bruised and sore. Twice we stopped to allow excavators to clear the road. Huge boulders sat proudly on our thoroughfare, causing the excavator to create a path around it for the traffic. We still have another six hours to travel today to a province called Mugu. We carry a huge suitcase (29kgs) full of supplies for a children’s home. Fortunately we will fly home, I could not endure such a beating again. I am told today will be beautiful as we travel towards the alps.

I am grateful for a late start today. 10am is much more reasonable. As we head north the weather is becoming colder. As we pass shacks perched on the edge of eternity, I try to imagine what life is like for the children here. They seem to be having fun. Children know how to enjoy themselves. Yet, one landslide from above their homes and they are no more. They are not living in fear. 

This reminds me to live with my God and spend time enjoying all He has made. He is my creator, my saviour and source of life. Amen!

No longer slaves

“We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭6‬:‭6‬-‭9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

We are free from sin’s hold. We do not need to submit to our fleshly reactions ans appetites anymore.

Jesus died for sin, once and for all times. Our sin was nailed on the cross. We do not need to lives as if it is in control. Not only have we died with Christ we have been raised with Him. His victory over sin and death is ours by faith. I do not need to sweat or struggle anymore. Praise Him!

Today my friend Chelle and I travel in a keep all day up through the midlands of western Nepal. Our trip will take two days. Both of us went to bed with an upset stomach last night. We need them settled for you rugged journey today.

Today, may we live with Christ in His divine victory. May we see as He sees and so what He is doing. Amen!

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=-QVXGtJudTQ&si=F5fucIr3ljBHrV02

Made right

“Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.”Romans‬ ‭5‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

If we walk in faith for what Jesus has done for us then we are at peace. No condemning or critical judgement made against us will stand. We have been acquitted and stand in a glorious robe that glows and exudes peace with God. This robe is the robe of righteousness that Jesus gives us as we enter the door (He is the door). Nothing the accuser throws at us will be heard in heaven. We can flick it off! If God is happy, we should be happy. He has made us right with Him. Now, to walk with Him!

Today an American friend of mine called Chelle and I embark on a journey up into the highlands here in Nepal. We go bearing gifts for children but also plan to take Jesus to an isolated village. He is the good news! He is the deliverer! Amen!

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvSmYLreRso&si=KJ6C_CABJzWn_WYV

Faith alone

“But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners.”Romans‬ ‭4‬:‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

““Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight. Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of sin.”Romans‬ ‭4‬:‭7‬-‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Abraham figures heavily in this chapter; and David’s Psalm 32:1,2 are used I. Verse 7,8 of Romans chapter 4. Abraham lived before the Law and David lived inside the Law. Abraham is therefore the Father of faith as he walked with God in faith. Although circumcision was given to Abraham as a sign of the covenant between him and God, he did not know the Law, this came through Moses. David was after Moses.

In verse 9, chapter 4 of Romans, Paul says ‘faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness’. Abraham is an example to us Gentiles. Abraham was called by God out of Iraq as his chosen ‘father of a multitude’. When he was called he was 75 and did not have the promised son until he was 100. He had 25 years to develop his faith and trust that this God would indeed keep His promise.

Abrahm did not know Jesus, yet Jesus was in his seed. Jesus offers us salvation through faith alone. His sacrifice was enough and there is nothing we can add to it. We must walk in faith that He is enough and love Him and those around us. The works we do will be motivated by Him, not us. This is a call to total surrender. Amen!

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=6QuvvQCijTc&si=jnyB0xT_q2nuuupd

The lamb

“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭3‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.”Romans‬ ‭3‬:‭27‬-‭28‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I can say that obeying the law did not free me from the uncleaness I felt within; however, accepting Jesus as my saviour and way to freedom did. I could not earn my salvation, I still cannot, even though I constantly feel obligated to try. I keep falling back down from the wall of self-righteousness to repentance and belief that Jesus was and is enough.

Only Jesus is pure and undefiled. There is no pride in Him. He said, ‘learn from Me for I am meek and humble of heart’ (Matt 11:29). We who are prideful cannot understand this and may even scorn this. Jesus was without sin. He constantly humbled Himself. Read the gospels and see. Jesus was alien to us sinful humans. He stayed pure and undefiled. He was the the pure lamb of God sacrificed for us sinners so that we to, by faith, can be imputed with His righteousness.

Jesus Jesus Jesus

Righteous righteous righteous

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=lCurAnLiwiY&si=J9wLEtEDW_ATkNmA