WORD OF GOD TIME: 2018

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Ephesians 2:8-10

Ephesians 2:10 reveals that we have been "created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." This raises an obvious question: What are the good works God has prepared for me?
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Many of us would be inclined to answer this question by pointing to specific things Christians tend to do as an expression of their faith. Good works would include: attending worship services, praying regularly, studying Scripture, giving generously from our financial resources, joining a small group, going on mission trips, caring for the poor, working for justice for the oppressed, loving our neighbors, and so forth. These are surely among the good works God has prepared for us. We rightly engage in these activities as people who have been transformed by God's grace through Christ. But, if we think of good works only in these terms, we miss the extent to which God's plan for our good works is much broader and deeper. Our translation explains that we are created for good works, "which God prepared in advance for us to do." The Greek original reads more literally, "which God prepared in advance, so that we might walk in them." The language of walking was used by teachers in the time of Paul in the way we might talk of living or engaging in a certain lifestyle. In other words, the good works of verse 10 are not obviously religious activities scattered throughout an otherwise secular life. Rather, the good works encompass the whole of the Christian, all that we do by God's grace for God's purposes.

Ephesians 2:10 is similar to other passages of the Pauline letters that envision all of life as lived through and for God. Romans 12:1, for example, says, "I urge you ... to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God." This offering takes place, not in identified temples, but in everyday life. Similarly, Colossians 3:17 proclaims, "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus."
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Therefore, though it's certainly right for you to invest yourself in the life of your church and to engage in works of outreach for the sake of the poor, the oppressed, and those who don't know God's grace in Christ, Ephesians 2:10 would encourage you to learn to see your whole life as an interconnected series of good works offered to God. This means that your good works can include that which you do at work, in the classroom, on the football field, in your neighborhood, and in your community associations. If you're a boss, part of your good works involve the way you manage your employees. If you're a parent, your good works include making dinner for your children as well as praying with them as you tuck them into bed. The more we grow in our faith, the more we see ourselves as God's masterpieces, the more we will indeed do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, by his strength, under his authority, and for his purposes.

QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER REFLECTION: Do you tend to think of your whole life as an offering of good works to God? Or do you tend to think of your good works mainly as activities that are obviously religious? How might your life be different if you began to see your whole life as an offering to God?

PRAYER: Gracious God, I find the perspective of this passage exciting, compelling, and counterintuitive. My culture and even much of my Christian experience have taught me to divide my life into the "stuff for you" and "all the other stuff." I am learning to think more truly and inclusively, to see my whole life as an offering to you.

Help me, Lord, to walk in the good works you have in store for me. Help me to be open to all that you would have me do. Teach me to see my whole life as you see it. By your Spirit, may I come to see every moment of every day as an occasion to do good works—including good work—for you. Amen.

Third, these verses tell us that we can rejoice and be thankful even in the darkest hour. Image result for jesus christ

This is certainly not saying that it is wrong to sorrow and to grieve. Even our Lord grieved at the loss of a loved one and friend.

What it is saying is that even in sorrowful times we can find things for which to be thankful and rejoice. And these things are what we are to concentrate and think upon. Not what might have been but what is and shall be.

There are several things that come to my mind for which we can be thankful and rejoice.

1. First of all the reminder of Philippians 4:5 "The Lord is at hand." One of the meanings of this is that the Lord is locally near. He is with us--as He told us "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee" (Heb 13:5). He is with us and He is in control.

As Moses reminds us, "The eternal God is our dwelling place and underneath are the everlasting arms. (Duet. 33:37) For God's presence and control we can be thankful and rejoice.

2. Second we can rejoice and be thankful that the Lord is at work in our lives.

a. James l reminds us that through this trial you will grow in your faith as you trust God.
b. As gold is refined and purified by fire so our faith is refined through trials.
c. God wants to make you stronger and increase your faith in Him. He is at work in your lives and for that we can rejoice.

3. Third we can rejoice and be thankful in the knowledge that the souls of these little ones are with God. And He will care for them and bring them back with Him when He comes for us.

4. Finally we can rejoice in the families God has given to us.

a. For the love of husband and wife.
b. For the love and concern of Mom and Dad, brothers and sisters.
c. For the prayers and concern of your church family and friends.
d. You are not going through this alone. We love you and want to carry the burden with you.

Conclusion

1. So we've seen though God's ways are not ours nor His thoughts our thoughts.

2. Yet he offers us:

a. Wisdom instead of confusion.
b. Peace instead of anxiety.
c. As we ask in faith believing.

3. We also saw that our minds are to be occupied not on what might have been, but what is? (i.e. even in times like this we can rejoice and be thankful).

a. That God is with us and in control.
b. That the Lord is at work in your lives.
c. That these little ones are with Christ.
d. That our families and friends want to bear these burdens with you.

4. I thank God (Parent's names) that I see these things already reflected in your lives and I challenge you to continue to go to God in prayer for wisdom and peace, and to spend your time meditating on these things for which we can rejoice and be thankful.

Committal

In that it has pleased our heavenly Father, who loaned these little ones to us for this short time, to take them back to Himself, we commit their bodies to the ground. Looking for that blessed hope; when the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. Bible Text: Exodus 33:12-14

Moses had a daunting task of taking about three (3) million people through the wilderness. He felt very inadequate and told God he wasn't up to the task. Moses asked God, ‘show me Your ways’ (Exodus 33:13). This is a very pertinent request because Isaiah 55:8-9 says: “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. The phrase: ‘Show me Your ways' was the same prayer Apostle Paul made in Ephesians 1:17: "That the God of our LORD Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him." It is therefore very important to know and understand Him.

Psalm 103:7 says "He made known His ways unto Moses, His acts unto the children of Israel." The ways of God and the acts of God are two different levels of the knowledge of God. All the children of Israel saw and knew of God were His acts. They saw the real and awesome miracles of God (the parting of the Red Sea, pillar of clouds, pillar of fire, River Nile turning to blood, etc.). Today in City of David, we can identify with the children of Israel through the miracles and testimonies of the Last Dance experienced at our monthly Thanksgiving Services – fruit of the womb, HIV disappear, the blind see, lumps disappear, the deaf hear, etc.

The children of Israel saw the miracles of God in their lives, but they didn't understand why God was performing the miracles. For example, they wanted food but God gave them Manna (Numbers 11:4-6). God had a reason for daily feeding them with Manna. He wanted to humble and test them, but do them good at the end. He also wanted to prove to them that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God (Deuteronomy 8:3 and 16). This tells us that there is a reason God does things in our lives. Some people are blessed with money but they don't know why God has given them money, hence they spend it on themselves and ignore urgent requests made in Church for God's work. God is the One who gives you wealth; He brings opportunities your way, and He promotes you. Deuteronomy 8:18 says "But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is He that giveth thee power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day." Know that you are just a steward of what God has given you (Ecclesiastes 5:15, 1 Timothy 6:7). There is a reason God gave you a job, the fruit of the womb, and all the things in your possession now. God is up to something, and you must know and understand His ways. God wants to bless you so that you can be a blessing. It is good to have all the good things of life but you must know the reason why God has blessed you with them. For example, when God does things in your life, you shouldn't hide your testimonies, testify so that you can encourage others and give God the glory. You need to know that God blesses you so that He can get all the Glory. Image result for jesus christ

The children of Israel just saw only the acts of God, but did not know or understand God’s ways. Psalm 49:20 says, "Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish." There are people who sin against God, and do not fear Him because they are limited in their understanding of God and His ways; they only know His acts.

Moses told God he had seen His acts but he wanted to have a deeper understanding and know God personally and intimately. Jeremiah 9:23-24 says: "Thus saith the LORD, let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, THAT HE UNDERSTANDETH AND KNOWETH ME, that I am the LORD which exercise loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD." Stop boasting about your riches and strength. What matters to God is your knowledge of Him. The Bible says in John 17:3 “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”

God responded to the request of Moses to know His ways by saying to Moses that, "My presence shall go with thee" (Exodus 33:14). When God says His presence will go with you, it means He wouldn't just give you a map, He would guide you. As long as you walk with God He will reveal Himself to you as Emmanuel, and no matter what comes your way, you are confident that all will be well.

Moses chose a better path by seeking to know God. Acts can be misread, and they are also temporal; but when God is with you, it is a relationship and it is permanent. This is the level we need – a deeper knowledge of God and a relationship that can outlast and outlive every other things. Exodus 33:11 tells us that God and Moses were friends. They had an intimate relationship that God spoke to him face to face.

God's second response to Moses was "...and I will give thee rest." When you are close to God and have an intimate relationship with Him, you learn to trust Him in spite of all odds. This is called A RESTING FAITH, as calmness will come upon you; knowing that all will be well. When you walk with God as a friend, and His presence is with you; then trusting God will not be that difficult again. As long the Patriarchs of old had God with them, they could trust Him. This was the trust Abraham had that gave him the boldness to leave his comfort zone and go to a land God was going to show him. Job knew God was with him during his challenging period. He entered into a rest and said, "Even if He slay me, yet will I trust Him" (Job 13:15). When everything was dead and hopeless for Abraham, he still believed in the promises of God. He didn't doubt God but gave God glory even when the prognosis was bad (Romans 4:18-21). Abraham knew the Unchanging Changer was still with him, hence he had rest, and had a resting faith, trusting God that He is not man to lie. Joseph also had a resting faith in God as seen in Genesis 50:24 wherein the Bible says: "And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence." Also, Exodus 13:19 [KJV] says "And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him: for he had straitly sworn the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you; and ye shall carry up my bones away hence with you." You should be able to trust God to the level you would be able to enter a rest with Him.

WAYS OF GOD Image result for jesus christ

1. God is faithful: The fact that you are still alive in spite of negative situations in the country, calamities happening around the world, accidents, earthquakes, plane crashes, shows that God is faithful. Faithfulness is the way, nature and character of God. 2 Timothy 2:13 says, "If we believe not, yet He abideth faithful: He cannot deny Himself." Romans 3:3-4 [AMP] says, "What then? If some did not believe or were unfaithful [to God], their lack of belief will not nullify and make invalid the faithfulness of God and His word, will it? Certainly not! Let God be found true [as He will be], though every person be found a liar, just as it is written [in Scripture], “That You may be justified in Your words, And prevail when You are judged [by sinful men].”" God will do what He has promised to do in your life this year in Jesus Name.

2. God Loves Last Minute Miracles: God loves last minute miracles when all hope is gone. If you walk with Him and know His ways, you would know that if you haven't received answers to your prayers yet, it could be that God is testing you to see if you would give up on Him. In 2 Kings 13:20-21, Elijah died and was buried, sometime later, raiding bands of Moabites, as they often did, invaded the country. One day, some men were burying a man and spotted the raiders. They threw the man into Elisha’s tomb and got away. When the body touched Elisha’s bones, the man came alive, stood up, and walked out on his own two feet. God stepped in at the last minute when there was no hope again for the dead man. God says don't give up. In Exodus 14, we see God coming through for the children of Israel after they had panicked that Pharaoh who was pursuing them would catch up with them. God could have destroyed Pharaoh and his army earlier but God had a perfect plan which He revealed to Moses (Exodus 14: 1-3). Moses did not panic, he said to the children Israel: “fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more forever.” At the last minute when the Israelites had lost hope and were sore afraid God delivered them from Pharaoh and his army. Image result for jesus christ

In addition, God allowed Daniel to be thrown into the lion’s den (Daniel 6:16), so that He could show His Almightiness. God didn't stop Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego from being thrown into the fiery furnace (Daniel 3:23) because He has said "When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze" (Isaiah 43:2). He delivered them at the last minute. What should matter to you is that if God is with you. If God is with you, the end result will be glorious. Jesus saw burial procession of the widow of Nain's son, touched the boy and their story changed for the better at the last minute (Luke 7:11-13).

Last minute miracles happens when you believe that time has run out; when you believe that you are at the last moment; when you have almost given up; when all hopes are lost; when all expectations are gone; or when the situation is completely hopeless. But the LORD whom you seek shall suddenly come into your life and situation today in Jesus Name (Malachi 3:1). It doesn't matter what the doctors have said, what you are going through, God can still come through for you today. Indeed, He can grant you your heart desire now. Habakkuk 2:3 says "For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry." You will not be disappointed, don't give up, and don’t say like Zion in Isaiah 49:14 "...The LORD hath forsaken me, and my LORD hath forgotten me." God will not forget you. He says, "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me" (Isaiah 49:15-16). Your prayers and sighs are continually before God, He cannot forget you.

God is saying to you: lift up your feeble hands, lift up your feeble feet, get on your dancing shoes, prepare for enlargement because God has something awesome for you (Isaiah 54:1-3). God is telling you to calm down; He will strengthen you, He will do all what He has promised you in His time, because He makes all things beautiful in His time (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

In conclusion, the Bible in Amos 3:3 says "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" Maybe you don't know Jesus Christ as your LORD and personal Saviour. You might be confused at the occasional acts of God in your life and don't know why He taking you through some situations. The only way to know is, to receive Jesus Christ as your LORD and personal Saviour and He will reveal things to you. Or maybe you are almost giving up, God is the Strength of Israel, He will strengthen you; hold your hand and show you the way. If you are willing to repent and surrender your life to Jesus Christ, then pray this prayer right now: LORD Jesus, I come to You, I know I am a sinner, please forgive me my sins. With my mouth, I confess that Jesus Christ is the LORD of my life; with my heart I believe that it is because of me that You came into this world.You died and took away all my sins. Take away my sins, write my name in the Book of Life, fill me with Your Holy Spirit and help me to enter into your rest in Jesus Name. Image result for jesus christ

More Verses on God's Ways

Deuteronomy 10:12-13

"Now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require from you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,

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Committal

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