From a young age we’ve instilled in our children the need to plan ahead for the future.

After all, we want to make sure that we’re prepared in every way for what may occur, and that’s why we think weeks, months and years ahead in our planning.

But what if we lived a day at a time?

In Numbers chapter 9 we read about the cloud of the Lord that covered the Tabernacle, which looked like a pillar of fire.

It led God’s people in this way:

Whenever the cloud lifted from over the sacred tent, the people of Israel would break camp and follow it. And wherever the cloud settled, the people of Israel would set up camp. (Numbers 9:17)

But the amount of time at one place would vary from a single day to even a year, and they would move with very little notice.

God’s people lived a day at a time, waiting afresh to see what the Lord had in mind for their community.

This seems so different to the way we plan out our lives, sometimes with less regard for the overarching will of God.

We don’t have a tabernacle any more, but still we have this important warning in the letter of James:

Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” (James 4:13-15)

This is why it’s good practice for us to say, “God willing” when we speak about the future, for it shows our humility as we live in the world that is lovingly lead by our Lord.

What’s more, it can also open up opportunities for us to share our deep trust in our Lord, as we live in a world that increasingly ignores the creator and his gracious redemption for all who turn to him.

JODIE McNEILL

(photo credit: Dafne Cholet via Flickr.com)

If you didn’t know better, you’d think that the destruction of Jerusalem and the imprisonment of her leaders was sign of God’s failure.

Because when God’s people suffer at the hands of an enemy king, it looks like God is weak, unloving or perhaps just an imaginary being.

Yet everything that happened was according to God’s plan, for his actions were a punishment upon his people for their rebellion.

We learn about this from the prophet Ezekiel:

“…when the people of Israel were living in their own land, they defiled it by the evil way they lived… so I poured out my fury on them. I scattered them to many lands to punish them for the evil way they had lived. But when they were scattered among the nations, they brought shame on my holy name. For the nations said, ‘These are the people of the LORD, but he couldn’t keep them safe in his own land!’ Then I was concerned for my holy name… Therefore… I am bringing you back, but not because you deserve it. I am doing it to protect my holy name… And when I reveal my holiness through you before their very eyes… then the nations will know that I am the LORD. For I will gather you up from all the nations and bring you home again to your land.” (Ezekiel 36:17-24)

The catastrophic events that open up the book of Daniel were all part of God’s plan, but despite the tragedy, there was hope for God’s people because of the Lord’s hunger to demonstrate the true glory of his name.

And the ultimate rescue of God’s people was brought about by Jesus at the cross, where our salvation proved the goodness and kindness of God, and enabled all the nations to know that his name is truly holy.

What a joy to know that our salvation is guaranteed because of God’s rightful hunger for his glory to be known to the world!

JODIE McNEILL

(Photo credit: Edge Earth via Flickr)

Have you ever come to church only to hear something you already knew? Do you often sit down at bible study or church and think to yourself “yep, I already know all this stuff”.

Are we doing something wrong? Should we spend less time reminding people of things they already know?

Well the Apostle Peter doesn’t have a problem saying the same things over and over, 2 Peter 1:12 Therefore, I will always remind you about these things—even though you already know them and are standing firm in the truth you have been taught.

What are ‘these things’ that Peter reminds them of? Maybe they are complicated issues of the faith that believers sometimes forget about?

He reminds believers that they should respond to God’s promises with godly living. 

More specifically, he gives them a list of qualities they should pursue; moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, patient endurance, godliness, brotherly affection and love (1:5-7)

These Christians are standing firm in the truth, so why does Peter need to remind them so often?

Did they completely forget to live godly lives just as we will forget a password, birthday or anniversary?

I don’t think so. Peter knows they didn’t intellectually forget but that they may practically forget.

Peter doesn’t just want believers to intellectually accept the truth, he wants them to live it out!

You are going to be reminded of things you already ‘know’ because the things in our heads don’t always carry across to our hands.

Which of those qualities do you know you should live out… but don’t?

Take heart friends, for “by his divine power God has given us everything we need for living a godly life” (1:3). 

We can change because God lives in us!

Take every reminder from God as a blessing and keep pushing into godliness so “God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (v. 11).

JACOB MIERENDORFF

Often when I’m having a chat with someone and it seems right to talk to them about the good news of Jesus, I’ll ask them this question: “If you were to die today and stand before God and He were to say to you, ‘why should I let you into My Heaven?’ What would you say?”

It’s a question that the ‘Evangelism Explosion’ organisation wrote to help people get talking about God… and to help ‘diagnose’ where people find their confidence in eternal things.

Just recently I asked someone this question, and I heard again the normal answer: “Well, I’d tell him that I’ve been a pretty good person and that I haven’t done anything really bad…”

This answer naturally leads me to say, “well, you know, that answer doesn’t actually work for anyone, because with God, even one rebellious act against him is enough to make us deserve Hell.”

And from there, I tell them that there’s only ever been one person in history who lived a life that pleased our Father in Heaven, and that’s Jesus.

And because Jesus lived a perfect life, he is the only person who could offer to swap his perfect performance for our imperfect performance… and that’s exactly what happened when he died on the cross for us.

So, if we follow Jesus, having asked for his forgiveness, then he will bring us that certainty for eternity because of his great kindness to us.

Then, I’ll often talk about the story of the salvation of the thief on the cross… which is such a great moment in history that shows the power of grace, not works.

This then leads to a stark reality: since this is true, we can have complete confidence in our eternal life with Jesus in Heaven.

That’s spiritual confidence… because all our confidence is on the performance of Jesus, not us… and his grace to us is not because of anything we’ve done.

JODIE McNEILL

(Photo credit: Chris & Karen Highland via flickr.com)

“We. Will. Not. Forgive. Hundreds and hundreds of victims. Thousands and thousands of sufferings. And God will not forgive. Not today. Not tomorrow. Never. And instead of Forgiveness, there will be a Day of Judgment.”

Last week the President of the Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, pronounced an emotional judgement on the Russian enemy that has caused such horror and destruction.

His words were confronting, but if it was the mothers and babies at Shellharbour Hospital that were bombed by a ruthless enemy, then we’d have more empathy with this response.

Around 3000 years ago, God’s people were attacked by a brutal enemy, and so they cried out, “O God, do not be silent… Don’t you hear the uproar of your enemies?” (Psalm 83:1-2)

They call to God to act, asking him to “chase them with your fierce storm… terrify them with your tempest” (verse 15), and above all, for those enemies to be disgraced (verse 16-17).

We might feel a little embarrassed by this violence in the Bible, until we see another report from Ukraine… and then we empathise with their president’s lack of willingness to forgive.

When we or a family member is a victim of crime, we want justice, but the problem is that every human is naturally guilty of rejecting God.

And so whilst we seek justice, we also know our deep need for mercy.

Which is what makes Jesus’ words on the cross so remarkable: “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34)

Justice was satisfied on the cross of Good Friday, and all of us who deserve God’s anger can be forgiven if we ask Jesus for mercy.

God understands justice, and he also understands mercy.

For at the cross, justice and mercy embrace.

Jesus. Will. Forgive.

JODIE McNEILL