Miracles on the border: Syrians encounter Jesus

By Erich Bridges, Baptist Press, Nov 16, 2012

BEIRUT (BP)—The Christian relief team heard about the needy Syrian widow living outside a Lebanese Muslim village near the Syrian border. So they took food to her.

Apparently, Jesus had been there first.

A refugee from the civil war in Syria, the Muslim widow, along with her three children, had sought shelter in Lebanon—like more than 100,000 other Syrians. She was observing a traditional 40-day period of solitude to mourn her dead husband, so she had received nothing from the local Islamic aid society.

When the Christians knocked at her door, the widow appeared fully covered in black, including an opaque veil over her face. She explained her period of self-isolation. They offered to leave the food outside, but she unexpectedly invited them in. They sat with her and her children on the floor of the temporary dwelling.

“Who are you?” she asked anxiously.

“You don’t know us, but we have great love in our hearts toward you,” the team leader answered, explaining their reasons for helping Syrian refugees. “That love comes from God, who has worked in our lives.”

To their amazement, she responded by removing her veil—unheard of in her conservative Muslim culture. Then the words came flooding out.

“I want to tell you what happened to me yesterday,” she said, her voice trembling with emotion. “As I was sleeping during the night, someone knocked on my door. I was so scared, but I opened the window to see who it was. No one was there. After a while, I heard the same knocking. My heart was beating so fast, so I went and sat beside the door, and I fell asleep there.

“As I was sleeping, someone put His hand on my shoulder. He said, ‘You don’t know Me. You have passed through a great pain. I experienced a great pain, also. But I will not leave you alone. Tomorrow I will send you someone who will tell you about Me. Listen to him.’”

When she finished the story, she began to weep. She turned to the team leader and said, “Tell me about this person that I saw in my dream.”

Through his own tears, the leader told her about Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the friend of widows, orphans and outcasts. “This Book that I’m going to give you will explain to you about God’s love,” he promised, giving her a Bible along with additional aid to help her and her children survive the mourning period.

The widow later returned to Syria. No one knows for sure what has become of her. But God knows.

Sami*, the Lebanese Christian pastor who told the widow about Jesus, has had similar experiences with other Muslims. He and several Christian partners have been reaching out to Muslim villages in Lebanon with the simple Gospel message. They expanded their outreach to Syrian Muslims when refugees started streaming across the border last year.

“When we started to serve among those villages and communities, I had a doubt in my heart,” Sami admits. “Will it work? Are we going to experience what we hear from different parts of the Middle East and the world about Muslims coming to know Jesus as Savior and Lord? It was a challenge, a discovery process for me personally and for many with us in the ministry. But as we have shared the Gospel faithfully, the Lord is showing us signs of people who are opening up, asking questions and opening the door for us to reach a wider community.

“We started a couple of house groups in different areas with Lebanese and Syrian Muslims, and we are discipling those people. Some of them have come to know Christ. Others are discovering who Jesus is. They are showing signs of changing in their lives.”

A Muslim community leader the Christians befriended last year helped them gain entrance to the homes of many Muslims—Lebanese and Syrian. During those visits, he heard the Gospel message of God’s offer of salvation through Jesus Christ perhaps 100 times.

At the beginning of one such visit, the Muslim leader walked up to a refugee family, pointed at them and said, “Are you dead or alive?”

The family was taken aback; so were the Christians. He repeated his question: “Are you dead or alive?” Then he pointed at the Christians and declared, “These people have a Book, and it’s going to tell you how to find life. You need to read it!”

“This is a Muslim guy who probably has never read the New Testament himself,” marvels Christian worker David James*, who participated in the visit. “But he’s opening doors for us now because he saw something different in us as he heard the things that we were sharing.”

In another village, the relief team made a repeat visit to the home of an influential Syrian Muslim. He knows many other needy families, so they brought a large supply of food for distribution.

“We don’t need your boxes of food,” the Syrian leader said. “What we need is somebody to come and teach us how to walk in the way of Jesus and how we can forgive one another. We don’t know how to live with each other.” The Christians were happy to oblige.

Perhaps the boldest new evangelist in Lebanon, however, is an older Syrian woman whose home has become a center for teaching truth.

Sami met Noora* at the end of a long, exhausting day of aid deliveries to refugees. He was ready to go home, but his guide insisted on one more stop to a particularly needy group of families. Reluctantly, he agreed. They distributed food portions and New Testaments along with a simple Gospel presentation.

Noora, one of the Syrian Muslim women in the home, started asking questions about baptism. As it turned out, she already was reading the New Testament. She had plenty of other questions about Jesus: How do you address Him? How does He differ from the other prophets?

“We read Matthew, the first chapters, about Jesus’ incarnation and that He is Immanuel,” Sami recounts. “Immanuel means ‘God with us.’”

“I don’t understand,” Noora replied.

Sami explained the concept of a king visiting his people disguised in plain clothing and humility, yet remaining in every aspect a king. He told her about Jesus’ sinless life compared to the other prophets, all of whom had failed God in various ways, despite their greatness.

“Who do you want to follow—Jesus or the prophets?” Simi asked.

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Disaster or Opportunity? 4 Simple Steps to Transforming Life's Catastrophes

By Richard Crown, Dumb Little Man, Nov. 16, 2012

I lost the use of my arms in a traffic accident.

No one could understand why I laughed my way through surgeries and convalescence.

How about you?

Have you experienced any of life’s difficulties?

Has job loss, divorce or losing a home happened to you?

I’ve experienced all of the above.

Through those experiences, I’ve learned 4 easy steps to help me get through the mental anguish and emotional fall out accompanying life’s inevitable troubles.

First step is to let go. Let go of the past. It’s gone already. Trying to hang on to, or recreate, the past only prolongs pain for all involved.

After my accident, I felt like my old way of life had been wiped away completely. It was pretty obvious that, without arms, I would never again be able to wrestle a 200 pound halibut on to a fishing boat.

I was free to create a new life. I was laughing in the hospital because I was so free.

Second step is to take stock. Take a good hard look at what you’ve got left. It may be far more than you think.

I had a lot of time to think about my situation as I lay in a hospital bed waiting for enough bones to mend so that I could walk again.

I still had a good brain. I still had the love and support of my family. I also had a wealth of government programs to help me.

Third step is to find passion. Determine what you’re passionate about doing, taking into consideration the resources you’ve already identified in step two.

I decided I wanted to write more than anything else. But my California State Department of Rehabilitation counselor didn’t think writing was a viable occupation. Especially for a man without arms. He insisted on a small business management program at university.

Fourth step is to persevere. Perseverance turns dreams into reality. Stick with your passion. Let it inspire you through the hard work to come. Remember, it’s doing the work that actually transforms you.

I’m glad my counselor guided me into learning small business management, but I didn’t give up on my passionate dream. I just took his program and every writing class offered too.

Today, I’ve tapped out over a million words using a chopstick gripped firmly between my teeth. I run a website and blog and have several books published on Amazon.

My website started making money as soon as I put it up because my small business skills enabled me to create the right marketing mix for the content that my writing skills created.

I blended my passion with practicality and persevered.

Take time to go through the 4 simple steps above whenever you feel like life sucks. They may change your point of view and send your life down a whole new, passionately inspired track.

If you’ve lost your job, maybe it’s a golden opportunity to make a long desired career change. Or to take a long vacation.

If divorce has come to your marriage, maybe it’s time to spend a little time alone. Or to find your true soul mate.

If you’ve lost your home, maybe your aging parents need you to move back in. Or to go live in Hawaii.

Whatever you do, don’t forget to find laughter. Laughter dispels all the darkness that covers the opportunities. Laughter creates room for you to grow tall again and have some fun doing it.

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Our Savior Understands!

By David Brandt Berg

Download Audio (8.7MB)

O Love that will not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in Thee;
I give Thee back the life I owe,
That in Thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be!

O Light that followest all my way,
I yield my flick’ring torch to Thee;
I give Thee back its borrowed ray,
That in Thy sunshine’s blaze its day
May brighter, fairer be!
May brighter, fairer be!1

“O Love that Will Not Let Me Go!” I’ve told you the story of that, haven’t I? Didn’t I tell the story of how this man, brother George Matheson, was a young preacher very deeply in love and soon to be married—within six months they were to be married—when suddenly the doctor told him that he was losing his eyesight and that within six months his eyesight would be totally gone; he would be completely blind forever, at least the rest of his life.

He was heartbroken, of course, and he didn’t feel it was fair to his loved one, his lover, his sweetheart, not to tell her and warn her and give her the choice of whether she wanted to go ahead with the marriage or not, if she loved him that much. He felt that if she really loved him, even if he went blind she would still love him and want to live with him and care for him.

So he went to her house that night and they sat on the couch holding hands talking about this and that, and finally he said, “Honey, I’ve come to give you some very, very sad news. And I think it’s only fair to tell you so that you can make your own decision as to whether you want to go ahead with the marriage or not. I’m going blind, and by our wedding date I will be completely blind, according to the doctor.”

He suddenly felt her hand loosen its grasp and her fingers slip slowly out of his, completely out of his hand, as she turned away, and with tears she couldn’t contain. She felt very bad. She knew that it was a terrible thing to do, so she just rose and silently, slowly left the room. And he knew what her answer was. So he walked sadly back to his own home and went to his own study and sat down there and began to write this song about Jesus.

O Love that will not let me go,
I lift my weary heart to Thee;
That in Thine ocean depths its flow
May find the love I here do not know,
And richer, fuller be!
And richer, fuller be!

And that’s how that beautiful, beautiful song came to be written. Sometimes I change the words a little bit; I used to do that often when I was singing. Sometimes because I didn’t like the way the words were written or I thought I could add a little something to change it a little bit, sometimes just because I forgot’m! Hallelujah! That’s a beautiful song, amen?

For if we could see beyond today as God does see,
If all the clouds would roll away, the shadows flee
For present griefs we would not fret,
Each sorrow we would soon forget,
For many joys are waiting yet, for you and me!

If she could have only seen beyond that day to what joy there could have been in real love, she would have saved herself and him that heartbreak. But at least it brought him back closer to the Lord.

If we could know beyond today as God doth know,
Why dearest treasures pass away and tears must flow.
And why some darkness leads to light,
Why dreary days will soon grow bright,
Someday life’s wrongs will be made right,
Faith tells us so!

If we could see, if we could know, we often say,
But God in love a veil doth throw across our way.
We cannot see what lies before,
And so we cling to Him the more.
He leads us till this life is o’er,
Just trust and obey!2

Praise the Lord! Hallelujah! That was one of my mother’s favorite songs, and I don’t think I’ve ever been able to sing it without crying, I’m sorry. Praise the Lord! But that’s why...

I have nothing to do with tomorrow,
Its sunlight I never may see!
So today with my plow in my furrow,
In His vineyard I faithful will be!

I have nothing to do with tomorrow,
My Savior has made this His care.
Its strength and its griefs I can’t borrow,
So why should I borrow its care?3

Praise God! Hallelujah! Thank You, Lord! Isn’t that a beautiful old song?

Originally published 1982. Republished on Anchor November 2012.
Sung by David Brandt Berg.4


1 “O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go,” words by George Matheson (1882).

2 “Beyond Today,” words and music by Norman J. Clayton (date unknown).

3 “I Have Nothing to Do with Tomorrow,” by Daniel W. Whittle (1916).

4 David originally sang the songs impromptu, unaccompanied, while filming on video. Light musical accompaniment and vocals were added later, at a separate location.

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In the Mideast, "the harvest time is now."

In Mideast, 'harvest time is now'

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 04:02 AM PST




By Erich Bridges, Baptist Press, Nov 16, 2012
MIDDLE EAST (BP)—There’s a question that keeps Jack Logan* awake at night: Who is praying for the people of Syria?

Not just because a murderous civil war is tearing Syria apart, though that tragedy is unfolding. Not just because millions of Syrians are suffering and need help, though they do.

Who is praying for the Syrians whom God is drawing to Himself in the midst of great struggle? Like so many others in the region, they are seeking truth because all else is collapsing around them.

Logan, a Christian worker and strategist based in the Middle East, has seen it before.

“Whenever there’s a war and people are affected, the Lord opens up doors to give us access to people that we really never had before,” Logan says. “It happened in 2006 during the war between Hezbollah [the Lebanon-based Shiite Muslim group] and Israel, which opened up unprecedented opportunities for us in an area that we had not had access to before.”

The same thing is going on now, as Syrians stream out of their embattled homeland—and as the peoples of the Middle East continue to cope with the changes unleashed by “Arab Spring” political/social movements across the region.

“My job is developing strategy for engaging the lost, the unreached and unengaged peoples for this part of the world,” Logan reflects. “It’s humbling, but at the same time it’s incredibly exciting, because we see the Lord moving in ways that we never expected. I don’t know how to explain it. I just know that in times like these, we have to have our senses tuned to what the Lord is doing. Hundreds of thousands of people that we had no access to inside of their country, we now do. It takes giving up our own agenda and saying, ‘What do we need to sacrifice in order to get to these people that God has put on our back door?’

“During these crises, this Arab Spring, this stirring of peoples across the Arab world, God is creating opportunities like we’ve never had before to reach people at a point of need, to embody and proclaim the Gospel.”

Yes, the wider region is experiencing unpredictable turmoil. Yes, violence and persecution have increased. Yes, it’s dangerous to be a follower of Christ in certain places. Yet amid the ongoing crisis, the Arab world has become a harvest field for the Gospel.

“The harvest is now,” Logan insists. “A few years ago I’m not sure I would have believed that myself. But it’s not only believable right now, it is a reality. People look at the Middle East and they see a barren land. They see sand and desert and dry land, not just physically but spiritually, and they look at it as an unreachable place. But our expectations are most often defined by past experience and present realities, when they should be based on what we believe God is going to do.

“If we believe we’re working in a harvest field, then we’ll give up anything to make Christ known and worshipped in the darkest of places. I want the church in the United States to believe that. I want us [workers in the region] to believe that.”

Sounds a little like Hebrews 11. Earlier followers of the Lord experienced some very tough sledding in the Middle East—before and after the birth of the Christian church—and they turned the known world upside down by faith. Today, some of the most faithful and courageous heirs of that tradition are Muslim-background followers of Christ. Many have come to Him after experiencing dreams and visions, after counting the cost of obedience, after paying a steep price. I sat in a church with one such believer in Egypt earlier this year and listened to him gently challenge Christian-background brothers to overcome their fear and timidity in the face of opposition.

“Christians have a problem with understanding their own religion, because if they understand their faith they’re going to make real change,” he told listeners. “The church has to move; it is not moving toward those from other backgrounds.”

A veteran Egyptian pastor leaned over and confided: “He is the future of the church in Egypt.”

Opposition is a given. Always has been. Followers of Christ who understand that recognize the signs of the times and keep moving.

“These are people who are walking in darkness, who are blinded by the god of this world,” Logan says. “We have the light of the Gospel inside of us. Do we perceive ourselves as Gospel bearers in a dark world? If so, then we have a responsibility to take the Gospel to the darkest places. Jesus told us to take the Gospel to all nations and make disciples. We know there will be people from every tribe, language, people and nation before the throne, so we know that there will be people from the Middle East. There will be Syrians, there will be Sunni, there will be Alawites, there will be Kurds, there will be Druze, there will be Palestinians, there will be Salafists, there will be activists, there will be secularists, there will be all these people who will worship Jesus.

“I hope the church will consider what it’s going to take for that to happen. We cannot get to the unreached and unengaged doing things the way that we have done. It’s going to take a higher tolerance of risk. It’s going to take a greater resolve to sacrifice, to give up and to follow Christ with abandon. What we really have to come to grips with is: Do we really love Jesus that much? People ask me all the time when I’m in the States, ‘Isn’t it dangerous?’ I’m not sure that’s the right question. Ultimately, there’s nowhere safe these days. The real question is: Is Jesus worth it? If it’s about ourselves, our safety, our future, or even doing it for the sake of the nations, that’s not enough.

“It’s got to be about Jesus.”

*Name change

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Ron Paul: 'Our Constitution Has Failed'

By Chris Good, ABC OTUS News, November 15, 2012 Rep. Ron Paul, the iconic libertarian congressman from Texas, has delivered what will most likely be his final address to Congress. In a sprawling, 52-minute speech to the House chamber, Paul lambasted U.S. government, politicians and special interests, declaring that the U.S. people must return to virtue before the government allows them to be free, and that the Constitution has failed to limit the scope of an authoritarian bureaucracy. “Our Constitution, which was intended to limit government power and abuse, has failed,” Paul said. “The Founders warned that a free society depends on a virtuous and moral people. The current crisis reflects that their concerns were justified.” For the retiring Republican, 77, the “current crisis” isn’t quite what it is for other members of Congress, who routinely use that word to describe the economic recession that followed the 2008 financial crash. To the Texas Republican, that’s part of it, but the causes are deeper, and it’s also a crisis of governmental authoritarianism and the vanishing of personal liberty. “If it’s not accepted that big government, fiat money, ignoring liberty, central economic planning, welfarism, and warfarism caused our crisis, we can expect a continuous and dangerous march toward corporatism and even fascism with even more loss of our liberties,” said Paul, an obstetrician-gynecologist by training. The problem isn’t just government’s size, but its use of force, both in starting preemptive wars and as it coerces U.S. citizens with police power. To Paul, this is the fault of Americans who no longer prioritize liberty, and it will lead to the unraveling of orderly society unless people change. “Restraining aggressive behavior is one thing, but legalizing a government monopoly for initiating aggression can only lead to exhausting liberty associated with chaos, anger and the breakdown of civil society,” Paul said. “We now have a standing army of armed bureaucrats in the TSA, CIA, FBI, Fish and Wildlife, FEMA, IRS, Corp of Engineers, etc., numbering over 100,000.” More than coercive, to Paul the government is also corrupt: “All branches of our government today are controlled by individuals who use their power to undermine liberty and enhance the welfare/warfare state—and frequently their own wealth and power,” he said. Throughout his speech, Paul questioned not only the fundamental health of America’s social compact, but specifics like fiat money, the power of the Federal Reserve, the PATRIOT Act, Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act modifications, undeclared war, the illegalization of medical marijuana, mandatory sentencing requirements for drug crimes, the illegalization of hemp, TSA searches, federal debt and borrowing, the White House’s authority to assassinate those it declares terrorists, the legalization of detaining U.S. citizens for national-security purposes, the political power of AIPAC, and the regulation of light bulbs and toilets in people’s homes. For Paul, the list of grievances is long, and he might not have accomplished much in Congress: “In many ways, according to conventional wisdom, my off-and-on career in Congress, from 1976 to 2012, accomplished very little,” he said. “No named legislation, no named federal buildings or highways, thank goodness. In spite of my efforts, the government has grown exponentially, taxes remain excessive, and the prolific increase of incomprehensible regulations continues. Wars are constant and pursued without congressional declaration.” In thinking about the champions of liberty, his lesson is a bitter one: “History has shown that the masses have been quite receptive to the promises of authoritarians which are rarely if ever fulfilled,” but his prescription is hopeful. Paul left the podium, for the last time, offering an “answer” to all of these problems: that people should choose liberty and limit government, and seek change within themselves. “The number one responsibility for each of us is to change ourselves with hope that others will follow,” Paul said, urging an end to two motives that have hindered U.S. society: envy and intolerance. “I have come to one firm conviction after these many years of trying to figure out the plain truth of things. The best chance for achieving peace and prosperity, for the maximum number of people worldwide, is to pursue the cause of liberty. If you find this to be a worthwhile message, spread it throughout the land.”

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Contemplando a Face de Jesus

Encorajamento para pais com filhos doentes
Jesus falando em profecia

Ver seu filho sofrer com uma doença é geralmente muito mais difícil do que se você passasse por ela.

Mas quando se deparar com uma situação dessas, lembre-se que posso trazer beleza e propósito das circunstâncias mais tristes e difíceis. Quer seu filho esteja doente com uma gripe forte, quer tenha uma doença persistente ou esteja hospitalizado, estou velando por ele. Amo seu filho, e faço todas as coisas bem.

Se estiver em uma situação dessas de partir o coração, lembre-se que conheço o seu filho melhor que você e o amo ainda mais profunda e encarecidamente que você.



Estou tão orgulhoso de você por encarar esta grande dificuldade na vida de seu filho com fé e confiança em Mim. Sei que não é fácil passar por isso. É de partir o coração. Estou muito orgulhoso de você por confiar que vou ajudá-lo a passar por isso, apesar de ser tão difícil para você e seu filho no momento. Prometo que os ajudarei até o fim.

Esses momentos em que seu filho se encontra em meio a dor e desconforto são os momentos mais difíceis, e a ocasião para louvar. Mas quando você Me louva no meio da dor, Eu honro grandemente a sua fé. Toca o Meu coração e move a Minha mão a seu favor quando faz essa escolha tão difícil e maravilhosa de Me louvar apesar das batalhas e aflições pelas quais observa seu filho passar.

Eu e Meus anjos estamos ao seu lado para lhe trazer paz, consolo e graça sobrenaturais para passar por isso. Estou enviando ondas de alívio e toques de graça e cura a seu filho.

Estou abençoando-o com cura, alívio, esperança, coragem, fé e o caminho para a vitória nessas circunstâncias e batalhas, e quando você Me louva através da tempestade, quando Me louva em meio às lágrimas, isso o conecta ao Meu poder e você pode ter certeza de que estou ao seu dispor.

Nunca permitirei que passe por mais do que possa suportar. Nunca permitirei que seu filho tenha mais do que possa suportar. Não falharei em cumprir esta promessa na vida de seu filho. Eu darei um escape.[1]



Tudo passa, até mesmo as coisas que não parecem ter fim. Assim que essa dificuldade passar, você sairá dela mais forte em espírito—e seu filho também.

Portanto, durante esses momentos em que as batalhas desta vida parecem difíceis demais de suportar e não parecem ter fim, nem haver misericórdia, saiba e confie na Minha promessa de que não durará para sempre. Tudo isto passará no Meu tempo perfeito, e enquanto a batalha não chegar ao fim, Minha graça será derramada abundantemente sobre vocês.

Quando seu filho passar pela dor e dificuldade, encoraje-se ao saber que não só estou com ele através de tudo, mas também quero fazer algo especial em seu espírito. Quero que seu filho saia ganhando através dessa experiência. Mesmo se não for curado imediatamente, saiba que estou enchendo a vida, o coração e a vida dele com tesouros especiais.

É fácil sentir que estou distante de você e de seu filho quando ele está doente ou afligido. Mas nada poderia estar mais longe da verdade. É nesses momentos que estou mais perto de você e de seu filho amado. À medida que fizer o melhor que pode para se agarrar a Mim e às Minhas palavras e promessas, a lutar em oração, a louvar e confiar, e colocar sua vida e a vida, saúde e o bem estar de seu filho em Minhas mãos, Eu os ajudarei, farei milagres, e farei dar bom fruto em suas vidas.



Uma das coisas mais difíceis na vida é ver uma criança sofrer. Mas lembre-se que os Meus pequeninos contemplam a Minha face, e é nesse contemplar que recebem força para suportar.[2] Seus espíritos são fortes e flexíveis, porque estão próximos a Mim. Dou a graça na mesma medida da provação, mesmo numa idade tão tenra.

Apesar da doença e do sofrimento fazerem parte da vida, uso essas situações para aproximá-los de Mim, para fortalecer sua fé e confiança em Mim, e lhes mostrar o Meu amor mais claramente.

Tenho ajudantes espirituais especiais incumbidos de seu filho quando ele sofre fisicamente. Eles têm qualidades especiais e dons ímpares. Alguns ministram conforto, outros paz, ainda outros longanimidade e paciência, e alguns ministram encorajamento. São muitos os ajudantes espirituais e alguns especialmente ordenados para ministrar às crianças quando estão doentes.

Dou a Minha graça ao seu filho quando ele precisa dela. Não só trago a cura no momento exato, mas também consolo e paz espirituais enquanto ela não chega. Não desamparo seu filho, nem o deixo desconsolado. Estou com seu filho e trago um pedaço do céu Comigo![3]



Publicado em Âncora em novembro de 2012.
Tradução Denise Oliveira. Revisão Hebe Rondon Flandoli.


[1] 1 Coríntios 10:13.

[2] Mateus 18:10.

[3] João 14:18.

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Suba aqui!

Coletânea de textos

Você está a todo vapor com pelo menos um problema de grande porte (ou vários) que o consomem.

O que fazer nessa situação?

O melhor é encarar os problemas em vez de correr deles. Todos sabem disso.

Mas aqueles de nós [que acreditamos] na intervenção sobrenatural de Deus emnosso favor, para Sua glória talvez digam que existe uma terceira opção, muito melhor:

Tomar a decisão guiada pelo Espírito de se elevar acima do problema antes de tratar da questão. Qualquer que seja a questão que precise tratar hoje, decida primeiro considerar a perspectiva que inclui as promessas e a presença de Cristo.

Agora está pronto para lidar com a questão a partir do ponto mais alto, ou seja, na altitude, no espaço aéreo de Deus. Lá de cima, de onde suas dúvidas e preocupações vão parecer menores.

Se estiver no mesmo nível do assunto a ser tratado, vício, déficit, temor, tentação, ou seja o que for, vai ficar intimidado com a cena e desistir antes de ter a chance de lutar.

Mas se elevar-se acima da questão e se recusar a lutar com ela no lamaçal do pensamento egocêntrico e da estratégia sem fé, a sua abordagem vai mudar em todos os sentidos.

Eu adoro o relato no livro do Apocalipse quando João, no meio de uma perseguição e de uma incerteza que o deixava perplexo, recebeu de Jesus um simples passo: “Suba aqui...”[1]

Jesus sabia algo a respeito de João que se aplica a você e a mim:

Se subirmos até onde Jesus está, teremos a visão dEle.

Quando virmos as coisas a partir do ponto de vista dEle, saberemos o que Ele sabe...

E seremos capacitados para fazer o que Ele nos pedir.

Quando nos assentamos em lugares celestiais com Cristo, nos concentrando nEle, nos entregando a Ele, e confiando nEle, podemos descer até os nossos problemas com confiança divina.

Muitas vezes o nosso problema principal não é o problema. O maior problema é a nossa perspectiva.

Afaste-se do nível de combate físico. Você não tem forças para esse tipo de luta.

Em vez disso, coloque tudo nas mãos do Senhor em oração. Então lance um ataque aéreo contra o diabo que o mandará de volta dez mil quilômetros de distância dos planos de Deus para você..—Pastor Steven Furtick

*

Superar significa que algo que aparentemente deveria ser de certa forma, não tem que ser assim, porque as circunstâncias físicas não vão impedi-lo nem tolhê-lo. O ambiente ou até a sua situação não deveriam ditar as suas reações, vitória, fruto, unção ou felicidade.

É claro que existem momentos difíceis quando você é afetado pelas circunstâncias ou sente a pressão e o estresse da situação. É uma reação humana e normal. Mas com certeza você pode optar por superar, pois é uma opção que coloquei à sua disposição. Em nenhum momento você tem que ser limitado pelas coisas da carne, porque agora tem o poder para sempre superar.

Sempre terá a opção de olhar para cima e deixar a conexão que temos elevá-lo.

Você tem que decidir que vai buscar a Minha face. Tem que optar por parar de olhar para as circunstâncias e condições, por mais que elas exijam ou necessitem atenção, por mais depressivas ou preocupantes que sejam. Tem que optar por ver além disso tudo e para cima, para Mim. Quando faz isso, a nossa conexão se torna poderosa.

É a sua decisão de olhar além disso tudo e para cima, para Mim, em fé, que fortalece a nossa conexão. Mesmo que não sinta a fé, a sua obediência em fazer isso é um passo ou uma declaração de fé, e posso então erguê-lo e unir o seu espírito ao Meu para que possa ver como Eu vejo, sentir como Eu sinto, e ter o Meu coração e Espírito habitando muito mais em você. Dessa forma, instantaneamente terá mais fé, uma maior unção, uma perspectiva muito mais ampla, e a fé e confiança que precisa.

A verdade é que, se você sempre tivesse a Minha perspectiva, teria muito menos motivo para se preocupar. Você se regozijaria no Meu perfeito plano. Você se alegraria com cada novo passo que Eu lhe apresentasse. Descansaria seguro sob os Meus cuidados, previsão e proteção. A maneira de manter essa atitude de fé e de realismo é estar superando, ou seja, vendo as coisas como verdadeiramente são no espírito.

Sempre haverá coisas difíceis de suportar. O Inimigo sempre usará algo para tentar distrai-lo. Sempre permitirei certas coisas para o humilhar e o manter fervoroso Comigo. Mas a intenção não é que você fique preso a elas ou chafurdando nelas, mas sim que as supere! Quando fizer isso, verá que está ainda mais forte do que antes.—Jesus falando em profecia[2]

*

Deixe a Mente Divina fluir na sua mente, e ficará mais feliz. Descobri que a maior força do universo é o poder da oração. Não existe dúvida disso. Falo por experiência.—Cecil B. DeMille

*

O que determina a diferença entre uma montanha e um montículo é a sua perspectiva. Al Neuharth[3]

*

Muitas vezes é preciso mais uma mudança de atitude do que de lugar.—Arthur Christopher Benson

*

No Lugar Secreto é que se travam as batalhas permanentes
E onde o Salvador se faz presente
É onde o amor subjuga a vontade
E nossa fé no Seu amor é renovada.

No Lugar Secreto ganhamos as vitórias permanentes
Nos entregamos e ganhamos Sua graça de presente,
Sem forças, o Seu poder é clamado,
E conquistamos no seu nome bem-aventurado.

No Lugar Secreto nos esperam glórias,
Nossos rogos se tornam hinos de vitória,
Aprendemos a maravilha de estar quietos,
E nos entregarmos à Sua vontade por completo!

Oh Senhor, me guarda no Lugar Secreto!
Conserva-me no caminho correto!
Olhando só para Ti para alcançar
A graça, o poder e vitória.
—Avis B. Christiansen

Publicado na Âncora em novembro de 2012. Tradução Hebe Rondon Flandoli.


[1] Apocalipse 4:1.

[2] Publicado originalmente em novembro de 2001.

[3] Colunista/Editor Americano, fundador da revista USA Today.

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Forgiveness and Salvation

By Peter Amsterdam

Download Audio (9MB)

When Jesus said, “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses,” He was not speaking of the forgiveness of sins that we receive when we accept Jesus as our Savior and get saved.1 Jesus died on the cross for our salvation so that we would be redeemed, so that our sins—past, present, and future—would be forgiven.

Anyone who has received Jesus as their Savior possesses forgiveness for their sins. The saved are justified before God through Jesus’ death on the cross. This does not mean that as Christians we are no longer sinners—for we all sin throughout our lives—but we are justified sinners, sinners for whom Jesus died, who have accepted Him as our Savior, and who are now the holders of everlasting life. Our initial forgiveness, however, does not give us license to continue sinning; rather we are to confess our sins to the Lord, seek His forgiveness, and strive to change those things that we know are not acceptable to Him.

In a sense, accepting Jesus as our Savior brings us into God’s family, and we become adopted children of God. Adoption is a legal term which expresses that a child is now legally part of a family, and similarly, salvation can be seen as a legal right that you possess. Your position in relationship to God changes when you receive salvation—you are no longer someone who is not a child of God, but someone who is now legally part of His family.

John 1:12 expresses it this way: “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”2 As justified sinners, we are God’s adopted children, thus we can call God our Father. When we die, we have the legal right to enter heaven as one of His children. So the forgiveness of our sins at salvation can be seen as changing our legal position to that of adopted children. … Even though we are saved and have the legal right of being God’s children through adoption, when we sin it affects our fellowship and personal relationship with God.

When Jesus taught His disciples, in the Lord’s Prayer, to ask the Father to forgive them for their trespasses or debts, He was teaching them to repair any damage their daily sin had caused to their relationship with God. Our sins cause a breach in our personal relationship with God, similar to what occurs when a son knowingly and deeply offends his earthly father. Even though his legal position as son would remain the same and the father’s love toward the child may be unchanged, the relationship between father and son would suffer some damage and would need repair or restoration.

When Jesus said that God won’t forgive our trespasses if we don’t forgive those who trespass against us, He was saying that God’s response to us is connected to how we treat others. When we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we are specifically asking God to forgive us in the same manner as we forgive others. “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”3 We are praying that God will treat us in our sins as we have treated others in theirs. We are meant to then put feet to our prayers and actively forgive others, which positively affects God’s treatment of us.

Sin has an effect on our relationship to God, so it is important to not only forgive others who sin against us, but also to confess our sins to God and ask for His forgiveness on a regular basis. Doing so helps us maintain a right relationship with Him.

The Bible sometimes depicts our relationship with God with language expressing nearness or distance. He is “near” us, or His presence is “with us” when we have a right relationship with Him; and He “departs” from us or is “distant” from us when we distance ourselves from Him through sin.

James 4:8 expresses it in the positive:

“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”4

Then there are scriptures about how we create distance:

“Your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God.”5

“The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous.”6

To understand how relational forgiveness works, it might be helpful to think in terms of the relationships you have with others—your spouse or significant other, your close friends, your siblings, your parents, or your children. If you have a big argument or major disagreement with one of them, or if one of you has offended another or has deeply hurt the other in some way, then there is a distance between you. Even if you are still in physical proximity, there is a separation between you emotionally and spiritually. This separation disappears once something is done to repair the relationship, and generally when it’s repaired, the close connection is present once again. However, if the breach is not repaired, then the distance remains and can even increase.

When we sin, we commit an offense against God; we are distancing ourselves from Him, and this hurts our relationship with Him. Like with a friend or a spouse, something needs to be done in order to fix the relationship, and that something is us confessing our sin to Him and asking for His forgiveness, along with working to change our behavior and not continuing to do the same thing that displeased Him.

If you have done something to hurt someone you love and you want to make amends, then you generally have to go to that person and say that you were wrong and you are sorry, and ask forgiveness—and try not to do it again. It’s that way with God as well. When we confess, we are forgiven, and the distance between us dissipates. That’s how we repair our relationship with Him when we’ve damaged it with sin.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”7

But it’s also important to remember what Jesus said about forgiving others:

“For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”8

The “nearness” or “distance” of our relationship with God is affected by how we forgive or don’t forgive others. So if someone has offended you, forgive them—no matter what their attitude or whether they continue to transgress against you. Forgiveness benefits both your relationship with others and your relationship with God.

It’s wise to forgive. It’s loving. It’s Christlike. God’s nature is loving, and forgiveness is part of His love. He gave His only Son for the forgiveness of our sins, and Jesus gave His life so that we could be forgiven. If you forgive others, which is an act of love on your part, then you are reflecting God; you are being like Jesus. And that’s a good thing to be.

To close, here is a beautiful example of a prayer of confession and petition to God for forgiveness, prayed by a man who committed horrible sins, who repented, and whom God called a man after His own heart … King David of old:



Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!

For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.

Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment.

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.

Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice.

Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.

Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you.

Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.

O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.

For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.9

Originally published March 2011. Republished on Anchor November 2012.


1 Matthew 6:14–15 ESV.

2 ESV.

3 Matthew 6:12 ESV.

4 ESV.

5 Isaiah 59:2 ESV.

6 Proverbs 15:29 ESV.

7 1 John 1:9 ESV.

8 Matthew 6:14–15 ESV.

9 Psalm 51:1–17 ESV.

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Rejoice, as a Partaker

Encouragement during times of illness
By Jesus, speaking in prophecy

Download Audio (9.5MB)

Think it not strange concerning the fiery trials that are trying you. Rejoice that through these sufferings, I am refining your faith.1

The breakings, remakings, and humblings of life are never joyous, but rather grievous. Yet afterwards they yield the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them who are exercised thereby.2 If you look up the word “grievous” in the dictionary, it gives detailed insight into what these breakings, remakings, and humblings are like. They are “extremely serious or significant,” “severe,” “very bad.” Sound familiar?

When you find yourself in a situation where there is little in the natural to praise Me about, it’s My desire for you to be able to rejoice in your difficulties, even through your tears, because you know I’m going to do a beautiful work in your life through them. Then when My glory is revealed through you, “you may be glad also with exceeding joy.”3

When you have no strength of your own, then My strength can be made perfect in your weakness.4 This is great strength. This is great dependence upon Me. You are learning to master the art of endurance.

Not by works of righteousness which you have done, but through My mercy I will save you from this fiery trial.5 It honors Me when you endure an affliction and still proclaim your love for Me, your trust in Me, your faith that I do all things well.6

Think about the verse “These all died in faith, not having received the promises.”7Some of My children who have come into My arms were given promises of deliverance and of healing, but they did not obtain the results of those promises while on earth. Yet they died in faith, believing that what I had promised, I was able to perform.8 I did perform what I had promised. I gave them the ultimate healing. And when they were reunited with Me, what rejoicing there was when their eyes were open to just how I fulfilled My promises, and great was their reward for being “faithful unto death.”9

Faith isn’t always accompanied by some glorious feeling, or some wonderful sensation, as some may think. It’s taking Me at My word. Faith is dependence on My truthfulness and faithfulness.

The seed of faith is encapsulated in the words, “Not as I will, but as Thou wilt.”10When you are sick, it is saying through your tears, “I will glory in my infirmities, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of me.”11That is how you can be “troubled on every side, yet not distressed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.”12

You are My treasure. I have not forsaken you. I have not forgotten you. I am with you in all these things that you are going through.

*

Lift your heart in a song of praise, and I will strengthen your feeble knees and lift your hands that hang low.13 When you face a rough moment, think of a song that you can sing. Then sing it, hum it, listen to it.

It’s very difficult to do anything that requires mental, physical, and spiritual energy when you are down and you feel lousy. But there is always something to praise Me for. Even if it’s a one-word praise, even if it’s through your tears, even if you think it’s not from your heart, praise Me anyway. As you do, it will accomplish something in your spirit; it will make a difference in how you feel and how you deal with your pain and discomfort.

Faith is not necessarily a feeling or an emotion. It has physical manifestations, and I will give you those at times. But you can’t count on those “manifestations,” because they won’t always be present. The manifestations of faith are nice, and something to be grateful for, but great honor is given to those who keep the faith without them. “Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”14

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Just as inventors, explorers, and world changers have to be willing to venture out and go beyond what is known to them, so does it greatly honor Me when you are in the midst of great difficulty and yet you’re willing to trust Me beyond what you can understand or comprehend with your mind.

Believing in My promises of healing even when your body remains weak, wounded, or diseased requires great faith—faith that goes far beyond physical reality. Out there in the midst of that uncharted sea, often at the mercy of ferocious storms and in great peril, is where miracles take place.

If you could understand all about the way I work, what need would there be for faith? Even though you might feel as if you don’t have much or any faith, even though you may feel like your ship is being destroyed by the waves and is about to sink, hang on and keep on believing. You will emerge from this test stronger in some way, you’ll see. You won’t sink, I promise.

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My strength is made perfect in your weakness; there is simply no other way to realize and experience this unless you are weak sometimes.15

There are instances in the Word where this principle is expressed—when someone felt or experienced great weakness. It was said that Abraham’s body was “as good as dead,”16 and there’s the apostle Paul’s impassioned cry, “O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”17 Desperation is often a necessary ingredient in the mix for miracles and My will being accomplished.

I know that the difficulties of the earth life can be a struggle, because I experienced the earth life. You might say that there’s not a lot in the Bible about My physical condition during the days of My ministry on earth. But if you pause to think and compare My physical state with what I was used to in the halls of heaven, I think you’d agree that the “downgrade” I took upon Myself during My days on earth enabled Me to be touched with the feelings of your weakness. It was said of Me that I cried out to My Father with strong crying and tears, and that I feared.18 I can relate to the tests you are experiencing with this illness.

I’ll be with you every step of the way, giving you sufficient grace for every test and battle. I know at times it will probably seem like you’re being helped with very “little help,”19 but I promise that My help and grace will be sufficient to bear you up and carry you.

Think about what a testimony of faith it will be as you face the winds of adversity that blow against you, and watch Me come through for you!

Published on Anchor November 2012. Read by David Salas.
Music by John Listen.


1 1 Peter 4:12, 13.

2 Hebrews 12:11.

3 1 Peter 4:13.

4 2 Corinthians 12:9.

5 Titus 3:5.

6 Mark 7:37.

7 Hebrews 11:13.

8 Hebrews 11.

9 Revelation 2:10.

10 Matthew 26:39.

11 2 Corinthians 12:9; 4:7.

12 2 Corinthians 4:8, 9.

13 Hebrews 12:12.

14 John 20:29.

15 2 Corinthians 12:9.

16 Hebrews 11:12

17 Romans 7:24.

18 Hebrews 5:7.

19 Daniel 11:34.

Posted in: Audio, Comfort,

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The Heart of It All: Salvation

By Peter Amsterdam

November 13, 2012
Results—Justification, Adoption, and Regeneration

In the previous articles about salvation, we have looked at four concepts that illustrate how God’s plan of redemption works—how it reconciles us with God and saves us from the punishment for our sins. God’s love for us is the motivation behind His plan of salvation, and that love was manifested in the death of His Son, Jesus, as a propitiation for our sins. The sacrificial death of Jesus resulted in a changed relationship between God and us. The price Jesus paid for our salvation was the supreme price; the sacrifice was immeasurable. Our redemption is due to the boundless love of God—the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Three significant results of Jesus’ death and resurrection are justification, adoption, and regeneration. These results bring about massive change in the lives of those who become reconciled to God through Jesus. Justification refers to our “legal” status before God, adoption speaks to our personal familial relationship with Him, and regeneration to a change in our spiritual nature.


Justification

Through Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross, God forgives our sins. They have been imputed to Christ, meaning they became His and are no longer ours. At the same time, Jesus’ righteousness has been imputed to those who receive Him and accept His gift of salvation, so God no longer sees us as sinners worthy of punishment, but rather as righteous in His sight. Our “legal” guilt and condemnation are removed, and the separation between God and us is no longer there.

The word justify used in the New Testament is the Greek word dikaioo. One of its definitions is to declare or pronounce someone to be righteous. Our justification means that God declares us righteous, or declares us no longer guilty and condemned. This doesn’t mean that we who have received His gift of salvation are now sinless, as we are all still sinners, but it means that “legally” we are seen by God as righteous. As our sins were imputed to Jesus, and thus are seen as His, so is His righteousness imputed to us, and His righteousness is seen by God as ours.

All of this is God’s work, not our own. There is nothing we could do or achieve to deserve this forgiveness and righteousness. It’s a gift from God. In His love He made the way for us to be righteous in His sight—not by our works or good deeds, but by His grace, mercy, and love. It’s a gift of love, costly on God’s side, free on ours.



By grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.[1]

Scripture makes it clear that people are not saved by being good or doing good works or keeping the laws of Moses—or anything we do ourselves. Salvation, which results in justification, depends solely on God and His plan. All we have to do is believe that God has made it available through Jesus, and accept it by faith.



If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.[2]

We know that a person is not justified by works of the law, but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.[3]

A beautiful feature of justification is that, as Christians, we no longer need to feel anxiety regarding our standing with God. Though we still sin, our status of having the righteousness of Christ does not change. We no longer need to question whether we’ve done enough or are close enough to God to merit salvation. God has done it all, and through Jesus’ death and resurrection we are and will always be seen as righteous by God.

When we sin, we need to repent and ask God to forgive us, as well as actively strive to become stronger in resisting temptation. However, the key point of justification is that if we are in Christ, our sins are forgiven, and through Jesus, we are declared righteous in God’s eyes. This doesn’t mean that there will not be consequences for sin. Scripture teaches that God disciplines His children, and sin can result in God’s discipline in our lives. Unrepented sin can bring about disruption in our relationship with God and loss of blessings. The Bible also teaches that we will appear before the judgment seat of Christ in the afterlife. However, sin doesn’t cause us to lose salvation or justification, and “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

The love and sacrifice of God, through Jesus’ death on the cross, has resulted in our justification before God. It has removed our separation and has reconciled us with Him. What a precious and valuable gift has been offered by the God of love to humanity!

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.[4]
Adoption

Besides the “legal” change we experience in justification, whereby we are seen by God as righteous due to Jesus’ sacrifice, we experience another significant change in our position and relationship with God through salvation. With sin no longer separating us from God, our relationship with God changes, as we become part of God’s family—we become His children.



As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.[5]

This change of relationship, this entry into God’s family as His children, is called adoption. We are not the sons and daughters of God in the same sense as Jesus, who is the only begotten Son, but we are adopted into His family. In one sense this change is a legal one, since as God’s children we become heirs of God with all the rights of heirs. But more than that, we now have a relationship based on being members of God’s family. God is our Father.

When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.[6]

All who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ.[7]

In Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.[8]

While God was seen as Father in the Old Testament, the emphasis was more on God’s holiness, and that holiness largely defined the relationship between humans and God. The general portrayal of God is that He is mighty, holy, pure, and separate, and sinful humans need to be humble before Him, obey Him, and venerate Him.

When speaking of the Old Testament relationship with God, J. I. Packer wrote:

Religion was “the fear of the Lord”—a matter of knowing your own littleness, of confessing your faults and abasing yourself in God’s presence, of sheltering thankfully under His promise of mercy, and of taking care above all things to avoid presumptuous sins. Again and again it was stressed that we must keep our place, and our distance, in the presence of a holy God. This emphasis overshadowed everything else.[9]

Redemption through Jesus changed this relationship to a much more personal one. We can now relate to God as a child relates to his or her loving father. It is a much more intimate relationship than what existed in Old Testament times. This closeness to God as Father, and His love for us, is seen in things that Jesus said about His Father:

Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?[10]

If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him![11]

All the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you.[12]

My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.[13]

If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.[14]

Whoever has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father.[15]

Whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He will give it to you.[16]

The Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came from God.[17]

We see God’s deep love in our adoption. He didn’t have to invite us into His family, He didn’t have to adopt us, but He did. Adoption is an act of love by someone who is not obligated to take in, care for, and love a child—it is by choice. God doesn’t adopt us because of how great or wonderful we are, or because we do good things for Him. He adopts us because He loves us—He loves humanity. He made it possible—at great personal cost to Himself—for sinners, separated from Him, to be redeemed, to be forgiven, and to enter His family. This is the love, mercy, and kindness of our God, who is love.

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.[18]



J. I. Packer expresses God’s love in adoption like this:

Adoption is a family idea, conceived in terms of love, and viewing God as father. In adoption, God takes us into His family and fellowship—He establishes us as His children and heirs. Closeness, affection, and generosity are at the heart of the relationship. To be right with God the Judge is a great thing, but to be loved and cared for by God the Father is a greater.[19]



As His children, His heirs, we can be sure of our inheritance of eternal life. Scripture states that we are heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ.[20] Adoption brings us into God’s family and gives us rights as heirs. This means that the blessings of salvation both in this life and the next are ours. The apostle Paul makes reference to the blessings received after the suffering of this life.

If children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.[21]
Regeneration

Another result of Jesus’ death and resurrection in the lives of believers is a spiritual change which is referred to in the following ways: being born again,[22] rebirth,[23] regeneration,[24] being born of the Spirit,[25] and becoming a new creation.[26]

All of these concepts generally refer to a spiritual change which occurs in the heart of one who is redeemed by Christ. While justification brings a change in our “legal” standing with God, regeneration, or new birth, brings a change in our spiritual nature. The Holy Spirit transforms the redeemed person’s sinful nature in a way that renews them and brings a spiritual change in the person. This new birth is the clean slate or fresh foundation on which the new Christian begins his or her spiritual life, and from that point forward can grow in it.

Being born again, or born of the Spirit, is a key element in salvation. Jesus told Nicodemus that without it one can’t see or enter the kingdom of God.



Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”[27]

This rebirth is a result of belief in and acceptance of Jesus’ atoning sacrifice for us. When someone believes in and accepts God’s plan of salvation, when they acknowledge that Jesus is their Savior, they are reborn. The person may or may not feel the change, but the change has occurred. They are born of God because they have believed in Him.



Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God.[28]



To all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.[29]

Throughout church history there have been differing views in regard to when the new birth or regeneration occurs. Some see it as happening in some form upon infant baptism. Others consider it to occur just prior to actual salvation, as in one is first reborn and is then able to make the decision to believe and receive Jesus. Others believe that rebirth happens when you accept Jesus as your Savior. The latter, rebirth upon acceptance of Jesus, is the most widely embraced interpretation.

Becoming a new creation doesn’t mean that the original created nature of the individual no longer exists and is replaced, but rather signifies his or her sinful nature being changed or re-created.[30] It’s a spiritual or moral renewal of the redeemed individual’s nature. It’s a new self that is in alignment with the likeness of God.



If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.[31]

To put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.[32]

We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.[33]

The spiritual rebirth of a Christian is also seen as being brought to life from spiritual death through belief in the risen Jesus.

God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.[34]



You, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This He set aside, nailing it to the cross.[35]

Regeneration is generally referred to in the Bible as a work of the Holy Spirit, as Jesus spoke of being born of the Spirit. The apostle Paul made reference to this being the work of the Holy Spirit as well.



So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.[36]



But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior…[37]

There are other verses which also speak of the Father’s role in the new birth.



Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead …[38]



Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all He created.[39]

Both God the Father and God the Holy Spirit have a role in the new birth and regeneration, which was foreshadowed in the Old Testament.



I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you …[40]

Upon receiving Jesus as our Savior we are given new life, a rebirth, a regeneration as well as everlasting life.

God’s loving plan of salvation has justified us so that we are seen by Him as righteous. We have become His children by adoption. We are members of His family and no longer separated from Him. We are heirs of eternal salvation and of God’s other promises. We also become a new creation, as we are born again. These precious gifts are the fruits of God’s costly love, of Jesus laying down His life for us. We have been reconciled to God, and nothing will change that.

I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.[41]

May we truly understand and appreciate the deep love God has for humanity through all He has done for us. May we also be ever aware of and concerned for the people around us who don’t know or understand that they can become justified and adopted by God, that they can become His children. And may we have the love and conviction to share this good news with them, to invite them to become God’s children.



[1] Ephesians 2:8–9.


[2] Romans 10:9–10.


[3] Galatians 2:16.


[4] Romans 5:1.


[5] John 1:12 NKJV.


[6] Galatians 4:4–7.


[7] Romans 8:14–17.


[8] Galatians 3:26.


[9] J. I. Packer, Knowing God (Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1973), 203.


[10] Matthew 6:26.


[11] Matthew 7:11.


[12] Luke 12:30–31.


[13] John 10:29.


[14] John 12:26.


[15] John 14:21.


[16] John 16:23.


[17] John 16:27.


[18] 1 John 3:1.


[19] J. I. Packer, Knowing God (Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1973), 207.


[20] Romans 8:17.


[21] Romans 8:17–18.


[22] John 3:3–8.


[23] Titus 3:5 NIV.


[24] Titus 3:5.


[25] John 3:6–8.


[26] 2 Corinthians 5:17.


[27] John 3:3–8.


[28] 1 John 5:1.


[29] John 1:12–13 NIV.


[30] James Leo Garrett, Jr., Systematic Theology, Biblical, Historical, and Evangelical, Vol. 2 (N. Richland Hills: BIBAL Press, 2000), 309.


[31] 2 Corinthians 5:17–18.


[32] Ephesians 4:22–24.


[33] Ephesians 2:10.


[34] Ephesians 2:4–6.


[35] Colossians 2:13–14.


[36] John 3:8.


[37] Titus 3:4–6.


[38] 1 Peter 1:3.


[39] James 1:17–18 NIV.


[40] Ezekiel 36:26–27.


[41] Romans 8:38–39.



Copyright © 2012 The Family International.

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