Barbara's Banter

From God comes…

From God comes power.

Often we hear the adage that there is power in prayer. That may be a little misleading because prayer by itself has no power at all. The power actually comes from the One to whom we pray—God!

David understood this. In 1 Chronicles 29:12, he praised God by saying, “Both riches and honor come from You and You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might.” In God’s hand is power! We pray to the One who has all the power!

Prayer is not a means of coercing or manipulating God into doing what we want. It is a process of recognizing His power and plan for our lives. We yield our lives and circumstances to the Lord and trust Him to act in His time and in His way. We have faith in on God‘s grace, not only for the outcome of our request, but for the process as well. We can trust God’s wisdom in our situation because we know He loves and cares for us. (John 3:16; 1 Peter 5:7)   

For our own growth and edification, God may think it’s best not to give us everything we want instantly. Instead of healing, He might give us strength. Instead of deliverance, He might give us perseverance. Instead of a sparing a loved one’s life, He might give us peace. Instead of winning the lottery, He might give us a job.

How foolish we would be not to continuously access power that is available to us! God wants us to pray. Prayer acknowledges that we know how great God is. Prayer lets God know we depend on Him, not only for our emergencies, but our daily needs. Praying that God’s will be done and not our own shows God that we trust Him!  

Trying to rely on our own feeble attempts to produce a desired result is shortsighted. Only God has the power to mend the broken heart of a mother or father whose son has died. Only God has the power to grant peace and calm to someone facing a cancer diagnosis. Only God has the power to give a caregiver strength to deal with a spouse who has Alzheimer’s. Only God has the power to restore a family full of grudges and deep resentment. Only God can grant understanding. Only God can reveal Himself to others.

God has the power, but we have to pray to access it. You might say that a day without prayer is a day without tapping into the power available to us. Life is hard. I don’t know about you, but sometimes I need all the power I can get to just make it through one more day!   

*****

“Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God…”

~James 1:17 (NLT)

From God comes…

From God comes unlimited access to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Today our access to many things is quite restrictive. Guest lists are screened. Only certain ones get invited to prestigious events. Sometimes extensive background searches are conducted to keep out those who don’t measure up.

Plus, there are many places we cannot enter with signs stating No Trespassing, Authorized Personnel Only, Keep Out, No Parking, Restricted Area, etc. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Certain boundaries are necessary in today’s society. However, we all have unlimited access to God.

This was not always the case. Having an intimate relationship with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit is a big deal and was not really possible for the common man before the death of Christ.

In Old Testament times, the High Priest was the mediator between God and the people. Only he could enter the Holy of Holies in the temple. (Hebrews 9:7) The Holy of Holies was a special place, considered the earthly dwelling place for God’s presence. A veil or thick curtain divided it from the rest of the temple, where man could dwell.

However, when Jesus died for our sins, that veil or curtain was miraculously “rent” or torn from top to bottom. (Matthew 27:50-51) God no longer dwells in temples made of hands. (Acts 17:24) The way to God the Father is not through the temple, but through Christ His Son, because Jesus is now our High Priest. (Hebrews 10:19-22) We don’t need to go through another person like a priest, a minister, a guru, a psychic, or an angel to have access to God.

We now have direct unlimited access to the Triune God. (Ephesians 2:17-18) And God places no restrictions on who can come to Him. He places no restrictions on how often we can come. He places no restrictions on what we can discuss.  

In fact, God beckons us to come. If we are tired and weary, God says if we come to Him, He will give us rest. (Matthew 11:28) If we are thirsty, He will fill us with living water. (John 7:37) In fact, He says that He will not drive away any who come to Him. (John 6:37)

You might say God has an open door policy. God is always available and His door is always open to any who want to come. You might say that we always have a VIP ticket of entry. I find that kind of comforting in a world where my name is not on the access list to many prestigious places.  

*****

“Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God…”

~James 1:17 (NLT)

From God comes…

From God comes acceptance, not rejection.

We all have a fear of rejection. The roots for this can start with childhood experiences. Maybe it stems from parents constantly belittling their children or being chosen last for a team. We feel like failures when we are turned down for dates, don’t get into the college of our choice, don’t get the job we want, don’t place in the contest, don’t receive the promotion, don’t win the election, or a loved one leaves us for another. Most of us writers have more rejection slips than pay stubs for manuscripts we’ve submitted to editors.

Fear of rejection has us look for the approval of others, rather than God. Many build walls of protection around themselves hoping to never get hurt again. Most spend their lives trying to avoid rejection rather than learning to deal with it. Unfortunately, there are no courses on “How to Bounce Back 101” so we travel life’s highway feeling unwanted and unloved. This feeds into lies Satan wants us to believe like: we are alone, we aren’t good enough, no one cares, and God has forsaken us.

The Bible is full of stories of rejection. Joseph was rejected by his brothers. (Genesis 37) Moses was rejected by those he put himself in jeopardy to help. (Exodus 2:14) David was rejected by King Saul although he was Saul’s loyal servant. (1 Samuel 18:7-11) Paul was rejected, stoned, and left for dead by those to whom he preached. (Acts 14:19-20)

No one is immune from rejection—not even Jesus Christ. Jesus was rejected by those in His hometown. (Matthew 13:54-58; Mark 6:1-6). He was rejected by many of His followers. (John 6:60) He was rejected by those He came to save. (Isaiah 53:3) After everything God had done for the Israelites, they rejected Him and wanted a physical king like other nations. (1 Samuel 10:19)

Perhaps this is why in God’s plan of salvation everyone is accepted. (Acts 10:34) No one is unloved or unwanted. God loved us from the beginning. While we were sinners He died for us. (Romans 5:6-11) God wants us and loves us just the way we are. Of course, we might want to make a few changes but not so we can earn God’s love because we already have that. God does not want anyone to feel inferior. We are automatically part of the in-crowd, on the team, chosen, winners, and loved.

God created us for acceptance not rejection. That’s why He accepts us and will never reject us. God will not force Himself on us, but He will invite us into a relationship. The tricky part is that we need to say, “Yes!” We have the power to reject God, but He will never reject us.

*****

“Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God…”

~James 1:17 (NLT)

From God comes…

From God comes our new name.

Changing one’s name is not a unique concept. Movie stars used to do it all the time. Doris Kappelhoff became Doris Day. Marion Morrison became John Wayne. Issur Danielovitch became Kirk Douglas. Leonard Slye became Roy Rogers. Eugene Orowitz became Michael Landon.

Most film stars don’t change their names anymore. We just learn how to pronounce Chiwetel Ejiofor, Amanda Seyfried, Lupita Nyong’o, Joe Manganiello, Saoirse Ronan, Zach Galifianakis, Gal Gadote, Idris Elba, and Timothee Chalamet or go see a different show. Annette Funicello once asked Walt Disney if she should change her name. He advised her not to do it because once people learned how to enunciate Funicello, they would never forget her. And although Schwarzenegger rolls off the tip of our tongues now, doesn’t mean it came easy the first few times we tried to say it.

God was not beyond changing a few names in the Bible, usually to remind people of their new identity in Him. (Isaiah 43:1) Or perhaps to let them know He had something special in mind for them.

For example, Abram means “high father,” but God changed it to Abraham meaning “father of multitudes.” (Genesis 17:5) Sarai means “my princess,” but God changed it to Sarah meaning “mother of nations.” (Genesis 17:15) Jacob means “holder of the heel” or “supplanter,” but God changed it to Israel which means “having power with God.” (Genesis 32:28) Simon means “God has heard,” but God also called him Peter meaning “rock” to indicate that he would help lay the foundation for the church. (Matthew 16:18; John 1:42)

Saul became Paul. (Acts 13:9) We have no reason given. However, Paul means “little or small.” Saul was a haughty, proud man until his transformation. He then became a humble servant of God. (Philippians 3:7-11)

Name changes can have a profound effect on people. Years ago, I heard an NPR interview with Father Gregory Boyle, founder of Homeboy Industries which works with L.A. gang members. He said that when kids get inducted into a gang, the first thing done is to give them new names like Scrappy, Bugsy, or Spike. These new names give a sense of belonging and become their new identities. They write them on walls to acknowledge their existence.   

Today, when we encounter Christ, God changes our names as well. We are called Christians. Our personal encounter with Christ is just as significant as when God changed the names of those in the Bible. We put off our old identity and get a new one in Christ. We are not the same person. (2 Corinthians 5:17) We belong to Christ.

People will know us by our God given new name because metaphorically we write it everywhere we go by the way we live our lives.

*****

“Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God…”

~James 1:17 (NLT)

From God comes…

From God comes something new.

The word “new” sounds hopeful and happy. As kids we relished that new toy. As a teen we loved getting that new car. It might have been a second hand Toyota, but it was new to us. As adults we dreamed of moving into a new home or getting a new higher paying job.

God likes giving us new things, too. In fact, He tells us in Isaiah 43:19, “Behold I will do a new thing.” He loves to give these new things to His chosen people. (Isaiah 43:20-21)

In the Bible, the word “new” is often used in reference to the Christian life. Once we surrender our lives to Christ, new things begin to happen. Our old selves pass away and we become a new creation in Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:17) God actually makes us a new creation. This is a miracle! We begin to realize that we should no longer live for ourselves but live for Christ. It’s a new concept for us but we discover that we actually belong to Christ. We are His and He lives in us. (Galatians 2:20)

This gives us a new focus. We see the world through spiritual eyes. It doesn’t happen instantly but progressively as we journey with Jesus. We learn to abandon our old ways and embrace a new way to live. (Colossians 3:9-10) Kindness, humility, meekness, forgiveness, and love become our new motivation. (Colossians 3:12-17) By following Jesus, we learn how to put off our former conduct so we can live a new and better life. (Ephesians 4:20-24)

When we become a new creation, God puts a new song in our mouths to praise Him. (Psalm 40:3) He gives us a new commandment which is to love others the same way He loves us. (John 13:34-35) He gives us a new heart and spirit so we can walk with Him. (Ezekiel 11:19) One day, God will give us a new body to replace one filled with aches and pains. (Philippians 3:21) Until then, God’s love and mercies are brand new every morning so we can benefit from receiving them daily. (Lamentations 3:22-23) Each day is an opportunity to experience every new thing God makes available to us. (Psalm 118:24)

A life lived for God is never dull or boring. It’s full of joy and hope for the future. We can anticipate the new heaven and earth that is coming. (2 Peter 3:13) We can look forward to the time when God makes all things new. (Revelation 21:5) God is amazing and He is always doing something new!

*****

“Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God…”

~James 1:17 (NLT)

From God comes…

From God comes continual reminders.

My life is an endless cycle of walking into rooms and forgetting what I went in there to get. Although some of this can be attributed to aging, humans in general have a memory problem. That’s why we continually need to be reminded of certain things.

God was well aware of this, so the Bible is full of exhortations to remember who God is, what Christ did for us, why we are here, where we are headed, and how we will get there. Philippians 1:6 reminds us that we are work in progress. God began that work in us and will faithfully complete it. To help complete this work, God sends us continual reminders of His greatness and who we are in Christ.

Sometimes a ritual can help us remember things. Baptism reminds us that Christ died for our sins and we should die to self as we are resurrected into a new life in Christ. Partaking of the bread and wine in a Communion service reminds us to stay connected to God. It helps us remember who Christ is and who we are in Christ. 

Other Christian habits such as going to church, reading the Bible, meditating on God’s words, or praying reinforce this as well. Just like Communion reminds us to stay connected to God, going to church reminds us to stay connected to others. Reading the Bible reminds us of who God is and His plan for our lives. Meditating on God’s Word reminds us to apply it in how we live. Prayer reminds us that God is in charge.

C.S. Lewis put it this way in his book Vice and Virtue, A Dictionary of the Good Life: “…once you have accepted Christianity, then some of its main doctrines shall be deliberately held before your mind for some time every day. That is why daily prayers and religious reading and churchgoing are necessary parts of the Christian life. We have to be continually reminded of what we believe. Neither this belief nor any other will automatically remain alive in the mind. It must be fed.” 

If we are spiritually receptive, we can sense God’s reminders every day. The sun, moon, and stars can remind us of God’s vast power as Creator and Sustainer. The spring season can remind us of God’s message of rebirth, renewal, and hope. A hymn can remind us of God’s faithfulness. The sound of an ambulance can remind us we live in a hurting world that only God can heal. A child’s laughter can remind us to become like little children so we can enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The list is endless.

God knows we can be forgetful, so He arranged that everything we experience can be a continual reminder of who He is and who we are in Christ. They are there if we know how to look for them.

****

“Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God…”

~James 1:17 (NLT)

From God comes…

From God comes victory over death.

Thousands of years ago, Job asked a question about death that has continued to plague mankind. “If a man dies, will he live again?” (Job 14:14) Science may be able to prolong life but not cheat death. Everyone knows death is inevitable and it’s only natural that people want to know what happens after we die.

Death can be hard to face. The Bible refers to it as our final enemy. (1 Corinthians 15:26) A loved one’s death can fill us with helplessness or if it comes quickly, anger. Facing our own death may have us feeling fearful, uncertain, perhaps defeated. Even those who bail out of life with suicide are hoping for something better.

At this time of year, we are reminded of the One who lived and died for us. Jesus Christ loved us so much He came to earth, lived among us, and freely died for our sins. But death was not the end of the story—for He rose from the dead and is victorious. 1 Corinthians 15:42-55 says, “…Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is thy sting?”

The good news is that Christ’s victory over death is ours as well. He fought the battle for us. All we have to do is to choose to partake of this victory in Christ. John 5:24 tells us, “He who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.” This has nothing to do with living a good life or earning salvation. It comes from believing and trusting God.

When we understand this concept, singing old hymns like “Victory in Jesus” have so much more meaning—for His victory is our victory too!

Christ was crucified and died willingly for our sins. Because of this we are forgiven and no longer condemned. This is great news, but without Christ’s resurrection it would be null and void. Christ was delivered to death for our sins, but raised to life for our justification. (Romans 4:23-24)

Death no longer holds us in bondage. (1 Corinthians 15:55) Christ’s victory over death is our victory, too. (1 Corinthians 15:57) Because Christ lives, we can live also. (Romans 6:8, 9) We who believe in Him will live—even though we might die, we will live again. (John 11:25-26)

Job’s question can be answered because at death our “perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality” (1 Corinthians 15:54). Death doesn’t have to be the end; it can be the beginning. Death is swallowed in victory.

*****

“Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God…”

~James 1:17 (NLT)

From God comes…

From God comes the resurrection.

When the women went to the tomb of Jesus to anoint his dead body with spices, they were surprised to find that He had risen from the dead. (Mark 16:1) When they told the disciples, the disciples had a hard time believing it. Peter went back to the tomb to check for himself. (Matthew 24:8-12) Although, Jesus had told them this would happen, it was still hard to believe. (John 20:9) But now Christ’s words rang true!

Belief in the resurrection is an integral part of the Christian faith. Jesus tells us in John 11:25-26, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.”

Some doubt the resurrection of Christ happened. It was the same in Jesus’s time. Rumors spread. It was said that the disciples stole the body to make it look like Jesus had risen. (Matthew 28:13) Or the Roman authorities removed the body. Or eye witnesses who actually saw Jesus were hallucinating. Even when the more than 500 saw Christ at the same time, some surmised that they were all caught up in a “mass ecstasy.”

However, the disciples believed and some even died because of it. They would not have been willing to die for a lie. Realistically, the Romans would have gladly produced Jesus’s body if they had it to debunk Christianity. It’s doubtful that all the eyewitnesses would have hallucinated the same thing. And “mass ecstasy” sounds like a feeble attempt to find anything to support a losing battle.

When Paul spoke to the philosophers in Athens, the intellectual center of the world, he preached Jesus and His resurrection. (Acts 17:18) This message was so remarkable and amazing that it turned the world upside down. (Acts 17:6) God has given assurance to all men because He raised Jesus from the dead. (Acts 17:31) 

Critics don’t deny that Jesus lived. There is too much evidence to the contrary. But it wasn’t Christ’s life that led to the spread of Christianity; it was His death and resurrection. The late German Marxist philosopher Ernst Bloch said, “It wasn’t the morality of the Sermon on the Mount which enabled Christianity to conquer Roman Paganism, but the belief that Jesus had been raised from the dead.”

Without Christ’s resurrection, Christian faith is in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:17) In other words, the resurrection declares that Christ is Lord. Without it, He would be just another moral teacher or dead prophet.

*****

“Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God…”

~James 1:17 (NLT)

From God comes…

From God comes good news. How refreshing to find a little good news in a world full of turmoil and strife.

To be honest, I rarely watch or listen to the news anymore. It’s too depressing and often misleading. Disease, distress, and disappointment abound. So do turmoil, fake news, financial setbacks, finger-pointing, and misrepresentation. Most media is not there to inform, but to promote controversy. So they sensationalize everything that happens.

Yes, it is good to know what’s going on in the world, but to feed on murder, injustice, politics, hate, and health crises 24/7 is not healthy. Neither is looking for conspiracy theories which, if they do exist, we can do nothing about. Constantly filling our minds with bad news gives us no room for anything else. It allows negativity to creep into our lives and consume us.

Yet, in the midst of all this bad news, there is good news if we look for it! The gospel is good news!

The Greek word for gospel is euaggelion which means “good news” or sometimes “God’s good news.”  (See Strong’s Concordance #2027 and #2028.) New Testament authors used this word regarding the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. That’s why the first four books of the New Testament are called the Gospels. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John gave us various eye witness accounts of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection. (Mark 1:1)

Each of these gospels was written from that particular author’s point of view. That’s why there are things one author might mention but another might not. However, that does not weaken the message of the gospel. It actually reinforces it. If each of us shared our “good news” about Jesus with others, it would vary depending on our experiences, but the message would remain the same.

When Christ was born the angel said, “I bring you good news of great joy for all the people” (Luke 2:10). Paul embraced Jesus’s gospel of God’s grace. (Acts 20:24) Jesus came to preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God. (Luke 4:41) Jesus brought the gospel of salvation, a free gift for all who believe. (Romans 1:16) The disciples were told to preach the gospel. (Mark 16:15)

Now here’s some good news: Jesus came to earth. Jesus dwelt among people. Jesus loved us while we were sinners. Jesus died for our sins. Jesus rose from the dead. Jesus lives in us. His life, death, and resurrection gives us victory over death. (I Corinthians 15:55-57)

No matter how bad today’s news is, Christ gives hope in a hopeless world. That is indeed good news!

*****

“Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God…”

~James 1:17 (NLT)

From God comes…

From God comes free will.

God is all powerful. He could have created us to blindly follow Him, but He didn’t. Instead He gave us free will. In other words, we are free to make our own choices. God does not force us to do what He wants us to do. We would probably be better off if He did.

Free will is synonymous with making choices. God gives us the ability to make our own choices. To help use wisdom in this process, God put certain laws into motion, such as cause and effect. Biblically speaking this means we will reap what we sow. Certain things we sow could lead to corruption, while others lead to eternal life. (Galatians 6:7-8)

God will not automatically give us good habits or self-discipline. God will not obtrude moral character upon us. We get these things by actively practicing Christian principles we’ve been taught. That’s why we study God’s words and integrate what we learn into our lives. Timothy was told to train himself in godliness. (1 Timothy 4:7)

God offers us His instruction and encourages us to take it. (Psalm 32:8) He tells us not to be like a horse or a mule who must be harnessed with a bridle before they will come near you. (Psalm 32:9) God does not want to control us. He wants us to freely come to Him. God wants us to choose to obey out of love for Him and because we truly feel He knows what is best.

We cannot save ourselves. God does that. We cannot do what God does and God will not do for us what we can do for ourselves. That’s why He tells us to work out our own salvation. (Philippians 2:12) In other words, God gives us salvation and we “work out” what we will do with it. That’s where free will comes in.

God longs for a relationship with us, but He will not impose it on us. He will beckon or encourage us to come to Him. He will make Himself available. He will love us. He will stand at the door and knock, but He won’t come in and fellowship with us unless He is invited. (Revelation 3:20) He initiates, but we must respond on our own.

God has given us free will and does not make us to do what He wants or what is best for us. He allows us to go our own way if that’s what we choose to do. God does not use His supreme power to control us because God is not a God of control; He is a God of love.   

*****

“Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God…”

~James 1:17 (NLT)