No kill shelter

Read > Matthew 9:9-13

Healthy people don’t need a doctor – sick people do (v. 12).

Dogtown, the focus of a television show by the same title, is part of a 33,000-acre animal sanctuary in southern Utah. It’s a “no kill shelter” where dogs that might otherwise be put down, find hope.

A devoted staff of trainers, veterinarians, and volunteers take in unwanted, unruly, damaged canines with the goal of transforming each one into a loving pet. Many of the dogs that end up at the shelter exhibit bad or aggressive behaviour because they’re wounded and scared. The staffs at Dogtown believe that even dogs that have faced harsh difficulties in life can be turned around for the better.

Wouldn’t it be great if our churches and Christian communities were more like Dogtown – places where scared, damaged, and messed-up people could come and find hope, love, and wholeness? In many ways, the community of faith is meant to be like “no kill shelters” for people who are broken or struggling with sin (Galatians 6:1). Too often, however, we tend to “shoot” our wounded. And the ones who want to pull the trigger first are often hiding deep struggles of their own behind a wall of self-righteousness.

Speaking of self-righteous, when the religious leaders of Jesus’ day questioned His disciples as to why He was socializing with sinners, Jesus said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor – sick people do…. For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners” (Matthew 9:13).

People who follow the example of Jesus will show care and concern regardless of a person’s struggles. Jesus was never soft on moral failure (John 8:11), but He always met people where they were with the intention of speaking life-changing truth into their broken and wayward hearts (John 4:25-26). – Jeff Olson

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Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2).

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How can you be a living “no kill shelter” for those around you? What have you learned from Jesus about how to care for those who are struggling with sin?

How Can I Know If My Faith Is Strong Enough?

How Can I Know If My Faith Is Strong Enough?

By Dan Vander Lugt

How can I know that my faith is strong enough for me to be considered a child of God?

When you doubt that your faith is strong enough for you to be a child of God, it’s a clear indication that you misunderstand the nature of faith. Faith in God doesn’t involve certainty, nor does it imply the absence of doubts. The Gospel of Mark makes this clear in the account of Jesus’ healing of a little boy possessed by evil spirits ( Mark 9:14-27 ). The father came asking for help in front of a multitude, including religious leaders. He told Jesus that he had asked His disciples to cast the demons from the child, but they were unable. Then he said:

If You can do anything, take pity on us and help us (v.22).

Jesus’ tested the father’s sincerity, saying:

“If you can” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for him who believes” (v.23).

The boy’s father didn’t claim that he had perfect faith, nor did he walk away in despair. He acknowledged his doubts (unbelief) at the same time that he passionately expressed his desire to believe:

Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (v.24).

This father’s faith passed Jesus’ test. Jesus didn’t condemn him for his doubts. Instead, He healed his son.
What a torment, what a terrible burden, to believe that faith must be perfect before God will respond to our need! If we believe that our faith must be perfect, we have established an unattainable goal and enslaved ourselves to a new form of works-salvation. Rather than basing our faith on God’s goodness and Christ’s completed work of love on our behalf, we base it on our own achievement-our own perfection.
People who think that their faith must be perfect before it will be acceptable to God ignore dozens of scriptural examples of people whose trust in God was imperfect, yet their faith was still accepted by Him. Here are just a few:

• Moses ( Exodus 3:11; 4:1 )
• Abraham ( Genesis 12:10-13; 15:1-5 )
• Jacob ( Genesis 25:29-34; 27:1-46 )
• Elijah ( 1 Kings 19:4 )
• Peter ( Matthew 14:28-31; 26:69-75 )
• Thomas ( John 20:24-25 )
• The disciples ( Matthew 26:56 ).

These examples show that it isn’t the perfection of our trust that matters, but the perfection of God’s love and forgiveness. Perfect faith will be ours only when the Holy Spirit has completed His work of sanctification within us.

The five solas

Read > 2 Timothy 3:14-17

You must remain faithful to the things you have been taught (v. 14).

On October 31, the US, UK, and many European countries celebrate Halloween. Halloween has its origins in the ancient Celtic Samhain festival, where it is believed that on this day, the boundary between the living and the dead dissolved. Subsequently, the dead could cause problems such as sickness for the living. Halloween is now a multimillion-dollar industry for retailers.

But for the believer, October 31 is also Reformation Day. In 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of a church in Wittenberg, Germany. His writings sparked the Reformation Movement throughout Europe. He and the other reformers lifted up five solas that they defined as essentials of Christian belief and practice: sola Scriptura (by Scriptures alone), sola fida (by faith alone), sola gratia (by grace alone), solus Christus (by Christ alone), and soli Deo Gloria (by glory to God alone).

The reformers reiterated what Paul wrote 15 centuries earlier:

·         Sola Scriptura. “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives…. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

·         Sola fida, sola gracia, solus Christus, and soli Deo Gloria. The holy Scriptures “have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus” (v. 15). We are justified (made right with God) by grace (undeserved favour) through faith, without need for good works (Ephesians 2:8-9); for Christ is the only mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5). And this is all for God’s glory alone.

This October 31, let’s reaffirm the five solas of the Christian faith and think about what they mean for us (v. 14). – K. T. Sim

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·         Ephesians 2:4-10

·         1 Timothy 2:5

·         2 Peter 1:19-21

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Which one of the solas means the most to you? Why is it important to reaffirm what we believe?

Hectic sluggard

Read > Proverbs 10:1-9

A wise youth harvests in the summer, but one who sleeps during harvest is a disgrace (v. 5).

Lazy? Not me. I’m busy. Up early, up late. My schedule is filled from beginning to end. I love what I do and I love getting stuff done. I attack a daily to-do list with the same intensity I play basketball.”

I couldn’t identify more with these words written by Christian blogger C. J. Mahaney. It’s great to keep busy and accomplish stuff, isn’t it?

If we grasp what true diligence is all about as presented in Proverbs, however, we may discover that we are simply being hectic sluggards. Here’s why. Proverbs 10:5 describes the diligent person as busy and wise. In other words, a diligent person uses both his brawn and brain. He analyses his situation and makes wise decisions in his labour. He knows how to act and speak in different situations. He doesn’t back down from challenges, but seeks to navigate around or through them with God’s help. He knows that wisdom doesn’t imply superior IQ. It’s found in a healthy fear of the Lord (9:10).

A diligent person also works in anticipation of the harvest. She has a clear goal to accomplish and she applies appropriate action at the right time by harvesting in summer.

She recognizes that busyness does not make us immune from laziness. People can be busy and still not accomplish anything of true value. They can be busy, but with doing the wrong things and at the wrong time. And the things that they should be doing are left undone.

Diligence flows from analysis, anticipation, appropriate action, and accomplishment – all prompted by the Holy Spirit’s active work within us. When considering our schedules, let’s pursue priorities and projects that are derived from God’s wise plans. To be diligent for God does not mean simply being busy. – Poh Fang Chia

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·         Proverbs 6:6-11

·         2 Timothy 2:3-5

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What is keeping you busy? How should you reorder your schedule this week to glorify God even more?

God’s grand pursuit

Read > Psalm 8:3-8

What are mere mortals that You should think about them? (v. 4).

The news story was the kind of breath-taking romance you would expect to see on the big screen. Patrick Moberg spotted a stunningly beautiful woman across the crowded Manhattan subway station, but he wasn’t able to reach her. In desperation, Moberg created a Web site (www.nygirlofmydreams.com) and began a search across New York City, looking for the girl whom he had glimpsed only once and yet could not forget. Remarkably, within 48 hours and in a city of 8 million people, Moberg found her: Camille Hayton, a young woman from Melbourne, Australia.

Whenever we hear a tale of outrageous passion, we can’t help but listen, watch, marvel. We’re drawn to the intense emotion, and we’re curious to know what motivates it.

In Psalm 8, the writer is in awe of the overwhelming way God pursued His creation – His people – with zealous love. David took in the exquisite examples of God’s power and reach (“the night sky and … the work of [His] fingers – the moon and the stars [God] set in place”) and sat in dumbfounded amazement over how such a powerful God could feel such intimate care for us (vv. 3-4): “[Who] are … human beings that You should care for [us]?”

When we take an honest look at our brokenness, comparing our ways with the tenacity of God’s extravagant love, we begin to ask: Why would God love us so completely when we are most often so unlovely? Knowing who He is – and who we are – why would God pursue us?

The answer to these questions weaves through every page of the Bible. In a word, it’s love. God loved. And because God loves, God came to us and for us. – Winn Collier

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For God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son (John 3:16).

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Where do you most need God to pursue you? How does God’s pursuit of you reveal how you should love others?

Something to last

Read > Numbers 11:1-15

I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow (1 Corinthians 3:6).

For years, Greg Mann worked hard to share the good news of Jesus with people in the remote rainforest region of Guyana. He had overseen the building of several churches in areas accessible only by canoe. But Greg began to sense that his churches were stagnant.

Then he started encountering health problems that seriously curtailed his ability to work. So he prayed. And the churches grew. That’s when Greg realized an important aspect of serving the Lord. It wasn’t his work; it was God’s. Greg’s dedication to serving God was admirable, but the Guyanese didn’t need Greg. They needed Jesus. God would continue His work – with or without Greg Mann.

As we look at the heroes of the Bible, we see some astoundingly human flaws in them. Moses actually asked God, “What did I do to deserve the burden of all these people?” as if God were abandoning both him and the nation (Numbers 11:11). Sulking, he told God, “Just go ahead and kill me” (v. 15). God, however, had much more for Moses to do. The Bible tells us that Moses had been sent by God to be a ruler and a deliverer for Israel (Acts 7:35). But it also reveals that Israel’s exodus from Egypt wasn’t on Moses’ shoulders – it was on God’s.

No one accomplishes anything of value without Him. The apostle Paul understood this when he took to task the church at Corinth for putting faith in human leaders. He humbly right-sized the roles of God’s servants, including his own, when he said, “It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow” (1 Corinthians 3:7).

It’s vital for us to assume the roles God has for us. But let’s not lose sight of the fact that Jesus must be the foundation for anything we do (v. 11). – Tim Gustafson

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No one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have – Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11).

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What mistake did Moses make when he cried out to God in Numbers 11? What motivates you to work?