What is God's Will for You and Me?

dated 31 Dec 2009

As the year 2009 comes to an end, some of us may be thinking of New Year’s resolutions! I have passed on that a long time ago; I never follow it through anyway. I am not about to have a change of mind now, for truly, it is far too late. ;-)

However, I chanced on some passages in my Bible that wouldprobably spell out the ultimate New Year’s resolution for anyone - including myself, as a matter of fact.

What is God’s will for you and me?

Jesus said, ‘For my Father’s will is that
everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and
I will raise him up at the last day.’

So there, that’s the Father’s will for us all! Hmmm, God Himself is dangling eternal life and resurrection on the last day for you and me. But that’s only possible if I look to the Son (Jesus) and believe in Him. That’s what it says. I have been a born-again believer for 25 years now, but constantly focusing my gaze on God’s Son and believing in spite of some dauntingly doubt-inducing situations has been a struggle all those years. I know that my faith should be feeding on the “gaze”, which involves copious times of reading and meditating on the Bible, but there had been lapses, really. For others, who have never given a thought to this “carrot” that God dangles to all of us, it probably would cost him / her everything he/she is and he/she has to grab that carrot, as it did cost me, 25 years ago. You’re not about to take on the “nut” cap meditating on the Bible every morning, are you? That’s not going to happen cheap, right? On the other hand, it didn’t come cheap for God to make that "carrot dangling" possible either. The reason we can have eternal life and resurrection on the last day is because Jesus Himself made the most costly resolve at the adult age of 33 to lay down His will to His Father and follow through God’s plan of salvation for us, one dark night in Gethsemane, where He was about to play the role of Sacrificial Lamb.

Therefore, when Christ
came into the world, he said:

“Sacrifice and offeringyou did not desire,
But a body you prepared for me;
With burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased.
Then I said, ‘Here I am – it is written about me in the scroll –
I have come to do your will, O God.’ “

At Gethsemane, before Jesus was arrested with the help of a traitor-friend, Jesus prayed earnestly, three times, the same prayer, so earnestly that he sweated like droplets of blood:

"Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." ⁴³An angel from heavenappeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.

Jesus laid down His will to the Father, even laying down His own life, as the Father willed. That is what it cost us to be saved, made holy and perfect, ready for life forever and ever in Heaven, with God.

Mind-boggling? It’s true:

And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.

And ponder this: A father’s love for his son. God the Father Himself gave us His one and only begotten and beloved Son to be the sacrificial lamb to take our place, that we may be saved from our sin, in this life and from eternal damnation in the fires of Hell. It cost Him His dearest One. He had to send no less than His own Son – not a servant, not an angel, not a prophet, but His own Son. Ponder, ponder…

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

When we have recognized the value of such a Gift, wouldn’t we reciprocate in equal worth - laying down our own will, … every day… for the rest of our lives, to God? God demands no less and He deserves no less. Worship Him with our all? Why not? He gave us His all.

He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

So, as we think 2012, ehe, 2010, maybe this is the year we’re going to gaze on Him, constantly, every day, for all time. Maybe it is the year of the greatest resolution ever. And yes, if you think 2012, better be ready for that Last Day. But then that’s another huge topic altogether. (Don’t
get me wrong, I don’t believe in the rumors about 2012, it could be 2011, too, or sooner still.) So, before I go on forever and ever, I wish you, a peaceful and “gaze-ful” year for 2010! Happy New Year! Don’t drink and drive, don’t touch the firecrackers, don’t kiss someone with HIV, etc, etc. !!! :D LOL!

Bible passages are in italics; references in chronology:

John 6:40

Hebrews 10: 5-7

Luke 22:42-44
Hebrews 10:10
Hebrews 10:14
John 3:16
Romans 8:32


-------
Dated 30 Dec 2009

Behold, the Lamb of God!

There are more sheep than people here in NZ. Thus, I have made it my
ambition to learn to cook roast leg of lamb, though it's not really
that cheap here, unlike what most of us would think. A roast leg of
lamb is always cooked with rosemary herb. When I smell rosemary, I
think lamb; when I think lamb, I think of Jesus. This one was for our Christmas Eve dinner.

Well, it's not a whole lamb, just a leg of lamb roast. Jesus, our
Passover Lamb, was born 2,000 years ago! At Passover, if a family can't
finish a whole lamb, they are supposed to share it with another family
(Exodus 12:4). And for us, all we need is just a leg! :-) Two thousand
years ago, the Lamb of God was born and made a manger His bed. The King
of kings took the lowly form of a human, was born to a humble traveling
couple who were taking refuge from the cold with the animals in a
stable, in the little town of Bethlehem... Hmmmm, ponder that.



"Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29)





A joyful Christmas Season to those who celebrate Christmas, Happy Holidays to those who don't and a Blessed New Year to everyone!



The Rosemary hedge in our yard.


-----

Dated 24 Dec 2009

Christmas Eve Thoughts

Rosemary blossoms in my yard.

A few minutes more, according to my clock, and Christmas eve is going to be over. It
would be Christmas day!! The stressful part for me is actually over - shopping,
cooking, setting up the table, lighting up the candles, etc. Thank God, I had a few minutes to reflect more on the Reason for this Season - He is
the Light, He is love, He is the Lord, He is the King, the Messiah, the
Hope. However, though so many good things were said of him, one man named Simeon, actually said you'll either love Him or hate
Him:



This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in
Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the
thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. (Luke 2:34,35)




And two thousand years ago the apostle John said of Him,

"The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it." (John 1:5)

"He was in the
world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not
recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not
receive him..." (John 1:10,11)





Deep words for us to ponder, indeed. Jesus - who is He?



And as I pondered over these thoughts, hmmmm, I smelled rosemary...





A joyous Christmas Season to you all out there!

----

Dated 22 Dec 2009

Poinsettias on my Window

Oh, how awesome is He, the Person we "do" Christmas for. Here are more
thoughts on Him as we work, drive, shop, rush, clean, cook, wrap, etc.
:-)



Isaiah 11



1 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;

       from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.

 2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—

       the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,

       the Spirit of counsel and of power,

       the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD -

 3 and he will delight in the fear of the LORD.

       He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,

       or decide by what he hears with his ears;

 4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy,

       with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.

       He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;

       with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.

 5 Righteousness will be his belt

       and faithfulness the sash around his waist.


__________________________

A merry Christmas to everyone!



Poinsettias on my window. Hmmmmm, so Christmasy. Reminds me of the profuse poinsettia blooms screaming crimson red at Christmas time, in
one of the house gardens in our neighborhood back home,... once upon a
childhood of mine. Photo taken today, 22Dec09.

 ------
Dated 20 Dec 2009

Run Up to Christmas 2009

For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end....
(Isaiah 9:6,7)

Contemplating on God's unspeakable gift to us.


A blessed Christmas to one and all!



Breaking bread at home, today, 20th Dec 09. The red and green strawberries make it so Christmasy! Photo taken by my older daughter.