“And He has made from one blood every nation of men
to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined
their preappointed times and the boundaries of their
dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope
that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He
is not far from each one of us.” Acts 17:26-27

“We have staked the whole future of American civilization,
not upon the power of government, far from it. We have
staked the future of all our political institutions upon the
capacity of mankind for self-government; upon the
capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to
control ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to the
Ten Commandments of God.”    James Madison

The Bible at one level recognizes three groups of people; the Jews, the Gentiles and the Church. The Jews regulate history by their journey through it, the Gentiles seek and grope for the God that the Jews reveal to them and the Church reflects the glory, power and character of this God by Jesus Christ. However, having said this it is also true that God has set the habitation and boundaries of nation states thus giving them the opportunity to seek Him and find Him. Nations that do this have discovered that the values of the God of the Bible lift their people out of poverty and bless them with prosperity, peace and safety. It is therefore no coincidence that those nations that have been greatly impacted by the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the values of the Bible have become the most successful. In fact the whole world is seeking to get into them because of the blessing and stability that they offer.

The greatest example of this truth is the United States of America. There is absolutely no doubt that it was founded on the Bible and in particular the five Books of Moses, as James Madison’s quote above demonstrates. Even the famous Liberty Bell is inscribed with a verse from the book of Leviticus and the Ten Commandments were emblazoned upon countless local community halls and courts of justice. The vigorous preaching of the Gospel in the market place was openly encouraged and in many cities the Monday morning papers carried the Sunday sermons of prominent preachers. Theology was the considered the “Queen of Sciences” and men everywhere honored God and at least entered His house twice a year; to celebrate Jesus’ birth and death. President after President affirmed their personal faith in God, including Washington and Lincoln and they frequently called the nation to prayer. Christmas was declared a national holiday and the very currency of the Union stated, “In God We Trust.” That is, we trust in the God of the Bible.

Truly a nation like this groped for God, found Him and gave Him much glory. They even sang hymns that boldly called upon God to bless America and time and time again prominent leaders and politicians would end their speeches with the refrain, “God bless America.” While America is a clear example of what God will do with a people that honors Him, much of the world today is a clear example of what happens when nations reject Him and opt for other gods. Misery, poverty, chaos, tyranny and conflict are the result. Dr. Jedidiah Morse preached these words in 1799:

  “To the kindly influence of Christianity we owe that degree of civil freedom, and
  political and social happiness which mankind now enjoys. In proportion as the
  genuine effects of Christianity are diminished in any nation, either through unbelief
  or the corruption of its doctrine, or the neglect of its institutions; in the same
  proportion will the people of that nation recede from the blessings of genuine
  freedom, and approximate the miseries of complete despotism. I hold this to be a
  truth confirmed by experience. If so, it follows, that all efforts made to destroy the
  foundations of our holy religion, ultimately tend to the subversion also of our
  political freedom and happiness. Whenever the pillars of Christianity shall be
  overthrown, our present republican forms of government, and all the blessings
  that flow from them, must fall with them.”

How strange it is then that western nations, that once were made great by the enlightenment that biblical values brought to them, are now abandoning their foundations in favor of the godlessness of secular humanism. For instance all the Nordic countries have the Christian Cross in their flags, a reminder of their roots and values, but now they have become bastions of secularism and are drifting back into the paganism that was theirs before the fair name of Jesus reached their shores. Where the great values of the Bible are rejected, and even scoffed at, it will not be long until the darkness embraced will engulf the region in chaos.

The Nazis of Germany did not arrive in a vacuum as the preceding decades witnessed the academic world in Germany casting doubt and rejection upon the pages of scripture. Schools of liberal thought sprung up and systematically undermined the great Christian values of the Reformation and consequently a generation, ravaged by war, had no moral compass to guide its journey into the future. Hitler, an occultist schooled by the Thule Society, stepped into the vacuum and gave glory to the gods of war that once ruled the Norsemen. Their heaven was the great hall of the warrior dead known as Valhalla and so Hitler’s high ranking SS officers were invested in a deep dungeon under a castle in an attempt to identify with this dark shadowy world. They honored and loved war and were determined to wage it. Consequently millions died on the altar of this wicked and savage underworld.

The same is true of the Soviet Union; the Marxist Communists rejected the God of the Bible and persecuted those who followed Him. Once again, having abandoned a proven moral compass they glorified violence and brutality and Stalin systematically murdered more people than Hitler. Countless millions died in his purges and he goes down in history as one of the most evil men that ever lived. By contrast the most successful nations are those that have embraced the Bible and its message but this is rapidly changing. We are witnessing the rapid paganization of the Christian world and with it the plunge toward lawlessness and chaos. Jesus warned of this when He said, ” And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.” (Matthew 24:12)

Paul was clear about the fact that the God of the Bible sets the boundaries and the times of nations in order that they should seek Him, grope for Him and find Him. Indeed, he declares, God is close to us and can be found and that He reveals Himself to the world in Jesus of Nazareth. The great cathedrals and churches of Europe and elsewhere remain a silent testimony to this and we should think deeply about these things. Scripture, not for nothing, warns that shortly an individual, like that of Hitler and Stalin,will again step onto the stage of history and reject the God of the Bible and in His place affirm and honor a god of war!

                  “He shall regard neither the God of his fathers nor the desire
                   of women, nor regard any god; for he shall exalt himself
                   above them all. But in their place he shall honor a god of
                   fortresses; and a god which his fathers did not know he shall
                   honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and pleasant
                   things.” Daniel 11:27-38

We live in desperate times and we should all pray for our nations and their leaders and we should double our efforts to impact and influence our communities. We need bold faith in Jesus in these days as the the future and well being of our nations depends upon it.

Malcolm Hedding

                “This I say, therefore and testify in the Lord, that you
                 should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk,
                 In the futility of their mind, having their understanding
                 darkened, being alienated from the life of God………
                 But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have
                 Heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth
                 is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former
                 conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to
                 the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your
                 mind, and that you put on the new man which was
                 created according to God, in righteousness and true
                 holiness.”  Ephesians 4:17-24

Here in this important part of Paul’s letter to the Ephesian Church we have a challenge to be true Christ followers. In fact he teaches us that having Jesus fill our hearts is more powerful than we can possibly imagine and that we need to learn how to co- operate with Christ in order to be transformed by Him. We should be reminded that living in us is not a power or a force but a real person Who seeks to transform our lives. Walking in this transforming relationship with Him is therefore our greatest spiritual privilege. It is with this in mind then that Paul reminds us of three things:

1. The Past

In these verses the Apostle calls to remembrance the wickedness of our ways. We were without feeling, darkened in our ungodly thought life and alienated from God. That is, we were cut off from Him and trapped in the grip of sin and of the Devil. This, for sure, is not a pretty picture but it does accurately describe each one of us. In chapter two of the same book Paul tells that we were dead in our sins, doomed as to our future and dominated by “the Prince of the power of the air.” To put it mildly, this is not good and Jesus changed all of this when He died in our place on the cross.

2. The Present

For those who have surrendered their lives to Jesus their is a pathway to victory by the power of His Spirit that indwells us. Paul, confident that Jesus is able to save us to the uttermost, meaning that He can overcome any problem, sin and addiction in our lives exhorts us properly appropriate Christ’s power. He thus, with tongue in cheek, asks if they really know what the truth of being in Christ is all about. To say that you follow Jesus is one thing but to be transformed by Him is another. The latter is what really counts and therefore, given the nature of the power of Jesus in us, we are to “put off” our old sinful nature. This is a command and not a suggestion!

This means our problems with our carnal addictions and behavior patterns have nothing to do with ability but with our willingness to change. It is for this reason that Paul affirms that Jesus’ transformation of our lives begins with our minds. In the book of Romans Paul puts it this way, “……..and that you be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” When you and I agree to be changed then Jesus changes us. We must submit our minds to His will and then we shall walk in the victory that He promises us. It for this very reason that Peter in his first epistle exhorts us to, “gird up the loins of our minds.” Your mind, and what you do with it in the present, is the key to overcoming the grip of sin in your life. To put it another way, your mind controls your emotions and your emotions will control your actions. So then, whoever has control of your mind has control of your actions. Jesus in you is greater than anything in your life, and in the world, and therefore, with your mind, give Him control of your emotions and actions and thus your  life!

3. The Future

Those who “learn Christ this way” will be filled with His love, power, patience and tender-hearted kindness. They will be forgiving and gracious and will not allow wickedness, of any type, to get a foothold in their lives. Their words will be uplifting and edifying and their actions will be God glorifying. They will not be perfect and will themselves have to be forgiven from time to time but they will radiate anyway and everywhere the sweet fragrance of Christ.

This is what it means to claim to be a follower of Jesus!

Malcolm Hedding.

                                                “The Jews established and imposed it upon themselves

                                                and their descendants and all who would join them, that

                                                without fail they should celebrate these two days every

                                                year, according to the written instructions and according

                                                to the prescribed time, that these days should be remem-

                                                bered and kept throughout every generation, every family

                                                every province, and every city, that these days of Purim

                                                should not fail to be observed among the Jews, and that

                                                the memory of them should not perish among their

                                                descendants.”

                                                                                Esther 9:27-28

                                                “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared

                                                to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and

                                                worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and

                                                godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope

                                                and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus

                                                Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us

                                                from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own

                                                special people, zealous for good works.”

                                                                                Titus 2:11-14

The celebration of Purim reminds us that the God of the Bible will defend His people Israel against those who seek to destroy them. The Persian menace has arisen again and, like Haman of old, is once again calling for Israel’s destruction. This the Mullahs of Iran do openly, routinely and unashamedly and yet the world community not only tolerates this but also has in fact facilitated Iran’s pathway to nuclear armament. Indeed to make matters worse, Iran’s bad behavior has been rewarded with a cash payout of over a billion dollars that will definitely fuel her campaign of terror worldwide. Purim reminds us that God is watching and that He is calling forth brave people, like Esther, to stand up and defend the nation state of Israel. In the end all who would destroy Israel will perish on their “own gallows” and if you don’t believe it ask yourself where are the Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Romans and Nazis today? They have all perished and so too will the dark hordes of Iran’s Islamic republic. The God of the Bible, whose values civilized and made great the western world and the USA, is sovereign and in control of all things and history will always end up as the commentary of His will and purpose on the earth. We are called to stand on His side and work with Him at this point in history and we, like David of old, must serve our generation with the will of God.

Also, we must defend the persecuted Church that is also being assaulted by the dark hordes of Islam in the Middle East and Africa. Hundreds of thousands of Christians are being murdered at the hands of these barbarians and we cannot and must not be silent. Thankfully, and finally, the USA declared this slaughter of Christians a genocide but sadly not before the ancient Christian communities of the region had been decimated. It is also time for action and so we must do everything in our power to help the suffering Church. Getting involved with the Shai Fund and Samaritan’s Purse is crucial in this regard. Do not be silent and inactive as this is our time to stand up and be counted!

We will shortly celebrate Passover, which reminds us of the great acts of God in choosing and redeeming Israel from bondage. The lessons of this celebration are numerous and indeed wonderful. It is important to note however that the God of the universe has forever linked His name to the Jewish people. He is the God of Israel. This means that her journey through history involves His reputation and faithfulness. That is, He will guard, preserve and watch over her because of His name sake. It was this fact that He reminded Israel of from the very beginning. He did not choose her because she was great and famous but because she was small and stubborn! Her history would then be a testimony to His grace, power and faithfulness. This is indeed true.

Today Israel faces challenges that are great and overwhelming. She will not overcome these by her own strength and ability but by His power and intervention. The more difficult the challenges become so the more she needs His grace and love. He is the God of Passover. That is, the God of deliverance. We can rejoice in this and trust in His faithfulness recognizing all the time that in the end all nations will be humbled including Israel as He “steps in” to deliver Zion. Paul said in Romans eleven that the deliverer will come out of Zion. God will do this for His name sake.

Now in these coming days we will celebrate the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. The cross is the shining light of God’s love for a sinful world and what happened upon it was given power and meaning by the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Jesus removed God’s anger and wrath from over our lives and thus brought us forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with God our Father. By the cross and the resurrection God our Father has imputed Christ’s righteousness to our lives meaning that being in Christ He sees us as perfect and thus we are the recipients of eternal life. Death has been conquered and its dark foreboding sting has been removed from us. Death is now a mere doorway to the glorious and real presence of God! We are truly saved from our sins and rejoice in the hope and glory of living out an eternal purpose with God our Savior. What a message and what a Savior! Indeed, it is no coincidence that history itself is divided by the coming of Jesus and His saving work on the cross. The cross towers over history and calls us home to God our Father. Truly we are all living before Christ or after Christ; meaning that we are living without Him in our lives or after He has come into our lives. Which is it? I sincerely trust that it is the latter. Christ in you is the only way to the eternal glory of God.

May the great God of the Bible “who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory, to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.

Malcolm Hedding.

There is no doubt that the financial underpinnings of nations and banking institutions are weak and failing. Much of this is caused by greed and reckless fiscal policy by politicians the world over. To attract votes and thus to secure power irresponsible leaders have promised the electorate things that nations and financial institutions have no money to pay for. The crash of 2008 was birthed out of this reality and just eight years later the exact same scenario is shaping up again. Bernie Sanders, the hopeful democratic nominee and self-confessed socialist/communist, is promising Americans all sorts of “freebies” that the already bankrupt republic definitely cannot pay for; but the people love it so!

Paul on the other hand knew that we can rise above all this uncertainty, financially speaking, if we dare to employ the principles of God’s economy by Jesus Christ. Every Christian should embrace this strategy and now more than ever as we see the economic chaos of our world. This heavenly plan is set forth in Paul’s second letter to the Church at Corinth. It is simple, straight forward and predictable and it will place those who follow it in a place of financial freedom dictated by God and not man. Does this sound good? It sure does and so let’s examine it.

The Principle

                                    “But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also

                                    reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will

                                    also reap bountifully.”

                                                                        2 Corinthians 9:6

Christians need to be generous in their giving and thus ensure that they always err on the side of abundance. To give generously does not require money but rather faith. Even if we have a little financial strength we can still be generous. In fact God particularly sees this and responds to it. Jesus observed the woman in the Temple give God everything she had, which was not a lot, but it was her everything and so He responded immediately (Mark 12:41-44). By this action, borne out of her love for God, she put herself into God’s miracle economy. God’s promise is sure; if we sow bountifully we will “also reap bountifully.” Please note that we do not give to get back; no we give because we love Jesus and His kingdom and He who knows our hearts will respond by caring for us. This is His promise!

The Plan

                                    “So let each one give as he purposes in his heart,

                                    not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a

                                    cheerful giver.”

                                                                        2 Corinthians 9:7

Jesus wants you to respond in your heart to His plan for financial freedom. That is, you must “purpose in your heart” what the level of your generosity will be. So here God expects us to be measured and responsible but also generous. Once we have set this plan in motion we can be filled with joy as we give and God just loves this. What a freedom this brings to us because we know by it that we are expanding God’s work, reflecting His character and enjoying His approval. Those who embrace this plan will live above the world financial system. When Jesus was asked about His commitment to the world system of taxation He called it for what it was; ruler exacting leverage over ruler and these in turn over the people. Nevertheless, Jesus paid His taxes but got the money to do so from a fish’s mouth (Matthew 17:24-27)! The lesson was clear; God’s children have supernatural resources at their disposal! Have you got the plan?

The Provision

                                    “And God is able to make all grace abound towards you,

                                    that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, have

                                    an abundance for every good work. As it is written:

                                    “He has dispersed abroad,

                                       He has given to the poor;

                                       His righteousness remains forever,”

                                                            2 Corinthians 9:8-9

What a remarkable passage this is as it promises that we will always have sufficiency in all things; meaning that our general living expenses will always be covered. Moreover, we will also have enough financial resources to spread abroad and thereby give help to God’s kingdom and people. All of this comes out of the plan above.
So then, the harvest we reap will be financial and spiritual. Financially we will have an abundance and spiritually we will grow in righteousness. The former because we determine to handle money God’s way and the latter because we do God’s will on the earth. In all honesty Jesus is more interested in the latter because He wants you and me to grow into the likeness of His character. This is called righteousness. No wonder then, after setting out this supernatural financial plan Paul concludes with a eulogy:

“Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and

                                    bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you

                                    have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness,

                                    while you are enriched in everything for all liberality

                                    which causes thanksgiving through us to God.”

                                                            2 Corinthians 8:10-11

Malcolm Hedding

“And do this, knowing the time, that now

                                    it is high time to awake out of sleep; for

                                    now our salvation is nearer than when

                                    we first believed. The night is far spent,

                                    the day is at hand. Therefore cast off the

                                    works of darkness, and let us put on the

                                    armor of light. Let us walk properly, as

                                    in the day, not in revelry and drunken-

                                    ness, not in lewdness and lust, not in

                                    strife and envy. But put on the Lord

                                    Jesus Christ, and make no provision for

                                    the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.”

Romans 13:11-14

The Apostle Paul saw the world on the edge of an apocalyptic event. That is, events could at anytime escalate into a deep international crisis that would lead to the second coming of Jesus. This is Paul’s world-view since it is repeated time and time again in scripture. Indeed even when teaching on marriage, in his first letter to the Church at Corinth, he states that this step should be carefully thought through because the “time is short.” (1 Corinthians 7:29) Paul was not alone in this view of things as even Peter tells us that “the end of all things is at hand” in his first epistle (1 Peter 4:7) and James calls upon his readers to be patient because “the coming of the Lord is at hand.” (James 5:8) John tells us that Jesus Himself says, “And behold I am coming quickly, and My reward is with me, to give to every one according to his work.” (Revelation 22:12)

The apostolic band of the early church knew that the blessed hope of the Church was nothing short of Jesus’ soon return and so they lived their lives through this prism and were not ashamed of it. Paul in his pastoral epistle to Titus acknowledges this fact when he writes that the very grace of God in our hearts teaches us to look “for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” (Titus 2:13)

When Christians do not have this world-view there is something wrong with them as nothing keeps our lives active for the Kingdom of God and holy like the expectation that events could, even today, escalate into the visible second coming of Jesus. For Paul the grace of God working in us teaches us to live like this. (Titus 2:11-12) It is my experience that many Christians today, even preachers and leaders, disavow this attitude and even mock it. I have heard them do it! In Romans 13 then Paul give us this exhortation and couples it with the following good advice:

Because we know the time we should awake from any form of spiritual apathy and follow Christ. Salvation is at hand; meaning that our bodies are about to be transformed and clothed with immortality. When this happens salvation is complete. What a wonderful day this will be!

Because the night is far spent we should walk in the light of God and have nothing to do with the deeds of darkness. In fact we must “cast off” the works of darkness” and adorn ourselves with the armor of God. We are involved in a battle and the sooner we know it the better. A battle against our hearts, the world and the Devil! Christ will help us and give us victory.

Because the night is far spent we must be children of the day and therefore walk in the sunshine of God. Jesus could come at any time and we must be ready and a very important part of being ready is being in godly relationships with one another. Do not neglect this! And finally;

Because the night is far spent and the dawn of Jesus’ coming is approaching we must clothe ourselves with Him and be conformed to His image. This is what really matters and it is the reason why He died for us.

In the end we must say that Paul’s advice is good; but who will take it? Please note that he begins this passage by writing, “And do this…….”

Malcolm Hedding