When God Corrects His Children

“My son despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of his correction: For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth.” (Proverbs 3:11-12) 

We are called sons of God when we believe, accept and receive Christ as our Saviour (John 1:12). Since we are children of God, the question is: Why does God discipline His children?

God disciplines His children because He wants everything in order. Because God is a god of order. “Let all things be done decently and in order.” (1 Corinthians 14:40). His family must be under His discipline. He doesn’t punish us because He enjoys inflicting pain but because He is deeply concerned about our development. He knows that in order to become morally strong and good, we must learn the difference between right and wrong. 

When God disciplines us, he loves us. “For whom the Lord loveth, He chasteneth” (Hebrews 12:6-8). We must learn from His correction. Love and corporal punishment are inseparable and are not inconsistent but rather complementary with each other. If we rebel against God and refuse to repent, He may use guilt, crisis and bad experience to bring us back to Him.

If we would not be first moved by persuasion, He will send us pain.  he beats us to become better persons. God is delighted with our obedient response to His love. One example is the principle of tithing. It has been proven that what you sow ye shall reap. If you give what is due for God, He will abundantly give you what is due for you with overflowing "cup that runneth over". On the other hand, tremendous shortage will occur if you do not give what is due for God.

(From Rev. Teofilito A. Rufon’s Mid-week Worship messages)

Where Are You Going To Spend Your Eternity?

“Neither there is salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”                                                              (Acts 4:12)

Time passes quickly. The clock of time is wound only once, and no man has the power to tell when it will stop. Even as you read these words, the ageing process is going in our bodies and everything around us. We read in God’s Word, the Bible….

“For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” (James 4:14).

You might think that you have plenty of time and many years ahead of you. Well…..tell me, can a doctor guarantee that any part of your body will not fail any time? Or, can you guard yourself against the hundreds of unseen dangers and incidents in our everyday life? Of course, NOT! Yet death and judgment are sure. God’s Word says,

“……..it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.”        (Hebrews 9:27)

Eternity is endless, forever and ever, and God has left this eternal choice up to each of us; to choose heaven or hell, eternal joy or eternal agony. Yet there is so little concern about this eternal matter, like the rich man we read about in the gospel according to Luke……

“And I will say to my soul, soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee…” (Luke 12:19-20).

What must you do?

1. Admit that you are a sinner…”For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23).
2. Repent….for…… “except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish..” (Luke 13:3).
3. Believe….”that Christ died for our sins.” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).
4. Ask….Jesus Christ to come into your life as Saviuor and Lord. You must decide where will you spend eternity. Jesus said, “ I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6).

(From the tract of Odiongan Baptist Church)

Pig or Lamb (A Concept of Repentance)

"Joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons which need no repentance.” (Luke 15:7)

The Bible says that if anyone be in Christ, he is a new creature, old things are passed away and all things are become new. This means if we believe in God, we must change our lives. This is metamorphosis. Like a change from larva to butterfly. This changing of  physical appearance means becoming new. A totally new person. If all professing Christians in the world says that they believe and accept God, then a change should be manifested in their daily lives otherwise what they professed was nothing. Nothing but a mere belief and mere acceptance of God.

 

The Bible says that there should be fruits. There should be output. If there is no output or fruit, there is no change. Changing one’s self is impossible without repentance. Repentance is crucial. The meaning of repentance in the Bible is "to change or to turn." It was mentioned seventy times in the New  Testament. It is a command. It is imperative. Jesus said “except ye repent, ye shall likewise all perish.” To be sorry is not enough in repentance. One may admit a guilt or mistake without repentance. Judas hanged himself but he did not repent.

 

Take the case of a Pig and a Lamb. Though how much effort you do to change the appearance of a pig: bath him, polish his hoofs, put some perfume, tie a ribbon around his neck, still the pig will look for a mud puddles. The pig had been changed outwardly but not inwardly. He was still a pig at heart. Take a lamb on the other hand. Put a lamb in the living room then turn him into the yard, and he will try his best to avoid some mud puddles. Why? Because his nature is that of a lamb. Question. Are we pigs or lambs?

(Taken from the book Peace with God by Billy Graham pp 140-143).