By Pastor William Y. K. Brown Ph.D
(Resident Pastor)
Seventh-day Adventist Church
Osu-Bethel.
Tel: 0244165628/0243310773.
wykbrown@gmail.com
THURSDAY
THEME: REGRETTABLE PAST, HOPEFUL PRESENT, GLORIOUS FUTURE
SCRIPTURE: Romans 6:4
“Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
Revelation 21:5 – “Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.”
REFLECTIONS
There is hardly any human being who has had a morally clean sheet throughout their lives. Present to me one person without a blemish, and I will show you a hypocrite who works for the devil yet appears Christlike. Everybody in their lives remembers a past that was dirty, regrettable, and painful. Many people who have come to Christ have done so, knowing that He alone can change the past and give a new hope for survival. Unfortunately, witnesses of people’s past do not get to understand that the Holy Spirit convicts, and therefore, one may have met Christ and let go of the bad behaviour, the foul utterances, illicit relationships, jealousies and envies, intemperate lifestyle, hatred and self-centeredness, spousal abuse, cheating, stealing, taking bribes, taking undue advantage of the vulnerable and the innocent, deception and many other vices. You are incredibly blessed if you are in this category of sinners – sinners turned saints by the Holy Spirit.
The moment of change is not known or understood by others, but the individual who has had a real encounter with Jesus, the Lord, knows and rests comforted in Him. Sin is a burden – too heavy to carry, torture, dirty, and loathsome. The Bible presents characters whose lives were imperfect, but the Spirit of God encountered, convicted, transformed, and gave them a new start – a glorious beginning. Jacob is no mean figure in the Bible. By his name, Israel, God’s chosen people were called “Israel.” He was such a prominent figure in biblical history, yet he began life in a terrible way. It seems his name had a significant impact on him. Jacob means “supplanter” or “usurper” (it also means “to follow” or “to be behind”). Interestingly, according to Verywellfamily.com, Jacob was the most popular male name in the U.S. from 1999 to 2012. In 2012, almost one percent (1%) of males born were named Jacob. We associate the patriarch’s name with usurping and circumventing. However, his scheming even began before he had a name.
Jacob was smart – he outwitted his senior brother and took hold of his birthright. He cheated his father, a man of God, and his brother and took the latter’s blessings. He did all this and realised later that you cannot commit heinous crimes and remain safe and guiltless, so he escaped his brother’s wrath and sought refuge elsewhere. Like every person born by a woman, God chased Jacob with grace. He appeared to Jacob in a dream and promised him in Genesis 28:15, “Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.” Really, for Jacob, a usurper? (read verses 10-22). God is indeed merciful. Jacob must have had a regrettable past, including cheating on Laban. But when the time of decision came, God changed his name and gave him a place in the roll call of significant characters of salvation history. Genesis 32:28 reads, “And He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.” It was a new day for Jacob, the past forgiven and forgotten, and a fresh start provided him. Even after God had cleared him, he was not free from pain, disappointment, and weaknesses. But trusting and depending on God, his name remained in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
When we read about Jacob, the aspect of him that should give every person hope is that God can change character and transform lives irrespective of where you are coming from and what terrible sins you have committed. Galatians 2:20 assures the repentant sinner, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Paul says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” – 2 Corinthians 5:17. The steadfast love of God will hold you as you have determined to serve the Lord from henceforth. Lamentations 3:22-24 – [22]Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. [23]They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. [24]“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!” God will do something new in your life. Christ’s righteousness covers your mess. Stay and abide in Him. Amen!
MY SONG OF COMMITMENT
“The Steadfast Love of God” – New Era Acapella.
LET US PRAY
– Praise and thank God for preserving your life; thank Him for receiving grace you do not deserve; pray for a renewal of commitment to God and make Him your hope in life always;
– Pray for people you know have been entangled in sin to be set free; pray for atheists that they will find God; pray for siblings who have rivalry and sharp disagreements;
– Pray for parents to be Christlike and love their children equally; pray for families to seek God through daily devotions; pray for repentant sinners who have given their lives to Jesus;
– Pray for a nation that seeks righteousness; pray for Christians to live out Christ’s virtues to challenge the erring; pray for faithful ministers of the gospel and God’s blessings on their families and congregations.
