God Will Never Rebuke You Again!

Isaiah 54:9

To me this is like the days of Noah, when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth.  So now I have sworn not to be angry with you, never to rebuke you again.

Do you feel like you have disappointed God?  Do you feel like there may have been things you should have done but you didn't, and thus you've created room for God to be unhappy with you in some way?  Maybe you made a mistake that you deeply regret, and you feel like God has every right to be angry with you.  You feel like you've rebelled against God.

My friend, if you ever feel that way, stop it!  Get that out of your thinking and renew your mind to the Truth of the Gospel!  The Gospel announces God's anger has been consumed at the Cross!

The Scripture tells us that His anger lasts for a moment but His Love endures a lifetime.  This verse clearly reveals that God will never be angry with us again, and neither will He ever rebuke us.  This sheds some clear light on the topic of God disciplining His children.  If He is never going to rebuke us again, His discipline cannot be a rebuke!

Friends, God can and will never be angry with you again!  He rebuked sin, its effects, and evil in the Body of Jesus Christ.  His anger was consumed and absorbed in the Body of Jesus, and because of that God is in such a good mood it is stunning!

Earthquakes, Tsunamis, Volcanoes and other such disasters are not God's anger being expended on mankind, but the groanings of a fallen planet longing for redemption.  God is in love with the world.  He so loved the world that He sent Jesus to save them.  God is not angry with them!  And neither is God angry with you!  God is happy with you!  God is deeply in love with you!  And the more you realize His Love for you, the more you will be transformed into His image.

Stop hiding from God today because you think He is angry with you, turn to Him, and allow His Love to transform you from the inside out.  He's not angry with you.  He Loves you.

Never Give Up On God's Faithfulness!

Isaiah 40:31
Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

I am sure many of you have faced questions about God's ability or willingness to answer prayer at some point in your life.  Many of us have faced such questions recently, especially with the sudden passing of Zoe Grace Dunbar.  The tragedy came as a shock to all of us, and has brought the family of the church together in an incredible way to support, love and care for our dearest brother and sister Wade and Roxanne and their whole family.

In the midst of tragedies such as this, it is easy to point fingers at God.  And there is space to do so.  There were times when David cried out to God in ways many of us are afraid to do so.  Such tragedy drives that kind of emotion out.  And it is helpful to let it out.

But in this edition of the "encouragement", I want to encourage you all to never give up.  There have also been many people being afflicted with serious viral infections (like Chad and Dayna Parkes), others coming down with the flu and the list goes on.  It is clear we are under attack.  Friends, it is imperative in this time that we do not succumb to the lie of the enemy and abandon our faith in God's Goodness.

Our God is always good.  His Word declares it, and His Word is the highest authority for Truth.  The challenge is knowing this Truth but living in a seemingly different reality.  It is one of the biggest challenges living the Christian life faithfully; seeing what should be but experiencing a different reality.  (This is something I will hopefully touch on in my sermon on Sunday night).

My friend, as this verse declares, if you don't give up on hoping in the LORD, your strength will be renewed!  You will be given strength to face this life and rise on the wings of your Saviour.

Jesus taught His disciples to pray without giving up in Luke 18 when He told them of the parable of the persistant widow.  Friends, we too will not give up on the Goodness of our God!  He is Good!  Despite what our experiences tell us at this moment, our God is Good and His mercy endures forever!  And it is with this heart that we will encourage and offer our deepest love to people like Wade and Roxanne, and Trevor and Chan, and the many others we will come across who have faced such extreme trial.  Our hearts go out to you our amazing friends, we love you with all our hearts.

We will never give up.