Spiritual Transformation

Trevor S Ferguson

August 12, 2013

Today we reflect on the topic Spiritual Transformation, as I seek to show how God through His grace can transform our lives from a state of spiritual deadness, to new life in Jesus Christ. Our text for refection is from the second chapter of the book of Ephesians, focusing on verses 1-10. Let us begin, however, by looking back at God’s creative work in the book of Genesis.

The bible tells us that in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. We further understand that in His creative works, God made everything out of nothing. Hebrews 11:3 tells us that: “the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear”. God’s creation was marvelous! We can’t help but stand in awe when we look at the brightness of the sun, compared to the blackness of the night; we marvel at the depth and power of the seas and the beautiful wonders and expanse of the skies. Despite this magnificence, few, if any, persons would dispute that the most magnificent of God’s creation was the creation of man. The Bible told us that God made man in His own image, breathed into him the breath of life and gave him dominion over all the earth. Thus man was the crowning glory of creation! In verse 31 of Genesis 1, the bible tells us that God looked upon his creation and concluded that it was very good.

Shortly after creation however, man found himself in big trouble. Despite being told by God that he should not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, man disobeyed and ended up in a state of spiritual death. God had warned that in the day that they ate of that fruit they should surely die. This state of spiritual death (i.e. separation of the soul from God) has plagued humanity from then until now. The good news however is that through the life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God has made a way for spiritual transformation where man can move from spiritual death to a new life in Christ and candidates for eternal life.

Paul therefore in his letter to the Ephesians chose to speak on this issue so as to show the marvelous wonder of God’s grace in bringing about this spiritual transformation and so restore man from his state of sin and death and back to a state of life, hope and dominion!

Paul writes: “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:”

Outside of Christ man is spiritually dead. Yes! You may be walking around, you may have riches, you may have power, but without Christ in you, you are spiritually dead. On the spiritual level you are worth nothing! A big fat zero! Dead!

Verse 4 tells us that “God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ”. Therefore through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we now have access to eternal life. The word ‘quicken’ means to make alive or to re-animate. Note that we are quickened together with Christ. In a similar way to Jesus’ death and resurrection, we who were spiritually dead, have been buried with Christ in baptism, like as Christ rose again from the dead, we now rise, through the power of the Holy Ghost, to walk in newness of life.

The beauty of this salvation is that not only are we given new life but we are placed on new pedestals. Verse 6 tells us that we have been raised up and made to sit in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

One may ask: How can I attain unto this lofty state? What can I do to accomplish this salvation?

Verse 8 tells us however that salvation is by grace alone (sola gratia): For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. We can do nothing to deserve this salvation; but God has made salvation possible by grace, i.e. his unmerited favour. Not only has he pardoned and forgiven our sins but he has also added to us the riches of his glory and the hope of eternal life. No wonder the song writers have described this grace as amazing! John Newton’s classic hymn captures it best:

“Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me, I once was lost but now am found, was blind, but now I see.”

This grace is available to all humanity. Titus 2:11 tells us that the grace of God that brings salvation hath appeared unto all men. Therefore, whosoever will call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ; whosoever will accept his offer of salvation, whosoever will put on His name in water baptism and will seek for and receive the Holy Ghost, will be saved.

Note also that this grace is applied through faith. Hebrews 11:6 tells us that “without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Faith is therefore an absolute requirement for salvation. It is the means by which we accept God’s grace. Faith requires a firm persuasion or conviction, with absolute trust and confidence in God that propels us to act in accordance with what we believe. It is folly to say that we have faith in God and fail to act in accordance with His words. If we believe that Jesus Christ lived; if we believe that he was crucified; if we believe that he was buried and that he rose again on the third day, then we ought to act in obedience to his word. I challenge someone today who may be professing faith in Christ, but who has not been acting in accordance with the word of God to make a change today. God can transform your life. He can change you from a state of deadness to a state of new life in Him. Your life can take on new meaning, new hope, and new purpose. The emptiness and frustration that you feel today can be replaced by joy, peace and contentment.

This new life that God offers will create in you a work of art - a masterpiece. You can be transformed from a wretch to a saint; from a mess to a message; He will take you out of the mire and set your soul on fire; he will pull you from the pit and place you in heavenly places to sit. All this is God’s work of art. Look at what verse 10 says:

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them”

The word translated workmanship comes from the Greek “poiema” which speaks to a work or art or masterpiece. This brings us back to Genesis 1:31, when God looked at his creation and said it was very good. God’s work of grace brings marvelous results; we are created in Christ Jesus unto good works. Although we do not work for our salvation, salvation will produce good works in us.

A look at 1st Peter 2 will help to further illuminate this point – Peter says: “You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ”. (vs. 5)

He goes on to say: “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;” (vs. 9)

This grace of God has the power to transform miraculously. God can take anybody and transform them into a masterpiece by his grace. It does not even matter how deep in sin you might have descended. The bible says where sin abounded grace did much more abound.

Today, God is calling someone to spiritual transformation. Yes! You are now dead, in trespasses and sins, but you can be made alive by faith in Jesus Christ. God is calling on you today to recognize your sin and destitution. Don’t be fooled by apparent earthly success. All things in this life are temporary. Even though you are walking, talking and breathing; in God’s eyes you are dead. God extends to you His arm of salvation, through which you can receive new life. He offers you peace, joy and the hope of eternal life and will make your life into a master piece.

Accept him today, though repentance, water baptism and the infilling of the Holy Ghost. Your life will never be the same! God bless you. In Jesus Name!

Breaking the Grasshopper Mentality

Trevor S Ferguson
August 2, 2013

Numbers 13:33 (KJV)
And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

The grasshopper mentality is a phenomenon where a person accepts a pattern of thinking and behaviour consistently below his/her true potential usually due to negative experiences in the past.

In this post we will study of the report of the spies at Kadesh Barnea in order to  understand how this grasshopper mentality prevented Israel from entering into the Promised Land and highlight strategies that we can use to break this grasshopper mentality and so achieve victory in our Christian walk and also in our temporal activities. 

Click on this link to view a the full presentation:
Breaking the Grasshopper Mentality 

Here are some key summary points:

Resolution #1:
We refuse to be conditioned by the world’s thinking!

Resolution #2:
We will be strategic in our thinking and our actions so that we may achieve success

Status Report:
Your circumstances have changed! You are no longer a slave! God is working on your behalf!

Resolution #3
We will always be on the lookout for new opportunities and new circumstances
We acknowledge that weeping may endure for a night, but we declare that joy will come in the morning
We affirm Caleb’s declaration: Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.

My Hope In Christ

MY HOPE IN CHRIST

by 

Trevor S. Ferguson

(a poem from my youth)

In this day and age life is becoming increasingly difficult for the Christian man. He is mocked and ridiculed in all spheres of life. He is persecuted and made to suffer for deeds he has not done.

But I look back and remember what Paul said, “If it is in this life alone that we have hope in Christ, then we would be of all men most miserable.” This brings to light one of the basic foundations on which the Christian life is built. It reminds me that I have a HOPE and that hope is in Christ.

I have a hope that one day the children of God will live in that place specially prepared for them, a place where they will not be mocked because of their belief in God.

I have got this hope that one day the POOR, the LAME and the STRONG will dwell in the city of God – There shall they have peace and contentment all day long.

I have got this hope that the saints of God will live in eternal bliss.

No more sickness, no more suffering, no want, no pain, nor death.

I have got this hope that God will hasten the day when the mist shall roll away. Our heavenly goal will be sighted and all the saints shall reign with him.Then shall we know each other better. And with great jubilation we shall say:

Home at last, Home at last. Thank God Almighty, we are home at last.

Remember His Coming

Trevor S Ferguson

June 22, 2013

Today we reflect on the word of God from the second epistle of the Apostle Peter, focusing on 2nd Peter 1:10-12 and 3:3-7. 

In chapter one (verse 10), Peter reminds us that we must “make our calling and election sure”.  Here Peter is admonishing the church that we must grow in God, by adding Christian characteristics such as faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness and charity (i.e. love). Lack of these characteristics leaves us in a position where we are far from God and to a state of forgetfulness with regards to the work of Christ, which had cleansed us from our past sins. Peter therefore writes: Wherefore …, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Peter further writes in verse 16: For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. This verse emphasizes that message of the gospel and of the coming of the Lord is real. It is not a made up story! It is not a deception to keep people in subjection! It is not an opiate, to calm our discomfort in this present life. This gospel which we preach is based upon the Bible, which is the word of God. 

Peter further tells us that the scripture comes to us through "holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost". To this we can attest, being recipients, ourselves, of the baptism of the Holy Ghost. We can declare to all that the baptism of the Holy Ghost is a real experience, whereby the Spirit of God comes to dwell in our hearts, causing us to speak in languages we have never learned and producing the fruit of the Spirit in us. We have seen the power of God manifested in healings and deliverance, and in the miracle of transformed lives. We therefore testify, without a shred of doubt, that God is real, the Holy Ghost is real and the second coming of Christ is real!

The world however is filled with scoffers. Many today, as they were in Peter’s day, are asking: Where is the promise of his coming? They argue that for many years they have heard that Jesus is coming but to date have seen no evidence of his return. They argue that things have remained the same throughout the ages and will continue on, in the same way, for the indefinite future. They deny the words of Jesus Christ himself and the evidence from previously fulfilled scripture. They deliberately forget past judgments and the fact that the prophets accurately predicted the first coming of Christ. Let’s look at these briefly.

The bible reminds us in the book of Genesis that there was a great flood which destroyed the whole earth except for Noah and his family who were protected in the ark. We note that this judgment occurred in a period in which there was wanton sinfulness and disregard for the things of God, just as the situation is today. We note also that before the flood, God provided a way of escape in that he gave Noah the instructions to build the ark. Today the church is that ark of refuge! Thirdly, we note that Noah preached for a hundred and twenty years but few gave heed to his message. We are committed today to preach, whether or not men will hear!Fourthly, all those who failed to heed Noah’s warnings perished in the flood. Listen to the chilling account in Genesis 7:21-23: 

Every living thing that moved on the earth perished - birds, livestock, wild animals, all the creatures that swarm over the earth, and all mankind. Everything on dry land that had the breath of life in its nostrils died.  Every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out; men and animals and the creatures that move along the ground and the birds of the air were wiped from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark.

This should serve as a warning to us all. Do not ignore the words of the prophets! Jesus himself reminds us Matthew 24:37-39: 

As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.

  

Let us turn now to the first coming of Christ. The first promise of a Messiah was given way back, from time of the fall, when God declared in Genesis 3:15, that the seed of the woman would crush the head of the serpent. Thousands of years passed then God renewed his promise through Abraham, when he declared that through his seed all the nations of the earth should be blessed.It took another 2000 years or so, for this promise to be fulfilled in with the birth Jesus Christ. During this time we trace the seed through Isaac then Jacob, then Judah. We then see the Messiah being promised as the seed of David.

The prophets spoke of his birth:

Micah identified the city as Bethlehem, the city of David. (But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting). 

Isaiah prophesied that he would be born of a virgin; he then saw him in governmental authority in Isaiah 9:6 (For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.). 

In Isaiah 53, he saw him as the suffering servant. (Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.).  

Zechariah also saw his crucifixion as he declared in Zechariah 12:10 – “they shall look upon me whom they have pierced”.

Note that all these prophecies were given over 500 years before Christ was born! But when the fullness of time was come, Galatians 4:4 tell us that God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem those who are under the law. Despite the length of time from the first promise to its fulfillment, God did ‘come true’ on the promised redeemer. Similarly, despite the years that have elapsed since the promise of Christ’s return, he will return!

Peter reminds us that one day with the Lord is like a thousand and years and a thousand years as one day! God dwells in eternity and therefore is not limited by our concept of time. Be not dismayed with regards to the apparent delay in Christ’s return. Again Peter reminds us that God is not slack concerning his promises, but is longsuffering, i.e. patient, with us. He does not desire that any should perish but rather that all should come to repentance. He further reminds us that :  

"… the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. …  Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless."

The word of God today reminds us that Jesus is coming back for his church and that he will cast judgment on the ungodly. Let us therefore live everyday in the readiness that if he comes today we will be ready to go with him. If you are not yet saved today is a good day to do so. Accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, through repentance, water baptism in the name of Jesus Christ and the infilling of the Holy Ghost. God bless you!

Repent and Return to God

Trevor S. Ferguson

May 18, 2013

Isaiah 55:1-3, 6-9

¹ Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
² Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.
³ Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

⁶ Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
⁷ Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
⁸ For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
⁹ For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

INTRODUCTION

Jamaica is often described as a very religious country. According to the 2011 census approximately 75% of persons living in Jamaica report having a religious affiliation. Despite this however, Jamaica remains a country plagued by crime and corruption which has stifled growth and productivity over many decades. The ‘disconnect’ between expressed religious affiliation seen in these statistics and sinful behavior reported daily in our news media suggest that despite a claim of religious affiliation many person are disconnected from God. Some of these persons attend church services but have never come into a true relationship with God. Others have had encounters with God, whether through exposure to Sunday school or to religious education in schools, or to religious activity in their communities, but have never made a commitment to God. Still others have had real experiences and previous commitment to God, but currently find themselves in a backslidden state.      

The word of God comes to us today, through the prophet Isaiah, and calls us to repentance and a return to God.

EXPOSITION

Let us look a bit more closely at the scripture.

Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

Here the prophet extends a call to everyone that has recognized that their current status in life does not result in satisfaction. Despite involvement in numerous activities – music, parties, television, movies, sexual exploits, and such like- persons still find that life is empty and they are longing for something that will quench the deep thirst inside. Some have sought after money and wealth but are still empty; some have sought power and influence, but still can’t find satisfaction.  Others have been caught up in crime and illegal activity – but despite the hard exterior, there is still a deep longing on the inside. The call goes out to you today – Come to the waters! Come to the fountain that is filled with blood that flows from Emmanuel’s vein; Come to the well, that is filled with water; the well that will never run dry.  

We recall the words of Jesus to the woman of Samaria:

Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

Jesus also said in St John7: “… If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

In this text He was speaking of the Holy Ghost which those who believe on Him should receive.

Isaiah also had a vision of this as he proclaimed in Isaiah 28 - For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.

The offer that God extends to you today is an offer that you cannot find in any store! An offer that you cannot find in any activity! The prophet says “… buy wine and milk without money and without price”!

Verse two of the passage in Isaiah 55 points to the folly current practice by many persons:

Why do you spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which does not satisfy?

Many of the activities that people are engaging in today are worthless. This includes even some so-called religious activities, because we say we are serving God with our mouths but our hearts and actions are far from him. The prophet therefore challenges us - Hearken diligently unto God, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. He further encourages us - Incline your ear, and come unto God: hear, and your soul shall live; God will make an everlasting covenant with you, a covenant like the one He made with David.

God is a God unto His word. If you put your trust He will surely grant you the peace and contentment that you are seeking for. Moreover, in addition to the benefits of peace and contentment in this life, He gives to us the hope of eternal life in heaven. As Paul tells us in 1^st Corinthians 15 – If it were in this life only that we have a hope in Christ Jesus we would be of all men most miserable. But now we have a hope in Jesus Christ, that one day He will come again; the dead in Christ shall be raised up, and those who are alive  and in Christ will be transformed to a new life with an incorruptible body. After this dramatic rapture of the saints, we will dwell in the presence of Christ forever.

This brings us though to the fact that we have a limited time to access the grace of God. One of these days the dispensation of grace will close and will usher in the return of Christ. The prophet therefore warns us in verses 6 and 7 - Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD.

The call goes out to all today: REPENT AND RETURN TO THE LORD!

If you are in sin and you choose to continue on your current path, are heading straight for destruction. Your destination is a lake that burns with fire and brimstone; a place of great anguish, deep despair, and total separation from God. The bible says that there ‘their worms dieth not and the fire is not quenched.

But this does not have to be anyone’s destination. The prophet tells us that for the man who returns to God ‘He will have mercy upon him; and … He will abundantly pardon. So I say again: REPENT AND RETURN TO GOD!

Some may say that a good God would not close the door of mercy and allow person to suffer in hell fire for eternity; but the prophet reminds us that God ways are not our ways, and his thoughts are not our thoughts. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are God’s ways higher than our ways and His thoughts higher than our thoughts. God is wiser than every philosopher and all the great thinkers from all ages. Try as we might, we can’t speak and call the earth into order, and we can’t create a universe with planets, and stars, plants, and animals and people. When it’s all said and done, only God is God, and we are subject to him. The bible tells us that every knee shall bow and every tongue must confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. I therefore suggest to you, It is better to bow willingly now, than to be forced to bow later. Look again at the words of the prophet - For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, … So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. God words will surely come to pass. If He said it, He will do it. He will accomplish His will.

CONCLUSION

The call goes out to all today - Put your trust in God. Repent and return to the Lord. The prophet says that though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red as crimson, they shall be as wool.

The way of salvation is clear and simple. It is the same as was given on the day of Pentecost two thousand years ago: Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. … The promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

REPENT AND RETURN TO THE LORD!