THE GOD OF THE “RE” PREFIXES

On Sunday in worship Rev. Wes Olds, the pastor of Grace Church where we are attending while in Florida, suggested that the God we worship is a God of the “Re” prefixes. The sermon series is on “Rebuilding” which is a timely theme for the area of Fort Myers following the devastation of Hurricane Ian last September (2022). This church also has a huge “Recovery” program with a worship service dedicated to “finding freedom from your addictions, afflictions, and compulsive behaviors.”

It got me thinking about all the “Re” prefixes that God is involved in. In addition to Rebuilding (Nehemiah 2:4-5) and Recovery (Isaiah 6:1) here are others that came to mind, in no particular order, with Scripture references: Redeeming (Ephesians 1:7), Reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-20), Return (Zechariah 1:3), Rebirth (John 3:3), Relationship (John 17:3), Release (Galatians 5:1), Revive (Isaiah 57:15), Renewal (Romans 12:2), Restore (Psalm 51:12), Reunite (John 20:20), Repent (Mark 1:15), Respond (Matthew 4:19-20), Rescue (Psalm 31:5), Remember (Isaiah 49:15-16), Receive (John 1:12), and, of course, Resurrection (John 11:25).

I am sure there are other words of faith that begin with the prefix “Re”. But you may find that one of these listed here, along with its Scripture verse, is just what you need to hear today. 

-- Rev. David T. Wilkinson, SOUND BITES Ministry

#5522

RECEIVING THE GIFT

Do not hesitate to receive joy from Me, for I bestow it on you abundantly. The more you rest in My Presence, the more freely My blessings flow into you. In the Light of My Love, you are gradually transformed from glory to glory. (2 Corinthians 3:18) It is through spending time with Me that you realize how wide and long and high and deep is My Love for you. (Ephesians 3:17-19)

Sometimes the relationship I offer you seems too good to be true. I pour My very life into you, and all you have to do is receive Me. (John 1:12) In a world characterized by working and taking, the admonition to rest and receive seems too easy. There is a close connection between receiving and believing: As you trust Me more and more, you are able to receive Me and My blessings abundantly. Be still, and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10) 

-- Adapted from “Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence” by Sarah Young 

#5495

THE GIVER AND THE RECEIVER

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish but may have eternal life.”  (John 3:16 NRSV)

Gifts require two parties, a giver and a receiver. The right motivation of a giver is love -- no strings attached. The right attitude of the receiver is to accept the gift with gratitude -- no hoops to jump through.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God -- not the result of works, so that no one may boast.”  (Ephesians 2:8-9 NSRV) 

-- Adapted from Lenya Heitzig and Penny Pierce Rose in “Pathway to God's Treasure: Ephesians”

#5319

INVITING OTHERS TO RECEIVE GOD’S GRACE

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God -- not the result of works, so that no one may boast.”  (Ephesians 2:8-9 NRSV)

We lament that many of our churches are no longer growing. Part of it is demographics, since many of our churches are located in rural areas where populations are in decline. Part of it is a lack of vitality in our music, preaching, and small groups. But I’m convinced that a big part of it is that we’ve lost our passion to do whatever it takes to reach those who don’t yet know Christ. That passion drove [John] Wesley and our forbearers to preach on the hilltops, at market crosses, in the cemeteries, and wherever they could get a hearing, in order to share the good news of God’s grace and love for all people.

Wesley preached in city squares, on hills beside coal mines, in jails and fields. He sought out those who were nonreligious and nominally religious, and he invited them to receive God’s grace and salvation through Jesus Christ, free to all.

-- Adam Hamilton in “Revival: Faith as Wesley Lived It”


#4716

UNWRAPPING THE GIFT

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish but may have eternal life." (John 3:16 NRSV)

As you gave and received Christmas gifts this year, did you notice when, in the transaction, the change of ownership took place. It was not when the gift was created or purchased. It was not when it was wrapped and labeled "from ______, to ______." It was not when the gift was sent in the mail or placed under the tree. No, the ownership of that gift changed from the giver to the receiver when the gift was actually accepted and opened.

So it is with God's Gift of Jesus Christ to the world. This Gift is given "from God, to the whole world." But just like the Christmas gifts you gave and received this year, the Gift of God's Son must be received and opened individually by believing.

"But to all who received Him, who believed in His name, He gave the power to become children of God." (John 1:12 NRSV)

What a gift! 

-- Rev. David T. Wilkinson 

#4491

CHRISTMAS WITHOUT CHRIST?

"When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’ They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger.”  (Luke 2:15-16)

Is it possible to have Christmas without Christ? I mean apart from the name; obviously you can’t spell the word Christmas without the name Christ. But I mean the event… the celebration… the holiday. Can you have Christmas without Christ as the focus?

As ludicrous as the question sounds, if you stand back and look at our society, it looks like that’s exactly what people are attempting to do. We pile up gifts and food and festivities and shopping and… more food and days off from work so high that it’s hard to find Christ in Christmas...

So it’s makes me wonder how many people could care less whether He came or not; whether they have a Christ for Christmas or not? So what if He didn’t come? What if the shepherds found an empty manger? They would have just gone back to their flock of sheep; but would it make a difference in your life?

Well, whether it would matter to you or not, and I hope it does, it would make all the difference to the whole world. A Christmas without Christ would mean that the Bible is false and the world would be lost. Which is why I am glad that the manger was not empty. There, born on that day in the City of David, was Christ the Lord. Our savior was born and He still lives. I have believed Him and received Him, and it has made all the difference for all of eternity.

I pray that this year, you won’t be having a Christmas without Christ. 

-- Rev. Eric Evans, excerpted from his blog http://blog.seeinggodeveryday.net.


#4488

LIFE’S GREATEST GIFT

"To all who received Him, who believed in His name, He gave power to become children of God…" (John 1:12 NRSV)

Advent marks the beginning of the church year and lays before us the pathway of faith for the year ahead.  Advent initiates once again remembering, retelling, and celebrating the whole drama of God's revelation.

Four weeks is the limit to this season that declares the truth about a God whose love and resourcefulness have no limits.  "Advent" has its roots in the Latin word "adventus," or coming. This season proclaims the coming of Christ in the birth of Jesus, in the Word and Spirit, and in the final victory when God's kingdom shall be complete. 

Our privilege as Christians is to receive the gracious gifts of God's presence in Christ.  Our task is to prepare for His coming so that we will not miss life's greatest gift. 

-- Norman Sawchuck and Rueben P. Job in “A Guide to Prayer for All Who Seek God” (Nashville, Tenn.: Upper Room Books, 2003) 


#4476

THE CHRISTIAN LIFE

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -- not by works, so that no one can boast.  For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”  (Ephesians 2:8-10)

The Christian life begins as our hearts are drawn to God through God’s prevenient grace. It progresses as we hear the good news and choose to trust in Jesus Christ and receive His justifying grace and a new birth. However, this birth is not the end of our faith; it is when the real journey begins. As we experience the means of grace, we’re restored by the Spirit to become what God has made us to be: created in God’s image, loving God with all that is within us, and blessing our neighbor with a love not merely of words or affection but also of deeds expressing compassion, mercy, and justice. 

-- Adam Hamilton in “Revival: Faith as Wesley Lived It”


#4464

AN OPEN-HANDED POSTURE

God wants to know if we’re willing to give up what we love to Him who loves us more. He desires for us to open our fists and trust Him with absolutely everything.

Saying yes to God is an act of love and worship. When we surrender to Him, we acknowledge that He knows what’s best for us and that everything we have belongs to Him. Our posture is open-handed, enabling us to receive God’s many blessings -- blessings that enable us to know and experience Him every day.

-- Lysa TerKeurst

#4349

RECEIVING THE GIFT

“Yet to all who did receive [Christ], to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.”  (John 1:12 NIV)

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”  (Colossians 2:6-7 NIV)

You can never truly enjoy Christmas until you can look up into the Father’s face and tell Him you have received His Christmas gift.

-- John R. Rice


#4241

GOD’S PROMISED BLESSINGS

"You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised."  (Hebrews 10:36)

God's promised blessings can be nipped in the bud. For their fulfillment resembles the blooming of a rose. The bud forms, hard and small and green, nothing particularly attractive. Yet, bound tightly inside are the forming petals, soft and red and delicate. The petals grow unseen. Only later as the rose blooms do we see their beauty. So it is with God's work. His perfect plans for us are forming in the bud -- [hidden] -- and as we persevere, we will, in God's perfect time, see them blossom.

-- Craig Brian Larson


#4234

OUR IDENTITY IN CHRIST

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name…”  (John 1:12 NKJV)

The question of identity is at the heart of all religions, and each offers a different answer. Christianity teaches that God is the creator of all human beings, and this loving God issued an invitation for each person to become one of His children. We do that by accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior and following His way of salvation. In doing so, we promise to leave our old lives behind and begin a new life in Christ.

It’s crucial to understand that we do nothing to earn this gift of a new life; God offers it to us by grace. Ephesians 2:8-9 (NRSV) puts it clearly: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is a gift of God -- not the result of works, so that no one may boast.” We do nothing to earn this new identity. All we do is accept it.

-- Scott J. Jones in “The Wesleyan Way: A Faith That Matters”


#4078

MUTUAL DEPENDENCY

"I mean that I want us to help each other with the faith we have. Your faith will help me, and my faith will help you."  (Romans 1:12 NCV)

In authentic Christian fellowship people should experience a mutual dependency. This mutuality is the art of giving and receiving; it's depending on each other. The Bible says, "The way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives together as a church: every part dependent on every other part" (1 Corinthians 12:25 MSG).

Mutuality is the heart of fellowship: building reciprocal relationships, sharing responsibilities, and helping each other. All of us are more consistent in our faith when others walk with us and encourage us.

The Bible commands mutual accountability, mutual encouragement, mutual serving, and mutual honoring. Over fifty times in the New Testament we're commanded to do different tasks for "one another" and "each other." The Bible says, "Make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification" (Romans 14:19 NIV).

You are not responsible for everyone in the body of Christ, but you are responsible to them. God expects you do whatever you can to help them.

-- Rick Warren in "The Purpose Driven Connection Daily Devotional"

#4048

SPIRITUAL FORMATION

Spiritual formation is that dynamic process of receiving through faith and appropriating through commitment, discipline, and action, the living Christ into our own life to the end that our life will conform to, and manifest the reality of Christ's presence in the world.

-- Maxie Dunnam

#4013

THE WISE STILL COME

"There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God." (John  1:9-12)

The wise men come seeking Jesus. He comes to His own -- His own world, His own people -- and though many despise and reject Him, many see Him full of grace and truth. His natal star, like a flashlight in the hand of God, leads the magi up the dark and rocky path till it comes to where the child lay and glitters their believing eyes. The wise still come as testimony that He embodies the only hope for the dark, sad world.

--  Thomas R. Steagald in Sacred Days: Following Jesus Through the Christian Year,  © 2014. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Upper Room Books.

#4007

ALMOST PERSUADED

“Almost persuaded” now to believe;
“Almost persuaded” Christ to receive;
Seems now some soul to say,
“Go, Spirit, go Thy way,
Some more convenient day
On Thee I’ll call.”

“Almost persuaded,” come, come today;

“Almost persuaded,” turn not away;
Jesus invites you here,
Angels are ling’ring near,
Prayers rise from hearts so dear;
O wand’rer, come!

“Almost persuaded,” harvest is past!

“Almost persuaded,” doom comes at last!
“Almost” cannot avail;
“Almost” is but to fail!
Sad, sad, that bitter wail—
“Almost,” but lost!

-- Philip P. Bliss

#3995

EMPTY AND RECEPTIVE

How much easier it is for most of us to give than it is to receive.  When we are in a giving mode, we are generally strong and in charge.  Sometimes we have to be brought to our knees before we are ready to receive.  This is when events and circumstances of life take over and do the emptying for us.  Maybe a bout of extended illness, or the trauma of a divorce, or the heartache of a loved one's death empties us.  When we cannot stand on our own strength, when we do not have the inner resources we normally have, we are being readied to receive.  When we are empty and poor inside, we finally realize that we have to rely on someone else giving us what we need.

Many things are given to us when we are receptive -- gifts such as a deeper understanding about ourselves and about life, a stronger union with God, a much fuller appreciation of friends and loved ones, a new look at things we so easily took for granted, a renewed vision of life that we only dimly glimpsed before.

At first we may not be receptive to what is being offered.  What is being poured into the receptive cup of our hearts may seem to be unneeded by us, or it may initially challenge us, or frighten us.  We may not want to hear the truth about our illusions, or take a giant risk of change, or to make a huge leap of belief in ourselves and others, or to accept a love like God's that is so total and unconditional.

-- Joyce Rupp in The Cup of Our Life

#3982

WITH HANDS OUTSTRETCHED

"The Lord helps the fallen and lifts those bent beneath their loads.

The eyes of all look to You in hope; You give them their food as they need it.

When You open your hand, You satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing.

The Lord is righteous in everything He does; He is filled with kindness." 

(Psalm 145:14-17 NLT)

If we close ourselves off from the pain, from the experiences that life sends our way, we will be closed off not only from the pain of life, but also from much of what is good about life, too. It's only with an accepting attitude --with our hands outstretched -- that we can not only receive things we sometimes don't want, but also receive all the blessings God wants to give us, too.

-- Copyright Eric Folkerth 2000. All Rights Reserved. Used with Permission

#3763

NOW IS THE TIME

NOTE: On this date 50 years ago, November 22, 1963, the following three influential men died -- English writer and humanist Aldous Huxley, U.S. President John F. Kennedy, and English author and Christian apologist C.S. Lewis. Today's SOUND BITES contains a quote from each.

Experience is not what happens to you; it's what you do with what happens to you. -- Aldous Huxley

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.  -- John F. Kennedy

The present is the only time in which any duty may be done or any grace received. -- C. S. Lewis


#3329

WILL YOU BELIEVE?

"But to all who received Him, who believed in His name, He gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God." (John 1:12,13 NRSV)

The great battle of our spiritual lives is "Will you believe?" It is not "Will you try harder?" or "Can you make yourself worthy?"

-- Jim Cymbala in Fresh Faith


#2718