How awesome is His creation! Even the inanimate express their joy. How is that possible ? By simply existing according to divine design, with everything from the sun and stars to animals and plants reflecting God’s glory, creativity, and power.
Psalms 19:1 The heavens tell of the glory of God; And their expanse declares the work of His hands. Psalms 96:11-12. May the heavens be joyful, and may the earth rejoice; May the sea roar, and all it contains; May the field be jubilant, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy
Romans 1:20. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, being understood by what has been made, so that they are without excuse.
Today is the day to acknowledge Him and His provision for salvation. Do not ignore it. He loves us and sent His Son, Jesus to save us and not to condemn us.
People often question or wonder what our purpose here is. It is simple. The Bible tells us that we are to be transformed into the nature(image) of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
The key verse is in Romans chapter 8.
Romans 8:29 (NASB 2020) For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters;
How can we fulfil this purpose, is the big question? I believe the answer comes from the same chapter and of course the whole counsel of God.
Firstly ALL THINGS work together – Romans 8:28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. He is the only one who can do this – bad to good! So not everything that is bad is bad, for He uses these circumstances too for that purpose.
Secondly He gives ALL THINGS – Romans 8:32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? He does not withhold anything that is beneficial for this transformation – to become like this Son.
Lastly we are more than conquerors in ALL THINGS – Romans 8:37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. We can win! But don’t forget the purpose – it is to be conformed to His likeness.
So to summarise, God has given us all things, to be more than conquerors in all things, as He works all things in our favour to become like his Son.
Remember/Remind – Who He is , What He has done, What He has given.
Reflect/Ruminate – Spend time, investigate His word, study it and understand the riches of how deep, wide, long and high is His “every spiritual blessing” Ephesians 1:3
Respond/Reciprocate – with a “thank offering”
1Samuel 15:22Samuel said, “Does the LORD have AS much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices AS in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is BETTER than a sacrifice, And to pay attention is BETTER than the fat of rams.
You see on closer examination it is a comparison of two things here. It doesn’t say stop your sacrifices, what it says is that you have neglected a weightier matter and you are sort of trying to make up with a ritual. That’s not going to cut it. Those sacrifices were offered as a cover up for disobedience. It is displeasing in His sight. So, let’s get it right. That is why the New Testament talks about a pleasing sacrifice, holy and acceptable before Him.
The first one is from Hebrews 13:15-16 Through Him then, let’s continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips praising His name. And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.Don’t miss out the “fruit” here. Our spoken praise, thanksgiving, doing good and sharing are all fruits that consequently happens, that are sacrifices pleasing to God.
Here is the second one. Romans 12:1-2 Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
Note the plurality of the word, “mercies”, in response, offer your body as a thank offering, which is your reciprocation.
Offer your bodies – to God, set apart, not conforming to the world, not doing, seeing, speaking, hearing, thinking and going, like the world. So not just professing we are Christians but also walking very different from the world – this is a transformed life. Our attitudes and thinking need to change, our priorities need to change, and our investments need to change. This is the expression of thanksgiving.
Our transformation is the reciprocation of thanksgiving.
Cultivate a habit and attitude of thanksgiving at the start, at end of the day and every waking moment in between. Don’t hang up !
Past: Ministry of Reconciliation 2 Corinthians 5:18-19
Future: Ministry of the King Luke 1:32-33
Now: Ministry of Intercession Hebrews 7:24-25, Romans 8:34,1 John 2:1
Q. But what exactly is Jesus interceding for us? 3 P’s
Protection. John 17:11-15, Luke 22:31-32
Preservation in suffering. Romans 8:31-37, Hebrews 4:15-16
Pardon for sin now. 1 John 2:1-2
Because of the cross and the resurrection, He is our living, sympathetic intercessor, continually praying now for our protection, our preservation through suffering and our pardon now if we sin. As we go to sleep every day He continues praying for us.
There is every possibility that if you are a Christian you attend a church. I don’t mean a building but in its true sense a group of people trusting and following Jesus. I see many leaders in these churches face great troubles. The enemy seeks to sift them all! Some have fallen, others persevere but we need to pray for them all, earnestly. Let us commit to pray, devote time and effort, set aside for them. They need it, desperately….Here is one if you need one. This could also be a prayer for you.
Fix their eyes on Jesus & their mind on His word
*Hebrews 12:1-3 SINGULAR & STEADFAST
looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame.
That fixing their eyes on Jesus they will endure their cross. Despite all that is around including the distractions, let them not look anywhere else. Let them not be discouraged or led astray by anything or anybody for He alone is the same yesterday, today and forever, our rock and refuge. Help them bear the cost and be resilient as He bore His reproach.
*Deuteronomy 11:18 MEDITATE & MEMORISE
18 “You shall therefore take these words of mineto heart and to soul; and you shall tie them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets on your forehead.
Help them invest in His word which is eternal, think deeply and commit it by heart, for then they will be like a tree planted by the waters bearing fruit in its season.
Their faith may not fail & strengthen their church family
31 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded to sift you men like wheat; 32 but I have prayed for you, that your faith will not fail; and you, when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
That their struggles and battles may not defeat them, pray He protect them. In their perseverance may they also strengthen others.
Words & boldness to declare the gospel
*Ephesians 6:19 CONTENT & CONFIDENCE
19 and pray in my behalf, that speech may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel,
Teach them what to say and how to say it – the good news. Both are necessary in gentleness. Help them be intentional in preparation to respond appropriately with confidence. Help them prepare for content and confidence
Be the faithful & sensible steward
*Luke 12:42 steWARDSHIP & WISDOM
42 And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and sensible steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time?
Be faithful in the little things for we know they will be faithful in greater. Consistent even when no one is watching. God give them wisdom in all responsibilities to execute.
James 1:1-8 (NASB 2020) 1 James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad: Greetings. 2 Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, 8 being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
Trials are expected. Don’t be surprised.
Receive it joyfully. An opportunity to grow
Trials / testing are necessary. They produce perseverance (resilience, endurance)
They help in our transformation. To near completion
In Scripture, clearer passages often illuminate the more obscure, a foundational principle for understanding. Here, two texts converge to reveal this dynamic at work: one outlines the call to discipleship, while the other embodies it in the life of Moses—an archetype of Christ—answering the pressing question: What does this look like in practice?
The first passage, Luke 9:23–27, lays out Jesus’ unmistakable imperative for His followers:
And He said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of Me and of My words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when He comes in His glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”
This is no singular event but a daily rhythm of surrender, renewed each morning like God’s mercies (Lamentations 3:22–23). It’s a lifelong commitment to self-denial, not for asceticism’s sake, but for the sake of following Christ into true life.
To grasp its shape or form, we turn to Moses’ story in Hebrews 11:23–28, a vivid parallel:
By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king's edict. By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, so that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them.
Raised as Pharaoh’s adopted grandson, Moses enjoyed unparalleled privilege—wealth, power, and the splendour of Egypt (Exodus 2:11–15). Yet he renounced it all, identifying instead with his enslaved Hebrew kin. This meant exile, hardship, and rejection: fleeing after killing an Egyptian oppressor, wandering as a fugitive, and embracing the shame of solidarity with the afflicted. In choosing Israel’s suffering over Egypt’s fleeting pleasures, Moses valued the “reproach of Christ” as surpassing treasure, eyes fixed on an unseen reward.
This choice foreshadows Christ’s own descent: leaving heavenly glory to share in humanity’s reproach—betrayal, scorn, and the cross (Isaiah 53:3; Hebrews 12:2). Just as Moses traded visible riches for invisible hope, disciples are summoned daily to “take up the cross,” forsaking self-preservation for alignment with Christ’s redemptive mission. Both stories recast loss as eternal gain: apparent defeat yielding resurrection life.
The parallels between Jesus’ words in Luke and Moses’ life in Hebrews reveal a timeless pattern of faith: costly obedience that prioritizes eternal reward over temporal security. Here’s how they align:
Aspect
Luke 9:23-27 (Jesus’ Call)
Hebrews 11:23-28 (Moses’ Faith)
Shared Theme
Self-Denial
“Deny himself” and lose life to save it (v. 23-24).
Refused Pharaoh’s privileges for mistreatment with God’s people (v. 25).
Both reject worldly status/comfort for God’s path.
Embracing Suffering
“Take up his cross daily” (v. 23).
Endured as “seeing him who is invisible” (v. 27).
Faith sustains through visible trials by focusing on the unseen God.
Reproach/Shame
Not be “ashamed” of Jesus (v. 26).
Considered “the reproach of Christ” greater than Egypt’s treasures (v. 26).
Willingness to bear scorn for alignment with Christ/God’s people.
Eternal Perspective
Gain soul over world; see kingdom of God (v. 25, 27).
Looked to “the reward” beyond fleeting pleasures (v. 26).
Short-term loss yields long-term gain in God’s kingdom.
Active Obedience
“Follow me” daily (v. 23).
Left Egypt; kept Passover (v. 27-28).
Faith manifests in bold, communal actions of loyalty.
Life application:
For believers today, this convergence of cross and reproach calls us to live counter-culturally amid a world that often ridicules faith. The cross is no mere historical emblem of atonement but an active summons to share Christ’s sufferings (Colossians 1:24; 1 Peter 4:13). It manifests in two intertwined realities:
→Personal Sacrifice: Echoing Moses’ rejection of Pharaoh’s luxuries and Jesus’ call to self-denial, we might relinquish career ambitions, social status, or material ease to pursue justice, generosity, or witness. In our consumerist era, this could involve downsizing for the sake of the marginalised—opting for “mistreatment with the people of God” over sin’s passing allure.
→Enduring Opposition: The reproach of public shame ties directly to the cross’s cost (Luke 9:26). Contemporary echoes include workplace bias for ethical choices, digital backlash for gospel truths, or familial rifts over conviction. Yet, like Moses, we count this “reproach of Christ” (Hebrews 11:26) as immeasurable wealth—vindicated at His return and fostering intimacy with God in the present.
What binds these threads for us is a transformative hope: the cross and reproach are not futile wounds but gateways to renewed life. They forge character through suffering (Romans 5:3–5), knit us into the global church amid persecution, and point to the kingdom where every knee bows (Philippians 2:10). In daily practice, this unfolds through prayerful yielding, bold proclamation, and mutual encouragement—mirroring Moses’ steadfast gaze and Jesus’ obedient path. As He promises, those who lose their lives for His sake will truly find it.
