We're still in Texas, having just finished Council of Elders meetings in Big Sandy, Texas. Highlights were discussing the activities of the Church for the past quarter. In these February meetings, the Council of Elders approved the Strategic and Operation Plans for the coming fiscal year beginning on July 1. Also, the budget for the coming year was approved. We are very pleased with the optimism, vision and faith of the Council looking forward towards our assigned mission to preach the gospel to the entire world. We appreciated the hospitality of the East Texas congregation for hosting all of us. While there were many hours of meetings, we also had plenty of time for bonding fellowship.

Written reports of the meetings will be made available at http://coe.ucg.org/councilreport as well as video recordings of the reports from the President and Operation Managers at http://coe.ucg.org/videos.

My Inside United podcast this week is with Jessica Hendrickson, French Communications Analyst and Assistant Webmaster. I found this to be a particularly interesting and informative discussion about the scope of the French work around the world: Europe, Africa, North America, Haiti, Vanuatu and other places. You can listen to the podcast here: https://www.ucg.org/members/united-news/inside-united/inside-united-podcast-109-jessica-hendrickson-update-on-french-work.

The Passover season is less than two months away and we typically preach and write about preparing for these days spiritually. I'd like to share below my thoughts about repentance as a gift that God grants each one of us. This is what God grants us when the Father calls us to Jesus Christ.

God's Amazing Gift to You

Have you ever considered that the great God whom we worship gives us many remarkable, life-changing gifts? James, the human brother of Jesus Christ, tells us: "Every good gift and every perfect gift comes down from the Father of lights" (James 1:17, emphasis added throughout).

Sometimes God surprises us! Humble gratitude wells up when we fully see the vast array of gifts that our heavenly Father bestows on us, particularly when we finally understand a gift that God gave to us, but one that we perhaps did not fully appreciate at the time. I have personally seen many times where God did something for me that I could not have done for myself. Sometimes I didn't even know how desperately I needed these miraculous gifts at the time. Sometimes these gifts are physical. Sometimes they're spiritual.

Through these and other acts, the Bible reveals that God is deeply concerned for and loves each one of us. How did we get into this incredibly preferred position?

To set the stage, consider this humbling fact: as you read this, more than 7.63 billion people work, roam and go about their business on this planet. That's an incomprehensible number.

What's my point? The Bible reveals an amazing fact. To have a direct relationship with God, God Himself has to pick that person out individually (John 6:44). The marvelous and wonder-filled fact for you and me is that God Himself chose us. Out of billions of people alive today, God personally chose you.

What's more, God chose us when our minds were incapable of having a relationship with Him (Jeremiah 17:9). In the beginning, we were not worthy. We were once separated from God by grievous sin, powered by the attitude of a heart that was directly opposed to God and His way of life. In ignorance, we lived a life apart from Him.

So, to begin to build an intimate, one-on-one relationship with Him, one that will ultimately stretch into all eternity, God had to first give us a special and marvelous gift.

What is it? Through the grace and unmerited favor of God, He grants us an incredible gift of the beginnings of spiritual transformation: the gift of repentance. This gift is special. It is unique. And it is offered—even granted—on an individual basis. It is not a common occurrence.

Perhaps some find this a bit puzzling. They may not consider repentance to be a gift. Let's look at what the Bible teaches us.

Regarding this, the book of Acts includes an intriguing statement that I find personally poignant. During the early days of the church, the disciples of Jesus Christ resembled the Jews of the time. Just like the Jews, the early disciples observed the seventh day of the week as the Sabbath. Just as Jesus did, the disciples refrained from eating pork or unclean foods. Every disciple kept the Ten Commandments.

But God was working a marvelous work. He was extending salvation beyond the people of Judah. As the book of Acts records, this expanded effort was met with some confusion. What did gentiles need to do to receive salvation?

In Acts 11, we see the famous account where the apostle Peter had to defend God's grace in opening salvation to those outside the nation of Israel. Peter had personally seen with his own eyes and experienced firsthand how God was opening His gift of eternal life to gentiles, peoples generally considered to be cut off from God.

But when Peter traveled back to Jerusalem, he was challenged. In defense of God's grace, Peter passionately related the account of Cornelius to them. A miracle from God had occurred. Gentiles—those who generally didn't have access to the blessings of God—had received the precious Holy Spirit!

As he finished his account, Peter declared firmly: "If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us [on the day of Pentecost] when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?" (Acts 11:17).

With that statement, the room fell silent. Arguments ceased. Humbled, the disciples present in Jerusalem then "glorified God, saying, 'Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life'" (Acts 11:18).

Do we see that God "granted" these people repentance? "Repentance" here in Greek is transliterated metanoian, a form of the metanoeó noun. It means to have a change of mind, to think differently—literally, in the application, to start thinking the way God thinks!

That is the gift of repentance. God opens the mental, emotional and spiritual door of your mind, so you can start to replace your thoughts with God's very thoughts! A profound change of mind leads directly to a change in how we behave, how we act (Romans 12:1-2). The Greek word for "granted" denotes a gift.

The spiritual capacity to begin to think like God—to be filled with love, joy and the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22)—can only come through a gift of personal favor directly from God Himself!

So, when God personally calls us, we have a personal response to make. Jesus began His personal preaching of the Kingdom of God with an imperative command: "Repent [metanoeite—"think differently"—in the application, commit to change how you conduct your life], and believe in the gospel" (Mark 1:15).

The way we think doesn't work. And thoughts lead to words and words lead to action. The wrong thoughts lead directly to the wrong actions—often actions related to sinful acts. God requires us to repent—to accept the incredible gift that He grants to us—and instantly begin walking on a path of spiritual change.

No wonder, then, that in Peter's first sermon after receiving the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, he told the multitude listening to him: "Repent [Greek: metanoēsate—change how you think], and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission [forgiveness] of sins" (Acts 3:38).

God's goodness, God's grace, directly leads us to embrace, accept and act on this gift of repentance. Notice what Paul wrote to the disciples of Jesus living in Rome: "Do you despise the riches of His goodness... not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?" (Romans 2:4).

Here's an important point: being a spiritual gift, repentance also opens the door to spiritual change. The real power to do this comes from God. We can humanly will ourselves to change, but the spiritual power that comes from God is the force that ultimately truly changes us!

Often, when God gives us the power to see who we really are in comparison to Him, we are motivated to fall to our knees and cry out "Create in me a new heart, O God!" (Psalm 51:10). Sometimes we have to undergo correction in order to get into a position where God can give us His incredible gift of repentance (2 Timothy 2:24-25).

Repentance is not a single act. Repentance represents a lifelong task. We must commit to daily repentance, which leads us to "put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt... and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God" (Ephesians 4:22-24, English Standard Version).

Let us humbly accept this wonderful gift from God, granted personally to us, the gift of repentance!