And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not

Logically speaking, I should have had no reason to be discouraged. I mean the Lord did awesome things yesterday in the final session at the women’s prison, as we ministered His love and grace. There was hardly a dry eye in the place. But emotions aren’t always logical, and the one thing I want more than anything else in the world, and have been waiting for years for, is what was on my heart and mind as I came to Him this morning. And the fulfillment of His promise seemed as far off this morning, as it did at the beginning!

And as I do in times of discouragement, I opened the file on my computer of His promises and significant Scriptures that He has underlined in my heart over the years. And I read “He works little by little” (Exodus 23:30); and “Does He speak (promise) and then not act?” (Numbers 23:19); and “Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left”(Joshua 1:7); and in verse 9 “Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” Then I heard Him whisper the verse at the head of this post from Galatians 6:9.

And as I started simultaneously to read, write, type and to pray, the verse “David strengthened himself in the Lord” (1 Samuel 30:6) came to mind. And I realized that this is what I was doing. And then the words “He works in ways we cannot see, He will make a word way for me” from the chorus also came to mind. And as I choose again to stay the course, the confusion started to lift, and the peace return. It always does, because He is faithful, His word is powerful, and His love consistent.

Father, You have promised that those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength, we will mount up with wings like eagles (Isaiah 40:31). Lord I love it when You speak to me through Scripture, and when You whisper to me in my heart. Father I pay this morning that all those reading this blog will, if they have not already done so, with Your help learn to strengthen themselves in You. And I give You all the honour and glory and praise again in Jesus Name Amen

I am fearfully and wonderfully made

One of the many books that I bought a long time ago, but have not yet read (road to hell etc.), is called “The evidential power of beauty.” The premise of the author, is that the beauty of the universe is evidence of design. And it never ceases to amaze me, how scientists can investigate the intricacy and beauty of the universe, but still not see what we are designed to see, namely the glory of God (Psalm 19:1). But even more puzzling, is our blindness (and yes I’m including myself here) to our own beauty, and in particular to the fact that you and I are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14).

If you are reading this, then you can read! And yes most of us can, but that does not make it any the less remarkable that we can put some scratches on paper that have meaning. What other creature can do that? I fell a few weeks ago leaving an ugly wound on my arm, but my body healed itself, and now there is very little evidence that I fell. I remember reading in Science fiction about a machine that could repair itself. We are not there yet, but we might be. We invented the aeroplane because we saw birds could fly. Yes I know chimps can mimic too, but think about the sophistication of human endeavours compared to chimps! We put a man on the moon for goodness sake! What I am saying is that we have lost the wonder of the glory of all that God has created in particular we have lost the wonder of who and what we are!

Likely, we because we listen to voices other than God, we sell ourselves short! And because we sell ourselves short, we limit ourselves and in doing so engage in self-fulfilling prophecy. Well it is true that I personally could never climb mount Everest, or win a medal in the Olympics. But that does not mean I cannot do what He designed me to do. And the problem is that we get discouraged because we compare ourselves with ourselves. But we are unwise to do that (2 Corinthians 10:12). And I can do what He designed me to do, and so can you. And He has things for you to do that only you can do (Ephesians 2:10), and each and every one of us has infinite value and purpose (Jeremiah 29:11)!

Father, it seems to me we either think too little of ourselves, or too much. But I wonder sometimes about even those who seem to think too much of themselves, if they are doing that to cover what they really think even from themselves. Lord I am fearfully and wonderfully made, and so is each person reading this blog. And Lord each and every one of us has infinite value, and I know this because You sent Your Son to purchase our redemption on the cross. And a person or thing is worth what is payed for it. Help us therefore Lord to treat others and ourselves in accordance with what You think of us, because what You think of us it what is true. In Jesus Name Amen

The slow and reluctant death of the orphan spirit

I was reminded recently, how much I, and generalizing to the rest of the world we, need to be seen and loved and appreciated. I was reminded of this by a remark that I thought was neither kind nor called for. And it started a conversation where in the end he was more gracious than I. And I had to ask myself, why I was so defensive. And in answering, I am coming to the conclusion that the orphan spirit is not yet fully dead in me. But He has not called us to be orphans (John 14:18).

Now what lies behind my defensiveness could perhaps be described as pride, or denial, and perhaps there are elements of both. But what I am seeing is that there are the insecurities in myself, where there is no logical reason to be insecure. Well, I am guessing that we all have insecurities, and likely we all want others to think well of us, and it is not always going to happen! And even when it does, the experience of the negative can so easily dwarf the positive. I mean if I do ten things right and one thing wrong, what is the one thing people will remember? Likewise I can get ten compliments and one insult, and what is the one thing that will occupy my thoughts?

For the longest time, even as a Christian, I took my self worth from what I did for the kingdom and what others thought of me. And when it was negative it often took me into a tail spin of obsessive thinking. And to get over that, and myself, I had to learn that what God thinks about me is far more important that what you, or the rest of the world, thinks about me. And even, then getting this from my head to my heart was, and with this recent reminder is, a process. The point then, is that when we fully know and can rest in the knowledge of who we are in Christ, then like Him, there is no need to revile when we are reviled (1 Peter 2:23). In particular, there is no need to be defensive when others say unkind things about us.

Father, I believe that we all need to be seen and known and loved. Thank you Lord that when we let You, You will more than make up for what we lack, and You will heal the wounds of our many rejections. In particular, You promise that we will remember our shame no more (Isaiah 54:4). But this letting You, which is our part, it is not easy. In particular we need to stop speaking negative things over ourselves, and we need start speaking over ourselves what You say about us. And because You are no respecter of persons, and You spoke this over Jesus (Mark 1:11), then I can say “I am your beloved son and You are well pleased with me.” Likewise You speak this over all Your sons and daughters. So I ask You this morning Lord, to give us ears to hear and eyes to see Your extravagant healing love, and to rest in it, in Jesus Name Amen

Joy is withered away from the children of men

In a conversation I was having with the Lord this morning, I was remarking how easily I seem to lose my joy. And He reminded me of this verse from Joel 1:12. The party lifestyle of many, would seem to deny the truth of this, but I know well from my own life, the reality of the proverb “Even in laughter the heart may sorrow, And the end of festivity may be grief” (Proverbs 14:13).

We were talking yesterday, essentially about guarding the heart from offence, and certainly offence is a joy killer. But there is something infectious about the frenzy which hides the underlying desperation of a culture hell bent on going its own way. And it is easy to get sucked in to the denial of those who are reaping what they are sowing, but who are far from ready to admit, let alone deal with, the consequences of poor choices made. The Psalmist, at first seeing only the outward appearance, cries out “Surely I have cleansed my heart in vain.” And he is unable to understand “Until I went into the sanctuary of God; Then I understood their end” (Psalm 73:13, 16, 17). How important it is, to come back again and again into His presence, and to live in the perspective of eternity!

And in thinking on these things this morning, the Lord is reminding me again of the importance of looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that joy that was set before Him, endured the cross despising the shame (Hebrews 12:2). And once again the He is reminding me that pain is a barrier, the other side of which is joy. And as I push through this barrier by continuing to choose to trust Him, and by refusing to be weary in well doing, I sense the joy rising me again.

Father, it has taken a long time for me to come to the place where I can substantially dwell in Your presence. And I want to pray for those this morning, who are struggling to let go of the things that hinder coming into Your sanctuary (presence), thus killing their joy. Thank You Lord that it’s not all up to us, and that You are far more interested in bringing us into this place than we could ever be! Thank You Lord for Your abundant grace and mercy and joy in Jesus Name Amen

Guard your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life (Proverbs 4:23)

How do we do this? Our hearts are assaulted in all kinds of ways, but I am thinking this morning specifically about how often others let us down, or sometimes how we let ourselves down. I have a friend who has much integrity, and perhaps because he has such high expectations of himself, he also has very high expectations of others. But more often than not others do not live up to his expectations, and this causes him pain, grief and anguish. When he was telling me about some of the things that grieve him, and about his expectations of others, I felt lead to ask him “How is that working for you?”

We can I think, go from one extreme to the other. I know people who do not expect anything, because if they don’t expect anything they will not be disappointed. But to me that is to shut your heart down, not to se it free. On top of this, as a teacher I know that in some ways there is a crisis of expectations that has exerted and exerts a downward pressure on achievement. And thinking on these things this morning is causing me to examine my expectations as we minister week by week in the prison.

And the conclusion I am coming to, as I think about these things, is to look to Jesus and the way He dealt with the disciples. He had high expectations “Anyone who would come after me must deny himself take us his cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). Then when they let Him down, He patiently used the occasion to teach. For example when they were arguing among themselves who was the greatest, Jesus taught the the need to be childlike (Mark 9:33-37). How well He exemplifies the way of love which “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Corinthians 13:7).

Father, in guarding my heart, I need to have a realistic expectation of myself and others, yet not to underestimate the fact that we are made in Your image. This is especially important for as I seek to minister in recovery situations. As we say so often, we seek progress not perfection, and we need to be patient and gentle with ourselves and others. Thank You for Your promise that You who have begun a good work in us will keep right on helping us (Philippians 1:6), and in particular making us more like Jesus. Help us, help me, not to become weary in doing well in Jesus Name Amen i

I would strengthen you with my mouth, And the comfort of my lips would relieve your grief

In the midst of his suffering Job’s “friends” had seen his suffering as punishment from God, and had basically told him what he needed to do was to repent. But as the opening of the book of Job makes very clear, his suffering was from the devil, not from God. And Job’s suffering was made worse because of his friends misunderstanding. In this morning’s quote from Job 16:5, Job is telling them that if the situation were reversed he would be strengthening and comforting them.

As James tells us, our tongue has the power to bless or curse (James 3:9- 12), or to put it another way, the tongue has the power of life and death (Proverbs 18:21). This last verse is been in my heart for some time now, but I was thinking mostly about how we talk to ourselves. However, this morning meditating on this verse, I am thinking about how we speak to others.

The Bible has much to say about this, for example “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone” (Colossians 4:6). Or James again “No one can tame the tongue” (James 3:8). It is in this same context that James tells us “In many things we all fail” (James 3:2). So where is all this coming from? Jesus tells us that the heart of the matter is the heart, for "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45).

Father, Your Word tells us that we need to keep our hearts with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life. It’s not about will power, for only You Lord, can change our hearts! And I want to thank You this morning, that You are in the process of giving us a new heart, taking out our stony, stubborn, heart and giving us a tender, responsive heart (Ezekiel 36:26 NLT). Thank You again Lord, for the transforming power of Your Spirit as we seek daily to guard our hearts, keeping short accounts with You, repenting when we have blown it, and submitting to You. Help us to be diligent to do this, and we will give You the Glory in Jesus Name Amen

Lord, help me to know how fleeting my time on earth is

In this extract from Psalm 39:4 (Passion translation) David had been wrestling with a number of different things. He has been deeply grieved by the wickedness that was going on around him (versus 1- 4), and he is bothered by the pointlessness and the futility of most of what we do. In particular in verse 6 he cries out “ We live our lives like those living in shadows. All our activities and energies are spent for things that pass away. We gather, we hoard, we cling to our things, only to leave them all behind for who knows who.” On top of this he is afraid of being overpowered by his own sin (verse 8). It never ceases to amaze me how well the Bible knows us!

Because he knows God, he is left with just one conclusion “My only hope is to hope in you alone” (verse 7),so he cries out to God. I love the way the passion translation puts it “Lord, listen to all my tender cries. Read my every tear, like liquid words that plead for your help. I feel all alone at times, like a stranger to you, passing through this life just like all those before me” (verse 12). Been there, done that, bought the T-shirt! And like David I have cried out to Him for help (verses 8,10,12).

I also like David, I have learned to counsel myself “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? ... Hope in God” (Psalm 42:11). And I go to the file where I have recorded many of the promises He has underlined for me “I will never leave you nor forsake you - come unto Me all you who are heavy laden and I will give you rest.” And if needs be, I work the conditions of my promises as in Philippians 4:4-7, repenting for where I have failed. And God is faithful, for He has promised “And the God of all grace …., after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast” (1 Peter 5:10). And He has, and He does!

Father, we sing the chorus “I never want to go back to my old life!” I do not! Thank You Lord for Your faithfulness, for Your mercy and for grace to help in time of need. Help me Lord to know how fleeting my time on earth is, to remember that You are in control, that I am not the keeper of the universe, You are! And I ask this in order that I may live one day at a time and for You and You alone in Jesus Name Amen

A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench

I heard an awesome testimony last night, of a man with a horrendous past including abuse, and at a very early age, loosing his mother to an overdose. He went on to tell of his own addictions, of hitting rock bottom in Jail and coming to the Lord. And even then he struggled and struggled, but finally walked in victory. And it was encouraging to me to see this example of victory, as this morning I am off back to minister in the prison, and I know from experience that even though the girls are hearing, many of them will find their way back again and again. Such is the nature and curse of addiction.

But then when I am tempted to get frustrated, the Lord reminds me how patient He has been with me; and how many times and in how many ways the rug had to be pulled out from under my feet before I came to Him in the first place, and then how many times I failed before my own salvation “stuck” and I too could walk in victory.

And this morning’s quote from Isaiah 42:3 speaks very much of His patience with us, and goes on in verse 4 to say that He will not be discouraged. The Scriptures also tell us that “He knows our frame, He knows we are but dust” (Psalm 103:14). So that He knows and understands that we are mere mortals. Nevertheless as we read, again in the context of this morning’s verse, He calls us in and to righteousness, and then in tenderness and mercy declares “I will hold your hand” (verse 6).

Father, I want to thank You again this morning for Your patience with me over the years. And when You call us to righteousness, it is not because You are some kind of killjoy, but rather that this is the way to peace and freedom. Thank You that You hold my hand and that You have promised never to leave me. As I testified myself last night, I would not have made it without You. But with You I have life and health and peace, and I praise and bless Your Holy Name again this morning in Jesus Name Amen

Let us therefore be do our best, be diligent and hasten to enter that rest

In many ways this morning’s post continues yesterday’s, as my heart grieves for those who are tortured and constantly wrestling in their striving to live the Christian life. While there are implications for our rest in hereafter, the rest that it is spoken of in this quote from Hebrews 4:11, is I think primarily rest in the here and now. There seems to be three things that hinder entering into this rest. The first is “They do not know my ways" (Hebrews 3:10), the second having an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God (Hebrews 3:12), and the last hardness of heart (Hebrews 3:15).

We are not meant to strive! And if we are striving, then likely one of the above three things is true of us. And countering these things starts with repentance. If we do not know His ways, then we will need to get our nose into "God’s feedbag," the Word of God. It is not enough just to go to church on Sundays. Just as we need food every day to live, so we need spiritual food every day to rise above the trials, temptations and difficulties of life. This is also the cure for unbelief, for “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17). I find it helpful to declare out loud the truths of the Word of God. For example “I am a precious child of the living God” (John 1:12).

Hardness of heart, is likely more common then we think. Jesus accused the disciples of it when, after having seen many miracles they were still slow to believe (Mark 8:17). They were of course unaware of it. And perhaps we, like they, need to pray the prayer “Search my heart oh God, to see if there be any wicked way within me” (Psalm 139:23,24). Perhaps we have accused God of not caring, or of being the cause of our misery. We need to repent. At times of doubt, I like to pray “I believe help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24).

Father, I join my heart this morning with all those who are wrestling and striving in their spirit, and I joined my heart with those who are praying for a loved one in the same state. Father you are able to do exceedingly and above all that we ask or imagine, and I ask this morning Lord for an acceleration in your work in bringing people out of the various states of unbelief. Have mercy upon us Lord, for Your mercy is great in Jesus Name Amen

If we walk according to the Spirit, we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh

If I ask myself if Jesus was constantly wrestling with sin, my answer would have to be no. That is not to say that I believe that Jesus did not have inappropriate desires. The Scripture tells us that He was tempted at all points as we are, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15). So what I think, is that Jesus was proficient in the process of crucifying the flesh with its and passions and desires (Galatians 5:24), and in reckoning Himself dead to sin (Romans 6:11). And since Jesus came in the flesh, and He is our example, then it must be possible that we too can walk in this the kind of peace and victory. It is wrong thinking to believe that Jesus could do the things He did because He was God. This is to deny that He came in the flesh (1 John 4:2).

It seems to me, that the Scripture actually expects us to come to the place where we are substantially free from a preoccupation with our sin nature, and can walk in the Spirit with confidence. Paul tells us for example, that he was not conscious of anything against himself (1 Corinthians 4:4). In Romans 8:1,4 Paul, in some way enlarging on this morning’s quote (Galatians 5:16), tells us that there is no condemnation to those who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. The context of course is Romans 7, where Paul talks about our doing things we don’t want to do, and not doing things that we want to do. At the end of chapter 7 (verses 24, 25) he thanks God that there is deliverance from this “body of death,” and that the deliverance is through Jesus Christ our Lord. In other words in Christ deliverance is available!

Some may object, that the Scripture also warns us “Let he who thinks he stand, take care lest he fall (1 Corinthians 10:12). But as the next verse indicates, the warning is against overconfidence in ourselves, not against confidence in God’s keeping power (see also Hebrews 7:25). In particular our confidence is rather in that the Lord always provides a way of escape (1 Corinthians 10:13), and that we have access to come boldly to the throne of grace, to obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16). It does need to be said however that, as with many things in the Christian life, we do not arrive here without suffering (1 Peter 4:1), without struggle, instantly, and without a lot of help! We are however promised rest (Hebrews 4:9).

Father, I am so aware this morning Lord of many who likely feel what I am saying this morning is impossible. However, if we tell ourselves it is impossible, then it will be! But You are not a man that You should lie, and Your Word tells us that You always lead us in triumphant procession in Christ (2 Corinthians 2:14). And I pray this morning for each and every one of us Lord, that You would give us grace to believe that with You even this is possible, and that there is an end even in he here and now to perpetual debilitating struggle in Jesus Name Amen

Again he measured one thousand, and it was a river …. too deep … could not be crossed

The context of this extract from Ezekiel 47:5 is talking about the river that flows from under the threshold of the temple. The depth is measured every thousand cubits, and goes from ankle deep, to kneed deep, to waist deep and then as in the title. And since water is symbolic of Holy Spirit, the passage has been seen (rightly in my opinion) as stages of our willingness to allow the Spirit into our lives. At each stage until the last one, we are still in control, but if we plunge into the river at the last stage, we are not. At that stage the river can take us where it wants to go. But it is worth noting that there is healing in the direction the river takes us (verse 12).

The thought of giving up control to a Spirit we cannot see, can be scary. And perhaps that is why it is spoken of in stages, where we progressively learn that He is trustworthy. And thinking along these lines it is worthy of note that Holy Spirit is the one who inspired the Scriptures (the whole Bible - 2 Timothy 3:16), that He will not contradict His Word, and He is therefore the One who tells us “Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God” (1 John 4:1). So then to be immersed in Holy Spirit, the true Spirit, the Spirit of truth (John 16:13), is to also to be immersed in, and abiding in His Word (John 15:7).

The Church has often divided along the lines of the Word and the Spirit, and there have certainly been abuses on both sides of this divide. There is much truth in the saying “The Word without the Spirit we dry up, the Spirit without the Word we blow up, but the Spirit and the Word together, we grow up.” We were talking the last couple of days about quenching the Spirit, and the discipline of the Lord. And for me, these things relate to this mornings post. My point is that when I am immersed in both His Word and His Spirit, seeking to follow Him with all my heart, then I can trust Him by these means, to keep me within the boundaries of Kingdom living. Not saying it might not look a little strange!

Father, someone has said “faith” is spelt r-i-s-k, and certainly, if I am to walk by faith and not by sight, I do have to give up control. I do believe Lord that You can be trusted to not guide me in to anything that is not of You. And I thank You this morning again for the assurance of Your Word that both Your Word and Your Spirit are involved in this guidance. Lord if there’s any part of me that is still hanging on to control, I want You to show me, so that I can repent and yield myself totally to You to be used for Your honour and glory and praise in Jesus Name Amen

For whom the LORD loves He chastens

I was talking last day about the verse that admonishes us not to quench the Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19). This, and some correspondence with my son, opened up the question in my mind about how the Lord deals with those of us who have given our hearts and our lives to the Him. In the context of this morning’s quote from Hebrews 12: 6, the writer has been admonishing us to run with perseverance the race that is set before us (verse 1), he is also reminding us of the hostility that Jesus endured from sinners, and saying that we have not yet resisted to bloodshed in following Him (verses 3, 4).

It is easy to get love and truth out of balance. Since there is now therefore no condemnation to those of us who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1), it is all too easy to slide into thinking we can do exactly what we want, without consequences. But first of all we reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7), so that sinful choices have negative consequences. But there is more! In particular, when we grieve the Spirit, we lose His fullness. And it is the fullness that we lose, He does not withdraw completely, because at conversion we were sealed with the spirit (Ephesians 1:13). And as we read in this morning’s verse, there is still more!

In particular, there are times when He actively disciplined us, actively bringing circumstances that cause us to reconsider. And as this morning’s verse says clearly He does this because He loves us. In fact in extreme circumstances, the Lord might actually take you home. This happened to Ananias and Sapphire (Acts 5:1ff). My understanding of this, is that at the birth of the new church, the Lord needed to purge out this kind of leaven that would have defiled the work that He was doing. Paul tells us that if we judge ourselves we will not be judged with the world, and that in the carnal church in Corinth, the Lord had in fact also taken some of them home, likely for the same reason as above (1 Corinthians 11:30,31). And my understanding is that He did indeed take them home, not that He sent them to hell. It is easy to forget the holiness of the Lord when we are basking in His love. But Paul reminds us that he came to salvation through the terror of the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:11)

Father, You admonish us to “consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward us, goodness, if we continue in His goodness. Otherwise we also will be cut off” (Romans 11:22). My understanding of this is very much along the lines of what I was saying in the last paragraph. Help us this morning Lord, help me, not to lose the fear of the Lord, but rather like Paul to allow it to motivate us to bring the gospel of reconciliation to this wicked and hurting world, in Jesus Name Amen

Do not quench the Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19)

I was reminded again this week in the prison, of the difficulty people can have in taking the steps of forgiving others for what they have done, and of taking responsibility for what we have done. The women are at various stages of faith, either coming back to it, or not yet having got there in the first place. Both of these steps are huge, and likely involve both inability and “won’t” power! In particular I hear “I can’t, and I won’t forgive!” “Blame power” is pretty big too!

We are not robots automatically programmed to do what right and what is best for us. And forgiving and taking responsibility are huge in terms of self care. It is helpful to me, to know both in terms of “won’t” and “can’t,” that “ We do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). He understands, He really does, even if no-one else gets us! It is also comforting to know that Holy Spirit knows what stage we are at in our journey with Him. He knows how to help us in our weakness and infirmity, and to provide the way of escape from our bondage giving us what we need, at the time we need it (1 Corinthians 10:13). But we do have to give Him what is possible for us to give Him.

I think I can say without fear of contradiction that “I won’t” grieves Holy Spirit far more than “I can’t.” And this quenching the Spirit has everything to do with failing to receive the enabling Grace He gives us to do what without Him is impossible (Hebrews 12:15). This is not to say it is easy, especially when it is our caretakers, those who initially represent God to us, are the ones who have hurt us the most. And if they cannot be trusted how are we supposed to trust God? The Lord knows that trust has to be earned even with Him. But at some stage if we are to learn the Truth that He is trustworthy, we will at least have to start, however tentatively, to choose to trust Him.

Father, it is my prayer this morning that the testimony of my life (my words and my actions) speak of Your love, faithfulness and trustworthiness. There are many who have failed me (and I them), but You have never let me down, You have never failed me. Thank You for the times that You made me aware that I had quenched or grieved Your Spirit, because I have been able to learn from these things what pleases You, and what does not. And I know that You always have my best interest at heart, even when I don’t understand why You allow what You allow. I love You Lord and I want to thank You this morning that You continue to pursue me and that You have brought me out of many desolate pits. In Jesus Name Amen

I want what is in Me to be in you

Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3:14-19 ends with the phrase “in order that you might be filled with all the fullness of God.” But what does it mean to be filled with all the fullness of God? In fact I came across this from the other direction with the words at the head of this post in a prophetic word I heard spoken, as if it was the Lord speaking to us. And I immediately thought of this part of Paul’s prayer and it gave me insight into it’s meaning, namely that He wants to fill us to the brim with nothing less than all of Himself. And I am thinking "Wow."

The Scriptures tell us that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19), and they command us to be continually filled with the Him (Ephesians 5:18). I used to say that we need this admonition because we are leaky vessels, but just recently I felt the Lord telling me that this is something of a curse. If I believe that I am leaky, then according to my faith be it (Matthew 9:29), in other words I will be leaky. But this does not have to be the case, and so I repented of believing and even teaching this. And I now see what He wants to do is to expand our fullness, rather like an infinitely expandable balloon that is always full, but still capable of receiving more as He continues to fill us with Himself!

This, like many other things we are called to, can seem impossible. We are told for example to be holy, because He is Holy. And my understanding is that He calls us to aim for these things. I mean if we aim for nothing we will surely attain it (i.e nothing). But if we “forget those things which are behind, and reach forward to those things which are ahead, pressing toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13,14), then we will be doing our part in cooperating with Him in the fulfilment of the process of Him taking what is in Himself and putting it in us.

Father, it is so easy Lord to loose the wonder of “Christ in me, the Hope of Glory.” And when we do we will likely leak, but we don’t have to. Please forgive me for believing the lie that I am always leaky. In fact, it is Your intention Lord that we be in the process of transformed into Your image from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3:18). But in the end, all the Glory is Yours, and I have learned to desire this above all else in Jesus Name Amen

Searching for trash or treasure

New Testament prophecy, which is starting to coming back to the church, is described by Paul as “for strengthening, encouragement and comfort” (1 Corinthians 14:3 NIV). This is very different from Old Testament prophecy, which was largely given to correction and judgement. So, different covenant very different flavour of prophecy! And in the past prophecy in modern times, has been given a bad name because it was often used for condemnation and correction, not for building up.

So I was initially quite puzzled when, in an activation session at the recent prophetic conference in Bethel, Redding, I was getting “Mary, Mary, quite contrary ..” Synonyms for contrary include perverse, awkward, difficult, uncooperative, unhelpful, obstructive, and I was shaking my head asking how on earth that could strengthen, encourage or comfort. And I was glad I asked, for what I felt lead to say was that I felt that such negative words had been spoken over her, but that is not how heaven sees her. And so she was to understand that this is a lie, and I broke it off her. She told me later that “contrary” was one of the things she had been called at work.

So many of us have been wounded by what was spoken over us, scarred for life even, by hateful words. But Paul, in the same passage as above, tells us that we are to “eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy” (verse 1). So in essence we are to be eager to discover the treasure in each other, and to speak that out into their lives. Anybody can find the trash, but it is a real gift to be able to see past the trash to the treasure. And I am this morning remembering the tears of gratitude that followed a positive word to another lady at the conference.

Father, You have shown me the treasure in others often enough, that I am eager for You to increase this gift in me. And the truth is that the way You see us is always true and always positive. And we need to allow Your truth to trump the negative things spoken over us. Thank You Lord this morning, that You see Your reflection (Your image) in each and every one of us, so that what You see in us is always amazing. I am basking in Your love and approval this morning Lord. And I want to ask You to Increase this gift in each and every one of us Lord, for Your honour and glory and praise, and for the furtherance of the Kingdom in Jesus Name Amen

Why should your right to free speech trump my right not to be offended?

When I am at loggerheads with someone, I am very aware that I can’t do right for doing wrong. Do you know what I mean? When you are mad with me, you are likely to interpret everything I say in the worst possible light. So in this kind of scenario, if something can be misinterpreted, it likely will be (this is probably one of Murphy’s laws!).

And if you insist that you have a right not to be offended, it will likely mean that we can have no contact whatsoever. I mean if you want to, you can take offence even at the way I look at you. But then you might be offended at my not speaking or avoiding you, in my attempt to not offend you! So again if you insist that you have a right not to be offend, then I will likely not be able to do right, for doing wrong!

I am not saying we should care less about offending others. As Christians we are commanded as much as possible to live at peace with all (Romans 12:18). But we are also commanded to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15), and also that we who are spiritual should gently restore one overtaken in a sin (Galatians 6:1). And we need to be gentle and humble because the truth is not easy to hear betimes, even when spoken gently and in love. But if we are to grow, we need to become offenceproof. In fact if we entertain bitterness in our hearts, we will end up poisoning ourselves and those we love (Hebrews 12:15).

Father, more and more we are being intimidated into silence, but this is not healthy for relationships. Certainly we need to be gracious, we are to give an answer of the hope that is within us, not ram the truth down people’s throats (Colossians 4:6). Ecclesiastes 3:7 tells us there us a time to be silent and a time to speak. Sometimes people are not ready to hear, and when this is so, silence can be the most loving thing we can do. On the other hand it can be the most unloving thing, enabling a loved one to remain stuck. We need Your wisdom Lord and the serenity prayer comes to mind again. In Jesus Name Amen

Everything happens for a reason. Really?

“Everything happens for a reason,” I hear it all the time, and it’s almost always concerning something negative. You lost a child, everything happens for a reason. You are diagnosed with cancer, everything happens for a reason. No, no, no, a thousand times no! You see it’s one thing to say that God uses the bad things that happen to us for our good, it’s quite another thing to say that God is the cause. And that is a very clear implication of the saying “Everything happens for a reason.”

“God took your child, because He wanted a little angel in heaven.” Really? Is He so impatient that He could not wait a few years for it to occur naturally? I mean He is outside of time anyway! Jesus tells us, that the thief (the devil), comes for no other reason than to kill, steal and destroy, but that He came that we might have life in all its fullness (John 10:10). So if it’s about killing, stealing and destroying, then it flows out of the agenda of the Evil one, not the agenda of our Lord and God. If I as a father, had the ability to give my child cancer in order to teach him or her lesson, and I did it, it would rightly be called child abuse!

And the truth is that “We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). That is that God is actively at work behind the scenes working good through the evil for those who align themselves with Him. And part of the good He works through the evil, is that He uses it to draw us closer, to make us more like Jesus, and to make us fruitful (verse 29).

Father, so many have believed the lie that you are capricious (given to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behaviour), but You are always good. I do not however, pretend to even begin to understand why You allow what You allow, but I do know that you are not the source of evil. And I do know that You are good all the time, and that all the time You are good in Jesus Name Amen

I am Your beloved son, and You are well pleased with me

Yesterday at church, we were hearing about how much the Father loves us, and it came to me again, how many of us disqualify ourselves from this. I mean I know He loves Joe and Mary, but I am not worthy of it. And it’s a lie, He has made me worthy (Colossians 1:12)! Part of the problem, is that many of us have been told over, and over and over that we are no good, that will never amount to anything, and this stuff has stuck to us like mud.

I felt led to go forward and respond to the message, we have the freedom to do that in this church. We had heard about the Father saying to Jesus “You are my beloved son in whom I am well pleased” (Mark 1:11). And I remembered years ago giving a talk where a son and a daughter of mine were in the congregation. And was going on and on from the front, about how special my son is, and as she was primed to, my daughter chimed in “What about me?”

The point is, that if I as an earthly father would not show such favouritism to only one of my children, how much more would our heavenly Father not show favouritism to One of His children. And you and I are His children! So then what He speaks to Jesus like this, He also speaks to you and to me! It is hard to believe at times, because of the lies, and in order to counteract them, we need to tell ourselves over and over that we are His beloved son (beloved daughter), and that indeed He is well pleased with us. And we need to say it until we believe it, and then we need to say it because we believe it!

Father, I know how difficult it was for me for the longest time to look in my imagination, into Jesus’s eyes, and I know as I lead the congregation to say to You “I am Your beloved son (daughter), and You are well pleased with me,” that there were many who found it difficult. It’s because we have embraced the lies. But as an act of the will we need to choose to believe what heaven says about us rather than what others say about us. And I need to say what is written in the title of this post, because I need to believe it, and I need to believe it because it is true even if I don't (when I don't) feel it. Thank You Lord in Your precious name amen

Better to be the best for the world, than to be the best in the world

The spirit of competition is alive and well and living on planet earth. And in the right context, it can be a good thing. I mean friendly competition can give us the encouragement to excel. But it can also be toxic, leading to pride, envy, hate and even sabotage (I am thinking of some of the things that have happened at the Olympics).

On the other hand I remember a famous athlete (don’t remember his name) saying that he thought everyone should compete to get to the top of something. His point is because when you get to the top, you realize that the top is empty. It seems that many in this situation have found Christ after getting to the top of their game. And this happened because the fading crown does not bring the lasting satisfaction hoped for, and (they say) only Jesus is worth giving your all for! I agree!

As I write, I am on my way back from a prophetic conference where at one stage I was tempted to be discouraged. Some of these guys (and gals) are so far ahead of me it is not funny. One person can play 40 different musical instruments, and that is just the tip of the iceberg of all that he is involved in and has accomplished. And I was tempted to tell myself “I could never be like that.” Of course, I was never intended to be like that, and I have learned to embraced the wisdom of the Scripture when it says that if we each measure ourselves by ourselves, and compare ourselves among ourselves, we are not wise (2 Corinthians 10:12). The title of this post was one of the things that was spoken at the conference, and it resonated with me. I can be the best me for the World and for my Lord. That is more than enough for Him, and that is all that matters!

Father, each and every one of us is unique and has a unique part to play in life (1 Corinthian 12:7). So we might not be able to be the best in the World at this or that, in fact You never called us to that, but I can be the very best me, and that pleases you greatly. But this is not about striving. As a Father with his precious child, You are pleased with us just because we are Your sons and daughters. It’s all about being ourself and pressing in to relationship with You, knowing we are a favourite son or daughter. And it’s all about celebrating who we are in You, in Jesus Name Amen

The Joy of the Lord is my strength

Paul tells us that the kingdom is righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17). So if joy is one third of the Kingdom, how come so many of us are going round at least half depressed? We were challenged this morning in the group time here at the Prophetic conference I am attending, to invite the Holy Spirit to shower His joy upon us. And before long many of us were giggling and laughing.

I had a picture on the screen of my mind with Jesus standing with His hands on His hips, head bent back and laughing uproariously. And I thought to myself “You know what, we can invite Holy Spirit to do this anytime we want.” The laughter was of course infectious. Some people I am told (well I know actually) have trouble with this, they think that it is somehow irreverent. But the Scriptures tells us that God anointed Jesus with the oil of gladness more than His companions (Hebrews 1:9), and for this and other reasons, I really can’t see Jesus with the sourpuss anointing!

In the meeting we were encouraged that when we feel negative, to laugh and ask for heaven's solution (see James 1:2-5). Then to give the Lord time and space to see what He will do. We need to experience the joy of heaven, a joy not connected to circumstances. We are not intended to wait until the circumstances are right until we have joy (James 1:2).

Father in Your word You tell us that a joyful heart is good medicine (Proverbs 17:22), and secular research has documented the beneficial health benefits of laughter. Forgive us Lord for the times we have presented You as a joy spoiling God. Nothing could be further from the truth in Jesus Name Amen

One thing I have desired … I seek … dwell … behold … and to inquire …..

Continuing in Psalm 27:- we were reading of David’s confidence, trust and Fatih in God learned the hard way, by going through wars and trials and coming out the other end due entirely to God’s faithfulness. Like two buddies in a war whose friendship is forged by adversity, David now fully realizes on which side his bread is buttered, and in love and admiration turns to the Lord wanting ever more.

Part of what he is saying here in verse 4 is “I must have more of You.” Can you sense the hunger here in David? We kick and scream and fight when things go wrong, well nobody likes trouble, but when like David we choose to trust in the midst of the chaos, then also like David we will find the treasure of friendship with Him in the midst of the chaos. The phrase “forsaking all else” that we find in the marriage vows comes to mind. What David had found in God was so much better than anything he had ever experienced that pursuit of God became his primary goal.

I was thinking this morning about the difference there is between having a hunger for God and being trapped in an addiction. With an addiction we crave ever more with diminishing returns, and addictions ruin relationships. Whereas when we hunger for God our drawing near is ever sweeter and our desire for more consumes us in a more wonderful way. It enriches our lives gives us increasing joy and improves our relationship with ourselves with others and with creation itself.

Father, I want to thank You again this morning that You call me Your friend. Thank You that You respond to our hunger and that You hide for us not against us. It is like hide and seek with a little child, I mean that when we find You in ever deeper ways, it brings such joy and delight. I pray for any reading this blog that You may continue to draw them to seek You out. In Jesus Name Amen

Is the loss of material possessions tragic?

It is interesting and sometimes heart wrenching to observe how different people react to material loss. I am here this morning in Redding California just days after the Carr Fire swept through parts of Redding leaving many people homeless, having lost everything in the fire. I volunteered yesterday in a distribution centre in the time before the conference I came here for, started. There were several deaths due to the fire, but most of those who I encountered at the distribution centre where I volunteered, had either lost their homes, or if the homes were not burned, were still not allowed back in.

Some people were able to be quite philosophical about having lost everything. What was most precious was saved (no family member was lost). For others it was tragic and their pain and was evident. And I got to reflecting on my own journey. From many years now I have been telling the Lord that my money is His money. The point was and is to help me let go, the plan being when things go wrong financially to tell Him that if He want to be foolish with His money, then that's His problem.

It is still amazing to me how easily we deceive ourselves especially when it comes to money. When I told Him my money was His money apparently I had lied. This was revealed to me by a series of financial difficulties where I would start to stress, and I was in danger of loosing my peace. So He asked me “If this is my money, why are you so stressed?” And in this way as I repented He was able to pry open my little hand.

Father, there are many losses, and the things we treasure can so easily become idols. And I want to pray this morning Lord for all those reading this, and those who have suffered loss in this carr fire here in Redding that You will meet them in their loss, help them to grieve the loss in and healthy way and let it draw them to You in Jesus Name Amen.

Though war break out against me, even then will I be confident

In the context of this verse from Psalm 27:3, David tells us the reason for his fearlessness. It was because the Lord is his light and salvation, everything good and pure and worthwhile comes from light and not darkness. Furthermore because the Lord is his strength, David asks rhetorically “Who shall I fear” (all in verse 1). This confidence that we see in David (Psalm 27:3), came from two things. It came (a) from the things that he suffered and (b) from his experience of the Lord coming through for him in the midst of the chaos and the pain of betrayal.

In particular, the second verse of the Psalm makes it clear that David had the experience of God delivering him under his belt. But in order to have had this experience, it is necessary for him to have gone through something from which he needed to be delivered. This seems to be very much the way that God works. He allows circumstances to come into our lives and then when we cry out to Him for deliverance He always comes through. Sometimes He changes the circumstances, but more often than not (at least in my experience) He changes us. Every time this happens I think of it as another brick in my wall of faith. Over the years there have been many such bricks, and the wall has grown thick and strong, and like David I have learned to trust Him. It did not come easy, it came through toil and snare and often heartache. But I can honestly say He has never let me down.

That is not to say that other people have not let me down, nor that I will not enter difficult and trying circumstances again. In this mornings verse David is confident that the Lord will see him through the battle, not that war will not break out. For me in the midst of the struggle I like to go to the promises. There are many that in various ways I have underlined, and I camp there and stay there until with His help I return to peace. And all it does it to bring me closer to Him. Hallelujah!

Father I want to thank You this morning for Your faithfulness. Over and over I realize that I would not have made it without You. Thank You that You are a very present help in time of need, and that You always lead me in triumphant procession in Christ (2 Corinthians 2:14) in Jesus Name Amen

Be careful what you tell yourself, you are listening!

How many of us have told ourselves that we are stupid when we did something that in reality was stupid or just plain wrong. But it is one thing to say that what we did was stupid, but quite another thing to confuse this with our identity as someone who is stupid. We pray “Kingdom of God come on earth as it is in heaven,” and we need to realize that in heaven no-one will call us stupid. The point is that God does not see us this way, and to call ourselves stupid is to do the work of the enemy, which is to kill, steal and destroy (John 10:10a).

We have all likely done this, and when we realize what we have done is not right, rather than simply brushing it off, we need to repent of doing the enemy’s job. There is no condemnation here (Romans 8:1), but we do need to clear the air. When we confess not only are we forgiven, but we are also cleansed (1 John 1:9). I think of this as putting the cross between me and the enemy and in this way the pollution is also dealt, and we realize that he is the toothless lion he really is.

Words are powerful (Proverbs 18:21). What we tell ourselves is not neutral, be it positive or negative. And we need to replace the enemy's lies with positive truths. And the truth is that in God’s eyes we are all amazing. You know God don’t make no junk, and in His eyes you are precious and valuable (me too :) ). And we need to choose to believe this and tell ourselves this truth until we believe it. And then we need to tell it to ourselves because we believe it!

Father, the enemy so wants us to be covered with guilt and shame, because it debilitates us and keeps us from freedom. You have made us worthy to be accepted Lord (Ephesians 1:6), You have qualified us for the Kingdom (Colossians 1:12), so to confess anything else is to believe a lie. And we have all likely done this, so I thank You again this morning Lord for Your forgiveness and cleansing In Jesus Name Amen

The fruit of the Spirit (VIX) Self-Control

The Greek Lexicon (Thayer) expands on this morning's word and says of it that it is the “virtue of one who masters his desires and passions, especially his sensual appetites.” It is interesting therefore to note in the next verse (Galatians 5:24) Paul tells that those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires, the very same two terms. There is a sense in which self-control may be thought of as something or an enigma being how it is part of the fruit of the Spirit. I mean is it self-control or is it Spirit-control? As with other aspects of the fruit of the Spirit, the answer is yes, because it is both. In particular when we fully cooperate with Him, the Spirit is actively involved in helping us acquiring this discipline.

Secular Psychology has a number of hints for helping us gain self-control. It is in a way, like a muscle that needs to be exercised. And there are a number of things that can either help or hinder. So for example exercise and good nutrition, sufficient sleep and realizing that our emotions ebb and flow, also the old rule of counting to ten before replying or acting can also be helpful. From a spiritual (recovery) point of view we need to exhibit the outward expressions of the fruit of the Spirit to ourselves. So we need to forgive and love ourselves, to be patient and kind with ourselves. Most of us have spent a lifetime doing the opposite, and old habits die hard (and yes they do need to die!).

But while these suggestions are good, most of the time it is not that we do not know what to do, but rather it is the doing of it that’s the real problem! So for me the most important aspect of this is to do my part in making room for the Spirit’s transforming power. And this starts with spending time with Him in and through His Word, getting to know how special we are to Him, and to bask in His love.

Father, as Peter says out fleshly lusts war against our soul (1 Peter 2:11), and many of us have been loosing that war! Please help us starting with where we are “at,” and taking it from there. Thank You that You have promised that You who have done a good work within us will keep on doing it until that day. Thank You for Your Promise that if we continue in Your Word we will Know the truth and the Truth will set us free (John 14:6). In Jesus Name Amen

The fruit of the Spirit (VIII) Gentleness

A gentle person is said to be kind or tender, sensitive, moderate in action, not harsh or severe. Some dictionaries add mild, but this does not seem to be the force of the Greek. Meek is better, in the sense of being humble. Jesus was gentle and meek (humble) but He was never mild. In particular, He spoke the truth clearly when warranted. “Woe unto you Scribes Pharisees” (Matthew 23:13) is anything but mild. And since Jesus is gentle, being gentle does not preclude speaking the truth in love. His words to the Scribes and Pharisees were words or warning, spoken so as to bring the possibility of repentance and salvation!

In a Psalm of David sung on the occasion of his deliverance from his enemies, David could write “Your gentleness has made me great” (2 Samuel 22:1,36). And it struck me again this morning, that for better or worse, we take on the qualities of what we “worship” be it love, or hate, or money or in this case God. Perhaps that is why we are commanded to Worship only Him (Matthew 4:10).

It is interesting to me that often when I am spending time in the Scriptures, within a very short time I find myself being tested on the very thing I was meditating on. Knowing that I was going to be blogging on gentleness, I have been thinking about it on and off for a few days. And in a negotiation I was conducting, the other party suddenly introduced a whole new bunch of issues. My response was appropriately firm as we approached my bottom line, but I was gently reminded of the concept of gentleness which was lacking. And I immediately repented. I have learned to keep short accounts with God!

Father, I thank You that there is no condemnation in Christ. Thank You also that I have come to the place where I can be nudged like this without beating myself up. And since this is all part of my becoming more like You, I can come through this without loosing my joy. I sense that I am finally becoming childlike as I welcome such nudges, as part of the growth process. I also want to thank You for the reminder not to strive. These qualities are fruit of Your Spirit, and fruit does not strive. In Jesus Name Amen

The fruit of the Spirit (VII) Faithfulness - Faith

While the majority of translations have "faithfulness" in Galatians 5:22, the NKJV has "faith." Both translations are possible from the Greeks. Perhaps ‘faithfulness’ is chosen in most translations, because in contrast to the middle cluster (patience, kindness, goodness) which are seen to be inward qualities, the final fruit cluster (faithfulness, gentleness and self control) are thought to be qualities that express themselves outwardly to others. Someone who is faithful is said to have the character of one who keeps his promises, who is loyal, stably dependable, and constant in all circumstance.

Proverbs 20:6 has “Many a man claims to have steadfast unfailing love, but a faithful man who can find?” I mean who has not be let down by others? As I go through these qualities know as the fruit of the Spirit, it strikes me that we see them supremely in God. And I am seeing again the beauty of the Lord, and it makes me want to worship Him. Because I sensed this from the very beginning, one of my favourite hymns at the time of conversion was “Great is thy faithfulness.”

And it also strikes me again, how unnatural these things are, how very much we need Him to do His part in fostering these qualities in us, and how very much I need to put to death the rampant selfishness that hinders them (Galatians 5:24). And whether the correct translation is faith of faithfulness, I am sensing this morning, that both are produced as we stick close to Him who against all odds has faith in us (1 Corinthians 13:7 - believes all things NKJV). And I am thinking of my recent post “Do you believe what I believe about you?”

Father, Your Word tells us “There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24). And You call me friend (John 15:15), and so You are that friend. I have been let down many, many times, but never by You. Indeed great is Your steadfast love and mercy my Lord, and my saviour and my faithful friend. Thank You, the words seem so inadequate, but thank You anyway in Jesus Name Amen

The fruit of the Spirit (VI) Goodness

The dictionaries variously define goodness as integrity, honesty, the quality of being morally virtuous, kind (so there is overlap with other aspects of the fruit of the Spirit), helpful and honest, righteous. Goodness, as defined by the Bible involves not only behaviour, but also in avoiding the opposite, evil. And for the Christian, it is important that all these terms are defined Biblically. In particular the Bible speaks of those who “Call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness” (Isaiah 5:20). This phenomenon is alive and well, and living on planet Earth!

I once again, I am grateful that these qualities are described as fruit of the Spirit, and that they flow out of our vital connection to the Lord. In particular we are not to strive to attain these things. We do, with the help of the Spirit, need to put their opposites to death (Galatians 5:24; Romans 8:13). And this too, flows naturally out of our connection with Him. In particular in the Romans reference it says “If by the Spirit, you put to death the deeds of the flesh you will live.” Note that it is (a) by the Spirit, but it is also (b) us (you in the verse). So it is all about cooperation, surrender and obedience!

One of the advantages of allowing the Spirit’s work in our lives, is that we get to feel good about ourselves. We even get to like ourselves! There is of course a danger here, and that is the danger of becoming self-righteous. Of course as I keep saying, we do have a part to play in all of this, and we need to learn to say with Paul “I, yet not I but Christ who lives in me” (Galatians 2:20). And we need to ever be on guard about thinking that we have arrived, because “Let he who thinks he stands, take care lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12).

Father, it is true that only God is good (Mark 10:18), so in a sense the goal of being good is unattainable. We are however commanded to be holy because You are holy (1 Peter 1:16), and so we are to aim for goodness, again not striving for it, but surrendering and dying to to self. And it is the aiming for such things that is an essential part of Your transforming power in our lives. And whatever the progress, You deserve the honour and glory and praise in Jesus Name Amen