And the God of all grace …., after you have suffered a while, will Himself perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you

The words suffer, sufferings or suffered appear 13 times in 1 Peter. And this is not to mention related issues such as “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you” (1 Peter 4:12). And the admonition not to think it strange, is needed, at least in my life. We have this tendency to think that life owes it to us to go smoothly, and to be without problems. Perhaps I’m just talking about me, but when we think this way, we are fooling ourselves.

The Scripture says that the rain falls on the just and the unjust, and we will suffer whether we are Christians are not. The difference is that we have access to the God of all grace, and to His promises. The verse at the title of this post (1 Peter 5:10) is one of them. It’s a promise worth meditating on.

I like the phrase “will Himself.” in particular He does not leave us to suffer alone. He suffers not only for us, but He also suffers with us. And in Christ, our suffering is not in vain! In particular when we cooperate with Him, then he uses our suffering to make us more like Himself. In particular He will perfect and establish and strengthen us.

He will also settle us. I experience this over and over, as I come to Him morning by morning. In particular I am not always at peace when I wake up. I have discovered however, that if I am willing to wait before Him, He will always, by His grace settle me, and bring me back into peace. And He does this no matter what is going on in my life!

Father, thank You for Your grace, and the amazing tools and promises that You have given us in Your Word that allow us to live the life You call us to live. Thank you for reminding me over and over, that I cannot do this without You. Thank You for Your peace, thank You for Your grace, thank You for your love. In Jesus Name Amen

If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here

What is it that makes us Christians different? What is it that makes me different? It’s not my natural charm, it’s not my dazzling wit nor my ability to overpower with theological arguments 😊, no it’s His presence. In the context of this quote from Exodus 33:15, Moses asks the Lord “What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?”

If it’s his presence that makes the difference, and it is, how shall we then live? As Bill Johnson is fond of saying, the Holy Spirit is in us for us, and on us for others. He illustrates this by saying that if we have a dove on our shoulder, we will walk around very carefully if we wish him to stay. It’s the same with the Holy Spirit. It’s not for nothing that we are told to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18?). We definitely have a part to play, and we need to walk accordingly!

At a recent conference I had a word spoken over me that the spirit of Caleb is upon me. The distinguishing thing about Caleb, is that he fully followed the Lord. I have a lot to live up to, but it resonates with my heart, and I want to do this very thing. You see when we carry His presence, we carry grace and peace and hope and love and joy and healing. It is in His presence that all these things abound.

Father, Lord I greatly desire on that day to hear “Well done good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord.” So please help me Father day by day, to commit my day to You, to surrender to Your will, and to walk in Your Spirit moment by moment throughout the day. I can’t do this without You, but with You all things are possible. In Jesus Name Amen

the mystery of His will.. that… He might gather together in one all things in Christ

Having asked Him, with fear and trembling, to break my heart with the things that break His, I felt some of His yearning this morning, as I meditated on this extract from Ephesians 1:9,10. There is a timing for its fulfillment. Part of the NKJV expanded version of these verses says that it is in the dispensation of the fullness of time. As with the privilege of being able to bow the knee now, before we will be forced to, so too we have the privilege of cooperating with Him now in this primary objective of His. But what does that look like?

When we have His heart on a matter, it motivates us to pray. Over and over in the Gospels we read of Jesus, that moved with compassion He did this or that. The involvement of our compassion and emotions in prayer is vital to their effectiveness. But it is no easy matter to enter into the pain that He feels over separation and disunity and disharmony. But when we do, then once again it brings us into the fellowship of His sufferings!

Father, give me the courage to enter into the level of intercessory prayer that You are calling me to. Thank You that You do not expect me to do this alone. Help me to open my heart to all those You are calling to Yourself in my circle of influence. In this, as in all things, I need Your help, Your grace, Your strength and Your peace. In Jesus name Amen

I am made in the image of God

There are two extreme positions we can take with regards to the nature of mankind. The first is to say that man is basically good, the other that man is totally depraved. The biblical view is that mankind is made in the image of God, but that image is fallen. In particular man is capable of being the the devil incarnate, or an angel from heaven.

Thus the cartoon characterization of the devil on one shoulder whispering into the ear, and the angel on the other whispering into the other ear, is more Biblically accurate. And it is a tug-of-war. Paul puts it this way “ Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires” (Romans 8:5). In other words what do we feed, the devil on the left, or the angel on the right?

Actually the default is to feed the devil on the left. You see we can appear to be good, but we may be doing it either out of fear, or a desire to look good, or because we are a people pleaser. In either case the good is actually feeding our self-centredness. Jesus clearly tells us, that if we do our good deeds before man in order to be seen by them, then we already have our reward (the approval of man).

What I have just said makes no sense to someone who does not have faith. If God does not exist, then doing things in secret so our nonexistent Father in heaven is the only one who sees, is useless and futile and empty. But if he does exist, and is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him, then it makes perfect sense.

The phrase at the head of this post came to me last night during our fellowship time. Having studied Jesus, and so having studied God, I see the beauty in the character of God. And I am attracted to that beauty, and now when I read that I am made in the image of God, I want to feed the Spirit who I know dwells within me, so that I might be more like Him. In other words hearing these words calls me up to all that I can be in Christ Jesus.

We can’t all be a Mother Teresa, or a Terry Fox, but we can all be great in God’s eyes. The challenge then is to aim to be all that I can be in Him, and this is life and health and peace.

Father, help me not to settle for anything less than all You call and want me to be. This is not about striving, I know that, it’s largely about operating out of peace and rest in You. As in all things, I need You for this, and I ask this morning that You would indeed continue to work in me to will and to do Your good pleasure. In Jesus name Amen

I have you in my heart

It’s interesting that when you get a fresh revelation from the Lord, inevitably within the next few days you find yourself tested in this area. After hearing a teaching on this passage from Philippians 1:7 over the weekend, it was not long afterwards that I felt the chickens come home to roost!

I was talking to a sister who is struggling in many ways, and I admonished her to get mad with the devil who was seeking to kill, steal and to destroy in her life. She needed to get mad enough to see his traps for what they were, and to determine, with His help, not to fall into them.

We can fall into two equal and opposite traps in dealing with the devil. The first is to be overly preoccupied with him, constantly rebuking him, shouting him down and the like. The second is to ignore the fact that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but is a spiritual battle. We do need to close the doors we may have opened up to him, and like Jesus tell him to get behind us.

When I got off the phone, the Lord basically said to me “What about you, will you get mad with the devil?” And I did, “Not on my watch I told him. You don’t get to take her down on my watch!” And I realized I have her in my heart, and the principal I was being taught applies. In particular, Paul in verse 6 says that he is confident that He who began a good work in his hearers, would bring it to fullness and completion on the day of Jesus Christ. And he could do this precisely because he had them in his heart (verse 7).

The point of the teaching is that, as it is so often in the kingdom, it is a heart matter. When we hold someone in our heart before the Lord we are in fact putting a hedge of protection around them. It’s strong stuff, and praise the Lord it worked, there was relief!

Father, please give me the wherewithal to choose to allow my heart to be stretched to include all of those You put before me to hold in my heart. I need Your help for this, I cannot do it without You, I cannot bare the pain without You. But Lord I am thinking, that You intend this to be part of the fellowship of Your sufferings, sot that it draws me even closer to You. I need You grace, I need Your love, I need You! In Jesus Name Amen

Truly, you are a God who hides Himself Isaiah 45:15

When my eldest grandson was about 3 or 4, I took him into the house I had just bought to show him around. There was not a stick of furniture in the place, and he asked me if we could play hide and seek. “You hide Grandpa, and I’ll come and find you.”

I went into the furthest room, and hid in the closet. “I’m coming Grandpa are you in this room?” No! “Are you in this room Grandpa?” No! Eventually he comes in to the room where I was hidden in the closet. “Are you in this room Grandpa?” Yes! Remember there was not a stick of furniture in place, and he comes over to the closet opens the door, and his little face was shining. “I found you Grandpa!”

I was hiding for him, not from him. It’s the same with God, it’s all about the divine romance. He speaks to backsliding Israel in Jeremiah 29:13 and tells them “You will search for me and find me, when you search for me with all of your heart!” Note that this is not about searching with all of our mind, it’s all about searching with all of our heart.

My grandson had given everything that he had age appropriately. The Lord understands what we are capable of giving, and what we are not. He’s not looking for a limp lover, He is looking for someone willing to respond to the passion that He has for us. And truly that passion is great! But He does not expect what we cannot give, and will reward our giving our all no matter how feeble!

Father, help me to continue to pursue You with everything that I have, heart, mind, soul and strength. You are worthy of it all In Jesus Name Amen

Blows that hurt cleanse away evil, As do stripes the inner depths of the heart

The Lord use this verse in my life from Proverbs 20:30 years ago to convince me to go back to the help I so desperately needed at the time. As I was reminded of this recently, a companion verse came to mind “It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees” (Psalm 119:71). it caused me to think again, about the fact that pain at times, has purpose!

I know in my own life, it was feeling the consequences of my own poor choices (and wanting to escape), that led to my conversion. But it didn’t stop there, because the hurts, habits and hangups that were part of my life didn’t suddenly disappear. And my acting out of these hurts, habits and hangups continued to have consequences in my life. And some of these consequences were and are painful. So what would motivate me to change? There are two recovery saying that come to mind. The first is “We will not change, until the pain of being stuck becomes greater than the fear and pain of change,” and the second is "We do not change when we see the light, we change when we feel the heat."

I have come to realize that, out of love, the Lord designed reality this way. The biblical principle that we reap what we sow, cannot be broken. So then, if we let these things do their job, and if at the same time we read the principles and decrees of Scripture and obey, then indeed the blows that hurt will cleanse away evil, as do stripes the inner depths of the heart.

Father, I thank You this morning that though You love me exactly as I am, You love me far too much to leave me that way. I thank You this morning for the decree “Whom the Lord loves He chastens,” because this helps me feel secure. I know my own propensity to fool myself, and it is comforting to know that when I do, You will not simply let me go, but will use the consequences to bring me back on track. Abba, I am Your little boy! In Jesus Name Amen

What I have, I give to you

I don’t think we Christians realize what we have, what authority we have, and what the Lord is able to do through us. After being a Christian for well over 40 years, I am only just beginning to get a glimpse of it! The full text of this verse from Acts 3:6 is “Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.”” The man is then instantly healed.

It is important to note that Peter did not say that he would pray for the man who had been lame from birth. What he did in fact, was to give him something that he had. In this Peter was imitating Jesus. In particular, when the woman with the issue of blood touched the hem of Jesus’s garment, Jesus felt power go out of Him. That is she had taken something from Jesus. And Jesus told us that we would do greater things than He would, because He was going to the Father.

So Peter had what Jesus had, and in fact we can have everything that Jesus, as a Spirit filled man, had. I wish I could say that I was walking in this truth at this point in time. What I can say, is that I want to. He has given us so much! He has, for example, given me love and peace and joy and hope and power to name just a few of these things. And I know, at least in my head, that he intends that I give all of these things away, that I be a channel of these things He has given, to this wicked and hurting world!

Father, I need this truth to move from my head to my heart, to my faith, to my walk, to my actions. I cannot do it without You. I believe, help my unbelief. In Jesus Name Amen

The fellowship of waiting with Him

My life verses (verses that I come back to me again and again, and through which the Lord speaks to me over and over) come in three parts. It’s Psalm 40:1-3, and the three parts are firstly instructions to wait patiently on the Lord, secondly my testimony (feet on rock, song in mouth), and thirdly my promise “Many shall see and fear and put their trust in Him.”

Several years ago now the Lord asked me if I had followed the instructions. In particular, was I waiting patiently on Him? I could answer that I had waited, well I had had no choice, as to whether the waiting was patient or not, that was a entirely different question.

I suspect that my form of waiting is typical of many. Whether this is true or not, what I did initially was to try and make His promise come true. That is to do His work for Him! For example for the longest time no matter what I tried, the fellowship I had felt led to start was tiny. Now years later, it is merely small! I do keep reminding Him that He has told me that many shall see and fear put their trust in Him, and that He also is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or imagine. Still I wait! The Scripture tells me not to despise the day of small beginnings, and I am learning to rest in that. But there is a danger here too, and that is to settle for less than all that He has for me. In other words to get comfortable, and to cease to wait for him.

There are two apparently contradictory things that the Scripture speaks of in regard to waiting. In Proverbs we read that hope deferred makes the heart sick (Proverbs 13:12). But we also read that those who wait (in hope) on the Lord will renew their strength, they will mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint (Isaiah 40:31). In a book I read years ago by Bob Sorge talking about the fire of delayed answers, I was encouraged to press in to my promises. And in fact the difference between having a sick heart because of delayed answers, and mounting up with wings like the Eagle, is all about how we wait (hope).

I have found it helpful to gather together all the verses and promises that I have received from the Lord, together with the prophetic words that speak of my destiny. And when I get discouraged, I go over these promises, and remind the Lord of what He has promised. In spite of this, there is one promise I have been waiting for, for over 20 years, that continues to cause me pain. But over the last few days, the Lord has been showing me the difference between waiting for Him, and waiting with Him. In particular He showed me that He yearns even more than I do for the reconciliation I yearn for. He then reminded me of Philippians 4:10 which talks about the fellowship of his sufferings, and it suddenly jumped out at me that part of this is that when we wait with Him there is fellowship with Him in the agony of waiting. And when we wait with Him we also receive His comfort!

Father, forgive me for my slowness to bring everything to You. In You, that is in the intimacy of my ongoing relationship with You, there is grace for every situation. Continue to work in my life, as I continue to choose to wait on and with You. In Jesus Name Amen

I don’t care what you have done, I just want you to come home!

The title of this post is a quote from a testimony I heard last night, and was spoken by an estranged husband to his wife. In the way of these things, both parties had messed up big time. I hear in this statement, an echo of the Fathers plea to us. I hear him saying to us “I don’t care what you have done, I just want you to come home.” The point is no matter what we have done, it’s all covered by the blood, the sacrifice of Jesus paid for it all!

In the aftermath of the reconciliation that followed the husbands forgiveness and invitation, the whole family came to the Lord. But not only this, the whole family entered into recovery, dealing with the garbage and the issues and the generational dysfunction that, at some level, plagues us all.

I never cease to wonder at the depth of Mercy of our God, and of the depth of his Grace, the grace not only that He gives us in in terms of His forgiveness of what we have done, but also the depth of the grace that He gives us to love and forgive others when we totally submit to Him. Though it clearly takes two, I am firmly convinced that there is no difference so great, no sin so devastating, no addiction so deep that, if we are willing to come together to the foot of the cross, cannot be covered by his Mercy and Grace.

Sometime ago I blogged on the title “We no longer regard anyone according to the flesh.” This morning as I write, the Lord is fulfilling his promise to me, that He is working in me great grace. And he is working in me in both of the above aspects of His grace. In particular He is reminding me how far He has brought me, and the mercy and grace He showed me as I wrestled with my own baggage and addictions. But He is also showing me his tender heart for others who like me, have utterly failed. When I am walking in His Grace I cannot but help extending His Grace to others, and indeed I then no longer see them according to my flesh!

Father, truly your Mercy is great, truly your Grace is amazing. Thank you Father this morning for what You have worked in me in Mercy and the wherewithal to climb out of the hole that I had dug for myself. Thank You also Lord for the heart of compassion that You continue to give me for those who were where I was at! In Jesus Name Amen

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord

One of the many signs that I have allowed something to disturb my walk is the absence of joy. In fact I realized a long time ago, that we have to war for joy, that is we have to fight for it. Many years ago, before I came out of denial about my obsessive thinking, I was trying very hard both to honour my mother, and at the same time explain to her why I had not been able to really talk to her. We had been visiting her at her time of need. She had recently lost her second husband, and she had no idea how to grieve properly, and as a result she had been impossible!

As I tried in vain to find a way to say something she could hear, the Lord had given me a song based on the verse at the title of this post, from Isaiah 61:10. We sing it from time to time in our fellowship, and the lesson it teaches is something I think we all need over and over! At the time the Lord gave me this song, rejoicing in the Lord was the very last thing I was able to do.

Since I became a Christian, strained relationships have been difficult for me. Before I was a Christian I didn’t care. I used to say that the world was divided into two, those who loved me and those who hated me. And there were usually enough who loved me for me not to care about the others. But now suddenly it was very important for me to be able to connect with my mother. I am sure she loved me in her own way, but I didn’t feel loved, and now out of the blue, a relationship with her had become very important, hence the internal wrestling match. I was allowing it to rob me of my joy!

There is a saying that the Lord never gives an instruction that He does not with the instruction, also give the wherewithal to do it. I agree with this, but it doesn’t always come easy. In particular wrestling through to joy while always possible, often stretches me! And in the end for me, it only comes as I spend time with Him, sometimes long times. In His presence it becomes possible for me to choose to rejoice in the Lord.

Father, with Your help I can indeed choose to rejoice in the Lord always. Joy is part of the fruit of Your Spirit, but it is also commanded. Help me always to do my part in moving through my pain into joy. Thank You for the example of Jesus, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross despising the shame. In Jesus Name Amen

Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers

If we were to take everything in Scripture literally, this verse from 2 Corinthians 6:14, would be meaningless, since human beings do not wear wooden yokes. Indeed the yoke that Paul is referring to here was a device consisting of essentially two connected wooden collars that enabled a pair of oxen, to pull a single plow. An example of an unequaled yoke would be for example to put an old bull with a young one. The young bull would likely cause the plow to go in circles as he was stronger and more energetic.

The analogy of course is that if we are unequally yoked with an unbeliever in marriage for example, or in a business partnership, then one of the two will likely pull stronger in one direction. In particular, the unbeliever is unequipped to properly deal with the pressure, the deceit and lies of the enemy. The scriptures tell us that the only way to stand against the Evil one is to put on the whole armor of God, and part of this armor is the helmet of salvation. In addition, we make decisions based on our values, and no matter how ethical the unbeliever is, he or she does not, and cannot have the same values as the believer. In particular the primary goal of the believer is, or should be, to please the Lord.

There are times when it’s very tempting to think that this particular verse does not apply to a particular situation. I say this because I’ve been there, but I thank the Lord this morning for this verse, because in following this I have made a decision that disentangled my financial situation from an unbeliever. And having made the decision and held firm against very strong pressure not to, I have a sense this morning of freedom. With 20/20 hindsight I feel I would not have had had this had I yielded to the pressure.

Father, thank You for Your guidance, both in Your Word and in by the prompting of your Holy Spirit. Thank You too for the council of others. Truly Your Word is true, that if we acknowledge You in all our ways You will indeed direct our paths, and this keeps us safe. Thank You Jesus In Your Lovely Name Amen

He opens and no one can shut, and shuts and no-one can open

These are the words of Him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David (Revelation 3:7). These words are of great comfort to me this morning, as this week is likely to be the week that a deal I have been trying to negotiate for some time, either goes through or does not go through. In terms of what I actually want, I am far from clear. But there are indications, in terms of prophetic words, that I should continue to try this door.

Part of the prophetic word was that desires are delayed, so that the total peace that I normally require in order to go ahead with a decision, is itself a little confused. Another part of the same prophecy was, and I quote “Sometimes desires are delayed to walk in obedience while still not feeling it. That is faith! We can’t always rely/trust our own feelings.” Now, while this is a strong indication I should go ahead, everything needs to be tested! There are other less strong indications that I should try this door, but I still am in need of confirmation. For this reason I have offered a price that gives the Lord a lot of room to move. The offered price is not arbitrary, it is itself something that I have needed to be tested, and as far as I know at this time, this is the price I am supposed to offer. In fact there are reasons to believe that this offer will be rejected, but still the usual peace continues to be absent!

So then it’s a great comfort to me this morning, to know that He is the one who opens and no one can shut, and He is the one who shuts and no one can open. So in faith I choose to trust in spite of my feelings!

Dear reader, I covert your prayers!

Father, I have to admit that this is stretching me. But I do indeed choose to trust. Thank You for bringing this verse from Revelation to my attention this morning, it is part of the confirmation that I should leave the things I have initiated in Your hands, and to let the world unfold. Father I am going to need Your peace before the final decision is made. In Jesus Name Amen

One thing I have desired ……

My heart was stirred this morning as I was reminded of the teaching and passion of Mike Bickel that was essentially launched from the verse indicated in the title of this post (Psalm 27:4). It’s easy to forget in the midst of trials and difficulties, that Christianity is first and foremost a divine romance between Himself and us. It’s also easy to grow cold, and I thank God for the ministry of IHOP, no not pancakes, the International House of Prayer in Kansas City, that Mike was prompted to start.

I had heard of IHOP, and was fascinated. I was told there was a 24/7 prayer meeting that had at that time (2007) been going on for 8 years, and I decided to visit. At that point, prayer for me had been somewhat boring, and I wanted to know what was it that could sustain a prayer meeting 24 hours a day 7 days a week for 8 years. What it was all about was the “one thing.” The meetings consisted of a combination of prayer and worship and it was, and is wonderful. And what sustains it, is the passion for our beautiful bridegroom King. The full text of Psalm 27:4 is:

One thing I have desired of the LORD,
That will I seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the LORD
All the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the LORD,
And to inquire in His temple.

It’s all about intimacy, it’s all about worship, it’s all about going deeper with the Lord, about taking time in His presence, in meditating upon the beautiful God that He is. There is so much to meditate on, His amazing character as seen in Jesus and elsewhere, His mighty acts, His incredible Word, His amazing promises etc. etc.

Father, help me above all else, to put You first in my life, to seek You in an ongoing basis as the end and the goal of my life. Thank You for Your promise, that if I seek You and Your Kingdom first, then all the things that concern me will be added unto me. I praise and bless and worship Your holy and lovely Name in Jesus Name Amen

We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but we do wrestle!

I was recently reminded of this Philip’s paraphrase of Ephesians 6:12 (Philip’s as in my paraphrase). The NKJV version of this verse is “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

When I am in conflict with others, I need to be reminded over and over that the other person is not the enemy (our struggle is not against flesh and blood). I’m not saying the evil one is not using them, but at least half the time they are not aware that they are being used. On top of this after working the course on boundaries in the fellowship, the Lord has been showing me that in many ways I have been training others to deal with me the way that they do. In particular there have been times and seasons when I have allowed others to manipulate and control me.

Actually, I come by this honestly, it’s a generational thing. In fact I initially rebelled against what was happening in my family, and became manipulative and controlling myself. The Scripture says you reap what you sew, and this behaviour led to a broken marriage with its accompanying heartbreak. The good thing about that was that it led to my conversion.

I then proceeded to go the other way, and became open to being controlled and manipulated. And I have come to see that with my weak boundaries, by giving in when I should not have done, I did indeed train others to deal with me the way that they did. As they teach in the boundaries course, more often than not this will lead to an explosion, as the need to put up a boundary becomes a matter of life and death. At such points, we rarely get it right, and I did not, putting the brakes on to quickly resulting in numerous relational breakdowns. Some of these are still not mended years later. But the Lord has been showing me that in some ways I am still operating in codependent ways. Hopefully now I can deal with this more gently, but also more firmly. Again, as they tach in the boundaries course, I need His help, and the support of others in order to do this.

The point is I am beginning to realize that in certain aspects of my relationships, I am still being taken advantage of. This leaves me feeling unappreciated and disrespected. And how this fits in with this morning’s post, is that I need to see that the ones who are doing this are not the enemy. In fact I am finding that I need to apologize for training them the way I have. It is not good for them, and it’s not good for me!

Father, it seems Lord that our sinful fallen nature causes all kinds of problems both for ourselves and for others. It’s good to know that You are sovereign, that in spite of it all You remain in control. Thank You that You have promised me that You are working even all these things out for my good because I love You and are called according to Your purpose. Give me the courage to do the things that I now feel You are calling me to do in relationships, and help me to do it in a way that brings honour and glory to Your name. In Jesus Name Amen

Pursue peace with all, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord

Jesus tells in John 5:19 that He does only those things which she sees the Father do. In particular as a man He saw the Father. It is in this sense that I want to to blog this verse from Hebrews 12:14 this morning. It may well mean more than this, for example some think it refers to the second coming of the Lord, but I’m not going to get into that debate this morning. So it may mean more, but if it does, it certainly includes the sense I just described.

So at least part of what the Lord is telling us through this verse, is that if we want to walk like Jesus walked, and do the greater things that He promised (John 14:12) then there are certain steps that we need to take. And two of them are found things here in this verse. The first is that we should pursue peace with everyone. Thayer says of the word translated pursue that it means to seek after eagerly, to earnestly endeavour to acquire. So while we are to make strenuous efforts in this direction, the context (pursue holiness) clearly shows that it is not a peace at any price kind of pursuit. Also elsewhere in Scripture we are told as much as possible within us to pursue peace, clearly indicating that it is not always possible.

This Scripture is relevant to me this morning, as there is need within the fellowship for me to be a peacemaker. And it’s helpful to me to know again that it’s not always possible. The spirit of the age rejects correction, and it has strongly infiltrated the church. This means in particular, that if we seek to discipline even in love (and it certainly should be in love), then the one who needs correction will likely run. I know that this grieves the Father’s heart, because it grieves mine!

The second admonition here is to holiness. We talk a lot in our fellowship about hearing God’s voice, and about prophecy. So the relevance of this morning’s Scripture to this, is that without holiness our seeing and hearing is likely, if we hear or see at all, to be distorted.

Father, I repent on behalf of the church for our disunity, and our lack of holiness. I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of the people of unclean lips, and I long to see Your glory. Have mercy upon us Lord, and grant us repentance, unity and holiness in Jesus Name Amen

Therefore with joy you will draw water From the wells of salvation

It’s very easy to let the pressures and trials of life drag you down, and I’m speaking to myself this morning. You probably noticed that life is not easy! The verse at the head of this morning’s post, follows immediately on the heels of yesterday’s verse (Isaiah 12:2b), where we read “YAH, the LORD, is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation.’ The first part of this verse reads “ Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid.”

So then three times in these two verses Isaiah mentions salvation, and he says “Therefore…” In other words the assurance of salvation gives us the possibility of drawing joy from this salvation in the same way that you draw water from a well. And it starts with a decision “I will trust and not be afraid.” in particular, it is a choice to trust, and it is a choice not to be afraid. Perhaps you are saying “That’s easier said than done!” Well it’s not going to happen, without the perspective of the assurance of salvation.

So when troubles come, and they mount up one after the other, I need to counsel myself and tell myself “The Lord is my strength and my song” and “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord,” and “Lord I cast all my cares upon you!”

Jesus specifically instructs us in this. When the disciples came back rejoicing that the evil spirits were subject to them he told them “Don’t rejoice that the evil spirits are subject to you, rather rejoice that your names are written in heaven!”

Father, help me this morning to get this all in perspective. These trials are but for a moment, but salvation is for ever. I choose to rejoice in You this morning, and I give You all the honour and glory and praise in Jesus Name Amen

For YAH, the LORD, is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation (Isaiah 12:2b)

I was telling the other day about my friend who’s has a t-shirt which says “I don’t do adult,” and also about my prayer breathing in “Abba” and breathing out “I am your little boy!” In fact I can do adult today, and that is because the Lord is my strength and my song. I cannot do it without Him, but again as I surrender everything to Him, then I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. To me this is not just words! In fact I am being stretched in several directions at this point in time, stretched in terms of my role as leader of my small fellowship, stretched in terms of finances, stretched in terms of dealing with difficult relationships outside of the fellowship.

In addition to this, for the first time in my life, the Lord has provided a mature, Spirit filled sister in the Lord, who is partnering together with me in the gospel. With this combination, we are unstoppable. My salvation is secure, my relationship with Him and others is growing. The Lord has told me He has a 30 year plan for me, and that the number doesn’t matter. I recently had a significant healing to my knees. Prior to this going down steps was difficult, every step jarred my knees, and I would have to take one step at a time putting one foot down then bringing the other foot onto the same step. Now I am running both up and down stairs.

The Lord told me a long time ago, that he was going to renew my youth like the Eagle. Years ago I had an older friend who had received the same word, and it did not seem to work. It always puzzled me and caused me to doubt. On my recent trip to Vacaville California to a prophetic conference there, I learned that we have to war for our prophecy. Perhaps I will say more about this in another post, but for now I just want to say that such prophetic words do not happen automatically, we need to contend for them. Since Vacaville I have indeed been contending for a number of prophecies, and the healing in my knees is to me, confirmation of the 30 year plan He is promising me. I’m also starting to believe the verse that says He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or imagine.

Father, I want to praise and thank You this morning for an answered prayer this very morning. I prayed together with my sister for another sister who has been stuck for some time now. Shortly after I hung up the phone, I received a call informing me of the positive answer to this prayer. Truly Lord You are an awesome God. Truly You are my strength and song, and truly You are my salvation. Hallelujah! I pray these things in Jesus Name Amen

When I was a child, I thought as a child ..

The interconnections between psychology and faith, have fascinated me for a very long time. It is my observation that things that psychology teaches that are helpful for life, can all be found in principle form in the Scriptures. This morning I am thinking about the teaching on the inner child.

So first and foremost, the inner child needs a loving, nurturing, wise fathering figure, someone greater and higher and wiser and more loving and gentle than we are, but someone who also is willing to discipline us when we need it. Of course this goes further than psychology is willing to go, but that’s alright, psychology has not yet arrived!

The Scripture has something to say about discipline, in particular it says that no discipline is for the moment pleasurable, but that it has the potential to work the peaceable work of righteousness. When this portion of Scripture we are looking at today is applicable, and at some level it’s applicable to all of us, it can be quite hard to take.

The full verse from 1 Corinthians 13:11 is when I was a child, I thought as a child, I acted as a child. Now I am a man I put away childish things! This verse finds itself embedded in the love chapter, 1 Corinthians 13. So God is telling us, that there comes a time when we need to grow up, and the loving thing to do is to take responsibility for ourselves, and where appropriate for others too.

The where appropriate part, is relevant to me this morning, as I am beginning to see that my unconditional support of someone I love, is starting to turn into an enabling support. And I need to do the grown-up thing, of dealing with is a more appropriate way. This is not something I find easy (British understatement)! This is particularly true, since I am needing to do this in three different relationships at this time.

This growing up is not particularly easy. I jokingly say I still don’t know what I want to do when I grow up. A friend of mine has a T-shirt that says “I don’t do adult today!”

Father, I need your help to do the mature thing. Thank You that You are willing and able to give it as we submit to You. Thank You, thank You, thank You in Jesus Name, Amen

Whom the Lord loves, he chastens (Proverbs 3:12)

I have been asking the Lord to give me things with personal application to write to my blog. So when He suggested the title of this blog this morning, I had to ask Him if He was chasing me, and if so in what area.

Well I am being stretched in the area of finances at the moment, and this is new for me. In fact I have not had to worry about my financial situation for many years now. And without realizing it, my trust of finances was more in myself, that in the Lord.

In fact I had been telling the Lord during this same period, that my money is His money. But apparently I was fooling myself. This started to become clear last year, when I finished up with bedbugs in my rental property, and where one after the other my tenants left. And I was getting frustrated and angry. So the Lord was essentially asking me if it was His money why was I getting frustrated and angry.

So kicking and screaming I submitted and finally got the victory and cast all my cares on Him! But apparently that was only part of the lesson, part of the Lord gently asking me to “put my money where my mouth is” 😀! The point is that if I had fully learned the lesson, then this time of decision making on financial matters would not be so stressful! So is this a rebuke? Well yes, but it’s done in such a loving and gentle way, that I just feel loved and secure and encouraged to trust. In fact it is part of the confirmation that I should go ahead!

Father, thank You that you are never content to let us rest on our laurels. Thank You for Your patience with me, oh me of little faith. Thank You that You love me exactly as I am, but You love me far to much to leave me that way in Jesus Name Amen

Now we see in a mirror, dimly

I should have solved all the problems of the world when I was 16, while I still knew everything! I’m joking of course, but the point is, in the arrogance of youth, it’s easy to fail to realize how little you know.

The mirror that Paul was talking about in this phrase from 1 Corinthians 13:12, was the kind of mirror that was available in his day. They were essentially polished metal, and allowed for a relatively poor (or dim) reflection. The application of what he is saying is that what we see, what we understand is always limited. In fact, the more we know, the more we realize that we don’t know. And this is not even to distinguish between knowledge and wisdom!

The Christian, has the advantage of understanding that there is someone higher and greater and wiser than himself. And this One is ready and willing and able to share His knowledge and wisdom, when we acknowledge our need of Him, and ask!

This morning, as I continue to wrestle with what I want and what I don’t want in terms of a decision I am in the process of making, I am grateful that I can turn to Him. The fact is that I am experiencing some anxiety, and the easy way to get rid of that, is to make the safe choice. But I know myself well enough to know, that the safe choice can be boring, and that what I think I don’t want, can turn out to be the very best thing, and the very thing that with 20/20 hindsight I not only want, but I’m grateful for.

Father, thank You for showing me that what I am wrestling with is fear. I do not want to make decisions out of fear, but I also realize, that fear can be useful in keeping me on the right path. So so I claim James 1:5 again, confessing that I lack wisdom, and asking for it. Thank You that You have promised that it will be given, and I rest in that, in Jesus Name Amen

This light momentarily affliction… not worthy to be compared with the glory to be revealed

I was recently listening to the story of a lady who died at 103 years of age. She was sharp as a tack up until the last few weeks. When she was asked about the secret of her longevity, she mentioned two things. First and foremost was her intimate relationship with the Lord, but secondly it was her attitude to life which was that it doesn’t matter what happens to you, it’s how you deal with it. I think she is on to something here!

The title of this post is a combined quote from Romans 8:18 and 2 Corinthians 4:17. Most of us would not think that what Paul went through was light affliction, especially when you read the list of things he endured (1 Corinthians 11:22-28). But I don't think that Paul is making light of his sufferings, rather he is making a comparison. His afflictions are only light when comparison to the glory that is to be revealed. Very few of us have the glimpse of Glory that Paul had (2 Corinthians 12:2-4), but then neither have we endured his suffering, and we do have his witness!

In fact Paul tells us that eye has not seen nor ear heard nor has it entered into the heart of man what God has prepared for those who love Him (1 Corinthians 2:9). The words of the well known song come to mind "I can only imagine," but in fact Paul is telling us no matter how wonderful we can imagine eternity to be, our imaginations fall far, far short of the reality of it!

And there are two things here, and if we can keep them in perspective, it will surely make a huge difference, as with the little old lady, in how we our lives. The first thing is that He is working for us, through our standing up under our ups and downs, trials, difficulties and temptations, a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory (2 Corinthians 4:17b)! The second thing is to realize, that though our trials might seem to be going on forever, their duration is in fact less than a single moment in our eternal existence.

Father, in the end it's all about keeping my eyes on You. Lord please keep this perspective before me so that I may run the race with perseverance and joy. In Jesus Name Amen

I can be a big boy with a tiny Daddy, or a little boy with a great big Daddy

I was thinking this morning, that I will never outgrow the need to be reminded of the upside down kingdom. You know, the first shall be last in the last shall be first, and he who will be the ruler must be the servant of all. Jesus told us that unless we become as a little child, we cannot enter the kingdom.

I am thanking the Lord this morning, that he uses situations, circumstances and difficulties to remind us of these things. As I sat before Him this morning, He revealed to me that He has been working in a certain area of my life, working to have me totally release everything in this area to Him. I know Him well enough to know that He will have His way, and I can either cooperate with Him, or come to it kicking and screaming. The first way it is always the easiest.

So I can be a big boy with a tiny Daddy, or a little boy with a great big Daddy. I cannot be both! I was recently reminded of something that Graham Cook suggested. It was that we breathe in “Abba,” and breathe out “I am your little boy!” As I did that this morning I could tell him “I feel so secure!” A short time later I was feeling fear and insecurity. So I went back to breathing in “Abba” and breathing out “I am your little boy.”

Father, I choose this morning to be the little boy with a great big Daddy. Thank You that You know is so well. You know my frame, and You know I am but dust. I choose to trust You, and I choose to rest in You as my great big heavenly Daddy, in Jesus Name Amen

What was the very first incidence of peer pressure?

At some level we are all subject to the influence of others, no man is an island! And some of it’s good, and some of it’s not so good. When we think about peer pressure, we are thinking not only about negative influence, but some kind of accompanying pressure that comes along with it. This pressure, can come in many forms!

But what’s it all about, and how does it work? Probably the most effective peer pressure is when were not even aware that we are being pressured to conform or whatever. Some of it comes with manipulation “Do you want to do this now, or later?” The assumption behind the apparent option, is that you going to do it in any case. It's called control, and we may not consciously realize that we have a choice not to do whatever is being asked!

So what was the first incidence of peer pressure? Surely it was in the garden of Eden between Adam and Eve. We are told that she ate of the forbidden fruit, and that she also gave to her husband with her, and he ate (Genesis 3:6). In 1 Timothy 2:14, Paul tells us that Adam was not deceived, but his wife Eve was. I think it’s easy to miss the predicament that Adam found himself in. Eve had already eaten the fruit, it was a done deal. Now Adam had a choice, and in one sense, he had no excuse, he was not deceived, he knew that eating was wrong.

In effect, Eve’s eating the fruit left Adam with something of a dilemma. The choose not to eat, would surely put a wedge between him and Eve. To choose to eat would put a wedge between him and God.

We are not told anything about Adam’s thought process here. But from my own experience, I know that there have certainly been times when I slipped into doing the wrong thing without even really thinking about it. At some level, it’s surely the default, which without help we (I) would likely trip me up over and over!

Father, help me not to fall into the trap of pleasing others rather than pleasing you. And Father help especially in those times when the easiest thing is “just to let her slide by’” In Jesus name amen

Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth (Song 1:2)

There was a time when I had severe doubts about interpretations of the Song of Solomon that saw in it a picture of Christ and His bride. I no longer have such doubts. Certainly, if you insist on an overly logical/literal interpretation, then you are bound to have problems. The point is of course, that first and foremost, the song of Solomon was written as a love poem to Solomon’s Shulamite bride. But if we throw out allegory, mystery, prophetic symbolism and the like, then we will certainly have an impoverished understanding of God’s revelation, of how He communicates with us!

Western culture does this in spades, scientific knowledge is often regarded as the only reasonable means of knowing. But to take this view, is to dismiss the evidential power of beauty, music, the arts and even the reality of love!

This is not to say that logic is thrown out of the window, but needs to take its proper place. In particular divine logic, is greater than man’s logic. The Scripture itself teaches this. For example the wisdom of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing (1 Corinthians 2:?). With regard to the issue at hand, Paul essentially tells us that marriage is a picture of Christ and the church, His bride. And he tells us, lest we should indeed tend to be overly logical/literal, that this is a great mystery (Ephesians 5:32).

But what does this mean practically? I think we have to go back to the beginning, to even begin to understand the depth of what is being revealed here. In particular we need to realize that marriage in the 21st-century is tainted. But in the beginning it was not so. When the Scripture says that Adam and Eve were naked, and they were not ashamed (Genesis 2:25), it is talking not only about physical nakedness, but also about openness and vulnerability and a deep intimacy, that while it includes the physical, far exceeds it.

What I am saying, is that the best possible picture that we are intended to have of our relationship with God, is that of a perfect marriage. And I believe that Song of Solomon is intended to provoke us to move deeper into the amazingly intimate relationship that God intends for us to have with Him.

Father, I confess I am only just beginning to understand what intimacy with You is all about. In many ways I am still a little boy, not yet ready for the marriage to the Lamb. But Lord it’s not over yet, in fact it’s only just begun. Continue to draw me ever deeper into Your embrace, and I will give You all the honour and glory and praise in Jesus name amen.

Where do wars come from?

I was watching a BBC docudrama last night on the first world war battle of the Somme. I learned that more than 3 million men took part in this battle, one third of which were either wounded or killed. So I decided to investigate what it was that started the war. The direct cause is said to be the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand at Sarajevo on 28 June 1914. However many historians feel that a number of factors contributed to the rivalry between the Great powers that allowed war on such a wide-scale to break out.

In James 4:1 asks “Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your carnal desires that war in your members?” Reading about the factors mentioned above, we are told causes included rivalry between the powers that had formed alliances, crises that occurred before the war where nationalism and pride, the loss of face had occurred in a number of crises that took place before the war etc., etc. All this fits well with the James is telling us!

And the carnage was oh so futile. In the end after almost 5 months of fighting the lines had moved a mere 10 km into German occupied territory. And if it really did start with the death of just one man? Jesus tells us that the Evil one came to kill and to steal and to destroy (John 10:10a). He does such a good job!

But it's not only physical wars that cause carnage and are futile. The 21st century is littered with the devastation caused by divorce, separation, pride, arrogance, greed, and the over emphasis on personal rights to the exclusion of the rights of others. As we move more and more into the post-Christian era, it is more and more imperative, that we who name the name of Christ operate out of a very different paradigm! There is not one of us who is qualified to cast the first stone!

Father, have mercy upon us, have mercy upon me. As James again tells us, in many things we all fail (James 3:2). That's me Lord! Father, I pray again the prayer from Sunday’s post "Lord show me the part that I need to play in putting to death the deeds and the desires of the flesh. Thank you that it’s not all up to me, thank you that you perform that which is lacking, when I give you my all. In Jesus name Amen"

that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings

In context (Philippians 3), Paul has been telling us that he had to loose all the things he formerly valued, in order to gain the things he now treasured. The former treasures, he tells us, hindered him from gaining the new treasures. They hindered him from gaining Christ, and from the righteousness which is from God by faith. Finally they prevented him from knowing Christ and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His suffering.

Probably a first reaction for most of us to this last treasure, would be to think well I would be more than happy to enter into his resurrection power, but I’m not so sure about the fellowship of his sufferings! But what does it even mean, the fellowship of his sufferings?

I think of this a little bit like buddies in a war. The trials and trauma and difficulties are the very things that knit their friendship together as they go through these things together. And in the end it forges their friendship into an unbreakable friendship. The Lord wants to do likewise with us.

Part of the problem though, is that we forget that we are in a war, and this is at least partially because the enemy is invisible. in Ephesians 6, Paul tells us that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers against the rulers of this age! And because we don’t live in the reality of this, we fail to see our struggles, trials and difficulties in the light of what they really are. This morning I am being reminded that all these things have the enormous potential to draw us deeper into our relationship with Christ!

To continue the war analogy, soldiers get hurt, wounded. And when they do, there is a necessary time of convalescence. And at the end of this convalescence, there is likely a reluctance to get back into the battle. And it seems to me that that is exactly where I am this morning, and it’s scary! I covet the prayers of anyone reading this. Thank you!

Father, thank You that You promise never to leave me nor forsake me. Thank You Lord that when I fully surrendered, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Father the serenity prayer comes to mind again “Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.” In Jesus Name Amen

If by the Spirit you put to death the deeds and the desires of the flesh you shall live

The title of this post is a combination of quotes from Romans 8:13, and Galatians 5:24. I put them together because they have a similar theme, and it is the substance of a prayer that I have prayed over and over. In particular I have prayed “Lord help me to do my part in putting to death the deeds of the flesh, and also to do my part in crucifying the desires of the flesh.”

In the Romans quote Paul says “If by the Spirit, you put to death the deeds of the flesh you shall live!” I see a cooperation here with the Lord. It is by the Spirit, but also it is me putting to death the deeds of the flesh. In Romans 7, Paul tells us that he does the things he does not want to do, and he does not do the things that he wants to do, and then he cries out “Who will deliver me from this body of death?” He answers Jesus Christ the Lord! He immediately tells us that there is now therefor no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. The (in my opinion) inappropriate chapter division, can mask that He want us to rest in our salvation. This does not mean we can take it for granted (see below)

I long ago discovered that (at least most of the time) God does not overrule our self will, but I also know that the deeds and the desires of the flesh do not die easily. So morning by morning I need to come to Him in full and complete surrender. We see the balance I am talking about here in Philippians 2:12, 13. In verse 12 Paul tells us that we need to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. It is indeed about total surrender. Then in verse 13, he tells us why. It is because God is at work in the wherewithal to help us to do what we cannot do without Him, but He also works to change our desires.

In Psalm 37:4, the psalmist tells us that if we delight ourselves in the Lord, He will give us the desires of our heart. The point is that when we delight ourselves in Him, we are essentially giving Him permission to change our desires to bring them into conformity to His perfect, and life-giving will.

Father, this morning as I struggle between excitement and sheer terror at the decision I am needing to make, I want Your perfect will. And I come back to the verse You underlined for me yesterday morning, that if I acknowledge You in all my ways You will indeed direct my paths. Thank You Lord for your settling, life-giving peace. I give You all the honour and all the glory and all the praise in Jesus name amen.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths

As I come to the Lord this morning, I am facing a decision (likely today) that could change my life for better, or for worse. A “no” is safe, but a “yes”, while it has great potential also comes with great complications. This is one of those decisions that I need to get right. If it’s wrong there could be headaches for a very long time. But if it’s right then, as the last part of the above quote from Proverbs 3:5, 6 in the amplified version has it, He will make my paths straight and smooth [removing obstacles that block my way].

So what does it mean to lean not unto my own understanding? Well His ways are higher than my ways, and His thoughts higher than my thought (Isaiah 55:9). In particular, He knows what is best, He sees the future, and His perspective is an eternal perspective. So I told Him this morning “If this is of You, then in spite of my doubts and fears, I want it. And if this is not of You I want to run from it like the plague.” For me part of putting the Proverbs quote into practice is getting my will into neutral, and the prayer I just prayed is a big part of that.

Father, they say faith spelt r– i – s – k. If I say “no,” and it should be a “yes,” then I risk missing part of my destiny. If I say “yes,” and it should be “no,” then I risk storing up a whole lot of trouble for myself. But what I know for sure Lord, is that even if I get it wrong You will redeem it. So I’m choosing to trust You this morning because, as far as I know, I am indeed acknowledging You especially in this, and I so I am believing Your promise of guidance and direction. In Jesus Name Amen