Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ

Even after over 40 years of being a Christian, and spending at least some time every day in the Word, there is still times when I read something and it sounds to me like mumbo-jumbo. I have learned however, that I am always missing something when I feel this way. I have been asking the Lord every morning to give me something first and foremost for me, but also something to share on my blog. In fact he gave me the above verse yesterday from Ephesians 1:3, and I had no idea what to do with it.

Since he had given me nothing else this morning, I thought I had better start to meditate on it! Let me start with the thought that he has blessed us with every spiritual blessing, and that these blessings are in heavenly places, and that they are in heavenly places in Christ.

As I thought about the phrase “in Christ,” which at first sight seemed to be just tacked onto the end, I was drawn to Colossians 2:3 which tells me that in Christ “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” These treasures are hidden! On the other hand “it is the glory of God to conceal the matter, but the glory of Kings to search them out” (Proverbs 25:2). We of course, are kings (Revelation 5:10)!

So our spiritual blessings, which include the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, are hidden in Christ, and in heavenly places. The picture that I have of this, is that there are things, treasures, that are available to those who are in Christ, and that we need, so to speak, to pull them down into the here and now. In particular when God gives us a promise, since He is outside of time, He sees them as already accomplished, already fulfilled. So we need to see things from this perspective and to stand in faith to receive them. In this way we follow Abraham who “believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did” (Romans 4:17).

Father, thank You for these thoughts which help me to see, that I have only just begun to see what You have laid up and made available to me and all who love You. I know that it is Your desire that I seek the things which are above where Christ is (Colossians 3:1). Continue to draw me to Yourself, continue to open my eyes to all that You have for me, and please increase my hunger for You and for Your Kingdom in Jesus Name Amen

no ear has heard and no eye has seen a God like you, who works for those who wait for Him!

Waiting has never been an easy for me, I wrote a song about it years ago with a first line which said “Wait, by far the hardest lesson I’ll ever learn.” Nearly half a century later, I still do not find it easy, but unlike back then, I know the One on whom I am waiting. In particular, the One on whom I wait continues to give me promises and encouragements along the way. His encouragement to me this morning was the hilarious YouTube testimony I had posted some time ago, and of which Facebook reminded me this morning. It’s worth watching

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrbfRyQL3fo&feature=youtu.be&em=

There are times when God does crazy things to encourage me in waiting for Him. In and through the above testimony, He was reminding me again this morning not to limit Him. In hearing the above testimony, so many promises came to mind. In addition to the promise in the title of this post from Isaiah 64:4, I heard “I am making a road in the wilderness, and a river in the desert” (Isaiah 43:19). Also the song “He works in ways you cannot see, he will make a way for me!”

Father, thank You for reminding me this morning of Your exceedingly great and precious promises (2 Peter 1:4). Thank You for Your promise that You will do exceedingly abundantly above all I ask or imagine. After all I’m your favourite son. I don’t understand how everyone is your favourite son or daughter, but I believe it. Thank You that I do not have to wait alone, that You wait with me. You are with me every step of the way, You will never leave me nor forsake me. Your promises are true, I believe You in Jesus name amen

I am the chiefest of sinners

I know of a pastor, who made no attempt to disguise who he was talking about in his sermon illustrations. In fact he would even use their real name! The facts may be correct, but the action is very wrong. And part of why it is, is that when this sort of thing happens, church ceases to become a safe place. In fact it becomes toxic.

A verse that comes back to me over and over is James 5:16. It says “Confess your faults one to another, and pray for one another that you may be healed.” Confession does need to be to one to another, and it needs to be in a safe place. It is not healing if it is me me confessing your faults, or you confessing mine. So we need to be very careful if we are going to use this kind of experience to make a point, be it in sermons or in our conversations. If we are not careful it can become gossip! So we need to change the names to protect both the innocent and guilty. But it’s not just the names we need to change. The Lord prompted me to take down a post this morning, because although I did not mention any names, I may have revealed enough information for someone to know exactly who I was talking about. And if even one person could guess....

This is not the first time that this sort of thing has been brought to my attention, and I was feeling bad about it this morning. In particular the declaration in the title of this post from 1 Timothy 1:15, is hitting home with me. In fact, I realized early on, that as a teacher what I said, what my attitude towards a student was, could deeply impact them in either a positive or negative way.

This sort of thing is part of why James tells us not to be many teachers (James 3:2). The point is that what many would consider a little sin in this area, can have a ripple effect rather like what happens when you drop a pebble in a glassy smooth pond. The effects can go on, and on, and on. So I found myself beating myself up this morning, feeling that I should have known better.

This beating up on ourselves, seems to be very common, but it is part of the fretting that causes harm (Psalm 37:8). Sometimes, the hardest person to forgive is yourself. So I told myself this morning “I give myself a gift I do not deserve, the gift of forgiveness. And I accept Your forgiveness Lord, and Your cleansing.” I was wrong, and I apologize for any harm I may have caused! Please forgive me.

But let perseverance completed its work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing

In many ways I can identify with the child’s cry on a long journey “Are we nearly there yet mom?” I’m talking about my own desire to get out from under the trials and temptations and tribulations that are the lot of all of us in life. And I know that the Lord is often far more interested in the journey, and how we handle the journey, than He is in our arriving the destination.

I have been waiting over 20 years for the fulfillment of a promise He gave to me. And He has confirmed it in many ways. He even recently fulfilled a promises e gave me in the same period of time, but still I do not find waiting easy. So what does it mean, to let patience or perseverance complete its work? Well first and foremost, it is not intended to be passive. The “But” in this quote from James 1:4, links it to the previous admonition in verse 2 where we are told to count it all joy when we find ourselves in these trials, tribulations and temptations.

Joy, is part of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22), but it is also commanded both here and in Philippians 4:4 where we are told “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice.” If I’m understanding this correctly, we are being told that we have a part to play in living in joy, and He has a part to play too. When we do our part He will do His. And in fact, I need to be reminded of my part over and over.

So what is my part? Verse 3 says “knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.” In particular it’s about knowing something, it’s about knowing that our faith is being tested, and that this testing has a purpose. It’s our growth, it’s about being made more and more like Jesus (Romans 8:29). Most of us are a long way from this, I am! No wonder it takes a long time.

I am not like Jesus, but I want to be. He is my hero, my supreme example of someone who lived fully for God. It is said of Him “Who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross despising the shame” (Hebrews 12:2). So what we are being told here, is that these trials, tribulations and temptations, are barriers the other side of which is joy. And what we need to do is push through the pain to joy!

Father, You have promised “Sorrow may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5)! I choose to rejoice again this morning, trusting that when I do my part You will do Yours. Thank You for the many promises that help me to live the Christian life. Thank You that You have not left me to struggle alone. Your Spirit is with me for ever! I thank You in Jesus Name Amen

There is nothing harder to open, then a closed mind

This phrase was spoken last night, in the context of a recovery group in which I am a leader. The context was within steps one and four of a traditional twelve-step program. Step one has to do with coming out of denial. Step four is about being willing to share our faults with one safe person. Step four is a biggie, and it is the step which many either skip, or quit the program. But, as the Scripture affirms, this is the step that brings healing (James 5:16).

The phrase however, is applicable much more widely than the context of recovery. Having spent my entire career in academia, it never ceases to amaze me how closed minded are those involved in research. It amazes me, because surely research is trying to get out the truth, but they don’t even believe truth exists! I see it over and over, doctors who dismiss chiropractors as quacks, and chiropractors who dismiss doctors because of the overuse of drugs. I have seen it in philosophers who dismiss out of hand any school that is not theirs. I have seen it in scientists who reject from the beginning the possibility of the divine, and who then turn round and say with the utmost confidence, that science disproves God. They are blind to their circular reasoning. Unfortunately, I have also seen it in church, where my group or denomination is thought to hold the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

Many of us when we were young (me too), thought we had arrived, or at least thought we were pretty close to having arrived. We should have solved the problems of the world while we still knew everything! But realistically, even in our own chosen specialty, most of us experience the Eureka moment when we realized that the more we knew, the more we realized there is to know. And yet we still have the tendency to think that our chosen field is the most important, even if it’s wrapping cigars in Cuba!

The Scripture exposes two equal and opposite errors. The first, is ever learning but never arriving at the knowledge of the truth (2 Timothy 3:7). The second is feeling that we have arrived, “And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know” (1 Corinthians 8: 2).

Father, please keep me from both of these errors. After forty-five years I know that even in my narrow specialty within a narrow specialty, I know very little compared with what is known, what can be known know, and what will be known in the future. In fact Your Word tells me that in these latter days, knowledge will increase (Daniel 12:4). Please give me a listening heart to listen, especially to those with whom I disagree. But also do not let me lapse into doubt about the truths You have firmly established in my life. Truly You are the way the truth and the life, I would not have survived without You. In Jesus Name Amen

Cast all your cares on Me, for I care for you

One of the ways of meditating on Scripture, is to personalize it. For example “God so loved Phil Heath, that He gave His one and only Son…” (John 3:16). In personalizing this command from 1 Peter 5:7, the admonition is to cast all our cares upon Him etc., but this morning I was hearing Him say to me “Cast all your cares on Me Phil, I care for you!”

I woke this morning in danger of fretting over four separate things in my life. It is my goal, aim, and determination to live in the moment, and to live my life from a position of rest. These four things, most of which I can do nothing about especially at this time, threatened to rob me of my peace and my joy. The Lord reminded me of this Scripture, and I proceeded to lay each of the four things at His feet. So now, after having done this and quieted and myself down, I am back in peace!

It has taken me a long time to come to the place where I can do this, where I can live my life this way. For me, the secret is taking time morning after morning, to come and sit quietly in His presence, and in the idea of this morning’s verse, to bring everything that would disturb my peace to Him. It took even longer to learn to leave it there, but in the end it’s all about fostering my relationship with Him, and guarding it by keeping short accounts by confessing failures to Him and to those to whom I have made myself accountable. It is then possible with His help, to "be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).

Father, it is so easy to be drawn away from these things (James 1:14). Thank you that I don’t have to do this all by myself. Thank You that You are for more willing to keep me in fellowship with You than I am to stay there. Thank You for reminding me of this verse this morning, thank You for helping me to hide Your Word in my heart, so that the Holy Spirit can bring such verses to my attention when I need them. Father please help those who are reading these posts to come to the same place of peace, rest and hope in You. In Jesus Name Amen

That’s what I want when I die

We had lingered too long the faculty club, I needed to get him to the airport, and I needed to get back to class. I heard the siren, and pulled over, and went to his window before he could get out. He took my drivers license, and after he had checked in to make sure I was not a local drug Lord, or that I was not driving a stolen car he said to me “You were speeding sir.” 'Yes,' I said. Taken completely aback by my honesty he could do nothing but exclaim “What!” 'Yes, I told him 'I was speeding.' “Go on, get out of here,” he said dismissing me with his hand. When I got back in the car, it’s what I said to my friend 'That’s what I went when I die!' “What?” 'Mercy, not justice!'

It wasn’t the fear of what will happen when I die that brought me to the Lord. No, it was more in response to “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28 – 30).

I had come under heavy conviction concerning my self-centred rebellious lifestyle. I had tried to turn over a new leaf, it had not worked. I had tried, but I had built up appetites that demanded to be satisfied, and slowly at first, but then more rapidly I fell flat in the mud on my rear end! And my letter state was far worse than the former on (Luke 11:24-26). I didn't know then that I needed Him to change my desires and to give me the wherewithal to do what I could not do without Him (Philippians 2:12,13).

This morning, sitting on my bench outside in my winter coat in the dark, I was remembering the turmoil of my former life. And I was savouring the peace, the joy and the rest that I had entered into, which is promised to me and to all who fully follow Him.

Father, I want to thank You this morning, that more that more I am entering into the fullness of life in You. The line from the song “I need You more,” comes to mind “and I never want to go back to my old life!” I praise and blessed Your holy name this morning Father, and I give You all the honour, and the glory and all the praise in Jesus Name Amen!