Wait

Why are you in despair my soul, and why are you restless within me?  Wait for God, for I will again praise Him for the help of His presence, my God.   

NASB Psalm 43:5

Time can be such a challenge.  Our world is defined by time.  God is.  Present.  Now.  Our times are in His hands.  In His hands, we meet the reality of His decreed fullness of time or His now moment.  As His created beings, subject to His purposes, we must learn to wait for the fullness of our time.  We have a birthing time, a growing time, a preparation time, all working until the now moment of our time.  Then our time comes to an end and we move to heaven. 

It’s in the moments of waiting that we can find, as expressed in todays Psalm, despair of soul and restlessness within.  Moments or seasons that demand the discipline to wait and to wait patiently birth character and strength. 

Wait patiently for the Lord, be strong and courageous (take heart) and wait for the lord.  Psalm 27:14

I wait for the Lord,  my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.  

Psalm 130:5

When you study the concept of waiting, you will note how interchangeably translations utilize hope or wait to infer the same concept. Waiting in hope, waiting with expectation are inclusive.  It isn’t waiting if there is neither hope or expectation of fulfillment. I’ve written about the book “The Patient Fermenting of the Early Church”.  The expression of theses first disciples faith, hope and love as they waited and longed for the return of the Lord should be significantly visible in our lives today.  

Alec J. Motyer writes in his commentary on the book of Exodus; “ Knowing the will of God for every every day things, as well as for the big life changing decisions is a huge topic, but the example of Israel in the wilderness lays down a great fundamental principle. Israel did not seek guidance, they waited for it, because the directive will of God was expressed to them by the movement of the cloud, Exodus 40: 36-38. For them, guidance was a matter of waiting and watching. So also for Jesus: as for Isaiah 50:4- 5, the will of God was made known to him in the daily disciplined and privilege of meeting with the Lord and waiting upon him ‘morning by morning’ for his word.

It is in this position of waiting that we meet our (and others) pressure (temptations) to act.  Psalm 106:13 reminds us Israel “ so forgot what he had done and did not wait for his plan to unfold, NIV.  The NLT reads, “yet how quickly they forgot what he had done, they wouldn’t wait for his council”. We have several Proverbs, 19:2, 21:5, that speak to todays well known proverb, “act in haste, repent in leisure”.  

We also know from proverbs that man holds many of his own plans, but it is only the counsel of the Lord that stands. God watches over his word to perform. It’s vain to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows, for so he (God) gives his beloved sleep (rest).  In others words you can make it happen!  God is the creator, the performer.  Jesus said our works were to believe.  This frees us from all anxiety and stress to perform.  Our job is to wait upon Him and continue to hope in His promises.

We are familiar with the words from Isaiah 40:28-31…”but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength”.

Where there is despair and restlessness there is a need for renewing.  Acts tells us times are refreshing are in the presence of the Lord.  Repentance may be required, but He is faithful to strengthen, his mercies are new every day, so….

Why are you in despair my soul, and why are you restless within me? 

Wait for God, for I will again praise Him for the help of His presence, my God.   

In Spite of this …..

Yet in spite of this Word, you did not believe the Lord your God. 

Deuteronomy 1:32 ESV

I’m not a Hebrew or Greek scholar, but I love word studies.  I find it helpful when studying the Old Testament to take advantage of various Jewish resources.

Imagine my surprise when I learned Deuteronomy was not a Hebrew word but Ancient Greek. The Jews call this book in the Torah, ‘Devarim’ which literally means words.    Here’s what chabad.org had to say ~ 

Moses recaps the major events and laws that are recorded in the Torah’s other four books. Thus the book of Devarim is also called Mishneh Torah, “Repetition of the Torah” (and hence its Anglicized-Greek name, Deuteronomy, or “Second Law”).
 

Deuteronomy rehearses the history of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt and their journey thus far in the wilderness. Moses once again emphasizes God’s words, Israel’s response, and the consequences of their choices. It is the reflection of forty years of leading a nation. 

I hold mixed emotions as I read this book of ‘words, which causes me to reflect on my personal history with God.  Deuteronomy 8:2 reminds me that life with God is constantly being tested.  

And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not.

Paul wrote to the church in Corinth about Israel’s history. These testimonies have been written for our examples that ‘we might not desire evil as they did.’  Paul calls their idolatry, sexual immorality, and murmuring evil.  He notes how they put God to the test with their practices, and the Destroyer ultimately destroyed some.  

 Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. 1 Corinthians 10:11

 Because we experience nothing in this life that is not common to all, God’s word always prepares us and offers us the way of escape. There is nothing new under the sun.  

It is how we respond to the words God speaks that reveals the matters of heart.  

Hebrews chapter three tells us Israel did not enter into the rest of God (his promised land) because of their evil heart of unbelief. It is never about our ability but always about our trust In God.

Joshua and Caleb’s words are recorded in Numbers 14 as they spoke to the congregation affirming the exceedingly good land, saying, “If the Lord is pleased with us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it to us….only do not rebel against the Lord; and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey.  Their protection has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.”

When giants in the land are more significant than God and we are as grasshoppers in our own sight, human reasoning rules, hearts get hard, and hearing becomes dull.  Yet God’s word to them then continues to us; ‘Today if you hear his voice, harden not your hearts’.  We are to guard against the evil of an unbelieving heart. 

God gave the nation ten times to come to terms with the promise of His words before He judged their unbelief.   I’m so thankful that our covenant with God through the blood of Jesus enables us to receive forgiveness every time we confess our sins.  

Jesus sets a human standard for us that reflects the vastness of God’s heart when he tells his disciples, ‘forgiveness must be given seven times seventy’  when dealing with others, Matthew 18:22.  Under our new covenant established upon better promises, we are met by our Father who is rich in mercies that are new every day.  Great is His faithfulness to a people who are willing to live before him in a posture of submission and humility.  Moses' life of intercession on behalf of the nation kept them alive in their times of rebellion. This wasn’t about their ability.  It was about their trust in God.  

This week, I am watching my life and reflecting on any words God has spoken to me that deserve this rebuke…..

Yet in Spite of this Word, you did not believe the Lord your God. 

It is a suitable pause for reflection and, if necessary, repentance. Realignment keeps us moving forward into His promised word.

Wisdom and understanding

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding….

Proverbs 3:5

The Bible tells us Jesus had the ‘spirit without measure’.  Isaiah chapter eleven illustrates the seven Spirits of God as the fulness of wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge and the fear of the Lord.   As we process our verses today I want to highlight the help we have been given as Spirit filled believers so we will not lean to our own understanding.

Helps Word Study defines lean from the Greek (SN 8172) shāʿan as properly, to lean on, be supported; choosing the means of support (rely on).

  From the book of Acts we learn the first disciples to experience the promised outpouring of the Spirit, were ‘all filled with the Spirit’.  From Paul’s writings to the church at Corinth we learn the gifts of the Spirit were given to profit and edify the body of Christ.

From 1 Corinthians 14 we learn the manifestations of these Seven Spirits, or the fulness of the Holy Spirit, operate to exhort, comfort and edify the church.  Jesus’ promise of the Holy Spirit to be in us and with us, is to be our help.

1 Corinthians 2:6–16 (ESV):

Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. 7 But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord

of glory. 9 But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”— 10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.  For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him?  So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. 13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. 14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they 15 The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. 16 “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

So when we come back to Proverbs 3 and it tells us ‘to trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not to our own understanding’, we find through the help and direction of the Holy Spirit, wisdom from God that gives us the God perspective needed.

In the acknowledging of Him, in all our ways, we find direction.  His reproofs and corrections (3:11-12)  are proofs of His love and when heeded, set us back on the road to life that verses 16-18 refer to.

The admonition to not be wise in our own eyes, verse 7, is the call to humility.  Fear the Lord is our command to submit and obey. The evil we are to turn from is the leaning on  of our own understanding.  Finding wisdom and gaining understanding (verse 13) is the blessing that comes from acknowledging Him.

I find in my own world, there is always a word God has decreed that can sustain me, if I will trust it.  When we continually acknowledge him, his word, his ways, above our understanding, choosing to trust and lean upon Him, he will direct and make straight our paths.  I will find His wisdom and hold His understanding.

Resurrection Sunday

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of his salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now, for a little while, you may have had to suffer grief and all kinds of trials.”

1 Peter 1:1-6 NIV

Today we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which has given every believer  ‘new birth into a living hope’.

To the early disciples, this “living hope” Peter writes about, meant the assurance of a future eternal life with an inheritance kept in heaven.  Truly in all this, we too can greatly rejoice.  While we are not able to always control our external circumstances, Peter noted in his letter we may suffer adversity, but when we do, we do so knowing and believing that in this world facing trouble we are still of good cheer because Jesus has overcome the world through his death and resurrection. 

As children of God, even in our inability to control external events, we can control our internal realm.  Righteousness, peace and joy are ours to freely choose at all times. God has not given us a spirit of fear but one of power, love and a well ordered, disciplined mind.  Choice is always ours.  The resurrection is our proof and guarantee of life to the one who chooses to believe. 

Jesus himself declared in John 10:10 the thief comes to steal, kill and destroy but I am come that you might have life and have it more abundantly.  The obvious tactic of the evil one is to remove every hope about the life Jesus’ resurrection gives, both now and eternally.

Jesus’ own testimony from John 11:25, “I am the resurrection and the life.  Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.”

According to Hebrew 2:14, Jesus came to destroy the one who had the power of death and deliver mankind from the fear of death.

From Romans 1 we learn concerning Jesus, he was declared to be the son of God by this resurrected life. The amplified translation renders verse four ….

    4and [as to His divine nature] according to the Spirit of holiness was openly designated to be the Son of God with power [in a triumphant and miraculous way] by His resurrection from the dead:

This life that Jesus displayed as the son of man and the life that is assured to every believer by his resurrection from the dead was seen when he presented himself alive to his disciples by many proofs, Acts 1:3.  This gives the one who believes great hope not only in this life but the one we expectantly look for and wait on.

Romans 8:29 tell us because Jesus is the first born he has made the way for many brethren to share in this resurrected life.  

And as Paul wrote to the church of God in Corinth from 1 Corinthians 15 …… 

14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised.16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. 20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. . 

This living hope that we hold fast to, is a sure and steadfast anchor for our souls in the good and the troubling times of life.  

So what does resurrection mean for us?  A living hope for life now, and forever more.  The confidence we place upon His resurrected life enables us to boldly declare “Death where is your sting?  Grave where is your victory?’ 

Our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus Christ, and we confess He is Risen.  

He is risen indeed.  

For.Give

“…and Jesus said, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

Luke 23:34

We can find two aspects in our scripture today teaching us about forgiveness.  First, the heart of God is for.giving mercy and second, like Christ, our hearts must hold the same.  

I believe, as Christians, our ability to forgive others stems from a heart that understands how much we’ve been forgiven. To whom much is given much is required,  are the words of Jesus from Luke 12:48. 

Jesus also relays a parable from Luke 7 about forgiveness and sums it up by telling us the one who has been forgiven much loves much.  

As we approach our Christian celebration of the Easter Holiday, we highlight the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord and Saviour,  Jesus Christ.  Each gospel book records this event, yet only Luke records our scripture today,“Father forgive them, they know not what they do.”  

The greatest truth in our gospel story of Jesus Christ is that while we were yet sinners Christ died for the ungodly.  

But God clearly shows and proves His own love for us, by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  Romans 5:8 

Our celebration from Good Friday through Resurrection Sunday is the story of redemption based upon the love and forgiveness God extended to all mankind through the gift of his son’s life.  

The will to surrender His only son, displays the immeasurable riches of Gods love for all.  

My prayer is that we would hold the power of this truth as a daily and vital standard for well being.  Mindful of how much we have been forgiven; mindful that Jesus was not sent to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him, enables us to freely give what we have freely received.   

Did God Say...?

What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.”  James 4:15 NLT

The danger of presumption is the false belief that it carries the approval of God.  James began his thought in chapter three verse five, highlighting the tongue as such a small member yet boasting great things.  He continues in verse six calling the tongue a fire which can stain the whole body and sets on fire the entire course of life. Which, by implication, means presumption and boasting is fed by the strategies of Satan and works to produce our separation from God.

Let’s recall the proverb, ‘man plans his own way, and when it doesn’t turn out right, he rages against the Lord.’  (My translation.)  With this in mind, we’d better ask and answer for ourselves the question, “Did God really say…”?

This is not just a great individual test for good, it is also our greatest temptation. You can see from Eve’s temptation in the garden, even knowing what God had said, did not prevent her from being tempted. Every temptation holds a test to prove what is in the heart of man.

Our foundation must be our assurance of what God has saId. We hold a God breathed living Rhema word from the Lord that directs our steps.

Most of us understand the difference between Logos being the written word of God, and Rhema as the spoken word of God.   We have the value of this written word of God, yet each of us must attend to this so that the Holy Spirit is able to take this word and make it a “rhema’ to us. It must hold the breath of God on it to become a living word in my heart.

We don’t get to pick and choose a word that seems right in our own minds.  We search the scriptures diligently until we sense the Spirit breathing upon a word and then we take the time to process this with our Father, allowing Him to bring the Yes and Amen.

Without this process we are presuming upon the goodness and grace of God,  We don’t want to enter into something ‘thinking’ this is okay with God, we want the assurance that God has said!

If we follow the example set before us in Abraham’s life, we can learn how God speaks and leads.  Abraham has the first encounter with God and is instructed to go.  We find Abraham going, not knowing wither, Hebrews 11:8.  Most of us would like to sit and wait to know the wither, the why and the what that is going to happen when we get there.

Abraham left by faith, knowing nothing more than God Had said I will show you a land.  I will make your name great.  I will bless you.  Apparently this is all that is needed to go.  There is no word of God that is void of power.  The spoken word carries with it all the grace needed to obey.  Sometimes it is a matter of stepping out and walking the land to find this isn’t the land I am to settle in, but it never makes having taken the journey wrong.

Our need to understand the beginning, the middle and the end of our life’s journey require more than human reasoning.  If you take the time to study Abraham’s story you will find a journey of discovery.  Every step brought Abraham into the greater purposes of Gods plan and a greater understanding of who God is, how He works and what He demands.

Our own journey is to be walked out in the same way, with the same workings of God. The difference between faith and presumption is what God has initiated.

Processing

   Great is our Lord, and abundant in power and his understanding is beyond measure.

Psalm 147:5

Let us never loose sight of our Father as God Almighty and Sovereign in all His ways. With Him all things are possible.  He is the Lord, the God of all flesh. Our walk with him is one of continual adjustment and alignment.  Asking and seeking; processing, are all necessary parts of our discovery of him. All of this adjustment and discovery takes place through our life’s daily affairs.  Let us always remember our Father is patient with us in the process.  He is long-suffering. 

It helps to remember that in all things God is working with his creation, as the potter works the clay.  There is nothing that transpires in our life that God does not hold wisdom and understanding for us.  It’s simply unveiled through the process of life,  revelation comes from the asking and seeking; the discovery.     

Job assigned fault to God in what he considered were his unjustified circumstances until his great revelation, then he fell into agreement with God.  

Job 42:2. “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted

There is a proverb that says “there are many plans in the heart of a man but it is the counsel of the lord that stands.” Proverbs 19:21. When we plan our own way without his counsel and it doesn’t unfold according to our expectations, this proverbs again tells us our hearts fret (rages) against the Lord, verses 2-3.

    James 1:20, AMP: “The resentful deep seated) anger of man does not produce the righteousness God (that standard of behaviour which he requires from us).” That anger or frustration positions us to process our own thoughts and intents, with and through Him, until we completely humble ourselves under His hand.  ‘Not my will but yours be done’, is our wrestling until submission reigns and rules. 

Certainly in our crisis and pain we want him to remove all conflict and pain.  Yet in some matters, that’s not for our best. Even Jesus prayed, in a critical time of pain, “My Father if it be possible, let this cup pass from me.”

Nevertheless, the NEVERTHELESS clause must always be included in our prayer life.  Jesus ultimate ability to move forward came through soulful searching, aligning with His Father’s purpose.  Our souls being exceedingly sorrowful must also wrestle. The leper meeting Jesus in the Gospels asks, “if you are willing you can make me clean.”   This is a good place to start in our conversations with our Father. Someone said “Faith can only begin where the will of God is known.”

We know if we ask anything according to His will he hears us. This necessary alignment is our responsibility.  He who comes to God; the coming, the asking, the seeking, are all indications of our faith in Him who can does all things according to His will.  This is the process, coming to confidence IN HIM, not ourselves.

The Epistle of James chapter four verses 13-17 holds a strong admonition against the foolish presumption of a believer.  We cannot shortcut the process by pushing our way forward. 

Come now you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit” - yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring.  What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.  Instead you ought to say, “IF THE LORD WILLS, WE WILL LIVE AND DO THIS OR THAT.”   As it is, you boast in your arrogance.  All such boasting is evil.

We must have the process for the transformation. 

What are you thinking….

“…And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart…”  Revelation 2:23

I’ve said several times, transformation begins with beholding Him. 

In the process of seeing Him through the lens of the written word, and what that builds within our imagination, we learn He searches not only hearts but minds as well.  

I’ve taken our verse today out of context but the realities of ‘Who He is’ and ‘What He does’ here is capable of standing alone.  

The first commandment that Jesus also affirms in the gospels is, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind and all your strength.”  Then, your neighbour as yourself.  

We focus on loving Him with all our heart and many times overlook the aspect that we are to love Him with all our mind as well.  What does that look like?  I believe the simplest explanation is in our agreement with what He has/is saying.  

The apostle Peter wrote in his first epistle describing Jesus as the Shepherd and Overseer of our souls.  Jesus as overseer is the one who is looking into us. He supervises and rules.  As our Shepherd He leads, feeds and protects.  All this through the workings of the Holy Spirit.   

We know that we have the written word as our daily bread, and we know that we are to have ears to hear what the Spirit is saying as we diligently search the scriptures.  Truth and life are in them, but only as we receive and agree.  Numerous times through the New Testament we find words said by Jesus, or in the epistles, written for our well being and life, that still require our agreement. 

Agreement; initially, brings adjustment, and then continual realignment.  

Romans twelve admonishes us to not allow ourselves to be conformed to the world but to be transformed by the renewing of our mind.  Through this process, we are able to test and discern the will of God.  Hebrews chapter four tells us the living word is active and able to divide soul and spirit.  In others words, it sifts through our mind and divides human reasoning and understanding, while revealing His.  Agreeing with Him leads into abundant life. 

Our spiritual battle, as 2 Cor. 10 tells us, is not carnal (not mental reasonings) but spiritual (discernment by the Holy Spirit as He reveals truth to our inner man).  We are able to destroy strongholds, (the mindsets that have set our boundaries and limitations) and every lie that exalts itself above the knowledge of God as we bring them into alignment with the word of God.  I want you to note this battle is all about our mind sets and words.  

You can see where we would loose the battle if we did not know what God thought about something.  Yet, we are assured by the word that we are capable of holding the mind of Christ and the wisdom of God. 

Isaiah 55 reveals that our thoughts are not God’s, in order for us to bring them back to a place of right alignment and agreement with Him.

Each day we hold audience with our Father is a day of searching and aligning, not just our hearts but our minds as well, unto agreement with Him in all matters that pertain to life and godliness. 

Jesus did say, if you love me you will keep my commandments and this begins with alignment of heart and agreement of mind in every act of obedience.

His Invisible Attributes

19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

Romans 1:19-20 ESV

Continuing to behold him, I’d like to consider how He is seen through His creative works.  David and I live in ‘Beautiful B.C.’   On a recent trip home from northern B.C. we traveled through mountain ranges and valley floors.  I was surrounded and awed by the majesty of His creation and the verse today came to mind.

What can be known about God, is plain to them.  His eternal power and divine nature are clearly perceived in all things created.

John’s gospel reminds us all things were made through God and His word.  Colossians tells us they are things visible and invisible, powers seen and unseen.  All things created through him and for him. He holds all things together that in all things He would be preeminent,  Col. 1:16-18.

It is as we behold every created thing that we begin to understand his ‘invisible attributes’, which are His eternal power and His divine nature. I understand the eternal power in His creative force, but have to ask myself how do I see His divine nature in creation?  I’m reminded of scriptures that tell me how the sun and rain are given to all, Psalm 19:1-6; Isaiah 55:10.  How can we survive without these?  This is the goodness of God. The feeding of all animal life shows His great care and tells us how much more value we have than these.  Job chapters thirty eight, thirty nine, remind us of His great power and glory in all creation and speaks to the divine order of His nature.   

There was a time when David and I faced a significant financial need.  I was sitting on our porch praying through Matthew Six and came to the scripture about God feeding the birds.  A memory comes to mind about my mother being diligent, daily, to feed the birds.   About this time a small bird came and landed on my table, inches away, facing me.  The uncanny thing was I had no food and it just stayed there staring at me.  It seemed like forever, but in those moments eternity was woking.  ’How much more’  became a reality to my heart.  As I watched this bird, the words ‘how much more’ penetrated my fear of lack and highlighted our Father’s care for our needs. Peace filled my soul, then the bird flew away.  His eternal power (who else can make a bird land and stay so close) and divine nature (His lovingkindness) was revealed to me.  Our need was met as supernaturally as the bird landing and staying. The work God did in my heart that day continues to remind me to never fear lack.  Yet today, watching birds I am continually reminded of this moment and rehearse once again His eternal power and divine nature.

It is as we take the moments to have eyes that see God in all things that surround us we are able to rightly discern our Father’s Heart through His works and workings.  He is ever ready to reveal and satisfy hungry hearts.

And…Romans chapter one reminds us that in the beholding of His invisible attributes - His eternal power and divine nature- that we are to honour Him and give Him thanks lest we become futile in our thinking and our foolish hearts grow dark.

Purpose this week to take time to see Him in nature and the natural around you and then ask Him to reveal something of His eternal power and divine nature to you.

Behold Love

‘…that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you….’

1 John 1:3 

Let us call to mind that our purpose for knowing HIM, is to become like Him, in all things.  This is eternal life, to know the Father and His son Jesus Christ.  Jesus’ own testimony was that He was has seen me has seen the Father.  This is our goal.

Last week we talked about the process. Growth takes time.  Our position that is challenged is what we choose to do with the time that has been given to us. 

The things that assault our senses in this world occur as we remove our gaze from Him.   We feel sometimes this an impossible task; to continually be mindful of Him in every moment of our day.  Yet if we are to live and move and have our being in Him, we must discipline our lives to hold him at centre.  It is a matter of discipline, and like any other practice, it gets better with the doing.  I won’t say easier, because there is always a battle going on for our focus so we must constantly choose what we give our time and attention to.  

This week I want to rehearse a truth we all know so well yet still seem to stumble over throughout our day.  God is love and He has loved us so much that he has given his only begotten son for us.  In this love, He has chosen and adopted us.  He has made us accepted in the beloved and given us an inheritance as a child of God.  He who withheld not his only son, how will he not, with him, freely give us all things? 

All these fundamental truths are vital to our identity and security as His child. Jesus begins his ministry with the seal of approval “this is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased” only to have this immediately challenged by Satan in the wilderness. 


We come into our salvation and are given the Holy Spirit as a seal. He becomes our assurance.… ‘when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.” Ephesians 1:13. We now join the multitudes in this family crying Abba Father. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” Galatians 4:6 

It is a perfect love that casts out fear because fear has to do with punishment.  A coming to Him fearing that we will receive something other than mercy at the throne of grace is not the heart of the Father.  We don’t come in arrogance or willful ways but in humility and repentance as needed assured by Him of being met with mercy. We want His love to so permeate the soul’s capacity that it overrides every onslaught, real, inferred or imagined that tries to separate us from His love. 

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,  Ephesians 2:4

1 John says we have known and we do believe the love God has for us.  Knowing and believing this is our starting point in all things righteous.  Just as Jesus moved with compassion and love for all, it is to be our primary motivation in our activity with others.  We simply cannot do this if we are unable to behold Him as the one who is love. I believe our understanding of all God’s nature and character rests upon our ability to understand Him as love.  

Every facet of His being is governed by this love.  His hatred for sin is governed by his understanding of the death it creates for the one He loves.  What he judges is governed by His love for righteousness. Ps. 45:7. 

Beholding Him holds us within the construct of His Lordship and Leadership so that we are continually being washed by His word and cleansed by His blood.  This is our place of freedom from guilt, shame and condemnation.  

My prayer for the church in this growing hour of darkness and deception is to find ourselves drawn ever deeper into His love.  Rooted deeply in, and founded securely on His Love, let’s continue to be found passionately pursuing the One our soul loves. 

Transformation is a process

There are many things required of us as children of God. The first and foremost is to be come like Him.  We have been given power to become sons of God, John 1:12.…. and predestined to be conformed to his image, Romans 8:29.  Instructed to grow up into Him, in all things, Ephesians 4:15, only takes place as we behold Him.  How patient and kind he is in our pursuit within this process. 

As I said in the beginning, the first place this occurs is through our prayerful meditation on the word of God. It is as we meditate on the word that the picture of who He is begins to take shape within our spiritual imagination. 

Transformation can only occur as we behold Him.  Learning how he thought, how he walked, seeing what he did and how he did it, are the examples we are to follow. 

This isn’t an overnight occurrence but transpires through a lifetime of diligence. Our Father uses all manner of circumstances to develop this new character within us.  Thank God for the help he has given us.  As we grow in this process we do so by the grace He gives with our eyes on Him as the author and finisher of our faith so we do not grow weary in well doing. 

Hebrews 12:2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons:

“My son, do not take lightly the discipline of the Lord, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises every son He receives.”

Endure suffering as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? 8 If you do not experience discipline like everyone else, then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. 9 Furthermore, we have all had earthly fathers who disciplined us, and we respected them. Should we not much more submit to the Father of our spirits and live? 10 Our fathers disciplined us for a short time as they thought best, but God disciplines us for our good, so that we may share in His holiness. 11 No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields a harvest of righteousness and peace to those who have been trained by it.

12 Therefore strengthen your limp hands and weak knees. 13 Make straight paths for your feet, so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

Philippians 2:12-14 have been highlighted verses in my life.  As I meet obstacles, I am reminded that in the midst there is a work of God being worked in and out of me. Growth really began as I took to heart  verse 14 and stopped the murmuring and complaining in my attempts to obey.  

We will, in this earthly tabernacle, always be dealing with our will and our obedience.  When the two meet and form a willing and obedient heart we begin to see the joy Jesus held within his obedience. 

This is a growth process and one that must be learned.  The Father is gracious to give us the opportunities needed to learn.  Just like Jesus, we will learn obedience by the things we suffer. And of course the greatest suffering we do is that place of alignment to His will as we die to our own.  The writer of Hebrews is kind of enough to remind us, we have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood.  

Eyes upon Him is the way of staying strengthened and refreshed.  He said abide in Me for a reason. We have never been destined to this life apart from Him.  

Let us be faithful in our pursuit and process to become as He is. 

He takes away sin

Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. 

John 1:29

   The word Behold is recorded in biblehub.org over 1800 times in the King James version of the Bible. It is derived from the Greek word eidó: be aware, behold, consider, perceive.  

From Helps Word Studies we learn ~ 

1492 /eídō ("seeing that becomes knowing") then is a gateway to grasp spiritual truth (reality) from a physical plane. 1492 (eídō) then is physical seeing (sight) which should be the constant bridge to mental and spiritual seeing (comprehension).which has the literal translation of: .  

Our English definition is “to perceive through sight or apprehension : see. 2. : to gaze upon : observe.

Our scripture highlights our first needed awareness of Jesus.  We are to behold Him first as the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the World.  The good news for us is that He became the sin bearer for all mankind that we might become right in the sight of God, 2 Cor. 5:21.  

Fulfilling Old Testament prophecies Jesus ~ ‘was led as a Lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He opened not His mouth’; Isaiah 53;7; Acts 8:32 and still more fitting, ‘the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all, Isaiah 53:6 and  By His knowledge shall He justify many, for He shall bear their iniquities. Isaiah 53:11.  

It is as we come into an awareness of our own original spiritual condition; dead and separated from God, we must find our way back to what was abdicated, union with our heavenly Father. For by one man sin entered and death through sin.  Death spread to all men because all sinned. Romans 5:12.  Sin entered into the human race through one man, Adam in the garden of Eden, and in dying (spiritually) he died (naturally).  “In dying thou shalt die.  Roman 6:23 adds, ‘the wages of sin are death…”  

We find in John’s declaration the one who had been prepared from the foundation of time, Christ, our passover lamb, has been sacrificed to provide a way of escape from the nature and effects of sin.  The cause and effects of sin were dealt with through his sacrificial offering, death on the cross, Heb 2:14; 1 John 3:8-10.

While Jesus has destroyed the power of sin through His death, burial and resurrection, it is still required of man to believe and acknowledge the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved from this place of spiritual death, Romans 10:9 and be reconciled to God. In this new birth, we count ourselves dead to sin and alive unto God and present ourselves to Him as an instrument of righteousness, allowing no sin to reign in our mortal bodies, Romans. 6.  

Beholding Him gives us pause to remember who He is, what He has done, what it has given us, creating much thanksgiving. 

It is as we now Behold the Lamb, we do so with the understanding that our nature has been redeemed through his precious gift of life and blood poured out.  We find the way back into fellowship with our Heavenly Father through his son, Jesus Christ.  Jesus declares from John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Jesus’ own proclamation that we who are poor in Spirit are blessed!  Without a recognition that we need/needed a saviour, we cannot begin our journey as a disciple with one who is not only our Saviour but our Lord. 

As we Behold the Lamb, we are continually mindful of the gift of life He has given and continues to give.  He is ever living to make intercession, His work continues to wash and cleanse us from all unrighteousness and present us before our Father holy and blameless. 

“…if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8.If we saywe have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truthis not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.…1 John 1:7-9

This then, is not only our entrance into fellowship but it is the very thing that maintains and develops our union with Him.

Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. 

Righteous Judgment by Sarah Primus

Good Morning ~ it is my privilege to share with you this word written by Sarah Primus.  Sarah pastors alongside her husband Paul @keystonevictoria.  David and I have had the wonderful privilege of overseeing their life and ministry from the time they joined us in Victoria in 2009.  In 2018 David and I transitioned this work over to their pastoral leadership and we are blessed by the depth and wealth of spiritual life they carry and impart to the body of Christ.  I am confident these words today will bless you, as they have me.  / Jeanne

I hope you will take the time to check out Sarah’s IG feeds. @thepropheticmama or @sprimus.  
 

 If we're well-versed in scripture, it's easier than we think to assume we know how God views something. Knowledge of scripture must lead us to relationship with the Author. There are so many truths that are held in tension by a seemingly opposite truth. I.e. God is a merciful Father, but also the just Judge. It takes knowledge of scripture AND relationship with Holy Spirit to be able to discern which truth to apply when.

We see this in the life of Jesus when He was tempted by Satan in the wilderness. Satan used scripture to try to get Jesus to prove His sonship, but Jesus used another truth to stand against the temptation. (See Matthew 4). Both scriptures were true, but Jesus, being one with the Father, knew which one to apply in the moment.

Holding righteous judgements requires the same type of relationship with Holy Spirit that Jesus had if we are to discern the mind and will of God. We must remember that though we are made in the image of God, He is God and He sees and thinks different than us. Isaiah 40:13 says,“Who has measured the Spirit of the LORD, or what man shows him his counsel?” 

1 Corinthians 2:16 says,"For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?’But we have the mind of Christ.” What is the mind of Christ? He only said the things He heard the Father say and only did the things He saw the Father doing (John 5:19; 12:49). In 1 Corinthians 2:11 Paul says, "Only the Spirit of God knows His thoughts." We have the mind of Christ through relationship with Holy Spirit. That must continually be cultivated to truly hold righteous judgements.

Holding this understanding becomes particularly important when judging the fruit we see coming forth in someone’s life. We have gone through the “don’t judge me” generation (which has actually meant that people don’t want to be held accountable to Biblical standards). In Matthew 7:1, Jesus says, “Do not judge, lest you be judged.” Further down in the same chapter, Jesus says to beware of false prophets, and says, “you will know them by their fruit.” This requires holding judgement. We see in 1 Corinthians 6:2-3, that the Apostle Paul actually corrects the Corinthian church for NOT making judgements, saying, “Do you not know you will judge the world? Do you not know you will judge angels?” So which is it? Do we judge or not? John 7:24 brings greater clarity to this. Jesus said, “Do not judge by outward appearance, but judge with righteous judgements.” So the question is not whether we should make judgements or not, but HOW to make them. 

Isaiah 11:3 tells us how Jesus made judgements:

“And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear.” The fear of the Lord must govern our judgements. We are not the standard of righteousness— Jesus is. His Word reveals to us His standards, and Holy Spirit reveals to us the standard that needs to be upheld in a given situation.

Discernment isn't given for the purpose of condemnation, but first for introspection (am I seeing this in someone else because the Lord is highlighting this in me?) and prayer for the other person. We cannot judge others by personal convictions and above all we are to be governed by true Biblical love. Correction should be within context of relationship and truth is to be spoken in love. We so desperately need a revival of holding one another accountable to the righteous standards found in scripture. This must take place so that we, once again, rightly reflect the Holy God we bear the name of as Christians.

My prayer for the church in these days is to be governed by the fear of the Lord. When we are governed by reverence for the Lord and awareness that we will give an account for the judgements we make, we will be purposeful about seeking out His mind. We must learn to make righteous judgments in this hour. First in our personal lives and then in the discipleship of others.

Beholding

And the word became flesh and dwelt among us and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth …. John 1: 14 NASB

‘He who has seen me has seen the Father’ are the words Jesus spoke to Philip in John chapter fourteen. We glean our knowledge of our Father from Jesus, as His word made flesh.

The gospel of John chapter one goes on to record,  ‘No man has ever seen God at any time; the only eunique Son, or fthe only begotten God, Who is in the bosom [in the intimate presence] of the Father, He has declared Him [He has revealed Him and brought Him out where He can be seen; He has interpreted Him and He has made Him known]. The Amplified Bible (Jn 1:18). (1987). The Lockman Foundation.

Last week I noted scripture tells us we are transformed as we behold His image.  I’ve written before about the snare of wanting to see Jesus with our physical eye, not realizing that the first place he is seen and discovered is in the holy written word.

As Jesus said to Thomas in John 20:29, “… because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.  A few verses before, Jesus challenges Thomas to not be faithless but believing.  The book of John chapter twenty concludes with verse thirty one with John saying ‘these things are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.’

Because Jesus is the exact imprint of the Father, we are able to look at scripture and both learn and know him. This is the beholding of him. Jesus’ own testimony is ‘he that has seen me has seen the Father’.

We have a gift from God called imagination.  As we look intently at the perfect law of liberty we begin to see something forming.  Dependent on the scriptures we consider, they begin to paint images within our imagination.  We begin to see Him. The one who is with no beginning and no end, the one who was, and the one who is to come.  Each and every part of Him revealed to us by the Holy Spirit as we look intently through the lens of His word.

His word is spirit before it is released, sown, and seen.  That our Father was able to see light before he spoke it demonstrates our need to understand the creative workings of a sanctified imagination. Believing, is seeing spiritual realities that contain natural probabilities.

To not just behold him but to see him rightly, we must be prepared to submit to every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

This is the path to abundant life.

This is the beginning of beholding Him.

Behold the Lamb

Towards the end of 2023, I held this invitation and instruction from the Lord to “behold the Lamb” with an understanding that there was much more He desired to reveal regarding Jesus. 

We pray for the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, but for what purpose? Paul wrote in Galatians chapter one, that it pleased the Father to reveal in him (Paul), His son (Jesus). Paul carried with this knowledge not only the will of God (His intent to reveal Jesus) but also the purpose of His will, that he might preach this revelation to the Gentiles. Jesus himself said to his disciples, no longer do I call you servants but friends because all that he learned from the Father he made known to them, John 15.  Now, today, we have access to these words and His precious Holy Spirit to bring us into wisdom and understanding of Him.  As we behold them, we behold Him. 

Looking at Matthew 11:29, Jesus invites his disciples to come to Him and learn of Him.  I noted His own declaration, I am meek and humble of heart.  This is his yoke.  This is His way.  This must be revealed to us that it might manifest through us.  We do ourselves a dis-service not to understand and adapt ourselves to His yoke of meekness and humility.  We must see and learn Christ. 

We’ve all heard you can’t preach what you don’t know and you surely can’t reveal the one you have not seen or learned.  As we have all faced our own peculiar circumstances and events in 2023, hopefully we have seen and learned Christ in and through them to a greater degree.  Having been sharpened and aligned in ways only hardships and suffering produce, we come forth as vessels refined and fitted for a new day.

We have come into a season where the greater glory of our Lord is being released upon the deep darkness covering the earth.  This administration is called a ministry of the Spirit which Corinthians reminds us is a greater glory and unto life for all peoples, Is. 60; 2 Cor. 3:8-18.

Again, Paul writes that we first must behold the image of the Lord with unveiled faces to be transformed from one degree of glory to another into the very image we behold.  It is in beholding that transformation occurs so we can then display His glory.  The knowledge of this glory, Habakkuk prophesied, would cover the earth as the water covers the sea.  Paul declares that as servants of the Lord Jesus Christ, light is to shine from our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.  2 Corinthians 4:5-6.  

It is as Jesus is revealed to us, and in us, the hope of glory becomes manifest to the world we live in.  In this season where God desires for every member of His body to arise and shine, may we be mindful of our part to live continually beholding the one to whom all glory is due. 

Our prayer for 2024

By David McGrew ~

I realised recently, perhaps like some of you, that I’ve been reading and studying the bible for nearly 50 years. I’m amazed when I pick it up and find something I’ve never considered before. I’m especially amazed, that after nearly fifty years, at what, and how much, I do not know.

Some of this is just down to the nature of learning. We first notice words and the ideas attached to them. Then we catch glimpses of phrases; like a subject and a verb and then bam! a whole prepositional phrase opens the universe up like never before. (I’ve apparently, often, felt like a mathematician because I mastered grade 1 arithmetic.) The main thing to remember is to not rest at having learned. It is to keep on learning.

If we keep learning, one day we will break through into a place where all the singular, pithy, thoughts we’ve grasped at become a whole, mutually supporting, system of truth. Perhaps then, tying the bible into God’s agreed upon universal thought instead of our own piecemeal understanding.

At different times in life I was sure I had Paul figured out. More than once I was confident I could explain the depth of my emotion better than my biblical name-sake. Thankfully, those seasons -somehow- didn’t last long. In all of those seasons of life, though, I didn’t ever feel I could adequately explain Christ or his teachings. Hmmmm.

Don’t get me wrong, I knew and do know him. I did teach his words, and the more I taught them the better I grasped his holiness. So, imagine my surprise this last month as I began to seriously restudy his truths, only to discover those little clauses and phrases I’d grasped so well were really just pieces of on-going, sometimes for chapters, long and big thoughts. They contained a wholeness I needed to see.

For in that wholeness, those thoughts bring a harmony and balance to the entire book. A bible thought that doesn’t lead to Christ, into and then through Christ, as it moves through the rest of the book wont have much of a shelf life. It’s a truth for sure, but a dangling truth can’t build the frame until it connects with another.

As we move into ‘24, especially mindful of when and where we are, let me encourage you to take this year to reexamine Christ and his teaching. Let him be the centre of your studies and of your faith, for in him all things…even things in that book….do come and hold together.

Christ will sustain you. Christ will enlarge you. Without him in the centre, from Genesis to Revelation, the powerful truths we hold and hope in would simply break down in our tryings and testings.

Discernment

Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice….”

Hebrews 3:17

I think one of the hardest lessons a believer (new/old) must learn is how to hear and discern the voice of the Lord. This isn’t a matter of naturally getting better the older you get, rather a matter of spirituality.  The greater our union with the Father, son and Holy Spirit, the keener our perception and discernment.  There can be no righteous discernment without intimacy.

Hearing and obeying are key to discerning.  An unwillingness to hear and/or obey dulls our discernment.  Joshua 1:8 comes to mind as I write: this book of the law shall not depart out of our mouth, but we are to meditate daily to do all that is written in it. Success comes with the doing, having our ears awakened to hear as discipled ones.

Jesus, as the word, primarily leads us through His written word.  It is as we look intently, prayerfully, into these scriptures that the Holy Spirit, who has been sent from the Father to lead and guide us, breathes on His word making it come alive in our hearts.

So again, The number one way God speaks to us today is through His word.  Much like the disciples said on the road to Emmaus from Luke 24:32, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?”

The further my eyes, ears and heart are removed from Him, the duller my hearing and understanding becomes, carrying with it a greater potential for error. The amount of time required before the Father and His word, in prayerful submission, seeking to hear, depends on how impartial I am to what He says.   

Once spoken, it is a seed that goes forth for His creative purpose.  Now it becomes a matter of my willingness to receive, guard and nurture it to bring forth the fruit He has ordained within that seed. The question then becomes the issue of heart.  What kind of soil did it land on/in?

The still small voice reminds us of Elijah in the cave.  God is not usually in the big displays when it comes to personal conversations and directions.

The dangerous places in my world have been when I wanted a fuller picture of what I was perceiving.  I wanted, not just the first word, I wanted a sentence.  I wanted the end result, I wanted to know what, how, and when; which always gave room for human reasoning and ultimately requiring  a longer time to arrive at obedience.  The postscript to this would be that at some point “I”  had to stop asking all the questions, and simply step out on the one word He had given.  “Come” isn’t a full sentence but it is a definitive and directional word.  Peters response to Jesus didn’t include a conversation, it simply led to an act.

For my part, wrestling occurs only where I am partial to the process and outcome.

My thoughts here began as I read Acts chapter sixteen, verses six and seven.  Paul is being ‘forbidden’ by the Holy Spirit to go to a certain place.  Paul attempted to go where he wanted, where he thought best, but the ‘Spirit of Jesus did not allow them’.

In the book of Romans chapter eight, the Apostle Paul wrote “ For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.”  It will prove increasingly important to hear the will of God as we move into the future.  As we posture ourselves for entrance into our New Year, let’s do so with unbiased ears to hear what the Spirit is saying.

Community

But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.  1 Cor. 12:18 

Divide and conquer has been a tried and proven military strategy throughout history.   Jesus himself tells us a kingdom, a house, divided cannot stand.   I believe one of the dangers we are facing within the body of Christ is isolation.  Our greatest need outside of Jesus through these days will be the community we are set into. 1 Cor 12:18.  

We read from Isaiah that the last days will hold great increase of darkness while the church shines with an ever greater glory.  Two very opposing forces, both with immense power.  Men loving darkness will continue to call evil good, and good evil, at the same time that the church continues to advance His Kingdom and overcome with Light.

I believe the battle in the days ahead will be intense enough that isolated individuals will fall prey to the overwhelming pressure of the days. The church of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ is a body of many parts fitly joined together.  Hebrews issues a warning to not forsake the assembling of ourselves together as is the custom of some but encouraging one another and all the more as you see the Day drawing near..Hebrews 10: 25.  The danger of isolation, of course,  is the ability to be deceived.  Jeremiah prophesied “You live in the midst of deception; in their deceit they refuse to acknowledge me," declares the LORD. They pile lie upon lie and utterly refuse to acknowledge me …”.Jeremiah 9:6.

We understand Satan’s greatest tool is deception.  Jesus warns even the very elect about the potential of being deceived.  I believe the isolation demanded within the covid crisis created a deception about online church attendance.   Where there is no communication, there can be no communion.  The church is the ekklesia, a called out ‘gathering.’  While we do not take exception to the many wonderful services offered via multi faceted social medium, we have moved too far away from Jesus’ intent of discipleship.  The up close and personal involvement in another life that brings loving accountability and empowerment.  Every member of the body of Christ is to be properly fitted.  A broken bone is painful and the resetting and healing of such is as well.  The discomfort caused by the lack of the freedom to move and use the part is also painful but absolutely necessary to the healing process.  Hebrews again tell us that which is out of joint is to be healed rather than left lame.  How many hurt christians are found isolated and alone feeding on a root of bitterness that has defiled them and others. 

I’m’ sure you like me, have heard recent prophetic words regarding God’s work to rebuild community within His church. The build of small groups is not a new concept but one that the church is once again focusing on with intent and purpose.  Why? Because within this construct we find true discipleship.  The loving care and protection of oversight.  

It is the community we fellowship in that will safeguard us in the days to come. How many scriptures warn us about false doctrine, deception and being led astray.  Community is our safeguard, keeping us from the deception that is able to develop in one’s isolation.  

Left alone, who is there to challenge your choices, your belief system, and encourage you to self-discipline unto growth in Him.   You’ve heard the adage “ there is safety in numbers”,’ iron sharpens iron’ - all true within the context of community.  (Of course this idea of true community is all about trust, isn’t it?)

The letter to the Hebrews encourages this community ~ we are not those who draw back and are destroyed… may it be so for each of us as we do our part to remain connected, growing and advancing His Kingdom. 

Believe

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved ~ Acts 16:31

Recently, as he is wont to do, David came home with a selection of used bibles.  One of which was an original edition of the first Amplified New Testament, a translation I’ve always valued and used.

As I was reading the introduction to this bible, written by Francis E. Siewert, she noted the difficulty in expressing many Greek words to an understandable English language.  The above verse is one such difficulty, and I quote ~

…twenty two New Testament verses out of twenty-four (note this was written in 1954) consulted render ‘believe’.  Yet they do so because there is no single better word in the English.  The Greek word is ‘pisteuo’ and means, “to adhere to, cleave to; to trust, to have faith in; to rely on” - which summed up in, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.” means an absolute personal reliance upon the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour.

What a better time and season than Christmas to examine what our trust is actually in.  Websters  dictionary today defines the word believe ~ ‘to consider to be true or honest’, which doesn’t necessary contain the same demand.

Let us consider now this Greek word salvation from HELPS Word-studies

Cognate: 4991 sōtēría (from 4982 /sṓzō, "to save, rescue") – salvation, i.e. God's rescue which delivers believers out of destruction and into His safety. See 4982 (sōzō).

Strongs Concordance shows sótéria: deliverance, salvation

Usage: welfare, prosperity, deliverance, preservation, salvation, safety.

Psalm 107:20 tells us, He sent his word and healed and delivered them from their destruction, more in a moment on that thought. Today, there is much temptation to be our own saviour. The prophet Jeremiah warned the trust placed in anything other than the name of the Lord was guaranteed failure.  Peter and John stand before the council in the book of Acts and testify, “There is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved”, chapter four, verse twelve.   

The infirmity of man is to trust in himself.  I’m not suggesting that there are not things we are responsible for in the place of care, protection and provision. Please don’t read that, but always our eyes must be looking to Him in every situation as the one who is our Saviour and this only comes through the ‘believing’ process.

Again, Peter and John from the book of Acts, chapter three, encounter the lame man and bring salvation to him.  Testifying before the crowds that it was not by their own power of holiness that produced the miracle, but rather the name of Jesus and faith in that name had given him a ‘perfect wholeness’ before them all.

We all desire to have ‘perfect wholeness’ in our lives, spirit, soul and body.  We all have many things, when examined, we could find a greater trust in than what is supposed to be given them.  Unfortunately we don’t always see it on the good and comfortable side of life.  It shows only when these things are removed, that the heart of man is exposed ~ again, the infirmity of man.

How much better we would be to examine issues daily in order to move ourselves to a place of pure and holy thankfulness for what He has given and provided. To be always mindful that He is the one that daily feeds us with the needed manna to be delivered from all destruction.

Taking the time to sit at his feet and listen to our word for the day guarantees us strength to walk in a place of life, liberty, joy and peace, found only in Him,

There is no other name, and we must believe on His name to be saved.

Battle with the Word

Behold they say to me; Where is the Word of the Lord?  Let it come!

Jeremiah 17:15

Jeremiah is being ridiculed over what appears to be a false word.  The Lord had him prophetically declare the destruction of the Jerusalem and the downfall of the Judah as a nation and it hasn’t happened…….yet.

We’ve all experienced the wait; that time frame between the word of the Lord being declared and actually bearing visible fruit in our world.  Jesus highlighted the context of the waiting with his parable of the seed.  There is always first the sowing of the seed.   

So shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Is. 55: 11

The developmental or growth process is reflected in the exhortation of the farmer who patiently waits for the fruit, James 5:7.  His aim is to strengthen their hearts through the waiting process. James’ context is referring to the return of our Lord and he reminds us that patience is a virtue we are to nurture in our lives as believers, noting that patience is always a hopeful expectation birthed from a confident heart in the one who hastens over His word to perform it.

May I suggest two possibilities for consideration, both reflecting the goodness of God:

First, from  2 Peter 3:9. NLT The Lord is not slow concerning his promises as some count slow  ~The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.

Paul wrote to the Romans, we are NOT to presume upon the riches of his kindness and forbearance and his patience knowing it is the goodness of God that leads to repentance.

So while God is at work perfecting all things that concern us there is the place of our responsibility to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling.  Meaning, we must overcome all doubt and unbelief to embrace the word He has spoken. Every word spoken from an evil heart of unbelief impacts the production of the seed.  The double minded man, unstable in all his ways, is unable to receive anything from the Lord.

Much of our warfare begins with bringing ourselves into a place of single mindedness over the word God has spoken.  Rooting out all unbelief and doubt built by our own mental reasonings.  Hosea 4:6 is a powerful reminder to us about the process of destruction.

Our second consideration is that of the Lord’s great care not to commit to us something we are not capable of bearing. John 16:12 is a good example.  Jesus’ disciples were at maximum capacity.  Sometimes, even on our best days, we can’t process any more information.  1 Cor 10:13 examines this - there is no temptation that comes to us that we are not able to bear - but God with the temptation makes the way of escape that we may bear it.   

Both considerations are rooted in his great love for us and we must never lose sight of this truth.  Every situation has, from God’s perspective, growth and development for us in it. Every word has been prepared for an hour, a day, a month, a year, a season, the fullness of time. We are committed to capacity.  Increasing requires growth and growth is never comfortable or easy.  And God is the very God of patience and graciously works with us as we grow.

Our processes through this season must be found anchored in Him.  Our foundations must be unshakeable, firm and immoveable when challenged by natural circumstances or personal mindsets and beliefs that contradict anything and everything God has decreed.

Let God be true and every man a liar, Romans 3:4    

Timothy, my son, here are my instructions for you, based on the prophetic words spoken about you earlier. May they help you fight well in the Lord’s battles.  1Tm 1:18 NLT

• ESV - This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare,

• NASB ~ This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight,

We battle best when we battle with the word of God, mindful that it is this sword that proceeds from the mouth of Jesus and it is this sword that cuts asunder soul and spirit.