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Trained to be an Egyptian prince and military leader, then a wilderness shepherd for 40 years, Moses had not landed a ‘cushy’ task, when God called him.

The people troubles never stopped for Moses when he was doing his God appointed task, of leading the people out of Egypt to the Promised Land.  The people for the most part were so complaining, ungrateful and unbelieving toward God, that He said, Exodus 33: 3 “Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; for I will not go up in your midst, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people.”  The Presence of God did go with them, but not in the fullness that God wanted to manifest to His chosen people.  Moses still had questions for God, and was close enough to Him, to express them and not be chastised.  Verses 12 – 14 “Then Moses said to the Lord, “See, You say to me, ‘Bring up this people.’  But You have not let me know whom You will send with me.  Yet You have said”, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My sight.’  13 “Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight.  And consider that this nation is Your people.” 14 “And He said,” ‘My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.’”  Because Moses was true to God, he was never deprived from being able to interact with God, One to one, as before, despite the apostasy of many of the people that he led.  He reiterated to God that the presence of God must go with them, and God responded as his Friend, Verse 17 “So the Lord said to Moses, I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name.”  How very special to be that close to God!  No place in the Scriptures do I read that such a relationship is not possible for every Christian, when they draw very close to God, in every way.  The scriptures do teach that there is nothing stopping us from coming very close to God.  God and all of heaven are just as available to each of us, as they were for Moses.

The apostasy of the people that Moses led increased, and his warnings to them from God, continued for the most part, to go unheeded.  Deuteronomy 4: 29 – 31 “But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and all your soul. 30 When you are in distress, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, when you turn to the Lord your God and obey His voice 31 “(for the Lord your God is a merciful God), He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them.”

As we look around at the attitudes and activities of many of the people on this earth at this time, it could be said, that a good number are way more wicked than most of the people Moses was despairing over.  We find an apt description of human behaviour and the response of God to it, in 1 Peter 5: 5 (last part) “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”  Whilst a person draws breath, God does not give up on any one. no matter their thoughts and deeds.  The Holy Spirit continues to bring them to repentance, and a turning away from active, known sin; and to call upon the mercy and faithfulness of God.  That is a wonderfully good and encouraging truth found all through the Scriptures.  If only more people would believe and come to God, no matter what they have done wrong.  We have the simple and only solution to sin and wrong doing, and so be reconciled with God.  Verses 6, 7 “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him for He cares for you.”

God I am so grateful, that we can cast all our care upon You and be forgiven, grow in grace and come to a close relationship with you, as all heaven wants.  There is such joy in knowing and following in the footsteps of Jesus our Shepherd.

Love is a wonderful motivating force, and when combined with faithfulness becomes more generating for amazing actions of self-denial.  In the Old Testament book of Ruth is recounted, such a story.  Naomi had gone with her husband and two sons, to the land of Moab to escape famine conditions in Israel.  Things had for a while gone well, and her two sons married, but later, both her husband and her two sons died.  Apparently Naomi got to thinking, ‘what was the point of staying in this foreign land, when all of her immediate family had died, and the famine conditions in her home country, had stopped’.  She was not prepared for how much love the two daughter-in-law’s had for her when she determined to return to Israel.  Orpah and Ruth turned up planning to travel with their mother-in-law to Israel.  Naomi believing they should be with family and have marriage prospects, and managed to persuade Orpah to go back to her own family, but her other daughter-in-law, clung to Naomi, Ruth 1: 16, 17 “But Ruth said: ‘Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from following after you; for wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.  Where ever you die, I will die, and there will I be buried, the Lord do so to me and more also, if anything but death parts you and me.” 

Despite the grief and despair Naomi felt about God and her bereft life, she herself and her way of life, must have been attractive enough to motivate Ruth to give up all that was familiar and follow her.  This also meant, she chose the Almighty God of Naomi as her own.  She was rewarded by God, for she married an important kinsman of her dead husband and had a baby boy by him, and the baby was in the ancestry of David and Jesus as well. Matthew 1: 5, 6 “Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David the king and then V 16 “And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.”

There are many examples of people following Jesus when He was on earth and others when Jesus asked His disciples to forsake family and their occupations, and follow Him.  The newly called disciples gladly left all, for a hard life of self-denial.  Jesus was the ultimate example of hardship and self-denial within His life dedicated to teaching, helping and healing people.  As Ruth is an example of someone who left her family and friends, and way of national worship, without expectations of reward or honour.    Her actions were rewarded by God; as are the actions of all those who choose to put all else aside and in self-denial follow Jesus.  There are many immediate emotional and spiritual pluses from loving and following Jesus and there are promises of the later reward of eternal life in heaven.  John 8: 12 “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world.  He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.’”  Matthew 10: 28”So Jesus said to them, ‘Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.’  Generally we have a keen anticipation about any promised reward.  Therefore I wonder why most people are not really keenly anticipating Jesus coming to earth again, bringing with Him, His reward of eternal life for the righteous?

The Psalms are so good to read for their many aspects on God and life, and never more so, for the joyous words of praise to their/our God and Creator.  Psalm 96: 1-3 “Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!  Sing to the Lord, bless His name; proclaim the good news of His salivation from day to day.  Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples.”  The reason given for our need for joy ant song toward God is apparent, when it is recognized and remembered that the Israelite people had personally experienced real measurable prayer answers and divine interventions on grand scale. The worshipers of man made object gods had no such experiences or stories to remember or celebrate with peons of praise.  It is a shame that so many Israelite’s forgot Almighty God and went after man made object gods.  These same temptations are constantly before each of us today, and many times we follow the example of the Israelite people and are no longer true to God.

Let us instead join the Psalmist in praises for what He has done and is, Psalm 96: 4-6 “For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods; for all the gods of the peoples are idols, but God made the heavens.  Honour and majesty are before Him; strength and beauty are in His Sanctuary.”  Verse 13”For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth.  He shall judge the world with righteousness and the peoples with His truth.

I am thankful, my heavenly Father, that You are so very merciful, and do not give up on me, when I do the wrong thing, or generally lose direction.  To have a relationship with You and Your beloved Son Jesus is so very important to me.  My inner being is not fulfilled or content unless I spend time in prayer and Your Holy Bible.   There is a blessing that comes when I share and tell others about the wonder of worshipping You and having even the smallest seemingly trivial prayer answered.

Power and achievement are realized when those of like mind come together.  Sadly harmony in a group setting can sometimes not occur, because certain or all of the people in the fellowship, have not yet learned to give all of themselves to Jesus, and are therefore unable to humbly surrender pride and work with others in unity.  I am sure all of us will quite often, have pride and self-interest, come to the fore in our mind, which is only assuaged by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Such human attitudes when expressed by individuals, have spoiled church fellowships from the beginning.  The apostles of the early church did not always have an easy time or congregations filled with ‘saints’, either,  1 Corinthians 1: 9, 10 “God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.  Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgement.”

The events on earth, before the second coming of Jesus, are prophesied to be troubled times, when the personal relationship of each person to Jesus, will be thoroughly tested.  Malachi 3: 2”But who can endure the day of His coming?  And who can stand when He appears?  For He is like a refiner’s fire and the launderers’ soap.  Verse5  ‘And I will come near you for judgment; I will be a swift witness against sorcerers, against adulterers, against perjurers, against those who exploit wage earners and widows and orphans, and against those who turn away an alien – because they do not fear me,’  says the Lord of hosts.”

In Matthew 24, Jesus had a lot to say about the conditions in the world, that will precede His second coming, and the end of this world as we know it.  To quote just a few thoughts, Matthew 24 : 5 “For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.”  V 11 “Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.”  I understand the words of Christ to be warning us that we cannot live and plan according to our emotions.  There is a need for all to give heed to His words foretelling that people or events may not be as we think we saw; and we cannot just believe what others tell us is fact.  We can only believe and act upon events as predicted in His written word, kept deep in each mind and heart.  Verses 12 – 14 “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.  13 And he who endures to the end will be saved. 14  And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”

For the most part all believers and readers of the Word of God, have a real living hope in the second coming of Jesus.  To affirm this hope, it is important to discuss it with others and support fellow believers in a church fellowship .  Also when we study together and discuss our hope, all of us become more spiritually alive and directed.

I ask that Jesus give me the desire to daily, prayerfully read the scriptures with the understanding which only the Holy Spirit will give.  I also ask that, I will not be deceived by wrong attitudes and human teaching.  I am so grateful, that God does not leave our salvation to chance, and has instead given us every opportunity to find and receive an enduring, close and saving relationship with Him.

In the Week 23 Post, king Solomon and the apostle Paul, in words like a clarion call, advise all people who claim to be one of Gods people, to live in a way, that is ‘harmless as a dove’, loving and right doing in the eyes of God.  They are not lone voices in the Bible record.  Today the words of the apostle Peter call the followers of Christ to live in the same way, 1 Peter 2: 1 “Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and evil speaking.” 

There is more to the statement ‘laying aside’ than might first be evident, when it comes to putting this advice into practice; as all practicing Christians past and present attest.   Romans 7: 15 “For what I am doing, I do not understand.  For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.” Verse 17 “But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.” 19 “For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice;”   All of us born sinful into this sinful world, are allowing or contending with the sin within us.  Many of us do not recognize how many times Satan implants his thoughts and desires into our mind and we in our own strength cannot resist and very often will respond to his influence and temptations.  Verses 22 “For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. V23 “But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.”  Many of us have been made wretched and full of self-recrimination when we behave in an unlovely way.  Verse 24 “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?  Obviously neither Paul nor anyone else has found peace or change of behaviour through our own resolve.  Verse 25 “I thank God-through Jesus Christ our Lord!  So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.” Romans 8: 10 “And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.”

 Praise God there is an answer.  2 Peter 1: 1 “…..To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ: V 2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, V3 as His divine power has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue.”

Each of us desire and need physical food each day to grow and remain healthy.  To also grow and be sustained spiritually, we need to, daily ingest and absorb different and various spiritual ‘ingredients’ within God’s word.  To have the desire to read, and contemplate the messages from God, in his word, will come naturally when we fall in love and maintain a relationship with Him, 1 Peter 2: 2, 3 “As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.”

We have the sure promise that Jesus will work within us so that we will be made acceptable to God. Jesus Christ was raised from the dead, and by this same power we are destined not to, forever, remain in Satan’s sin and death option.  Hebrews 13: 20, 21 “Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen”

Once again I humble my heart before my God, and ask to be made able to rightly contemplate portions of the precious Bible; for in and of myself, I am not worthy.  With repeated readings of the Bible, more and more is revealed about God and all things needed to direct and keep me on the pathway that leads to loving and knowing Him better.  On this Friday evening my desire is to learn and be prompted about my responsibilities toward God, as I worship and adore Him.   He is truly incomparable!

The following Bible quote, was written by one who had not abided by the principles, he now advocates as an older and wiser man.  Hoping to save the younger person from his experience of sinful excess, sadness and remorse, he gave advice which is applicable for the general well being of people of all age groups.  Proverbs 4: 20 – 23 “My son, give attention to my words, incline your ear to my sayings.  Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh.  Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.”  The advice of King Solomon continues, Verses 24 –27 “Put away from you a deceitful mouth, and put perverse lips from you, let your eyes look straight ahead, and your eyelids look right before you.  Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established.  Do not turn to the right or the left; remove your foot from doing evil.”  Hopefully his readers  learn from his negative experiences and follow the advice given by the elderly king.  Commonly some in any age group, will be filled with a measure of self-importance, and determine instead to just ‘do our own thing’; and then if we are honest, most likely end up sadder and wiser as a consequence.

Obviously the advice in Proverbs is timeless, because hundreds of years later, there is similar advice in the New Testament. Paul councils the believers to, 1 Timothy 6: 5, 6, 9 and 10 ‘flee pride, disputes and arguments over words, envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, wrangling,’ ‘desire to be rich,’ ‘harmful lusts’, ‘love of money’.  He then gives the reason for leaving off these activities, Verse 11 “But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.” All these attributes are spiritual gifts from the Holy Spirit, with each to be much desired, by the people of God.  Verse 12 “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” It seems such a personal plus and stress release for each person to follow the way of God.  Then there is comfort in Gods promise of eternal life; ever before His people.  Therefore what is the point for any of us, to be absorbed in, achievements, money, or being envious about people and what they are, doing, or have?  Verse 6, 7 “Now godliness with contentment is great gain.  For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.”

From personal experience, Jesus knew the distress of living in this sinful world, and promised His peace and to send the Holy Spirit, as our Comforter, after He left earth.  1 Timothy 3: 16 “Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all.”

Dear Jesus, in my mind I sing and say praises, for your love and provision all through every moment of every day.  It is established in my mind that, ‘the love of God, is beyond compare.”

 

Many hardened criminals, and blatant wrong doers, have spoken of a time, when life seemed so dark and pointless, that they did not want to live any more.  Some cried out to God in repentance, with an overwhelming desire to change and have God’s pardon.  Recorded in scripture are examples showing that it mattered not, whether it was a whole nation or one person that repented of their wrong doing, God never refused to listen or help.  Recorded also in scripture, are the consequential judgements of God that came upon those who did not repent and turn from their corporate or individual wrong doing.  An example of this is when, God prevailed for 40 years with the people Moses led to the promised land, and they chose still to be V 10, 11 “…….a people who go astray in their hearts….. So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest.’”   Jeremiah 17: 5 “Thus says the Lord: ‘Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the Lord.”  Commonly we spend most of our time pursuing relationships or ‘things’ and they become our ‘idol’ of interest, leaving little time is spent with God or doing things in His name.  Others focus on a man made object to worship and expect direction from.  No idol made of materials found on earth has been recorded in scripture or any other record, as having the power to change the inner person and fill the heart with love; for the idol can only know nothing and there is no brain or breath in them.  When the worship of an idol/s is forsaken, and the God of heaven is discovered and embraced, a great joy comes, because the need placed within by our Creator has been filled.

It is a natural response to give credit and praise when a person is rescued from any dire situation by man or God.  Jeremiah 10: 6, 7 “Inasmuch as there is none like You, O Lord (You are great, and Your name is great in might), who would not fear You, o King of the nations? For this is Your rightful due, for among all the wise men of the nations, and all their kingdoms, there is none like You.”  Psalm 95: 6 – 8 “Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. 7 For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand.  Today, if you will hear His voice.”  I come Lord.

I personally know that I need a new heart, so that I can be more like Jesus, full of love and good deeds.  As I look around me and listen to the world news, it surely cannot be argued, that traumatic events and wrongdoing toward others, is causing havoc and heart break to way too many people. I believe that all people upon this earth would greatly benefit from a new heart, also.  Ezekiel 11: 19, 20 “Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh, and they may walk in My statutes and keep my judgments and do them; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God.” 

God has not yet brought down His final judgements upon earth, and is working still to save as many as He can from eternal death.  Oh why do not more take heed to His voice and message, repent and be saved?  Ezekiel 34: 11 “For thus says the Lord God; ‘Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out.’” V 15 “’I will feed My flock, and I will make them lie down,’ says the Lord God.”  When things just get too bad, and all the people on earth have made their final decision about whether they will follow God or not, God will finally implement His judgement upon earth.  Revelation 22: 12 “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.”

God I thank You for a new heart, and that You feed me with Your word and give me rest.  I ask for Your assistance, so that I will be ready for the reward that Jesus gives to all, ‘according to their work’ when He comes again.

My mind thrills with praise toward my God, who is beyond the imagination of those who do not know Him.  I find pleasure, direction and comfort by reading and contemplating words of praise, all through the Scriptures.  Today I ask the Holy Spirit to direct my thoughts and words, as I contemplate several passages of praise, born out of the experience of the writer.

Psalm 113: 3 – 6 “From the rising of the sun to its going down the Lord’s name is to be praised.  4 The Lord is high above all nations, His glory above the heavens. 5 Who is like the Lord our God, who dwells on high, 6 Who humbles Himself to behold the things that are in the heavens and in the earth?”  It is only as over the years as I have come closer to God that I begin to more and more to appreciate His Majesty, and absolute power, combined with total purity.  His whole nature is love manifested in every way, for there is nothing sinful or mean in His nature.  He works for the good of everyone, so that we can be saved from our miserable sinful existence, which always must end in death, unless we accept His offer of salvation from sin, and humble ourselves before Him as God.  For all who accept God, and put aside wrong doing, and believe His promises as they pray for them for themselves, He will answer their prayer of faith. All will learn firsthand to understand that the blessings of God come upon them every day.  Praises to Him will then be a natural energizing joyful response.

Hannah after some years of sorrow and repining took her problem whole heartedly to God in prayer.  In the temple she prayed silently to God with so much emotion, that when observed by Eli, he thought she was drunk.  Eli learned this was not so, and that instead she carried much grief in her soul, 1 Samuel 1: 17 “Then Eli answered and said, ‘Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him.”  She believed God had heard her request, and went upon her way without her previous downcast countenance.  Some years later she returned to the same priest in the temple with an amazing gift to God.  I wonder what he thought when she revealed her story and thoughts, Verse 27, 28 “For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition which I asked of Him.  Therefore I also have lent him to the Lord, as long as he lives he shall be lent to the Lord.  So they worshiped the Lord there.”  Her prayers for a child had not only been answered, but had wrought a change in her mind and spirit.  She was no longer a down cast person, even though she was about to be separated from her precious child of a very young age.  In the first 2 verses of a longer verbal prayer, Hannah now speaks from her heart a different prayer than the first, 2 Samuel 2: 1, 2 “…..”My heart rejoices in the Lord, my horn is exalted in the Lord, I smile at my enemies, because I rejoice in Your salvation. 2 No one is holy like the Lord, for there is none besides You, nor is there any rock like our God.”  Here is another example that illustrates ‘that it is true to know God, is to love Him’ and brings about a desire to tell others about His goodness.

David, who was chosen by God to be the king of Israel, and could have been continually sad and oppressed, because his life was in constant danger from the current king Saul, who wanted to kill him: and life was hard.  God was so close to him during this time, and for most times of his life, that there are more words of praise coming from him than any other writer in the Scriptures.  Psalm 86: 8 – 10 “Among the gods there is none like You, O lord; nor are there any works like Your works, 9 All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, and shall glorify Your name. 10 For You are great, and do wondrous things; You alone are God.” 

Please dear God, keep ever before me, as I read Scripture and assimilate the words into my inner being, that You in all circumstances, give great joy that overflows into prayers of gratitude and praise.  ‘To know You, is to love You’ and will change me personally and bring forth words of praise, privately and to others; so that they also can come to know and appreciate the one and only true God.

 

God does rebuke the wrong doer, yet He does not stop loving us when we do wrong, and He promises His forgiveness and deliverance, through the sufferings and intercession, of His Son, Jesus Christ.  Isaiah 59: 1, 2 “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear.  But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.”  Often when people say there is no God, because when they have prayed no answer came.  God says it is because they continue in their sinful activity or other sin, not really wanting to change.  Verse 3 “For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies; your tongue has muttered perversity.” However until the end of time, such a state is not final and they will be prompted by God again.   For those that heed the promptings of the Holy Spirit, and turn from wrong doing and come to God again, Psalm 99: 8 “You answered them, O Lord our God; You were to them God-Who-Forgives, though You took vengeance on their deeds.”

God will change our hearts if we just let Him. When we pray each day and ask Him, He will keep us more and more true to Him, by divine intervention against the temptations within every day.  How do I know this because I read the promises of scripture and many of us have experienced His answers?  Isaiah 59: 21 “As for Me,” says the Lord, “this is My covenant with them: My Spirit who is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants’ descendants,” says the Lord, “from this time and forevermore.”

It is often not easy to follow the directions of the Lord, for they can go against what we want to do, and bring us into difficulty and tribulation.  This was so for the people who followed Moses away from all they had known, to trek through the unknown and into the sea, with a wall of water on each side, and the enemy in hot pursuit behind.  But after a number of unimaginable miracles and divine interventions, they said and sang different words, Exodus 15: 11-13 “Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods?  Who is like You, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders:  You stretched out You right hand; the earth swallowed them.  You in Your mercy have led forth the people whom You have redeemed; You have guided them in Your strength to Your holy habitation.”

‘Seeing is believing’ so the saying goes, and has often been so for those who have seen the miracles and interventions of the Lord: when there could be no other answer or way the event could have happened.   John 2: 11 “This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.”  John 11: 45 “Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary (sister of Lazarus), and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him.” 

The Christians that formed after Jesus went back to heaven certainly went through hard times and persecution; as many do for their faith these days.  Grounded in the word of God, and remembering the sufferings of Christ, they did not give up their belief and faith in their Saviour, counting it a privilege to suffer as He did.  2 Corinthians 1: 3, 4 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

To experience the support and comforts of God is individually real, and enables us to share and give all praise to God, and I wish to do so again, and with the Psalmist say, Psalm 94: 19 “In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul.”

Thank You dear Father, for all of my blessings and the prospect of physical and spiritual renewal,with more time to come closer to You, upon the day for worship and rest.  After a very busy week my body and mind are certainly ready for time spent focusing upon You, in quiet settings.  I am so very blessed in this part of the world, with relative peace, and the pleasure of a plentiful harvest from my fruit trees, and garden.  From what I read in scriptures, all this fades into insignificance, when compared with what has been prepared for the righteous redeemed in heaven.  It would be true to say, I have no excuse to covet another, with so many blessings to share with others, Hebrews 13: 5, 6 and 8 “Let your conduct be without covetousness, be content with such things as you have.  For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’  So we may boldly say: ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear.  What can man do to me?’”  v8 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.”

I give testament to the goodness of God, and the answers to my prayers, that are comforting, yet powerful and true to the many promises of God.  There is such a blessing in honouring God, and speaking about His goodness and rescue strategies from fumbling human endeavours, as well as the peace given into the mind of any needy person who sincerely reaches out and talks with Him, in any way and in any place or time.  Isaiah 43: 10, 11 “You are My witnesses,” says the Lord “And My servant whom I have chosen.  That you may know and believe Me, and I understand that I am He.  Before Me there was no God formed.  Nor shall there be after Me.  I, even I, am the Lord, and besides Me there is no savior.” 

The Israelite nation, that had been preserved and blessed of God, had forgotten all His wondrous doings on their behalf, and compromised from Gods righteous ways, and served the gods of the  nations around, and took on doing their wicked ways; including horrific atrocities to one another and all around.  They ignored the pleadings of God, even though they had lived peaceful and fruitful lives, when serving God.  As James puts it in the New Testament, Verses 2: 1 “My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality.” V 7, 8 “Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called?  If you really fulfil the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself,’ you do well.”

They did not see that the bad things happening to them were due to their own actions.  God as with us never gave up loving them and trying to bring them back to loving and serving Him.  Verse 12 “I have declared and saved, I have proclaimed, and there was no foreign god among you; therefore you are My witnesses,” says the Lord, “that I am God.”  Only when we have an intimate personal relationship can we witness about God or anyone we know.  To claim that we are the children of God, is a special privilege and as with any liaison comes with a responsibility, to be true to the agreements therein; and in this case we are to love God with all the heart, as He does us, and be obedient and righteous as He is.  Verse 7 “Everyone who is called by My name, whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him.” 

There are times when all seems black and it is so easy to forget that a breath away, there is a loving merciful, Saviour, Jesus Christ, who waits to be called and asked for help.  Isaiah 60: 1-3 “Arise and shine, for your light has come!  And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.  For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the Lord will arise over you and His glory will be seen upon you………”  How good it is to know, that as repentance is placed in our heart, and we harken to the promptings of Jesus, all sin is forgiven.  2 Corinthians 5: 17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new.”

All praise to You our God and Saviour.

After Jesus arose from the dead and comforted and encouraged the disciples and people who were willing to take the message of the availability of salvation and redemption; He after around a month returned to heaven.  The disciples could not keep from proclaiming the facts around Jesus, and the hope inherent in the scriptures they now understood.  This enraged the traditional Israelite leaders, who endeavoured to silence their voices, through the Roman legal system.  Paul gives his own defense in such a case; a portion from Acts 24: 14 – 16 “But this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets.  I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust. This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.”  To read often from the scriptures, ‘believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets’ is apparently very important in preparing us to live with a clear conscience ‘toward God and men’.  Along with Paul we then will have an expectation of the return of Jesus and the resurrection of the wicked and righteous, with the true and righteous to be taken by Jesus to live in heaven.

Now as in Bible times there are those who do not believe and scoff about God and there being any type of judgement or eternal, everlasting consequence for good or wrong doing.  Malachi 3: 14, 15 “You have said, ‘It is useless to serve God; what profit is it that we have kept His ordinance, and that we have walked as mourners before the Lord of hosts?  So now we call the proud blessed, for those who do wickedness are raised up; they even tempt God and go free.”  Previously there were many times when wickedness seemed to go unchecked by God, and His predictions of judgements upon the wicked and deliverance of the righteous seemed delayed in being delivered; yet the judgements always came as predicted after His time of mercy ended.  Malachi 3: 16 – 18 “Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord listened and heard them; so a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who meditate on His name.  …………… And I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.  Then you shall again discern between the righteous and the wicked, between the one who serves God and the one who does not serve Him.’”

The disciples after the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus, finally got what the prophets of the Old Testament had really meant when they had written about the Messiah to come.  It did not mean the local affairs surrounding their nation or to be set free from Roman rule.  It instead meant light and joy because of Jesus, even in the hard times in life on a still sinful earth.  It meant salvation from sin and death, and the hope of seeing their beloved Lord again.  No wonder they could not keep silent, when every heart and mind was bursting with the good news and the import for everyone else who accepted Jesus as their Saviour.

I wonder why I and so many on earth have not more to say about what the love of God and salvation through Jesus His Son means to us personally.  There is a blessing from God promised when we do.  Isaiah 52 : 7 “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaim peace, who brings glad tidings of good things, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’” Verse 10 “The Lord has made bare His holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.”