Month: January 2017

The earth groans with strife, concocted and perfected by the many wicked and godless people that live thereon; all toward another/others.

In some different parts of the earth, blasting heat, blistering dryness, with reduced trickles of water; then pouring, flooding rain, splintering ice from above, causing great discomfort and even sometimes through the spectrum of destruction and death.

Beautiful greens and colours of tree, grass, fruit and flowers; peaceful rivers, streams and lakes of water, with the blue sky and soft clouds reflected.   People and animals living mostly a peaceful existence.

Is there God above and hope in all three?  What is meaningful, and for each man to cling too?

Psalm 12: 1 -5 “Help Lord, for the godly man ceases! For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men.  They speak idly everyone with his neighbour; with flattering lips, and the tongue that speaks proud things, who have said, ‘with our tongue we will prevail; our lips are our own; who is lord over us?’  ‘For the oppression of the poor; for the sighing of the needy, now I will arise; says the Lord; ‘I will set him in the safety for which he yearns.”

For me and many others who have gone in prayer to the Holy Scriptures, and the words of promise that have come from God and have been written down within the scriptures have given hope and direction.  In a supernatural way the words from God, have delivered my mind from distress and filled my heart with peace and lips with song and praise that is beyond understanding; for nothing around me seemed to have changed.  But I had!

V 6 and 7 “The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times,  You keep them, O Lord, You shall preserve them from this generation forever.”  Psalm 28, 30 “For You will light my lamp; the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.”  “As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust Him”

Jesus has many titles, that reveal Who He is and another aspect of His work or character.  One such title is Word, John 1: 1-3 “In the beginning was Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through Him, without Him nothing was made that was made.”  V 14 “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Amazingly the power of the words of Jesus is such, that He spoke all aspects of creation into being.  In the light of this revelation, I can believe, abide by and pray the words spoken by Jesus Christ when on earth, in confidence they are meant to be answered in the here and now, as well as my code to live by.  They are spoken in love, and reveal a divine love plan in action.  John 14: 21”He who has my commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me.  And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” To a question from Judas (not Iscariot) V 23 “Jesus answered and said to him, ‘If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.” 

This whole chapter is full of like precious and soul stirring instruction and promises.  A precious promise to live by and claim each day is, V 27”Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you, Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

Bible verses for reflection and prayer

God’s faithful old warrior Abraham wanted to obtain a wife for his son, born in his extreme old age, through a miracle of God.  He felt that the only fit wife for Isaac would come from his own country, far away.  He sent his loyal long time servant, with precise instructions, upon where to go, and whom to seek for Isaac’s wife.  The servant had arrived at his destination, the city of Nahor in Mesopotamia, and waited outside the city by the well until the young woman came out to draw water for their animals.  Genesis 24: 12 “Then he said, ‘O Lord God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham.”  Then his request of God became more detailed, V 14 “Now let it be that the young woman to whom I say, ‘Please let down your pitcher that I may drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink’-let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant Isaac.  And by this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master.”  So very often God is answering our prayers right as we are asking in faith, and so it was for the servant.  The very beautiful, virgin woman, Rebekah born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, came with her pitcher to the well.  She fulfilled all the prayed for requests of the servant.  V 26, 27”Then the man bowed down his head and worshiped the Lord.”  And he said, ‘Blessed be the Lord God of my Master Abraham, who has not forsaken His mercy and His truth toward my master.  As for me, being on the way, the Lord led me to the house of my master’s brethren.’

I have found God does care about me, and has often answered prayers of many types.  Some that have seemed so very small that it was hardly worthwhile, but not so with God, for everything about me and my doings and concerns is of interest to Him.

God had prepared the minds and hearts of her family to allow Rebekah to leave straight away and travel back with the servant to the place Abraham and his son Isaac lived.  Upon her safe arrival, Isaac took Rebekah to be his wife and loved her.  They had twins Esau and Jacob, who were very different in all ways.  In their adulthood, by his mother’s devising and his collusion, Jacob the younger took the birthright by deceit from Esau the elder twin. Due to the hate of Esau, and on the charge from his father to ‘not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan’, but instead go off to the place of his mother’s brother Laban, and obtain a wife from among his daughters, Jacob set out.  One wonders what his state of mind would have been, he had done wrong by God, his brother hated him and wanted to do him harm, and now bereft of family he was on  a long lonely journey.  ‘Where was God’, he could have been asking, as his plans and life seemed to be in tatters?  God as always was not far away.  The sun had set and with only a stone for a pillow he lay down to sleep, Genesis 28: 12, 13 “Then he dreamed, and behold , a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.  And behold, the Lord stood above it and said: ‘I am the Lord God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give you and your descendants.”  Even though Jacob had taken things to his own control, God knew his heart and was still prepared to work with and through him, and his promise to Abraham, would continue through the offspring of Jacob.

Though in darkened mood and night, God had not deserted the transgressor Jacob, V 15 “Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave  you until I have done what I have spoken to you.”  The promises of God bring us joy and light, along with a renewal in our commitment to God and to walk in His ways, and so it was for Jacob. V16 “Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, ‘Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.’  And he was afraid and said, ‘How awesome is this place!  This is none other than the house of God, and this the gate of heaven!’” And so it must have seemed in the lonely darkened wild, with only God and His angels in his thoughts.  The promises of God, strengthened his resolve to be faithful to God, and gave him direction for his future life.  V 20, 21 “Then Jacob made a vow, saying, ‘If God will be with me, and keep in this way I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on, so that I come back to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God.’”

I give praise, for this promise of God, which can be for me (us) as it was for Jacob, “Behold I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, I will not leave  you until I have done what I have promised you.”; which includes to always be with me on my journey, on into heaven.

Bible verses for reflection and prayer

Dear God, how I long to write fit words about the wonderful truths and messages, written in Your inspired word, the Bible.  I am lifted up and given hope not only about my ability to express fit thoughts, but in the obvious working of Your Spirit in the lives of many of the writers who have contributed for You in the scriptures.  By their account, You are a just and fair God, and so what You have done for them You can do for me, in that You save and grow the Christian experience in me and others that ask.   How that is expressed for You will depend on Your plans, my williness and abilities, commitment, life circumstances and time in earth’s history.  Thank You for the privilege.

Simon Peter, through the Holy Spirit had gone from being a person who was very confident in His love for Jesus, yet not knowing his own weakness; to someone with a fearless, yet humble faith.  In the following words, he writes to fellow believers – 2 Peter 1: 1 – 4 “…. To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied in you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakes of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” 

It would seem that Peter, as with the other disciples, had now become fervent apostles of Jesus Christ, and so did not want his church fellowship to be content with a mere lack lustre Christian experience or in modern parlance, a church fellowship, that was based on attendance once a week, with ‘do your own thing’ in between.  2 Peter 1: 5 – 7 “But for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness and to brotherly kindness love.”  In actual fact Peter was warning the followers of Jesus, who had in their midst false sensual, unconscecrated teachers, who scoffed about a future judgement.  In contrast Peter counsels them (us) to be godly, blameless and steadfast 2 Peter 1: 8 “For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 

God is merciful and longsuffering, but judgement does come, and so Peter continues in his attempt to build up the faith of his congregation, 2 Peter 1: 10, 11 “Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” I can imagine for the apostles, who had lived with their Master, and then had seen Him return to heaven, with the promise to return for His own faithful followers, it must have been for the apostles a deep soul need to have His physical company again, and equally as compelling, to prepare others to share in this absolutely joyful expectation.  The thought of these dear, beloved in the Lord people losing out, would, maybe have been even more painful then than it is now, when people set out on a pathway away from Jesus.

It is probable for many of us, that our hope in the return of Jesus has become a little obscured by ‘things’, focus and time.  Peter awoke to his true condition, and I believe, that when I humbly listen to You Lord, that I will be as needed, awakened and renewed ‘so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savour Jesus Christ.’

Most people, who are serious about being decent people and doing good to others, do not want to be habitually or intentionally doing wrong or nasty things.  What a wonderful answer to such a heart desire,it is to discover and believe Jesus Christ and His message.  2 Thessalonians 2: 13 – 14 “From the beginning God, You chose me for salvation, through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth.  You called me to this through the gospel, that I might obtain the glory of my Lord Jesus Christ.” 

For those of us living in a developed country and for many who do not, we have access to the gospel of Jesus Christ all around us, in word, song and music, delivered on and through many avenues.  Oh how I wish more would go looking or avail themselves of what is already in their home, and once finding Jesus Christ, never let Him go.  He says He is the answer to our every need and I have found Him to be so; even though in every way possible the devil has and is trying to obscure His presence and message.  In my experience too many people buy his lies and delusions; and those of us who think we are wised up and in the know, get caught out all too often, by being self-complacent!

1 Corinthians 6: 9 – 11 “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?  Do not be deceived.  Neither fornicators, not idolaters, no homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.  And such were some of you.  But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.”  As said previously, Jesus truly has and is the answer for us personally and for our every need.  None of us is left out, for many of these behaviours identified apply to most of us, especially when the subject is studied closely and broadened in context.  For example, there are many ways of cheating (thieving) or being covetous of someone or for something; or even be drunk with too much food etc., and then reviling another for doing a different excess than the one that has us captive.  1 Corinthians 15: 57, 58 “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”  1 Corinthians 15: 56 “The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.”

We all know that our bodies’ age and finally death is the inevitable end, sooner or later.  The Bible tell us that this was not always so, for it is recorded that in the Garden of Eden nothing decayed or got sick until after Eve and Adam sinned by disobeying God, because they responded to the lies of Satan and followed his word, not God’s instructions.  The world that has Satan as the leader, in opposition to God, automatically has the curse of sin, sickness, decay and death upon every living thing upon the earth. This would have continued without change or hope, with every generation getting more afflicted, had not Jesus Christ come to earth, and allowed Himself to be put to death as our sin sacrifice.

Thank You God, the apostle Paul, is the herald of the result to us, of redemption through Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15: 50 – 55 “ Now this I say, brethren , that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.  Behold, I tell you a mystery: we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed – in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.  For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.  So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall it be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.’  ‘O Death where is your sting?  O Hades, where is your victory?’”

 

I find there will be at least one promise, but usually numbers of promises from God, on any subject that I need at any given time and situation.  There are many different needs such as for comfort, instruction and affirmation, and I thank God for the promises that addresses these needs.  Of course I do not know every promise amongst over a thousand to choose from.  The next 3 are just a few that I have found so very helpful, in my life and Christian walk.

Deuteronomy 31: 8 “O Lord, You Yourself go before me and will be with me; You will never leave me nor forsake me.  I will not be afraid or be dismayed.”  Sometimes it is easy to forget that God knows about me at all times, and His care is over me; whether that is for travel, new plans, enterprises, experiences, traumatic times or health issues.  I am thankful that through persevering prayer in times of worry or reoccurring doubt, God does get my mind to be in accord with His promises.

It is so good also to claim God’s promises in faith and belief, after I have prayed, but before the answer has yet come.  Then it is good for my mind and soul to praise God, for answered prayer, as well as for blessings that come my way every day, as does day follow night.

2 Samuel 22: 2 – 4 “O Lord, You are my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; O God, You are my rock, I will take refuge in You.  You are my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge – my Saviour; You save me from violence.  I call on You, Lord; You are worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.”  I can see the author of Samuel called upon God for protection, due to his intimate knowledge and relationship with God.  I acknowledge it is important for me to also have an intimate knowledge of God as well as a relationship with Him, and freely call out to Him in times of need.  Then because I know and love Almighty God, I will want to do as He requests of someone who wants to be His special child.

King David took his relationship with his God seriously and for most of his life, sort God in love and obedience; and had realized much blessing, guidance and protection, which God loves to do for all His loving true spiritual children.  Psalm 51: 10 – 12 “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Do not cast me from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.  Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and uphold me by Your generous Spirit.”

Even after grievous sin, and departure from Your clean, honest and obedient way, this previously faithful follower of You, saw His need and repented freely, and was forgiven, through Your amazing generous mercy and grace.  I am glad for this revelation in the Psalms, because it is another promise, that I if and when needed, can be led to truly repent and know that You will surely receive me and restore me to Yourself, as was the case for King David.  I give thanks to You my God.

 

Bible Verses for Reflection and Prayer

God as I contemplate You again this morning, I once again reflect upon the fact that You are all powerful, all knowing.  But more than that worthy of all praise, reverence and awe, which is revealed in the prayer of petition, spoken by Hezekiah, when the nation was threatened with destruction by, Sennacherib and his mighty army.  Isaiah 37: 16 “O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth.  You have made heaven and earth.”  No prayer uttered on earth escapes the notice of God, and it is His delight to deliver, when it is right to do so.  Even though Wondrous and Almighty God, pride is not part of His nature, so it is not beneath God, to answer the petitioning person.  Isaiah 37: 33, 37 “ Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the king of Assyria, he shall not come into this city, not shoot an arrow there, nor cast a bank against it.”  “So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt in Nineveh.”

As I learn more and more to love God, gratitude and thanks rise up more and more from me, in words, delivered in different ways.  Another king of the Old Testament appreciated the goodness of God and gave public worship to that effect.  1 Chronicles 29: 10 – 14 “Therefore David blessed the Lord before all the assembly and David said: ‘Blessed are You Lord God of Israel, our Father, forever and ever.  Yours, O Lord is the greatness, the power and the glory, the victory and the majesty; for all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord and You are exalted as head over all.  Both riches and honour come from You, and You reign over all; and in Your hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.  Now therefore, our God, we thank You, and praise Your glorious name.’”

Within the scriptural record are written words of experiential faith and praise from numbers of men, with which I can identify, and add my words of praise.  1 Timothy 6: 15, 16 “You, O God, are the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  You alone have immortality and dwell in unapproachable light; no one has seen You or can see You.  To You be honour and eternal dominion.”

God invites us to call upon His name and petition us for His blessings, and because of His proven love, compassion, mercy and care for all people, and especially toward those who place their belief and faith In the Almighty God, many of us in modern times also place our lives and care into His hands.  Numbers 6: 22– 26 “And the Lord spake to Moses saying, speak to Aaron and unto his sons, saying in this way, you shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them: ‘O Lord, bless us and keep us, O Lord make Your face shine upon us and be gracious to us.  O Lord, turn Your face toward us and give us peace’” The Children of Israel were abundantly blessed by Almighty God.  Today to all with an appreciative eye and believing heart comes every day myriads’ of large and small things to give God thanks and praise for.  Even if not all things seemed like blessings at first!

One of the most precious blessings is the peace that Jesus delights to place in the heart of the petitioner, even in the midst of storm and turmoil.  John 14: 27 “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you, not as the world gives do I give to you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”  I thank my Saviour for this promise of enduring peace, as well as the answer to fear and trouble

Bible Verses for contemplation and Prayer

Ephesians 1: 3 and 4 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love.”

Truly it is a wonder the God, the Father and His Son, our precious Savour Jesus Christ, made provision to save all transgressors upon earth, who accepted their offer of salvation.  Amazing as it seems, that makes us chosen by God ‘to be holy and without blame’, before we choose to be His, because of divine love.  When we make this decision and carry it through, it automatically, verses 5 and 6 “having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.”

The love of God the Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ  was so amazing and so divine, that before the earth was given foundation, they made the firm covenant to save any sinner (if sin came upon the earth),  when they were obedient to God and by His abundant grace, became holy and blameless in character.  This promise of salvation was transmitted to Adam and Eve straight after they had become sinners in the Garden of Eden.  The promise of the eternal covenant was given to Abraham, nineteen hundred years before, Jesus Christ, the Redeemer, actually came to earth.

We could write on this theme in the most learned way for all of a long earthly life, and never really touch the depths of what God the Father and His Son have done, or what fully makes up their characters.  It will take more than the millennium to acquaint mankind with a little of their exalted characters; taking in the mystery of redemption, and ever afterwards, the divine-human character of Christ and the mystery of the incarnation of Christ.

Whilst Jesus was on earth He made known in His intimate way of love, what it means to be His friend; and who really chooses who.  John 15: 14 – 17 “You are my friends if you do whatever I command you, no longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from my Father I have made known to you.  You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.  These things I command you, that you love one another.

It is said in scripture ‘taste and see that the Lord is good’ and for all who know and serve Him, they cannot keep from attesting about His love and goodness, and I want to do the same today; for that has how I have found My Father God, and our Redeemer, Jesus Christ, His Son.  This certainly was the experience of Paul, the intrepid apostle for the early Christian fellowship. Romans 1: 5 – 7 “Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for the obedience to the faith among all nations in His name, among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ; to all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints; grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

I am thankful with Paul, for having been chosen by God, and being ‘the called of Jesus Christ……. As well as being ‘called to be saints’; and to be the recipient of the grace and peace of heaven.

Bible verses for reflection and prayer.

Since thinking about and writing on John 6: 35, 48 and 57 previously, I have reflected on doing as Jesus advises – to feed upon His flesh, which means that we need to be very close to what we are feeding upon.  But more than that, there has to be an opening and shutting to allow the food to go in the body and not spill out again.  For the physical body, that is the mouth, which we intentionally open, to place food and liquid into, and intentionally close again, so that food does not spill out.  The food then goes through the digestive tract for mechanical processing and chemical digestion; so the nutrients can be transported to the very places they are needed, all over the body. That process is only interfered with in the cases of illness.

To draw the analogy with physical food and the process of eating this food, with assimilating spiritual food, how far can we go?  Firstly, the spiritual food has to get into the body, so it can be processed and used beneficially for and by the receiver.  Revelation 3: 20 “Behold, I stand at the door and knock, if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him and he with Me.”  Jesus Himself tells us the author of the teaching, Revelation 1: 1 “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants – things which must shortly take place.  And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John.”  It is Jesus who wants to come into my life and interact with me, but He does not force Himself, therefore He needs to be invited in, which because He is God and can read minds, I can do prayerfully in my mind, or by using my voice audibly.  Jesus through His Spirit can then give me His thoughts right into my mind.  The ‘door’ to my heart, which is really my mind, are my eyes and my ears;  which is a solemn thing, because apparently we always have buried in the mind, things we have seen and heard, so it is important to make them such as do not counteract the input from God.

Further teachings from Jesus whilst walking this earth, from the book of John 6: 40 “And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”  V 44 “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.”  The bread that Jesus is imparts full spiritual nourishment and will give eternal life, whereas temporal bread nourishes the body and does not give eternal life.  V 58 “This is the bread which came down from heaven – not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead.  He who eats this bread will live forever.”

John 14: 6 and 7”Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me.  If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.”

V 26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”

I praise the wonderful name, of my Saviour for His freely offered Spiritual nourishment, and for ‘the Helper, the Holy Spirit’ who comes to us, at our invitation and in all ways teaches me and leads me to you.

 

Bible verses for reflection and prayer

No one can take too much upon themselves, when it comes to claiming to bring people to Jesus, by their own efforts alone.  Paul points this out, to people who had being making out one minister or Bible worker, was the only one to support and give approbation; to the detriment of another.  Paul finds it useful to use analogies from garden and construction.

1 Corinthians 3: 7 “So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God gives the increase.”  V8”Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive is own reward according to his own labour.”

1 Corinthians 3: 9, 10 and 11”For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building.  According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise mater builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it.  For no other foundation can anyone lay than that that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

What type of person I am, will be revealed at the end?  So why do I seek approval from people, or want my activities to be noticed and appreciated?  For in God’s work it is apparent that it is not about me, but God.  I do not have what it takes to germinate and grow, or give a true foundation and build a ‘building’ that will be founded on Jesus, or turn out right, or cause others to  mature as God’s children, apart from Him.  But Jesus does want me to do the part He has given me, toward bringing others to know Him; and in allowing Him to grow me into and the spiritual person He wants and knows I can be.  Grown and moulded by Him all the way!

To be most useful to Jesus, I will allow myself to be like the surgical glove on a hand.  Close enough to Jesus to have been mounded to His form, move when He does, in the way He does; happy to stay and be at His service, even though I could be removed at any time.  I could not be most useful to Jesus, if I wore a boxing glove, which is not closely applied to the hand, and able to make the sensitive movements, as the hand actually could.  Neither would someone who applied a boxing glove want the glove to deliver sensitive individual finger motions, but rather the crushing forceful impact of a closed fist in an arranged fight; which are more designed be won by the strongest or most strategic player on the day, than to grow or build up another person.

The surgical glove is designed to be able to make the movements of the wearer and so help and deliver the other person; the boxing glove is designed to deliver the ‘knockout blow’ that stills the movement of the other person.   I pray that I will be made more like the surgical than the boxing glove, and be next to Jesus, the Giver of peace, in His service.

Because I have asked Jesus into my heart and desire to tell others about what He has done for me, and live in such a way that will bring Him glory, I desire to care for my physical body very carefully.

 1 Corinthians 3: 16, 17 “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and the Spirit of God dwells in you?  If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him.  For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.”

It has been a slow life time process, but gradually it has been dawning upon me, that compared to all there is to know on earth and then in a vast universe, I really do not know much.  And then again when spiritual things are considered, I may know very closely the words from many passages of the Bible, yet not understand all of these words.  Humans are really not very wise, and all true wisdom comes from God.  Maybe many of us are in for many surprises in heaven, throughout millennia, as truth is revealed.  Therefore it seems to me, that even the most learned person on earth, is not nearly as wise as they think they are, or would manifest when compared to God or even an angel.

1 Corinthians 3: 18, 19 and 20 “Let no one deceive himself, if anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become as fool that he may become wise.  For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.  For it is written, ‘He catches the wise in their own craftiness’, and again, ‘The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.’

I am so very thankful, that God you have invited me to call on Your wisdom every day, and for the much deliverance that I have received as Your gift in this area, in answer to claiming relevant promises for the situation.

 

John 6: 57 “As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on me will live because of me.”

I used to puzzle about the words of Jesus, telling us to eat Him and thereby live, because He was the ‘true bread’.  Especially at the time Ordinance Service, when unleavened bread and the ‘fruit of the grape’ were blessed and given out, as Jesus had told His followers to due, in remembrance of Him, after His return to heaven; the bread representing His flesh and the ‘fruit of the grape’ His blood.  Many times Jesus has talked about eating and drinking, in regard to Himself, and has explained the meaning of His words, within scripture, with more examples.   John 6: 33”For the bread of God is he which comes down from heaven, and gives life to the world.”  More explicitly, Jesus names Himself, as ‘bread from heaven’, V48 “I am the bread of life. “  V 35 “And Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life, He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.’”

To eat food and drink food, is not only essential to our health and well being, and cannot be done away from food and drink, or by just having the food close by.  Our best health is assured when we eat good nourishing food, on a regular basis. For most people eating food and drinking fluid, is a pleasant time, which evokes pleasure and lasting memories.  As I think about these things, I can understand more clearly, what Jesus was meaning, by ‘so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me’ V57, last part.  There is no uncertainty in the words of Jesus for me, I will live because, I have fed on Him.  Neither is there any uncertainty in the words of Jesus, as to Who sent Him, and from what place He was sent.   He was sent by ‘the living Father’ (who lives in heaven) and He himself lives because of the Father, and as God’s Son, can give eternal life to all on earth who accept His offer.  As ‘heaven sent bread of life’, Jesus is revealed as the One who, facilitates, nourishes, supports and grows our spiritual life, unto eternity.  He is revealed in the Scriptures all through, in an intimate way, and to eat freely from those words, means that we will not suffer for lack of knowledge of Him and will ever satisfied with the spiritual food He is.  Jesus knows we need to be very close to our continual source of spiritual nourishment, and by using the analogy of eating and drinking Him, He denotes this needed closeness and regularity.  But to read is not enough, we need to believe what we read and by faith accept and apply His promises, as our dear and only Saviour, so gradually we take on more and more of His character.

‘We are what we eat’ so to speak.  All our bodily cells are composed from elements that come from the food we eat; and there are countless different elements, in the right mix and concentrations, that are essential to optimum human health and function.  Modern science is finding out all the time, of the importance of hither to overlooked elements that are good for maintaining health.   It is true we can apparently function with inadequate amounts of essential food elements; thinking we are alright.  Or in fact, knowing we are not, but not exerting ourselves to do anything about topping up elements that are in adequate supply.  Sometimes we do not know how short we are, or how less than in optimum health we actually feel.  It can be exactly the same with the individual spiritual life, we must make the effort and give the time, to imbibe Jesus and abide in Him, on a daily basis, to grow and remain in spiritual health, and it cannot be done by feeding on the spiritual experience of someone else, to the exclusion of growing one of our own with our Saviour.

Thank You Jesus for loving me, and seeking me out so I can seek You out daily, and be nourished and grown by You on into eternity, with much joy and praises ascending in between.