Forgiveness

Everyone knows trouble, for some, our trouble was brought by another person and the anguish and pain is with us still. It may seem impossible to forgive that person - don't they deserve a full punishment for what they have done? 

Jesus is here to help; He always wants the best for us (Matthew 7:11); He is the great reconciler and restorer (Colossians 1:19-20). I pray that my experience and testimony will help you, I bring understanding from my own healings, and from much study. Praise Jesus that the effects of unforgiveness are today being recognised among God's people.
 
For many years Galatians 5:1 has been a favourite Bible verse - I sought freedom and have found freedom, and peace, in Jesus, "Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6).
 
When Jesus died and rose from the grave He defeated death and sin, humanity's two biggest problems since The Fall (Genesis 3). "For our sake [God] made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21).
 
Jesus is our shepherd and will guide us and care for us all the days of our life (John 10:11, 14:6). He has given us tools to help us. The Lord's Prayer is one such, a beloved and perhaps the most spoken prayer on Earth. (On Easter Sunday 2007, it is estimated that two billion people spoke this prayer).
 
"Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours, now and for ever. Amen".
(Luke 11:2-4 and Matthew 6:9-13, in words I learned as a child).
 
We see that Jesus links our being freed from our sins to our forgiving others and setting them free from their sins against us. This is a theme throughout the Bible.
 
"And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins" (Mark 11:25).
 
"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you" (Ephesians 4:32).
 
"Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you" (Colossians 3:13).
 
Healing Our Heart
 
To forgive someone who has hurt us may seem unfair and unreasonable, but with prayer and perseverance Jesus will bring us through, we will be released from our anger and pain. O, the relief, the healing of our heart!
 
Along the way we see the truth of what our friend Bev P. says: "Unforgiveness is like us drinking poison and hoping the other person will get sick". Often the person who hurt us is unaware of our pain, they carry on with life with no burden from their wrongdoing. 
 

Our emotions of resentment, anger and our desire for revenge produce a bitterness in our heart, (medical people know this as a "toxic thought pattern"). Our Bible warns us about this: "See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no bitter root springs up and causes trouble, by it many are defiled" (Hebrews 12:15). Those emotions are "bad fruit" in our life, the opposite of the "fruit of the Spirit" (Galatians 5:22-23) which Jesus grows in us (Luke 11:13).
 
This is a spiritual problem which cripples us and has profound impact on our ability to help others (Ephesians 2:10).
 
Another thing. God is in charge of justice. "Do not seek revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay, says the Lord'" (Deuteronomy 32:35; Romans 12:19).
 
It may be that the offending person is already remorseful; we humans learn to wear masks to cover our negative feelings. I have been amazed at the number of seemingly successful, outgoing, "comfortable" people who have confided in me their deep insecurities and profound feelings of guilt and shame. The repentance we hope to see may already be present. Our worry will not help us or them.
 
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Matthew 7:1-2). How many times did I read these words before they came alive in my heart? Prayer is needed before we can release everything to our Lord Jesus.
 
Christians remind one another: "Let go and let God"; our children love to recite a favourite memory verse: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths" (Proverbs 3:5-6). I find these thoughts uplifting in times of difficulty. Paul calls on us to renew our minds (Romans 12:2; 1 Corinthians 2:16), this is a conscious process which bears precious fruit.
 
Here is a song which brings joy to my heart, especially when I am troubled:
 
What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
 
Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!
 
Eight great verses! Joseph Scriven, 1855.
 
My Testimony
 
Twice I have had major healings through forgiveness, (and a thousand other healings too).
 
Arthritis: I was at work and reached out to answer the phone. A searing pain shot through my right shoulder, I was frozen, totally surprised. My boss sent me to see a doctor who said: "John, this is arthritis; often it will strike out of the blue like this. There have been big advances in treatment, and we will begin by trying this medication which helps many people like you". I was upset. "We will try?", I responded, "you are not sure what to prescribe?" The doctor explained that there was no way to determine the best medication for any arthritis patient, and no guarantee at all of success. Some people suffer terribly for life. Not encouraging news.
 
At the pharmacy I waited in line behind two women and could not help overhearing their conversation, (I totally believe that this scene was set by our mighty Lord Jesus). One woman said: "O, that Sonja, she still complains all the time. She has seen every doctor and they can't help her. I keep telling her: arthritis is a disease caused by unforgiveness. She just refuses to forgive that ex-husband of hers".
 
I had about 20 minutes to wait for my tablets and nothing to do but ponder those words. Unforgiveness? Arthritis? "Jesus, were those words for me?" The medication I was prescribed did no good at all, neither did the doctor's second "try".
 
My morning quiet times took on a whole new shape. I looked at my life: Who has hurt me? Who do I resent or hold in unforgiveness? Also, how do I forgive? Just saying the words will not be enough, God looks at our heart (1 Samuel 16:7).
 
This was a battle. When I thought I was done, Jesus would soon bring to mind another person or event to be forgiven: from my childhood, my teens, my 20s, from friends, family, even from myself. From betrayals, from  mistakes and misunderstandings. Three times I thought I had completed this task.
 
Then the pain went away and I had full use of my shoulder once again, and still do to this day. Hallelujah. Thank you Jesus. This was big. I was still young, with a wife and six growing children. Jesus has faithfully kept me mobile all these years since.

Every Day: We Christians progress towards "unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God; until we become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:13). But we still seem able to hurt one another and be hurt ourselves: in marriage, in family, and with others. We can cause or feel offence or pain. Trish and I have learned to repent often and forgive each other quickly (Luke 6:37). "Short accounts" are good. I often think of our marriage as a lovely long conversation.
 
Cancer: More recently I had a big fight with prostrate cancer. By the time they found the tumors they were well established. My doctors decided that radiation was the best treatment for me. I was told that there was hope for success but the risks were high; our prostrate is near several major body parts and the cancer can easily spread.
 
A prayer friend sent me some links from a Christian doctor who studied medical advances in the light of what God's Word says about health and healing. I watched the talks, downloaded the big PDF book and had it printed. Jesus made it plain that I was to clear the "toxic thought patterns" from my life; these included anger at the declining state of our culture and the world, and once again, unforgiveness, of myself and of others. A weeks-long prayer battle followed.
 
I re-learned to: ".. take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5). I pondered what "every" means!
 
Once again I prayed and sought forgiveness for my own sins, prayed and forgave others, and myself. Once again this process needed to be repeated. It is very hard work. My knowledge of my dependence on Jesus became radiant. I sought to ensure that nothing would impede the flow of His grace to me.
 
I went through my treatment as one of a cohort, we were together every weekday for months. I was at peace and made a remarkable recovery. Most of the other men appeared to suffer more, in every way, as the radiation affected us; they seemed to feel a great weight as their days slowly passed. My days were filled with life and prayer, Jesus was manifestly with me, He kept my spirit, my soul and my body for me. At the same time I was able to do less around the house and apologised to Trish. "O John", she replied, "you are fine, you could be all grumpy and demanding but you are not, we can manage, it is ok". Bless her! Jesus was with us in every way.
 
Jesus Helps
 
Jesus is complete love, its source and its essence: "So we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them" (1 John 4:16). We know that Jesus is "always" here with us (Matthew 28:20).
 
My prayer for you: Dear Lord Jesus, I pray that, by your Spirit, you encourage and help this person who is reading what we have written together, to let go of all those they hold in unforgiveness, even them self, and that he or she may find the peace and the freedom only you can bring". Amen.
 
Favourite Bible Verses 
 

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid" (John 14:27).
 
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7).
 
"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6).
 
Thank you Jesus my beloved friend (John 15:15).
 
Bless us all, come Lord Jesus.
 
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Amen.

Ascended and Glorified

I think that I am getting a deeper understanding of faith.

As Christians we know faith, it is fundamental to our view of life and the world since Jesus became a vital part of everything for us. Our understanding grows - faith grows as we grow in our "knowing" God, the God of all Creation, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and precious Holy Spirit who guides, teaches, counsels, and comforts us daily.
 
This present time of my growing in faith is through my seeing more of the "bigness" of God. Some guys were talking about God's bigness and how He created all the stars on the fourth day (Genesis 1:14); He simply stretched out His hand and put them in place, even a thousand light years away, because He chose to, and it was in His design.
 
"It is I who made the earth and created humankind on it. My own hands stretched out the heavens; I marshalled their starry hosts" (Isaiah 45:12).
 
"He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations of the south" (Job 9:9). 
 
The Bear and Orion are about 800 light years distant from Earth (at approximately 9.5 trillion kilometres or 5.9 trillion miles for one light year). The Pleiades are about 444 light years. These distances are beyond comprehension, nevertheless our God created, (Genesis 1 and 2), and will do so again (Revelation 21:1). He is omnipotent, all powerful, (Matthew 19:26); when His Word says He did these things, we can totally believe that He did. God is also omnipresent, this means that He is present everywhere, all the time (Psalm 139; Matthew 28:20). Awesome.
 
Over the years I have heard many people teach about "faith"; mostly they talked as though faith is like a muscle and if we "huff and puff" enough it will grow stronger. I believe that faith comes from knowing Jesus and growing in Him, more and more.
 
Through Jesus we can know God personally and relationally in our spirit (Matthew 6:9; Romans 8:15; Ephesians 1:17). We know Him as our Saviour and Shepherd (Luke 1:47; John 10:11) and even historically, and by learning more and more about Him from the Bible and the many resources available to us, and too, by hearing His voice in our own heart, and experiencing His touch in our life. All this will grow our faith. 

While I was reading the words "ascended" and "glorified", many Scripture verses and earlier understandings came together for me. Suddenly I saw Jesus as endless, and also His Kingdom, and His presence in the world and in us. Bigger, present, working, effective, without limit.
 
Sometimes I (briefly) think God is not doing enough, even though I know this is an untrue and disloyal thought. Things are getting worse - beyond our earlier troubles, we are now watched by more cameras everywhere and live with high inflation right around the world. It seems that every aspect of our worldly life is being corrupted or controlled, and we can do nothing about any of this.
 
Happily we are assured that God knows and cares (1 Peter 5:7), therefore He must be allowing all this terrible sin in the world, just as He did for ancient Israel: "When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people .." (2 Chronicles 7:13).
 
In the Old Testament we see that God wanted to change people's hearts: "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh" (Ezekiel 36:26). But the people wanted material prosperity and prestige and worldly power. 1st Samuel 16:7 reminds us: ".. the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart". Jesus' apostles asked: "Lord, are you now restoring the kingdom to Israel?" (Acts 1:6): material prosperity and prestige and worldly power!
 
Is our God, even today, still waiting for His people to change their hearts towards Him and away from the world, our comforts and our flesh?
 
Jesus assured the Jewish leaders that He and Father God were always at work (John 5:17). Happily the evidence of the "ascended and glorified" Jesus doing "greater things" (John 14:12) is all around us. We need eyes to see.
 
Jesus is the centre of everything. "For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him" (Colossians 1:16). I smile as I remember this favourite verse. In Bible college we learned: "Jesus is always the answer!" Even now He sits on His throne sharing His Father’s "Lord(ship) of all creation" (Acts 10:36), and "His principal activity is intercessory prayer" (John Yates, 2024); Jesus prays for us, His people, without ceasing (Hebrews 7:25). There are so many testimonies to the timeliness and power of His prayers.
 
When we are saved, Jesus becomes central to us, each one. We Christians call this our "first love"; that time when our "new life" (Acts 5:20) is truly new, and such a delight after how life was before Jesus came and took us to himself. We got to know the "ascended and glorified" Jesus. He is God in fullness, having completed our Father's work on Earth; He was crucified on a cross, and gave His life blood to pay the full price for our wrongdoing, our sins, for all sin, for all time. Jesus died and was buried; yet, by the power of God's Holy Spirit, He triumphed over sin and death (Romans 6:4, Ephesians 1:18-20) and rose again to life (1 Thessalonians 4:14). Jesus brings us into His family, we become children of God (1 John 3:1).
  

Even more, through baptism in Holy Spirit, Jesus comes to live inside each one of us. This is part of the promise of salvation under the New Covenant (Acts 1:8). We become God's "dwelling place" (Revelation 21:3), His "temple" (1 Corinthians 3:16), this is spiritual. Every Christian is a "living stone" (1 Peter 2:5), a part of the very fabric of God in the world.
 
"God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27). When Jesus "ascended" and was "glorified" in Heaven, things became new. His work on Earth was complete, our work just beginning. We are to be His "ambassadors" (2 Corinthians 5:20) and His workers here (Matthew 10:8). By His Spirit Jesus gives us the grace, strength and power to live for Him, (Galatians 5:16-26). But we have to choose and act, develop new habits and make effort.
 
We can only do any of this with God's strength, in Jesus Christ by His lovely Holy Spirit, our teacher, counselor, comforter and guide (John 14:26). And for this we need faith, God's kind of faith (Mark 11:22), the "certain" kind of faith that our Father has (Hebrews 11:1).
 
"And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you" (Romans 8:11).
 
Praise Jesus, despite how things appear, we have His constant help. Even now He intercedes for us from the throne room of God. He will guide us to act in our world today, just as He led those early Christians in the New Testament of our Bibles. Let us press on in prayer and keep seeking Him (Matthew 21:22; John 16:24). Let us cling to the faith given to us by our lovely "ascended and glorified" Jesus. Amen.
 
How many heroes of the faith do we know? We have read the Bible and books and biographies about people called to evangelise or minister healing, start an orphanage or a refuge, or to give scones to strangers in city streets.
 
Right now, many people are starting home churches or another ministry. This may seem counter-cultural in these days of mega churches and magnificent sound systems, TV and Internet broadcasts, well resourced programs and huge mailing lists, but it is totally in line with the Bible's teaching. We are all called to minister (Ephesians 2:10).
 
It is also a big change for the person; they will (even more) give their life to Jesus. Christian work is not just Sundays, it involves being ready at any time to help people, sometimes with urgent needs, or perhaps to open one's home, week after week. It will often mean keeping one's job, like Paul (a maker of tents), to provide income (Acts 18:3) because any giving received may be needed for ministry to others (Acts 20:35).
 
What we do may affect only a few people, but these few will receive the greatest blessing known to humankind; they will encounter Jesus! (See John 7:38).
 
Even more, there will be a need to pray for all those who participate in the work, just as Jesus prays for us. These are not "our" people, they belong to Jesus, We simply share with Him in His "ascended and glorified" work of interceding for His church and the world.
 
Jesus calls on each one of us to disciple others. Discipling is not much seen in the church today; our call to this essential task is largely being bypassed. My reading of Scripture tells me that we all have a duty to teach and encourage others and help them to grow; and also that we never outgrow our own need to be discipled too. 

In the early church, Jesus' people would gather to share together and encourage one-another (Acts 2:42-47; 1 Corinthians 14:26). They mostly met in homes (1 Corinthians 16:19; Philemon 1:1-2). The Bible says they also met in Synagogues and I can see how this would be. In our newlywed days when Trish and I were new believers, we thought of ourselves as charismatic Christians. We would attend church as was "normal" for our denomination, and afterwards, at cup-of-tea time, we would "gather"; then we would encourage one another, share thoughts, Scripture, songs, prophetic words and prayers. These times, and our prayer meetings and times of ministry, were profoundly rich and satisfying. We were "being church" together.
 
We were aware that we had been "baptised in the Holy Spirit" (Acts 1:8; Revelation 22:17), just like the first Christians in the "upper room" at Pentecost (Acts 2:4). We had been given "gifts of the Holy Spirit" (1 Corinthians 12:1-11) and were learning to minister in these gifts. We would "one another" one another (Acts 2:42-47). We knew we had been "set free" (Galatians 5:1), we were "alive in Christ" (Colossians 2:13), and living "life in the Spirit" (Matthew 10:8; Acts 19:6). We called this "every member ministry". Our Bibles assured us that all this was normative Christianity.
 
"You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8, Jesus' words).

"Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give" (Matthew 10:8).

 
The early church did not have dedicated "church" buildings, professional pastors and "leaders", nor "worship" teams. Neither did they have "services" where a lay congregation were served structured deliveries from-the-front. There were no professionals, no "lay" people, no pre-arranged content, no "front", and certainly no stage. Be assured though, the people would have come prepared; early on I was taught to ask: "Lord Jesus, what would you like me to bring to the prayer meeting, (or group, or Bible study)?" He would always give me something, a Bible verse, a thought, a prayer, a teaching, a song. Then I would find that others would also bring something towards that same "Holy Spirit theme" that day; Jesus prepared us and equipped us for what He wanted us to discuss.
 
(We did not copy what the "church" or other people or groups were doing, we sought Jesus’ guidance as to what He wanted us to do).
 
The "ascended" Jesus was "glorified" among us, simply, without fuss and from love.
 
Amen. 

"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen" (1 Peter 4:8-11).
 
Yes. Amen.
 
Favourite Bible Verses -
 
"For in Him we live and move and have our being .. For we also are His children" (Acts 17:28).
 
"These whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified" (Romans 8:30).
 
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Take It By Force

"From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force" (Matthew 11:12, Jesus' words). 
 

When I was a new Christian I learned that my "force" was not enough. I knew that I was saved, that Jesus had forgiven my sins and brought me into His fold. But I was not in relationship with Him, neither did I know His Father as my father, not intimately as "Abba Father" (Galatians 4:6). I had a long time of big struggle.
 
I tried as hard as I could but I did not obtain "conviction" or "power" (1 Thessalonians 1:5), and this bothered me enormously. Parts of my life were going well, but the rest was emptiness and uncertainty. I knew people who had "got it" - they had some spiritual maturity, they were growing in Jesus, they were moving into the reality of their "adoption as children of the living God" (Ephesians 1:5) - they were "alive in Christ" (Romans 6:11) and had begun the lifelong process of "renewing their minds" (Romans 12:2).
 
I would read my Bible. I went to all the prayer meetings and conferences and learned from some truly great teachers. I loved Communion, the Lord's Supper. I was sincere. Sometimes I cried tears of joy. When people asked my denomination I would say that I was "a committed Christian", meaning that I belonged to Jesus more than to a local church or any group, and that Christianity was a main focus in my life - I wanted to be the man Jesus wanted me to be.
 
Already I knew that Christian life is a struggle. The Bible says we will receive gifts which help us; that force alone will never win the day. (Paul, who contributed so much to the early church and to our Bibles, struggled mightily and often, he knew that he had little "force", see Acts 9:23-25, 13:50, 14:5-6, 21:11, 21:31-34).
 
John Baptist was Jesus' cousin. Even before he was born, John was filled by Holy Spirit (Luke 1:44), he "leaped for joy in Elizabeth's womb". John committed all his life to God even though he did not know when he would be called upon to do what is recorded in the Bible; he was to announce the coming of Israel's promised Messiah.
 
John lived in the desert. No supermarkets and work-wear stores for him, he ate rough and wore rough clothes. He went out there and meditated on God's word and prayed. He was committed, he became stalwart.
 
Remember, John was born 400 years after God had last spoken to Israel, His "treasured possession" (Exodus 19:5). The people followed their Jewish traditions, and "the law and the prophets" (Acts 28:23), but had received no new word from their God until John. Four hundred years - about sixteen generations. No word.
 
John must have been sure; sure and strong and courageous. He began his ministry of announcing Israel's Messiah (John 1:15). He would have had nothing but faith, truly believing that he had heard God say "go, speak now".
 
John did not know who he was to announce as Messiah until Father God had the dove come and rest on Jesus and spoke aloud from Heaven, "this is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:17). John and Jesus were just a few months different in age. Jesus lived simply as a carpenter, I am sure that John was surprised; Jesus was so ordinary, He was his cousin, a part of his extended family. But John obeyed and baptised Jesus. Jesus was, and is, the Saviour of all humankind. John had "eyes to see and ears to hear" (Acts 28:27), and was "obedient" (1 Peter 1:2). 
 

The world desperately wants all the blessings of "the Kingdom of God"; people will say "yes, I will go to Heaven when I die, I am a good person". Their desire is so strong that they will use great force to justify their claim.
 
At the same time, the human desire for security and respect is universal; I now believe that being in Jesus' (spiritual) arms is the most secure and safe place in the world. Jesus is with us "always" (Matthew 28:20), and we can always know we have value and are loved (1 John 3:1).
 
I have worked in big businesses and in government departments, almost always they are managed by those with political skills and for many managers appearances mattered more than substance, personal ambition was more important than the true mission. These ones understand "force". My response to all this is to remember that "small is beautiful", I simply seek to follow Jesus’ leading, and to keep a low profile.
 
God’s Way
 
Jesus said "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6). When we come to Him we are given the assurance that we are forgiven our sins and set free from their burden. We are loved and can be at rest. We do not need "force". We are brought into God's family and have an eternal Saviour caring for us and providing strength when we have none (2 Corinthians 12:9). Jesus is always the same (James 1:17). 
 
All our life we have been encouraged to dream dreams and to set goals, then to work very hard to reach them. It is no wonder then that the people of the world are forceful towards God's Kingdom and His people, they are trying to achieve a great and worthy goal in the world’s way. But God is gracious: 
 

"Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits - who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's" (Psalm 103:2-5).
 
The great, ever repeating, tragedy of the Fall, as I see it, is that Satan offered those first two humans a lesser version of what they already had. Adam and Eve were in intimate relationship with God, they worked with Him during the day, caring for the "vast array" of the Creation, and in the evening they would "walk and talk together", the three of them, "in the garden". They would have known what pleased God, thus they knew fully what was "good" and what was "evil", (that is, everything that does not please God).
 
God offers us Adam’s and Eve’s original potential today, not as Satan offered, by separating our self from God, but by joining with Jesus. In Him our conscience can discern right and wrong and be at peace. In Jesus we are being made whole (Colossians 2:9-11), as only Jesus can bring healing, and the world cannot even counterfeit (1 John 2:27).
 
We can see this same thought expressed when Jesus was asked about His ministry, He gave a Kingdom answer about the people blessed by His mission: "'Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor" (Luke 7:22). A message of hope for all. Good news. This is the gospel of Jesus Christ! Here we see love, compassion and power; but not "force".
 
"The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love" (Psalm 103:6,8). We Christians are to participate in Jesus’ works.
 
None of this is available to those who seek to "take it by force" (Matthew 11:12), their heart is wrong, their motive is wrong, their objective is wrong, and they will depend on them-self. We know that the way for us to "run the race" (1 Corinthians 9:24), is to "abide in the vine" (John 15:5), fully depending on Jesus as "shepherd" and "Lord" (John 10:11), and to use the "spiritual gifts" He has given us by His Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:7).
 
No other faith group has these assurances, (least of all the humanists, possibly the most popular "faith" in the West in our time). Some gods say "maybe; if you follow all my rules and practices and sacrifices, I may help you if it pleases me". Such faith is based on works, which is simply religion and is uncertain. Only Jesus’ followers are ever sure of their salvation and their God.
 
Jesus was offended by religion and religious practice. Our God seeks relationship with His people, Spirit to spirit, such close relationship that we are brought into His family. Jesus' Father becomes our Father, we are made sons, in fullness, "sons and daughters of the living God" (2 Corinthians 6:18). (In Bible language, we are all "sons" because we are brought fully into Jesus' inheritance, just like a first born son in Bible times).
 
At the Creation, Elohim God created a glorious place full of truly wondrous and beautiful things; today we call this "the Universe", or "our ecosystem". Then God created humankind, "man" and "woman", in His own image and likeness, and commanded that they should rule over the world and care for it in all its complexity (Genesis 1:26-28). Surely an awesome undertaking and responsibility, worthy of our Lord Jesus.
 
Nevertheless, we seem able to get ourselves into trouble. We do wrong and feel guilt and shame. We are hurt and feel betrayal or pain. All our "force" cannot overcome these feelings. We need God's "benefits", His "free gift"; for those who belong to Jesus, who have faith in the one who died and rose for all of humanity (Romans 5:15-16, 6:23; John 8:36).
 
We Are Forgiven Our Sins
 
Forgiveness is a major theme of both the Old and the New Testaments of the Bible, and is a key element in the gospel of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, who is Himself God and at the same time, the human Son of God (a mystery). He gave His sinless and perfect life to pay the price so that we can be forgiven and set free, He empowers us to forgive.
 
The Lord's Prayer (Luke 11:2-4; Matthew 6:9-15) includes us asking our Father to "forgive us our sins" followed by God's desire for us that "we also forgive everyone who sins against us"; our forgiveness is bound together with our forgiving.
 
All sin is wrongdoing against God, it all hurts Him, so it is costly for Him to forgive, He paid with the life of His only Son (John 3:16). Yet our Father God is always ready to forgive us when we repent and acknowledge Jesus as our Saviour. This is God's grace towards us at its most profound (Ephesians 2:8).
 
We are free to live the life He planned for us from the beginning. (See Galatians 5:1, John 10:10, and 1 Thessalonians 5:16). We can see why God wants to forgive us, so that there will be no barrier between us, no impediment to the flow of love from Him to us, each one, and from us to Him. Such a blessing. 
 

When we remember past hurts from other people they can be as sharply painful as when they were new. (Often, physical pain is not so long remembered). Our desire to not forgive the one who hurt us is understandable, but, truth is, unforgiveness hurts us more and more as time passes. Unforgiveness becomes bitterness, and bitterness is a slow poison. (Hebrews 12:15) "See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many".
 
We are then able to see, hear and obey: "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).
 
We are told "Cast all your cares on him because he cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7), Jesus wants us to "wait on Him" (Psalm 27:14). We are not alone, His strength will be there for us when we need it, our "force" will never be enough.
 
The world may be a scary and dangerous place, but I can have peace and hope, because I am a forgiven child of the living God, and His Son Jesus is my big brother! Hallelujah.
 
Praise Jesus. Amen.
 
Favourite Bible Verses
 
"It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life" (John 6:63).
 
"That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Corinthians 12:10).
 
"Then Jesus said, 'Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?'" (John 11:40).
 
"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (Galatians 2:20).
 
"For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form,  and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ" (Colossians 2:9-11).
 
Permalink: https://www.psalmsofjohn.com/2025/02/take-it-by-force.html

Free Gift

People all over the world are celebrating Christmas. We Christians know that the "Christ" of "Christmas" is Jesus, who came as a baby to a world mired in sin so that He could save us and set us free. He is alive and working still. Hallelujah!

On Christmas eve Trish and I and others were singing "O Holy Night" - I was struck by the words: "Til He appear'd and the soul felt it's worth".

Until we meet Jesus we do not know our value, or even why we are here - now we can know our very great "worth", we are precious because of what our Father God has given us through His Son Jesus.
 
On the last page of the Bible Jesus invites every person to "Come!" and "take the 'free gift' of the water of life" (Revelation 22:17).
 
In Romans the apostle Paul writes about a "free gift" from God.
 
What is God's "free gift"?
Since it is free, is it valuable?
Why is it free?
Why is it given?
Was this all planned?
What has God's "free gift" to do with every person? With you? With me? With our purpose, our life and our destiny?
 
Big questions.
 
When we believe in Jesus and repent of our sins, we receive forgiveness (Acts 10:43); Jesus shed His blood and died to "redeem us" (Titus 2:14), that is, He paid the price of the twin curses of "death and sin" (Romans 6:23; 8:2). Jesus atoning death sets us free. This is the essence of the gospel we Christians love and share.

 
"We are justified through our faith and find peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1). Jesus paid the price; for us it is a "free gift".

"If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed" (John 8:36).

 
Our justification leads to our being righteous. We our-self may be soiled by sin, but Jesus' righteousness covers us, we too become righteous. We have received our salvation (Romans 5:10; 5:15-16). This sets us free; we become "free to be free" (Galatians 5:1). 

There is another "free gift", the "promised gift of the Holy Spirit" (Ephesians 1:13). Perhaps the Bible uses the same "free gift" words because our Lord wants us to regard all His gifts to us as being one complete package, a fullness of Him who "fills everything in every way" (Ephesians 1:23). Holy Spirit is the "free gift" in Revelation 22:17, "the water of life".
 
"And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession - to the praise of his glory" (Ephesians 1:13-14).
 
Holy Spirit becomes our "teacher" (1 Corinthians 2:13), our "counselor" and "comforter" (John 14:26 Amplified). He is the power who raised Jesus from the dead. "But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you" (Romans 8:11).
 
In Acts 1:4-5 Jesus explains that Holy Spirit would come soon after He was crucified, rose from death and ascended to Heaven. Acts tells of Holy Spirit coming and filling Jesus' people, those who would be the first Christians (Acts 2:17,19).
 
The "working" of Holy Spirit can be seen in Matthew's gospel, Jesus tells His twelve disciples to "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give" (Matthew 10:8). The promise from Jesus is in all four Gospels and the Book of Acts, and on the last page of the Bible (where its presence shows its great importance). Holy Spirit baptism is a "free gift" for every Christian.
 
Jesus tells us that He came so that we may have "life to the full" (John 10:10). It is my testimony that the "free gift" of God, and the "full life" Jesus offers are linked and truly are what completes us as humans. We were designed to be relational and intimately connected to the God of all Creation who gave every person life. He sustains us, and the entire Universe, by His mighty foresight and power. God's relational design is also seen in our universal desire to be close with family members and with others, we make friends, many friendships last a lifetime. This is another strong theme throughout the Bible.
 

Trouble
We live in a world with much trouble. Our own wrongdoing (what our Bible calls "sin") is part of this. We know we have hurt others, broken laws and rules of our society, however careful we are.
 
Often we develop strategies to avoid or minimize the pain and injury done to us, and also from our conscience. These strategies diminish both our self and our life. "But", we say, "this is better than trying to deal with my past, my pain, my sin, my troubles".
 
Sin has affected every person in the world since Adam and Eve.
 
"But you know that Jesus appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin" (1 John 3:5).
 
When Jesus' "hour" had come for Him to go to the Cross (John 17:1), He told His disciples that they would always face trouble, and assured them "I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). He is the only one who can do this. Jesus is ready to give us a share in this overcoming. All this is beyond our natural strength; God's power comes to us through His "free gift".
 
The "free gift" of God is given to people one at a time. The giving is not random, but planned.  The plan began before "the beginning" of the Creation (Genesis 1) and continues to this day (Revelation 22:20-21). 

My testimony, and that of hundreds of people I have heard, tells me that God's "free gift" is immensely precious as it makes us complete as a person.
 
In 1670, Blaise Pascal, a brilliant mathematician and physicist, said that there is a "God sized hole in the heart of every person", an emptiness which cannot be satisfied by any created thing.
 
By the time I met Trish, (now my wife of many years and the mother and grandmother of our big lovely family), I had learned that the world was not enough to satisfy me; I often felt "empty". Jesus came to us, Trish first and then me, and "fills our life with good things" (Psalm 103:5), and "our youth is renewed like the eagle's". I became aware that the "filling" was of something essential in me; Pascal's words rang true the minute I heard them. I thought: "So true, thank you Pascal for drawing such a clear word picture".
 
At the same time, the world is altogether too big. Do you remember your first airline flight? Hours go by and you are still over land and more land, or over ocean with no features, yet every minute you travel about 15 kilometres, (10 miles), half a day's walk, but just a spec on Earth's surface. No matter how we try, how we succeed, we become important to a tiny part of the world population, and most things will still be beyond our reach.
 
Happily, the God I have come to know and love is truly big, He fills my world and my worldview; He has my past, my present and my future securely in his hands (John 3:35).
 
And too, our "success" does not take us beyond trouble and strife: "mankind is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward" (Job 5:7).
 
Being Filled
The bible says we are "filled" by Jesus Holy Spirit (Acts 4:31; Ephesians 1:23). This "free gift" of filling brings with it spiritual gifts which empower us to live and minister as Jesus did, (see 1 Corinthians 12:1-11).
 
Spiritual gifts enable us to help others and include:
• Words of wisdom
• Words of knowledge
• Acts of faith
• Gifts of healing
• Miraculous powers
• Gifts of prophecy, (the ability to hear God's voice)
• Speaking and interpreting of different kinds of tongues, (spiritual languages)
• Discerning of spirits, (having an understanding of spiritual activity, of which spirit is which, and which spirits are of our God of all Creation, and which are not).
 
Other spiritual gifts are:
• Gifts of service
• Helps, (simply being helpful)
• Generosity (in all things)
• Love, (a "doing" word, intensely personal, beyond our own strength, skills or wisdom)
• Abilities to teach, evangelise, minister and lead. 

All this is "to equip [Jesus'] people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:12-13). 
 
Spiritual gifts are practical, they enable us to help others beyond our natural abilities or strength. We do not bring just words, but God manifests His wisdom and power to the world in us through Jesus by Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:4; 1 Thessalonians 1:5).
 
"Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them" (John 7:38).
 
"To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27).
 
So much of our life is spiritual; this can be experienced but is difficult to explain. People may say that there is no scientific evidence that anything spiritual exists, it cannot be weighed on a scale, or measured for length and breadth, or classified for texture or colour. This is true. But neither can love, or fear, greed or compassion, pride or arrogance, these are all intangible (not having physical presence). What motivates us? Encourages us? What produces loyalty or trust in us? (The "scientific method" expressly excludes the possibility of anything spiritual existing yet, worldwide, most people know that it is real. I do not know the "scientific" position regarding love, desire, joy or grief).
 
Testimony
I have come to love Christian testimony. When our children were still at school our local church would travel 1600 kilometres (1000 miles) inland into the desert to mind the children in an Australian Aboriginal Community while the grown-ups had their annual Christian convention. People would come from all over South, Central, North and West Australia to share this time together. A great many people gave testimony of the good things Jesus had been doing in their lives over the past year; this was a feature of the weekend. God's people would share His glory with one another, testifying of His presence in the world, and of tangible blessings received.
 
In Perth city an oil company executive was asked by Jesus to establish a mid-week prayer meeting for city workers; the focus would be singing praises to our God, sharing testimony of Jesus' work in our day, and prayer. Wesley Church is in the centre of our CBD; the man asked: "Could the meetings be held there?" The answer: "Yes". Years later we still meet, sing and praise our Lord Jesus, hear testimony of Him coming to people and changing lives. And we pray, including prayer for the people who work in the city and those who have influence throughout the city, our state and the nation. We've rejoiced in years of testimonies of the (intangible and "non-scientific") wondrous works of our Jesus in people's lives, people from a hundred countries around the world. Glorious. Our God reigns (Revelation 19:6).
 
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled" (Matthew 5:6).
 
"He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty" (Luke 1:53).
 
Thank you Jesus, for myself who was lost, and for the many who know you, and have been blessed and saved and filled by your grace. Thank you for your love and your "free gift".
 
Amen.
 
Permalink: https://www.psalmsofjohn.com/2024/12/free-gift.html

Remnant - Little Flock

Suddenly I saw a new fresh view of Jesus' church; it came from His words: "little flock".
 

"'Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom'" (Luke 12:32 Jesus speaking).
 
For a long time I have been seeing that, once again, God has a remnant in the world; those who are dressed for our Lord's wedding feast (Matthew 22:2-14). Others are not "clothed with Christ" (Galatians 3:27), nor with "the righteousness of Christ" (1 Corinthians 1:30), so will not be welcome. This thought has been troubling me; aren’t we the victors? Didn’t Jesus "appear to do away with the works of the evil one" (1 John 3:8)?
 
It is good to remember who Jesus is, and who we are in Him.
 
A happy testimony. Yesterday, when I sat down for my quiet time with Jesus, "Psalm 64" came clearly to my mind, I turned there in my Bible, immediately Jesus’ peace filled me: "Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked, from the noisy crowd of evildoers" (v2). "Thank you, Lord", I prayed, "even in these troubled times, with your very presence, you shield me from all that is not of you" (Ephesians 6:10-18).
 
Again and again God reminds us that we will have trouble in this life (John 16:33) and that trouble is everywhere since the Fall (Job 5:7). Even the heroes of our faith knew trouble (David: Psalm 31:2; Paul: 1 Corinthians 4:11-13). We also read that our Father is ever our "rock" (Psalm 18:2), and Jesus never leaves us alone (Matthew 28:20).
 
There is a song "O happy day .." where we remember our amazement and joy when we knew that Jesus had taken away our sins (1 Corinthians 15:3-8; 1 Peter 3:18) and we were free (Galatians 5:1). Thank you, Jesus, for coming after us and drawing us to yourself. Perhaps this tension is where the expression “already and not yet” comes from. Jesus has finished His work (John 3:16), but it is not yet fully realised for all humanity.
 
When I was young, the Western Democracies, (and some other countries too), were more than nominally Christian nations. Their laws reflected God's laws, particularly those seen in the Ten Commandments of God (Exodus 20:1-17) and in Jesus' teaching about the sanctity of human lives, the equality of all human beings and about truth and righteousness. Vast numbers of our populations called themselves Christian, went to church, knew and accepted the Holy Bible as being God's account of Himself, the Universe, and of Jesus, his Son and Saviour of the world. Children were dedicated to God according to the practice of their style or denomination of Christianity. Also, people wanted this same God of all Creation to oversea the care of their eternal spirit when they died; they expected a Christian burial.
 
I grew up in New Zealand where all this was true. From my mother I received the certain knowledge that "God is", and that the God Who is there is the God of the Bible, and not any of the Hindu, or Islamic, or Freemasonry, or Buddhist  gods; today this list would include the gods of humanism too. 
 
egalitarian: adjective - affirming, promoting, or characterized by belief in equal political, economic, social, and civil rights for all people.
 
The Christian countries grew, over centuries, to become egalitarian, welcoming education, medical care, welfare (for those who cannot manage by them self), a strong work ethic, civil rights, property rights and the rule of law. Mostly they were safe places to live. All this brought prosperity which grew steadily and which, along with humanitarian aid (which is also based on Christian principles), now spreads all around the world. The global decrease in devastating infectious diseases and poverty is good, it benefits everybody.
 

God loves His people. This is clear from "the beginning" in the Bible, (Genesis 1), and from the countless Christians who have shared His love through writing, painting, music, their own example and even through their millions of testimonies of God's love, goodness, and the miracles they have seen or experienced; supernatural events which cannot be explained by medicine or science.
 
At Bible College, while studying for my finals exam for "Christian History 1", I was delighted to see that in all the thousands of years since God formed Israel as His own people (Genesis 12), and then Jesus formed His church (Acts 2), there has always been a witness to our God in the world. Always. Mostly this has been in many places.
 
The world's view of history would have us believe that the church was, and is, widely corrupted, and was almost wiped out from time to time. But when we look at Christian life in any country, there have always been fires of belief, faith, devotion and service, as foretold by John Baptist: "John answered them all, 'I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire'" (Luke 3:16).
 
When we look to our Christian resources, we see that there are Christians everywhere. They may seem to be fewer than, say, football fans, but we tend to gather indoors privately while they gather in public with broadcast media celebrating their numbers. The truth is that, right now in Australia, on any weekend, there are more churchgoers attending their "little flocks" than all the fans of all the football codes. Besides, there are so many Christian ministries which are helping others, yet not beating their own drum. Good news, not for Christians only, for the whole world.
 
Still, we often feel small, I see that this is mostly because untrue and ungodly ideas are being presented to us as necessary parts of our society and our lives, and this is having devastating effects on our cultures.
 
As a counterpoint and encouragement: I believe is that it is the quality of our Christian-ness that is most important, for out of that will flow our willingness and ability to disciple others, and our willingness and ability to attract others to "the Way", as has been seen from the first days of Jesus' church until now, (Acts 2:42-47).
 
(Hebrews 12:1-2a) "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith".
 
Jesus wants us to run "the race" with a ready heart (2 Corinthians 8:12), unto the obedience to our Jesus' will for us (Ephesians 2:10).
 
Qualities Of A Remnant
Would it be fair to say that a remnant is a recognisable part of something bigger which used to be? When the different parts for a shirt are cut from a piece of cloth, a remnant will remain. The fabric of the remnant will be the same as the shirt in its fibres, texture, colour and pattern; it is what is left. So we may ask: what are we to be a "part" of?
 
Perhaps the most famous Bible "remnant" account is when the prophet Elijah feels that God has deserted all of humanity except for himself; he felt so unsafe he was hiding in a cave. Elijah cried out to God who replied, (I imagine in a relaxed voice, full of assurance), "Elijah, I have 7000 others who have not bowed their knee to Baal". To God this was all that needed to be said. Baal was a widely followed god of that time; to be so attached to the world and having the world's god influencing your life was enough that our God would not count you as one of His own, you would not be in His remnant.
 

Seven is "God's number", "7000" tells us that God had all the people He needed to fulfill His plans on the Earth. Today is no different, God never changes (Hebrews 13:8). Can it be that what we see as a "remnant" is indeed the "little flock" who have been given God's Kingdom, that Jesus will use for His purposes in our time? God's people are "alive in Christ" (Ephesians 2:5), we are "free" (Galatians 5:1). I often think that we are the only people with real hope in our hearts (Romans 5:2-5; 1 Corinthians 13:13; we have Jesus (Ephesians 2:13).
 
Our Bible tells us that Satan is "the prince of this world" (John 16:11) and "the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient" (Ephesians 2:2) and will remain so until Jesus returns after our Father has put "everything under [Jesus’] feet" (Matthew 22:44).
 
Satan and his many demons are spiritual, and we are reminded: "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings" (1 Peter 5:8-9). This will require that every aspect of who we are is sharp and part of our response.
 
Two millennia after Jesus ascended to Heaven, the "god of this world" is still active (2 Corinthians 4:4). When we look at the world we see changes towards what Baal, Ishtar/Ashtoreth and Molech demanded millennia ago (Jonathan Cahn, 2022). In recent decades, magnificent statues of bulls have been erected on Wall Street, New York, and in the Capitol Building, the seat of the United States Congress, in Washington, DC. The bull, (like the "golden calf" in Moses' time?) is the graven image for Baal, Molech has a calf's head. Are these statues tributes to those ancient gods?
 
Our Obedience
If Jesus wanted me, or you, to radically increase the size and influence of His church, He would clearly command us and equip us for that great task. But, for me at least, He has given me other things to do, and these take all my energy. Is this true for you too? Sure, there is the "great commission" (Matthew 28:19); this is for all of us, and we will find that we are given opportunities.
 
The Bible is clear that we are to seek God’s will for us, each one, uniquely. Jesus is always in the will of Father God, He tells us: "I will build my church" (Matthew 16:18). Big church, "remnant", "little flock", this is Jesus' business, just as it is our Father's business to manage the end times, the "last days" (2 Timothy 3:1).
 
Our Influence
Christians have always had influence. Some times and in some places this influence has been a dominant cultural feature. Now, in the Western Democracies, not so much. Indeed, many in positions of power seem to shape their policies and decisions contrary to Christian principles, more in the ways of the followers of the ancient gods.
 
People today may say that they are not "religious", meaning that they are not "people of faith". But everyone has a worldview, it is inside of us and represents everything we "know to be true", everything we have learned from the "big stories" of our childhood and from our lifetime of learning and experiences. Our worldview affects our understanding of everything we see or hear, and from it we develop our own "faith", our faith in what we believe to be true.

My worldview tells me that the spiritual world is real, that "God is spirit " (John 4:24), and from His Spirit He spoke and created the universe, our planet Earth, time, life and us people (Genesis 1,2). Our Jesus continues to sustain everything, day by day (Colossians 1:17). "Everything" has a spiritual root and a spiritual connection.
 

Jesus is truth (John 1:14; 14:6) and through Him, from His Father and by Holy Spirit we can know truth. God is our "plumb-line" (Amos 7:7-8, Ezekiel 7:2-9). Jesus often spoke about people having eyes but not seeing, and ears but not hearing (Acts 28:27). He wants our worldview to be shaped by knowing Him and His "Way" (John 14:6; Acts 24:14), rather than by the world and the "spirit of the air" (Ephesians 2:2); that is, all the gods who are "trending" in the "popular" culture of our time. Today these gods may not be called by their names, but their influence can be felt and recognised.

 
Christians everywhere are beginning to see this; even those who in years past would remain quiet are speaking out, perhaps not knowing the whole story, but knowing in their spirit that the ungodly are doing bad things and endangering our children and our society.
 
Happily, in Jesus, there is always hope (1 Peter 1:3). A month or two ago, (I can not name names here), a Christian man whom I know well was given time to speak to two Cabinet Ministers on the eve of the voting on some new and culturally destructive legislation. The government has a clear majority in our Parliament, but praise Jesus, the legislation was dropped. We will never know what happened in the party room, but there was a sudden change of heart. Jesus spoke through my friend, His influence remains in His people, however few we may seem, He is active in the world. 
 
The Christians whose lives and prayers caused the collapse of the ancient Roman Empire had this same kind of influence, as was also seen during WWII among those who helped build determination and effective strategies to end that war against tyranny. We saw the same Christian heart and authority among those who prayed for the fall of the Berlin Wall last century, soon followed by the end of the separation of East and West Germany and the dissolution of the Soviet Union. History shows that miracles were involved at key moments in all these events.
 
More Good News: There was a public Bible reading marathon in our State Capital this month. This is in a city where Christmas nativity scenes may no longer be displayed in shopping centres.  The readings started at Wesley Church in Perth's centre and ended on the steps of the State Parliament. Every verse was quickly "volunteered" for, and the readings went ahead. Jesus’ "little flock" is not so little.
 
Every "big" church event is like this; we find our self amongst thousands of people we do not know, committed Christians who live and worship elsewhere in our city. Perhaps if we lived 2000 years ago in Ephesus or Colossae, we may have known most, or even all the Christians there, or at least be aware of all the different fellowships and the houses where they would meet; but today that is just not possible; our populations are too large and spread out, and our "modern" device-rich and activity-filled lives too complicated.
 
We may feel small, like Elijah. Let us rejoice in our smallness. When we are small we can get to know the people around us, so will be more able to "one another" one another as the Bible commends and Jesus commands (Note 1). Let us continue to pray, prayer works; every prayer rises to heaven and is placed in one of the bowls of incense before the throne of God (Revelation 5:8). Let us continue to listen for God's "still, small voice" (1 Kings 19:12), and be available (Isaiah 6:8) to Him and to obey Him (1 John 5:2). 
 

"May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for one another and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.  May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones" (1 Thessalonians 3:12-13).
 
God knows we are here, we are "chosen by grace": (Romans 11:5) "So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace". Always was. Always is. Praise Jesus.
 
Thank you Jesus for your constancy, you never change. Amen.
 
Note 1: "one another" Bible verses: I have counted sixty "one another" and "each other" verses in the New Testament, to me it is a major theme of God’s Word to us. I am shy and find it very hard to make new friends, or even acquaintances. But I do try. Having Trish as my wife helps; she has a gift for mixing with people and "networking". This week I am down South, staying at a Christian campsite by the sea and writing for PsalmsOfJohn; Trish took a meal to church friends whose daughter recently passed away. So kind, such a sweet heart. Thank you Jesus.
 
Favourite Bible Verses
 
"Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things we hope for, being the proof of things we do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses] " (Hebrews 11:1 Amplified).
 
"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him" (Hebrews 11:6 note the present tense continuous).
 
"The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.  For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake" (2 Corinthians 4:4-5).
 
"Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out" (John 12:31).
 
Praise Jesus. Amen.
 
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Silence

"Be still, and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10). 
 

When Jesus began His earthly ministry He told the people, "the Kingdom of God is at hand" (Mark 1:15). Our participation with our Lord Jesus, however small our rôle may be in our eyes, is truly a part of that same Kingdom and the whole plan of God.
 
Every one of the Bible prophets added something unique and essential to our understanding of God's Kingdom, and of our relationship with Him, the God of all Creation, and of the whole history of humankind. Those prophets, their work and their hearts, speak to us still, even to today.
 
Nothing any person does is small when is in the will of God. Like the prophets of old, we hear from God, Father, Son and Spirit, and move forward with Him. We are part of all the purposes of God.
 
If you were to take your mobile phone and punch a hole right through it, as small as your little finger nail, your phone would no longer work; whatever parts you had cut out would prove to be vital to the working of all the many functions needed for your phone to be a phone.
 
"Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ .. As it is, there are many parts, but one body" (1 Corinthians 12:12, 20).
 
So also with our work in Jesus. We are needed, each one, our availability and our obedience is needed because our lovely God is working out His plan.
 
And we cannot obey unless we hear.
 
Perhaps the most famous Bible passage about God speaking into silence is when God told Elijah that He had something to say to him. Soon a mighty wind came, it was so strong it tore rocks apart. Surely this would carry the words of the Lord? God is big and He is mighty, isn't this how He would naturally come to us?
 
Then an earthquake came. I grew up in New Zealand and remember the terrible Christchurch earthquake of 2011. Earthquakes can tear chasms into the ground and destroy buildings and bridges. Is this how God spoke to Elijah? Then came a fire; we see news stories of vast forest fires. Movie makers love to show us heroic firefighters and terrible blazes. When Trish and I lived on our little farm I was a volunteer firefighter; the fires we fought and extinguished were fearsome, compared to our human size, they were big and dangerous.
 
Elijah heard God speak in none of these big things. We love big things, 60,000 seat stadiums will fill to see a rock group or a famous singer. We love a big family dinner or a "big night out".
 
And how does God speak? ".. after the fire a sound of gentle stillness and a still, small voice" (1 Kings 19:12).
 
The Hebrew of the Old Testament says "qō-wl də-mā-māh ḏaq-qāh" which translates as "a voice still small" (Biblehub).    
 
Often it is in the silence that God speaks. Let us stop, rest, quiet our life, be available to Jesus, listen.
 

My testimony is that it is when I am quiet that I hear Jesus speak to me; I receive His guidance. Other times I may see Him, I will become aware that Jesus is standing nearby, watching, always with a soft and loving smile. A couple of weeks ago Trish and I were at a healing seminar. After one session a woman was chatting with me, she said "you see things, right?". I responded that I do have a prophetic gifting and then laughed, remembering, "O", I said, "did you see Jesus this morning, when we were singing? He was over there, in the aisle, near that woman in blue". Our friend Jesus was with us, enjoying us being His church.
 
Jesus began to visit and to talk with me after I asked Him. I would pray, "please Jesus, I have some time, please come and be with me". It took a few times of asking before I was able to see Him. Jesus is with us all the time (Matthew 28:20), and sometimes we can hear His voice, feel His touch or see Him, it is spiritual. Trish and I became enthusiastic students of a couple who had studied the spiritual gift of the prophetic (1 Corinthians 14:1,3). We, and a great many others, have been blessed since then. The gifting continues. I am sure that many others experience Him in ways I do not; He treats each of us uniquely, (just as we respond differently to each of our siblings or friends).
 
We are called Christian because we are "of Christ", (just as an Italian person is "of Italy"); we belong to Christ. It is the person of Jesus who is the centre of God's attention and His love, the centre of history, (history - "His story"). Also Jesus is "the founder and perfecter of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2), this is manifestly personal to every Christian.
 
(Colossians 1:16, 19-20) "For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross".
 
All this fullness is available to us. See John 15 where Jesus tells His disciples that already they are clean (because they had been "washed by Jesus' word"); then He commands them: "Abide in me, and I in you [live, dwell, remain in me]. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me" (John 15:4). 1st John 2:20 makes it clear that these words, calls and commands were not just for the people who saw Jesus in Bible times, but are to all believers everywhere: "But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge". We have this anointing, by Holy Spirit, and this possibility of understanding, since we are saved, it is an essential part of us being a "new creation" (2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15) in Jesus.
 
There are so many ways that I am aware that God is, and that I am with God; a part of everything that is. This is a very big thought but also a great comfort to me. It means that I am on the "inside, with" and not on the outside or opposed. So lovely. My awareness is of Jesus being present, often I see him, just for a second or two, near, close, always loving - He will be at rest, He is never in a hurry. Three Bible verses fill my heart and assure me that this is real:
 
(Matthew 28:20 Jesus' words) "Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age".
(Colossians 1:15) "The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation".
(Colossians 1:19) "For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him".
 
Those words from Jesus close Matthew's gospel. One day I suddenly saw how important they are, they show us "always". Long ago our family attended a church in New Jersey where a preacher had a profound impact on me, a young Christian. When he used a big word from the Bible he would pause, look all round the church to be sure he had our attention, then state the obvious, so that we would register its significance. Were he to read these words, he would have paused and declared: "'always' means 'always". That preacher wanted us to know in our hearts how very big God is, there is no time and no place where Jesus is not with us, each one. Always! 

I am blessed to have opportunity to be quiet, truly quiet, and to be surrounded by silence.
 
After my big "accident" four months ago, I suddenly became a "home body", almost a "shut in". Previously I would go to three, four or five prayer meetings every week and other Christian events too. They were of great importance to me; I consider prayer my "work" (Ephesians 2:10); prayer, intercession, standing in the gap - often for others who do not know to seek Jesus for themselves. Now I mostly stay home.
 
I have changed on my inside. I surprised myself while sharing about the accident with a friend, I said "it is as though I aged three years in a day", and saw that this is true. I am suddenly "older", less strong, and slower; less able to "do".
 
Now, day after day, I have time to read, pray and ponder. (I have medical appointments and family and household duties, but on other days I have many hours alone). Quiet.
 
I am at peace, I am learning more about "shalom", that very big Hebrew word which Jewish people seem to know from childhood. Matthew 28:20 is fully real to me, I am aware that Jesus is present "with" me. We share peace together, shalom, in the silence. This is like being married for so long to Trish, Jesus and I can be like this too.
 
Praise Jesus. Amen.
 
Favourite Bible Verses
 
(Psalm 62:5) "For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from Him".
 
(2 Corinthians 12:9) "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness'. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me".
 
(Zechariah 4:6) "So he said to me, 'This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: "Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit", says the Lord Almighty'".
 
(1 Samuel 16:7) ".. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart'".
 
(Ephesians 1:18-23) ".. having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all".
 
(Isaiah 42:14) "For a long time I have kept silent, I have been quiet and held myself back. But now, like a woman in childbirth, I cry out, I gasp and pant".
 
Amen.
 
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