I am not big enough to force God off course. He will work out his plan:
(Revelation 21 and 22) I saw a new heaven and a new earth . . the very glory of God illuminated it . . He will wipe away every tear from their eyes . . He showed me a river of water of life . . "Behold, I come quickly. My reward is with me" . . And the Spirit and the bride say, "Come".
We can obey "follow me" (Mark 2:14), and
co-operate "do all in the name of the Lord Jesus" (Colossians 3:17), and
rest "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me " (Psalm 23:6, 62:1), and
believe Jesus answered them, "Have the faith of God" (Mark 11:22-24) (exete pisto Theou)
Here Mark is talking about the God kind of faith. In the beginning when God spoke, He knew that the Creation would emerge. This is the same God and Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead. He is in you, and in me. God, our Father, gives His faith to us so we can draw close to Him, and learn personally and experientially who He is, and how we are truly connected to Him. Osmosis.
This kind of faith requires nothing from us. It is all God, from our Father through Jesus by the Holy Spirit. We can not pump up our faith, we simply learn to know who it is that we believe.
Sometimes we do not see what we believe - our life may remain hard - painful - lonely (John 16:33).
Abraham knew this kind of faith. He spent many years walking and waiting and taking risks:
(Romans 4:17-21) As it is written, "I have made you a father of many nations" .. being fully assured that what He had promised, God was also able to perform.
And so can we:
(Romans 5:1-4) . . we . . have our access by faith into this grace in which we stand . . we rejoice in hope of the glory of God . . we also rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering works perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope.
Names Had Real Substance In Biblical Times:
Abram: High father
Abraham: Father of many nations
John: The Lord is gracious
Mary: Beloved
Jesus: Saviour, deliverer, the Lord is salvation (Yeshua, Joshua)
Christ: Anointed (Messiah)
Some Of God's Names For Himself - (God's own Holy Spirit wrote the Bible):
Jehovah-Jireh: "The Lord our provider" (Genesis 22:14)
Jehovah-Nissi: "Our banner, a banner of love and protection" (Exodus 17:15)
Jehovah-Shalom: "The Lord your perfect peace" (Judges 6:24)
Jehovah-Tsid-Kenu: "The Lord is our righteousness" (Jeremiah 23:6, 33:16)
Jehovah-Shammah: "The One Who is with us everywhere", (Ezekiel 48:35, Isaiah 60:19)
Jehovah-Sabaoth: "The Lord of Hosts, our Protector." (Psalm 46:7)
Jehovah-Raah: "Our Shepherd, feeder, companion, friend, pastor, herdsman. He who tenderly leads us, loves us and will keep us safe" (Psalm 23)
Jehovah-Rapha: "I am the Lord Your Healer" (Exodus 15:26)
(All the Divine Names And Titles In The Bible, Herbert Lockyer, Zondervan, 1988)
Jehovah is "The One who is our Father". Everything. Can we come to terms with this ?
THE PERSISTENT NEIGHBOUR (Luke 11:2-8)
After Jesus teaches his twelve disciples the Lord's Prayer (Luke 11:2-4), He goes on to tell about the "one of you", the friend, who goes to his neighbour late at night, to ask for bread for a surprise visitor. The neighbour says: "Don't bother me. The door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I can't get up and give it to you". Eventually, because the "one of you" is very persistent, the neighbour gets up and gives the bread (Luke 11:5-8) .
Many Christians identify with these verses, they are familiar with, again and again, persistently praying to God, seeking answers and solutions ..
This story is from Bible times. The people Jesus was talking to knew what He was saying. They knew the Old Covenant promises to Abraham and how, decades later, after great struggle and much strife, Isaac was borne. They knew about the glory of David's reign. They knew about the prophets, watchmen on the walls of Jerusalem, reminding God of His promises, day and night (Isaiah 62:6). They knew about the 400 years of silence; waiting for answers to God's promise of a Messiah, with no sign or word.
Jesus was teaching in an Old Covenant context, but He was talking about the New Covenant.
He was talking about us. Christians. We are the children of the Father.
We are the ones in bed with our family, safe, fed, bathed, warm; "my children".
We are NOT the "one of you", the neighbour who is outside and not a child of this family.
No. We are "inside", with the Father and mother.
All our needs have been met without question. We can look forward in complete confidence to the formation and the unfolding of our lives.
We can say "Abba", Daddy.
"Abba" was an intimate name of an adult for the father he or she loves and trusts.
(Galatians 4:6-7) And because you are children, God sent out the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, "Abba, Father!" So you are no longer a bondservant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. An heir of God! With Christ and through Christ!
(1John 3:1 KJV) Behold, what manner of love the Father has given unto us, that we should be called the children of God.
This simple Scripture verse is so profound it is now a song:
Behold what manner of love the Father has given unto us
Behold what manner of love the Father has given unto us
That we should be called a child of God
That we should be called a child of God
Behold what manner of love the Father has given unto us (www.St-Takla.org)
INTIMACY - MY TESTIMONY
So Little Fruit
Why am I giving this talk? God's faithfulness towards me has won my heart.
I seemed not to be growing as a Christian. I was so keen, so committed. But for years and years there was so little fruit. Nobody had any clue how to improve or fix this. One said "Just believe, where is your faith?" Another: "God loves you John! Jesus died to forgive your sins". My response was to clam up. Couldn't they see that what they were saying had nothing to do with me. They were talking from there. They were there, wherever "there" was, and I most certainly was not!
It was very clear to me that God had favourites. These were the ones who got stuff. They got a word or a touch from the Lord, anointing during worship, understanding, favour, guidance. They got jobs and a level of economic freedom. They got friends. They got God's tangible love. It was manifest for them; they were aware of being loved. God's love was not just a concept.
I knew that I was not a favourite. I just got the biblical minimum: I was saved and had some church fellowship. But barely enough provision. For years I had no job. We didn't actually starve, but we definitely did do it tough through our children's school years. We have scars.
Good News
Then I came into intimate relationship with Jesus. He brought me to Our Father. (John 14:7) "If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on, you know him, and have seen him".
A teacher named Priscilla came to our city. She spoke of her intimate times with Jesus. She had been where I was; like me she knew that there was more and it seemed completely out of reach.
She decided to make time and cry out to Jesus: "Jesus I'm here, I need you. Come please Jesus. Please show yourself to me". Her testimony is that He came to her!
(John 12:21) They came to Philip . . and asked him, saying, "Sir, we want to see Jesus".
(Jeremiah 29:13) You shall seek me, and find me, when you shall search for me with all your heart.
Yes! that was what I longed for. So I decided I would do just what Priscilla had done. I would wait for a hole in my day, settle down somewhere and say: "Jesus, Lord, I'm here. Will you come so we can simply be together? Please Jesus?"
After a while He did start to come! For me! My Jesus! Just as Priscilla told it. Now He and I often spend time together in our own special and intimate way. Jesus and I have a long way to go with this, sometimes the cares and business "among the thorns" get in my way (Matthew 13:22). But He is my beloved, I have so very many glorious hugs. Encouragement. Company.
Jesus Himself gives me help, comfort, direction, answers, dreams, visions, prophesies and work. I believe I'll have these memories forever. Best of all, He brought me into relationships.
Where I was once very far off I am now inside, safe, fed, warm, in bed with my family and my Abba Father while others bang on outside.
(Ephesians 2:13) But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off are made near in the blood of Christ.
(Acts 2:39) For the promise is to you, and to your children, and to all who are far off, even as many as the Lord our God will call to himself".
Now, more than 25 years after being saved, I see Jesus' plans for me, for Trish, our marriage, our family, his Church and His Kingdom, all working out. There was never no progress. But it was always His progress. It is His plan, He equips and makes ready in His own time. Patience and perseverance are fruits of Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22). We do not grow and become patient by living only in gratification. God is love (1 John 4:16), Jesus is Lord (Romans 10:9).
(Song of Solomon 2:3-6 NIV) - This is me speaking, me the beloved. Jesus is my Love!!
Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest is my lover among the young men.
I delight to sit in his shade, and his fruit is sweet to my taste.
He has taken me to the banquet hall, and his banner over me is love.
Strengthen me with raisins, refresh me with apples, for I am faint with love.
His left arm is under my head, and his right arm embraces me.
I am the beloved of my Father and His Son. And so are you ..
Amen.
(John 12:21) They came to Philip . . and asked him, saying, "Sir, we want to see Jesus".
(Jeremiah 29:13) You shall seek me, and find me, when you shall search for me with all your heart.
Yes! that was what I longed for. So I decided I would do just what Priscilla had done. I would wait for a hole in my day, settle down somewhere and say: "Jesus, Lord, I'm here. Will you come so we can simply be together? Please Jesus?"
After a while He did start to come! For me! My Jesus! Just as Priscilla told it. Now He and I often spend time together in our own special and intimate way. Jesus and I have a long way to go with this, sometimes the cares and business "among the thorns" get in my way (Matthew 13:22). But He is my beloved, I have so very many glorious hugs. Encouragement. Company.
Jesus Himself gives me help, comfort, direction, answers, dreams, visions, prophesies and work. I believe I'll have these memories forever. Best of all, He brought me into relationships.
Where I was once very far off I am now inside, safe, fed, warm, in bed with my family and my Abba Father while others bang on outside.
(Ephesians 2:13) But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off are made near in the blood of Christ.
(Acts 2:39) For the promise is to you, and to your children, and to all who are far off, even as many as the Lord our God will call to himself".
Now, more than 25 years after being saved, I see Jesus' plans for me, for Trish, our marriage, our family, his Church and His Kingdom, all working out. There was never no progress. But it was always His progress. It is His plan, He equips and makes ready in His own time. Patience and perseverance are fruits of Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22). We do not grow and become patient by living only in gratification. God is love (1 John 4:16), Jesus is Lord (Romans 10:9).
(Song of Solomon 2:3-6 NIV) - This is me speaking, me the beloved. Jesus is my Love!!
Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest is my lover among the young men.
I delight to sit in his shade, and his fruit is sweet to my taste.
He has taken me to the banquet hall, and his banner over me is love.
Strengthen me with raisins, refresh me with apples, for I am faint with love.
His left arm is under my head, and his right arm embraces me.
I am the beloved of my Father and His Son. And so are you ..
Amen.
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Praise Jesus.
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