Wildflowers

Wildflowers

Please be patient .. I'm still in process of building this post (it's quite unlike all the others) ..

"The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land" (Song of Solomon 2:12). 

In late Spring Trish, my wife, and I spent a week travelling in our State's mid-west. For me this was a bucket list trip. It was the peak wildflower time ..

I've always loved the outdoors; there is a popular expression: "the great Australian outdoor way of life", and this is me, and Trish, and our children and now, their young and growing families ..

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You can see why we are world famous for wild flowers here, such glory. So reflective of our generous creator God.







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As soon as the soil type changed, or even the way the land slopes towards the sun, or is able to retain the rain's moisture, the varieties change .. a constant parade of never-seen-before delicacy and beauty.









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"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands" (Psalm 19:1).











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Late Winter and Spring were unusually rainy this year. This meant that those parts of our vast State where wildflowers bloom late were especially well blessed. They flourished and we rejoiced in the beauty. We stayed in Moora, Canamah, Jurien, Coomalo.










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"Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the Lord's renown, for an everlasting sign, that will endure forever" (Isaiah 55:13).





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Trish can only get away in school holidays so we had to wait until very late September and early October for our adventure. Where we went, this was the best time to visit this year. Such amazing variety, such awesome beauty.



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"As for man, his days are as grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes" (Psalm 103:15).













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The hundreds of species were scattered so randomly, casting seed, their babies growing together, even sharing root-space sometimes, stunning ..












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We would stop the car to check out a flower and be delighted to find ten or fifteen different kinds within a few steps. Each uniquely different. So beautiful, planted by God Himself for His own joy. Probably no-one else stopped just there all year long!










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"You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands" (Isaiah 55:12).






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We had planned a driving holiday and stayed in four places. But if you knew the best spot for the time of your trip, you could easily spend a whole week in one place, just wandering around. So awesomely variable, such explosive growth.









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"Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy" (Psalm 96:12).










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These meadows and roadsides are not lush or luxuriant like rainforests. I was always aware that these millions of plants are really tough. This is low rainfall country and these lovely, and often delicate looking, plants and shrubs have to fight to establish themselves and to endure. I was just so aware that I was looking at pictures of Christian life .. Beautiful, not always easy, having to push through, to hang on, and to persevere .. But, nevertheless, a glory to Jesus!







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"Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these" (Luke 12:27).











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They were scattered so randomly, casting seed, their babies growing together, even sharing root-space sometimes, stunning ..










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"My beloved is to me a cluster of henna flowers in the vineyards of En-gedi, famed for its fragrant shrubs" (Song of Solomon 1:14).











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Some were so very delicate while others seemed to be tough to survive in our sunburnt country, robust, even spiky like desert plants ..







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"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.  Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.   In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind" (John 1:1-4).




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Thank you Jesus. Amen.

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Amen.

It's Hard Being Christian

Shoulder Rotator Cuff Tear

My left shoulder has been troubling me for most of the year. This escalated when a tendon tore badly as I was loading bikes onto the rack on Tricia's car. I now see that it's hard being Christian when you are in pain and your physical abilities are constrained, and you can't get enough good sleep.

It feels as though the steepness of the "hill of life" has increased, and troubles seem harder to deal with. It is definitely harder to stay cheerful and positive, and to be conscious that I am always with Jesus, and always being cared for and favoured by Him.

But there are plenty of good and lovely things which bring encouragement. Our second son, Daniel, (now Frank, a family name), married Anlia, a radiographer; she operates an MRI machine. She arranged for me to have a shoulder ultrasound scan which would be supervised and reported by the really gun doctor at their practice. He told me "your shoulder is a mess, it has done an awful lot of work; one tendon is broken and another is hanging by a thread".

Then Merci, wife of our fourth son, Peter, stepped in. She's a 

physiotherapist. After reading the report she said: "Wow, it really is a mess. But the damage is mostly to your tendons and we can do good things for that! With correct exercise the muscles which are now weak will become strong and your posture will get better. Together these two changes will improve the mechanics of all your arm movements. You'll be operating more as God intended when He designed and made you; things will be much better".

Well, it took some months but we are now at that point; things are much better; I know I'm stronger, and there is now less pain, (but still enough to be a constant reminder and a bother). I still get less done in a day and do not sleep very well; the pain increases when I lie down (nobody can tell me why this is so), and I keep waking up, so do not get those long periods of deep sleep that we need for our body to repair itself.

I find that it is much harder to stay close to Jesus. This makes no sense .. I have so many great testimonies of how He helped me get beyond serious relational problems, and cancers and heart disease and diabetes and even the scourge of envy when my (until then exciting) career fell apart. I remind myself that I know the truth, and that I have seen many lives radically changed by our lovely Lord .. Despite all this it is hard to stay close ..

"Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.  He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak" (Isaiah 40:28-29).

There are so very many places in Scripture where we see Jesus as the most peaceful, kind, gentle and loving guy. (There are also places where He is angry or tough because He is just and He hates injustice). In my heart of hearts I know that if I could just stay snuggled up with Jesus everything would seem easier and my outlook would be brighter.

It's a bit like Martha and Mary in the Bible. Mary wanted to hang out with Jesus and worship Him, and learn about the Kingdom of God; Martha saw all these hospitality and household things that needed doing and pressed into them (Luke 10:40-42). Sure, everybody got fed and had a bed to sleep in, but Jesus is the "bread of life" (John 6:35) and the "light of humankind" (John 1:4) and He helps us with our burdens (Matthew 11:29-30); this is what Mary was seeking. Jesus has promised to meet our needs (Luke 12). Does this mean we'll experience miracles (Matthew 14:20) if we all pour ourselves out to Him? Sometimes "yes", right? But mostly we seem to need to look after the infrastructure and the fabric of our lives or they will quickly unravel .. I've always felt a strong kinship with Martha while admiring Mary's gift for being able to spend those many hours close to Jesus. 

But these days I feel a lot like Martha. At the same time I'm very grateful for the whole-weeks-at-a-time I'm able to head South to the camp by the sea and write. I love Trish and our family very much but those weeks with Jesus are a treasure .. my Mary time .. At home I get caught up in the day-to-day house-husband and Dad  things .. like Martha.

Now, with my shoulder, I find that:

•  I don’t read my Bible as much as I feel I should

•  My prayer life is smaller and with little vision, I'm easily distracted

•  I don’t seek Jesus, or my heavenly Father, enough, I don't hang out as much

•  I feel that I'm not as compassionate or empathetic and am more inward looking

•  It's really hard to help others because I'm tired and less motivated

•  I try to be generous but .. surely ..

•  I'm naturally shy and not good at conversation or “fellowship”.

"I lift up my eyes to you, to you whose throne is in heaven" (Psalm 123:1). Israel would sing "psalms of ascent" when they were walking up the steps to the temple; we know that we are in a better (and higher) place when we are consciously in the presence of God. I know this truth and have affirmed it countless times .. why do I now allow the pain and tiredness to get in the way? Jesus is always with us (Matthew 28:20); I just have to acknowledge this truth.

But it's not all darkness; several times each day I'm encouraged .. Jesus is such a good friend (John 15:15), such a good big brother (Romans 8:15) that even when we wallow in our difficulties He will help by moving things along.

"God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble" (Psalm 46:1).

Hallelujah! Recent Encouragements:

Family

Our Peter and Merci have been exploring the idea of living and working in New York City. Well, Peter now has a job with a big and prestigious advertising agency in their head office on Sixth Avenue. The couple have a tiny apartment in Chinatown, a delightful part of Manhattan, and they are loving it there. While Peter and Merci waited for their visas to be approved they agreed to come and have dinner with Trish and I one night each week. Our family often get together and Trish thought this may be a bit over-the-top but it turned out to be a really special season. I cooked something special each time. So for several weeks we were saturated with family .. It was an outstanding time in our lives. So much love. Many of us spontaneously thanked our heavenly Father for giving us each other. Love, laughter, delightful conversation and wonderful food filled our house. Thank you Jesus for your lovely participation in our lives.

Christian Unity

In Australia we are having a plebiscite, a national survey which will indicate to Government what the people want. The issue is same sex marriage. The Christian churches have really come together to argue and fight for our corner, for God's biblical view on this issue. Over recent years I've been excited about the increasing Christian desire for unity which is reflected in the increase in opportunities to do things together, outside the four walls of our church buildings. But now, during this campaign, our unity has taken on a brilliant new glow. It's really exciting. I have a number of other big projects on-the-go and am often tired yet I'm motivated to join some of the campaign activities. Jesus' life in His people is amazing and encouraging.

Adventure and Growth

Trish went on a 74 kilometre (46 mile) bush walk with the Bible Society as a fundraiser for Chaplains. We have an internationally famous walk here called the Bibbulmun Track (1003 km or 623 mi), and her team walked part of that. I'm notably older than Trish and we have been walking (still together but) different distances for a year or two. But this was something new, her heading off with others to be truly challenged. (Also it is something I used to do before we met). I stayed home and worked on PsalmsOfJohn.com while she walked. It's spring time so there is an explosion of life in Western Australia. Those days she walked were stormy with strong winds and lots of rain. I was praying that none of the wet fronts would occur exactly where Trish and her colleagues were and that they would stay relatively dry. There is no phone coverage in that part of the bush so I heard nothing; when she got home Trish said that they had only got really wet once, at the end of a day when they would be sleeping in a shelter rather than in tents; answered prayer? Jesus is the great creator (John 1:3) and delights in bringing us into greater light (John 1:4). 

Although I don't feel as healthy and robust as I have been, it is lovely to know that Jesus has not forgotten me. Indeed He never forgets any of us once our name is in His book of life (Revelation 3:5)!

"So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.  For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,  as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).

".. we do not lose heart ..". Thank you Jesus!

Favourite Scriptures

"But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.  For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thessalonians 5:8-9). 

"Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;  perseverance, character; and character, hope" (Romans 5:3-4).

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us" (Hebrews 12:1).

"because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything" (James 1:3).

"And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among humankind by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).

"Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.  Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits" (Psalm 103:1-2).

"Simon Peter answered him, 'Lord, who else can we go to? You have the words of eternal life'" (John 6:68).

Amen. Praise Jesus.

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Amen.

Thrilling Creation

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1).

The creation never fails to thrill me. I think I see something new and profound or delightful every day. I'm down South at our favourite camp site by the sea, It's Spring and everything is lush from the Winter rains; "everything" includes mosquitoes which have exploded in number. As soon as I step outdoors I'm surrounded by these little critters. There are tiny ants here too, they have a pathway near where I have my work table; they are only about the size of a mosquito's fore-leg, and mosquito legs are about as thin as the blond hairs on my arm. Mosquitoes are so fragile that when I squash one I have no sense of anything being there even though my fingers are sensitive enough to pick up a few grains of sugar from a bench top.

 

"Ants - frail as they are, they get plenty of food in for the winter" (Proverbs 30:25).

 

Even though they are tiny these creatures are complete in a similar way that we humans are, and elephants and whales. They are completely mobile, have eyes and all the senses and brains they need to find food. They are able to live out their lives in their particular environment and social order. Their unique structures include all that they need to grow and live and to woo a mate, and set about having babies.

 

They have life.

 

"Through Him [Jesus] all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.  In Him was life, and the life was the light of humankind" (John 1:3-4).

 

It is just awesome when we realise that the creation was made for us to enjoy and to thrive in. God could have given us a digestive system like cows and just had lots of grass for us. But no, He gave us an enormous variety of other species and the vast numbers of foods to eat to give us our energy and keep our bodies healthy .. wonderful foods we use to fellowship with others and to celebrate together!

"How precious is your unfailing love, O God! Many take refuge in the shadow of your wings.  They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights" (Psalm 36:7-8).

 

What amazes me is that every kind of creature, and all the plants too, are comprised of cells; every cell has life. There are only about two hundred kinds of cells in you and me. The millions of different creatures and plants in the world are all made with similar sets of cells as their building blocks. It's a bit like all the different vehicle manufactures using Lucas electrical components for their cars and trucks, motorcycles, trains and boats, but much more complicated. Far beyond that, cells  reproduce themselves, a mysterious and miraculous process.

"As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother's womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things" (Ecclesiastes 11:5  ).

 

Great intricacies of design appear in every species, but only people have a spirit.

 

"The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all his innermost parts" (Proverbs 20:27).

 

How then can my eye be perfect for me, it must have a million cells if I am comprised of trillions, in the same way these tiny, tiny ants' eyes are perfect for them though so infinitely smaller. How can the mosquito proboscis, so miniscule, drill into my skin, or an elephant's tough hide, and suck out our blood? This tells me of the beauty of all God's design; that the mosquito has such a tool, AND that it knows where to find the blood it needs for food, AND it can get at the blood regardless of the victim's skin type, AND that a portion of blood thinner is squirted into the puncture to stop the blood congealing as the mozzie gets her dinner! The mosquito digestive system finds all kinds of mammals' blood to be quite manageable.

Nature, Science And Four Big Questions

 I very much enjoy science and nature magazines, (particularly Scientific American and Discover), and often get them from our local library; I like some of the science shows on TV too. But of all the hundreds of articles and features I've seen, I've never found even one with a satisfying explanation for:

1)  The origin of life, or
2)  The origin of DNA and cells, or
3)  The origin of gender and sex and reproduction, or
4)  How the various species stay discrete from one another.

 

Neither has any article shown a true record of an evolutionary advancement where members of one species becomes another species by an increase in their complexity. (Though I have seen many in Creation magazine which clearly dis-prove well known claims for evolution).

 

"God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good" (Genesis 1:25).

 "So God created humankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them" (Genesis 1:27).

 

Some  science writers will publish an article to define or explain these things but invariably they reach a point where they must make an enormous assumption. They will present a hypothesis or made-up-idea, a leap-of-faith, which completely includes the essence of what they are trying to explain. A hypothesis is just a theory, a premise, a supposition, a guess. It may be made by a scientifically trained person, but it is not science, it is just an assumption. So such a hypothesis can never be taken as any kind of true explanation, can it? Why then are we led to understand that these things have been proven and explained? These writers are scientists. How can they accept each other when they claim that ideas or hypotheses are scientific proofs? (They often present their work as "peer reviewed"; what does the lack of true evidence tell us about that process?)

 

When I read my Bible I find really great answers in my four questions where science has none. My God, whom I have known personally for many years, has the power and the genius to design and build our Universe. And to keep it functioning through the days and seasons and years and millennia. He is our Creator God. I find it easy to believe His creation narrative in the Bible, a narrative which makes complete sense when you observe the world. I have faith in our Creator. I am sure that it takes more faith to believe in evolution than mine to know Jesus and my Abba Father!

 

"You gave me life and showed me kindness, and in your providence watched over my spirit" (Job 10:12).

Synchronicity And Abundance Beyond Understanding

All the species in the world co-exist, the microbes and bacteria and the grizzly bear, and mostly, there is enough food to go around for everybody and everything. The seasons cycle year after year and different latitudes have different climates and ecosystems, yet the whole world is in sync; it sometimes may seem chaotic but an amazing degree of balance has been maintained for all the millennia of our shared history. Just watch the many nature shows on TV, so lovely. 

I have often seen supernatural events and know that miracles occur every day and all over the world, these events are seemingly beyond the understanding of many scientists. They are a blessing to those involved and a sign that God is, and that He cares for us.

"The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.  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.  He is before all things, and in him all things hold together" (Colossians 1:15-17).

 

So I thank Jesus for His Creation. It is so very beautiful, so wonderfully complex and full of variety, and it so suits the billions of people who God has put here .. all the nations and expressions of the image of God Himself with whom I share this glorious blue planet, set in its safe place in the vast Milky Way! So very grateful.

   

"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).

Amen. Praise Jesus.

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Bless us, our neighbours and our world.

 

This Is That

Testimonies Reveal God Working In Us

A lot of the life among Christians comes from sharing testimonies; Jesus said: "And so you will bear testimony to me" (Luke 21:13). Testimony is our witness of what we have seen and heard and know to be true. And "truth" is Jesus:

"For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ" (John 1:17). 

"Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me'" (John 14:6). 

"In him was life, and that life was the light of all humankind" (John 1:4).

Often the changes we see in our lives are not so much material, (though they often include improvements in our material well-being), but are changes to our self, to our soul, our person, our memories, our will and emotions, and more importantly, to our spiritual life. If one denies the reality of the spiritual world, then one also denies the possibility of this fabulous improvement. Many, many experiences and testimonies convince me that the spiritual world is real and it powerfully affects our physical and personal worlds. The Bible describes us as "spirit, soul and body" (1 Thessalonians 5:23), spirit first, then emotional and thinking self and lastly, our body, our physical self.

When I was younger I felt bullet-proof. I'm a six footer, grew up with lots of sport and outdoor stuff, and really great New Zealand food. My spirit was not fully alive and I would have doubted what Paul wrote to the Thessalonians. But, now I'm older. My body, though still bullet-proof (thank you Jesus), has had many hits and is affected by age. Now I know that my spirit is my most important part. Happily my spirit is connected and aligned with Jesus. 

I still thank Jesus every day for my wonderful body; despite many health issues, I know that I am "fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psalm 139:14). I now have to fuss about doctor visits and have experts guide me in exercise programs to reinforce those parts of my body which are less reliable. I seek ways to do things which do not need that young man's strength. I'm now much more thoughtful and spiritual (I have lots of time to think and ponder). I have also become kinder and more generous!

As we see our lives change in the days and years after we come to Jesus we notice that almost all the changes are for the better. Some (eventually, all) of our (previously enjoyable) sinful activities may go from our lives, but these are more than replaced by things which are very satisfying and rewarding. We are all so different from one another that I see no point in sifting through my past sins and sharing them with you, but I will say this: this morning, almost the first thing I did was to sit in bed and read my Bible; some verses from First Corinthians were brought to my mind and I spent a delightful half hour or so with Jesus contemplating His word. This has been warming my heart all day. I am connected to the Creator God of the whole universe, and He loves me (1 Corinthians 2:9-16). He even brought me into His family and made me His son (Romans 8:15).

Christian life is experiential, we live a new kind of life with Jesus (Acts 5:20). All of us soon have true stories to tell of what our awesome God, Jesus, and our heavenly Father, and Holy Spirit, do in our lives. I have known many people who had been badly beaten by life before they came to know Jesus; early in their Christian walk they say very little, but soon enough the presence of Christ in them gives them courage to speak up. 

Some of their stories make your hair stand on end .. yet Jesus is able to rescue and heal even the hardest and most broken of people. Paul, who had been an enthusiastic enemy of Jesus and killed many early Christians, said: "Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 7:24).

"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (Galatians 2:20).

This is where "this is that" comes in. This life we now live is so very like that which is recounted in such great variety and power in the Bible and in the testimonies we hear. The phrases "this is that" and "this is what" appear in various places in various English Bible translations, the writers back in Bible times are reminding their hearers that the revelations they have received and their great new experiences are in line with the promises that earlier people of God wrote down at the Lord's direction.

The Bible is full of promises for us and for people like us from every generation. Though the newest parts of the Bible are nearly 2000 years old, (and the oldest, thousands more than that), the promises are still true; the Bible is the living Word of God (1 Peter 1:23), who is Jesus (John 1:1).

And we know that Jesus is alive; death could not contain Him (Acts 2:24, Revelation 1:18). Historians from that time wrote that Jesus did live on the earth, was crucified, and that many people saw Him ascend as a living man to heaven; there is actually a written record supporting the Bible (1 Corinthians 15:4-8). Indeed, these events are among the most thoroughly documented of all of our ancient history. There is a whole section of the Bible we refer to as "The Prophets" which starts with Isaiah and runs through to Malachi. God told these prophetic people what to write; He wanted us to know that He has a plan and that it is ultimately for the good of all humankind, for ever.

God's plan is being worked out. Today our media paint a very dark picture of the world and high-light (and often glorify, or ignore) the many, many terrible things going on. But there are also countless good and lovely events and encounters between people which never see the light of TV, yes, and many miracles too, every day.

A miracle is something which occurs outside of what science can explain, in other words, a supernatural event. This is God's realm. I have experienced many miracles and witnessed hundreds, possibly thousands more. Trish and I were once at a city wide Christian meeting where a man had a heart attack. A doctor was there and immediately did what he could; after a time he announced that the man's heart had stopped and he was now dead. This was shocking to us who were gathered to worship Jesus. We all prayed, together as one; the heart began to beat again. Soon the person was able to be taken to hospital by the ambulance which had arrived. The doctor said the man had a good prognosis. Praise Jesus who tells us: "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give" (Matthew 10:8); this is that teaching realised, in our city, in our time and witnessed by hundreds.  

I think I understand something of how there is so much trouble and pain in the world: many people do not want to acknowledge that God is, that He is in charge, Lord of all; they prefer to think of themselves as ruling their own destiny and providing their own wealth and wellbeing.

I was one of these, when I first came to know that God exists and cares for me, I still could not allow Him to be my Lord, I would not bow my knee to Him. Trish and I were at a conference in a country town, the teacher was a well educated Episcopalian (Anglican) pastor from a very wealthy town in Connecticut, USA. He had a fabulous testimony. On the way to our friends' house the second evening, Trish asked: "So you are ready to say 'yes' to Jesus? I've been watching you during the sessions". I replied that I was nearly there, "but I know that I cannot bow my knee to Jesus". The next evening as we drove to our friends' house I told Trish what had happened and asked "would you buy me a Bible for my birthday"; that day while I was silently saying "not just yet" to Jesus, He had come to me, taken a firm grip on my wrist, and pulled me gently to Himself. This was totally real. I found it irresistible. I became a Christian that day! I can still remember His fingers and thumb around my wrist, gently tugging. Jesus had chosen me! What kindness, this was the beginning of me being set free. Hallelujah ..

So our testimonies and our stories are the evidence of promises being worked out. We can say "this is that of which the Bible promises", or, "this is that which Joe talked about at the house meeting last week". It's everywhere amongst God's people and it never stops.

Praise Jesus.

Favorite Scriptures

"This is the Bread that came down from heaven. It is not like the manna which our forefathers ate, and yet died; he who takes this Bread for his food shall live forever" (John 6:58) Amplified.

"Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see" (Hebrews 11:1).

"However, as it is written: "What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived" -  the things God has prepared for those who love him - these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a person's thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, for, "Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ" (1 Corinthians 2:9-16).

Praise Jesus. Amen.

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Blessings.