Faith: Knowing God

Knowing God In Jesus
 
"Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1).

For the last year I've been wrestling with faith issues and truly want to understand why some prayers seem to have no power and appear to go nowhere (1 Corinthians 2:4). I want to grow in faith, but more than that, I want to pray what Jesus is praying (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25), to pray His will so that I join Him in praying for His spiritual reality. I want to make room for Jesus to grow His faith in my spirit.
 
My mother gave me an assurance that "God is". This God is the God of the Bible whose Son Jesus came that first Christmas to save all the people; He was born far across the sea in the Northern Hemisphere, and long before even my Grandpop was a boy. I was then a child and do not remember more than this. For decades both Father God and Jesus were beyond my tangible knowing; even so, I believe that I have never doubted these essential truths.
 
Francis Schaeffer wrote about this same God as "the God who is there"; now that I'm older I can truly grasp this concept. My God is "there", and also here, in my heart.
 
I believe that we can know God and believe, and that this belief builds our faith and makes it possible for us to "see" in our spirit "things not seen" by our physical senses - things God shows us, through Jesus, by His holy Spirit.
 
Today our faith seems to be a fight, a daily conflict, a wrestle. So much of the world wants to undermine our faith. Friends send me conspiracy stuff; sadly these seem to be about proven facts rather than imaginings or trouble-in-the-making, not "just theories". What are we to make of all that is happening to our lives in our world?
 
"We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.  And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life" (1 John 5:19-20).
 
Praise Jesus who is always for us, otherwise we would be swept away in fear and despair like so many of our neighbours (2 Corinthians 4:8-9).
 
Hebrews 11:1 tells us that faith sees what is "unseen". Faith sees God's reality, hidden from our physical eyes (Job 10:4).
 

"Having faith means to be so convinced that one is dependent on God and the facts pertaining to God. It implies a life so surrendered to the divine that lifestyle and conduct are changed to conform to the ways of God" (John Laughlin, "Church Words", 2026, p59).

"Blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear" (Matthew 13:16). Yes, our heart and our spirit can "know". This is the faith Jesus wants for us; that we stand firm because we know Him (John 17:3; Ephesians 6:11).
 
Knowing God in Prayer - Talking With Jesus
 
Prayer is a profound gateway to the spiritual world; "God is spirit" (John 4:24; 1 Corinthians 2:12; 2 Corinthians 5:5). Prayer is spiritual. And remember, our God commands us to pray:
 
"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).
 
"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 passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7).
 
Many Christians say they find prayer difficult, even elusive? I learned to pray by praying, also by attending prayer meetings - people there were kind and happy to help me learn, especially when asked.
 
Often I pray Bible verses, or themes of Scripture; I will have a concern and find a similar situation in my Bible, this makes a great starting point. Sometimes I pray the reality of who God is, or His purpose in the Creation, or who we Christians are, in Him. But mostly I pray briefly, as thoughts, troubles, hopes or joys come to mind, (so not structured or formal). This is how Trish and I will chat when we have a day together - so I talk with Jesus. We Christians are always together with Him (Matthew 28:20). This is true fellowship, and I get to know our Saviour Lord. In the early days I didn’t say much, I listened and prayed along silently. Lots of "amen".

 
Prayer is a gateway to intimacy with Jesus - prayer, and making time, asking Jesus to be with us as we wait on Him. So precious, I find this to be life changing.
 
"you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul" (Deuteronomy 4:29).
 
"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).
 
"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:13).
 
Knowing God in Truth
 
Our God is real and alive. We know Jesus who is "the fullness of Him [our God of all creation] who is all in all" (1 Corinthians 15:28; Ephesians 1:17).
 
We read about Jesus in our Bibles. Even now Jesus is acknowledged by serious historians. We hear about Him from teachers, preachers, friends and so many testimonies of His glorious work in people's lives, in our time, right here where we are. 

 

"For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose" (Philippians 2:13).
 
The "armour of God" includes an offensive weapon - our sword - the Word of God - the "sword of the Spirit" and this is Jesus Himself being present to us (Luke 11:28; Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12). We always have Jesus in us (John 14:17, 14:20, 15:4), and with us (Deuteronomy 31:8; Matthew 28:20). He is the "Word" of God able to "to divide soul and spirit, joints and marrow" (Hebrews 4:12). Jesus is truth (John 1:14).
 
Knowing God In His Word, Jesus
 
Mark 11:22: "Jesus answered them, 'have faith of God'". Our modern English Bibles read "have faith in God", but the original Greek of this verse has "of", meaning, "have God-like faith", or (essentially) "have My certainty"! This is my desire.
 
This is key for us Christians - we are "people of faith" (Colossians 1:4). I've been pondering faith for years; many authors and teachers have helped in my (still growing) understanding.
 
"Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Romans 10:17). Hearing Jesus' Gospel is key, the "good news" that a Saviour has come to redeem the people (Luke 1:68). More than our salvation, Jesus by His Holy Spirit will grow us (present tense continuous) "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 4:13). Father God knows that we will be a "radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless". Then it will be time to marry our bridegroom, Jesus - a great mystery (Ephesians 5:27).
 
We "hear" through Jesus' own Word in our Bibles, from Christian teaching and also from testimony - testimony from our own life or ministry, or from another close to us, or from Hudson Taylor or William Wilberforce or Billy Graham, or King David or Saul/Paul on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:3-6).
 
Ephesians 6:10-19 tells us what to look for in times like ours, and something of how we are to be, Jesus wants us to be able to "stand". He wants us to see that He knows about our situation and that He is present with us to shield us and come to our aid, to bring us His "shalom" (John 14:27): "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Ephesians 6:12).
 
We need Jesus to help us in our faith. Our Jesus is "Lord of all" (Acts 10:36, 17:24); He has given us "authority" (Matthew 10:1) and "power" (1 Thessalonians 1:5).
 
This is where, I believe, faith comes from. Because we come to "know" our God:

"We are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the saving of the soul [and our shalom, our integrity, our ability to love]" (Hebrews 10:39).
 
Faith is linked with perseverance, and also with suffering:
"Therefore, among God's churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring" (2 Thessalonians 1:4). 
 

"The Lord will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in From this time forth and forever" (Psalm 121:7-8). We can believe these words, even when things are hard. People who survived the WWII concentration camps and the Russian gulags lived the truth of this verse even when they were in such peril. Many of Jesus’ "twelve" were killed horribly, yet they were able to remain true to Him, strong in their spiritual bond. Jesus asks us to cling to Him, to hold and to stand to the end.
 
Jesus has given us His "authority" (Matthew 28:18-20). We sing "demons will have to flee", these are true words. When we believe that our authority is as Jesus describes it and speak into situations, we will see faith at work. We will be aligned with Him. We will have responded to what we know to be true, demons will flee.
 
"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 1:3-4).
 
Again and again our Bibles assure us and testimony shows us, that we can rely on our God of all Creation; to me this is the "substance", the very "proof" of faith; we have something which, as Christians, we can "know" and thus "see" in our spirit; our spiritual eyes have been empowered by Jesus' Holy Spirit and by His Word. This is an essential element of the New Covenant where we are brought inside God's Kingdom as sons and daughters (1 John 3:1).
 
This "inside-ness" is the focus of PsalmsOfJohn post "Inside Out" of June, 2019

• Permalink https://www.psalmsofjohn.com/2019/06/inside-out.html
 
"For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 1:5-8).
 
"Jesus answered him, 'Do not fear; only believe'" (Mark 5:36; Luke 8:50).
 
At Bible College we were taught to ask: "what does the Bible text say?" These verses are so clear, so simple, right? But often not easy to do.
 
Knowing God In Testimony - Here And Now, Effective In People's Lives
 
We find that God is faithful; many times our Bibles assure us of this. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths" (Proverbs 3:5-6).
 
These wise words continue: "It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones" (Proverbs 3:8). This is a promise, not a suggestion. Don’t we all long for "healing" and "refreshment"?
 
I will see someone in need and know to pray, know the words to pray, and know that the person will be healed (or their heart or their circumstances made right), they will be (or begin the journey to be) set free. My spiritual eyes see what God sees (Proverbs 15:3), the Kingdom of Heaven comes near (Luke 10:9, 21:31), and the physical world responds as it must. This is sovereign, God is at work (John 5:17). Our Lord Jesus always leads in these encounters, my compassion or desire to help or the fervency of my prayers does not bring them about; it is Jesus. 

Then the "confidence", "confirmation", "conviction", "evidence", "assurance", "proof", "substance", is clear to me, I see clearly and pray. I am confident that I am in the will of God (Romans 8:27), even that I have "the mind of Christ" (1 Corinthians 2:16). Just think about this: me, a mortal man, often distracted, faulty and weak (2 Corinthians 11:29), being so gifted, so able, even for a moment! You too. This is for every Christian.
 
Jesus drew me to Himself - to me this was the ultimate revealing of Himself. Jesus took a grip on my arm and pulled me in to Himself in love; this was physical – I truly felt His grip on my arm, and His drawing me against His breast. A miracle. Finally He had broken through all my fears and doubts and mistrust.
 
This is one view of my faith. Jesus' touch. Certain knowledge. Unshakeable. There is a sweet song: "To get a touch from the Lord is so real", so true.
 
Before I had a personal "knowing" of Him or of Jesus, I learned that this God that my mother knew is faithful. He gave me a miraculous healing. I had no faith, yet Jesus saved me from lung cancer. After Christians prayed, I felt God's hand reaching into my lungs and drawing out all the black gunk and damage from years of heavy smoking. I felt His touch, His fingers working, all the harm being drawn out. I knew then that I will never have lung cancer. This was from Trish's faith, thank you Jesus for your obedient people. Soon after this I had a chest X-Ray as part of a job application; the "shadows" seen on previous X-Rays were not there - gone! Praise Jesus.
 
This story is told in post "My Lungs: T2"  from May 2010. I have tears in my eyes as I remember.
• Permalink https://www.psalmsofjohn.com/2010/05/t02-my-lungs.html
 
I know that Jesus is, I remember His physical presence. Sometimes I see Him, He will be looking at me: I have His attention, He smiles. He often speaks to me, clearly so that I cannot doubt.
 
Our Bibles explain this in the lives of many godly people who have gone before us: "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, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:1-2). We look at these witnesses' lives and take heart from them.
 

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful" (Hebrews 10:23). It is God's faithfulness (Romans 3:3), our knowing leads us to faith in Him, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, remembering that Jesus is the centre and the fullness of God (Colossians 1:15-20).
 
"Jesus said to them, 'This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent'" (John 6:29).

Heroes
 
I see that my experiences are normal for Christians. I have sat under the teaching of John G. Lake who prayed for thousands of people who were healed; he believed that his understanding, and his gifts, were completely normal as told in the Bible; he is one of many who can be found in Christian literature. My experiences and testimonies are similar, mostly smaller, and less frequent.
 
It was the teaching of John Lake which led me to pray about, and then embark on "30 Days In Jesus' Hands", one of the most profound and love-filled times of my life. John Lake, my Christian hero, taught me scriptural truths in a way I could understand.
 
• For my testimony of this season of Jesus' love, kindness and power, search "Jesus Hands" or "In Jesus' Hands" in PsalmsOfJohn.com. Jesus heals; He encourages and He heals.
 
Hebrews chapter 11 lists many heroes of faith; they were people of action; they pushed ahead into what their spiritual eyes saw; they were not content to simply know what Jesus was thinking or planning, but trusting that they knew God, they obeyed and moved forward, often before they could see physical doors opening. Some "received what was promised" (Hebrews 11:33), but others did not (Hebrews 11:13). Many suffered, even unto death. But our God remembers that "they kept their eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith" (Hebrews 11:2).

 

Our God is very big and nothing is beyond his reach (Psalm 8:3). Jesus wants all His disciples to minister in His name, all of us who receive the living Word of God (Matthew 10:8), thus bringing God’s love and power to people in need everywhere.
 
With the blind man (John 9:6), Jesus knew before He made the mud and smeared it on his eyes that God was healing him and he would see.
 
George Müller could see, before he asked the hundreds of orphan children to sit down for breakfast, that someone was bringing the food they would eat, and would soon be at their door. He "saw" through his certain knowing that God's Word is true (Luke 12:22, 30).
 
George Müller is another hero. He never asked people for money or let anyone but our God of Heaven know his needs. Gifts of many kinds came for his work as they were needed, God provided in ways we find amazing; Müller saw the physical reality conforming to God's Word Jesus. He built and ran orphanages, brought thousands to Jesus, and gave away Bibles, scholarships and money. He said he simply trusted God to do what He said in His Word.
 
John G. Lake knew the Bible; to him God's Word was perfectly clear - Jesus came to heal the sick, the demonized, (the mentally ill), and the brokenhearted, and to set people free (Isaiah 61:1-3; Matthew 10:8a). Jesus expects us to continue this work now (Matthew 10:8b; Ephesians 2:10). He has gone to Heaven to rule and reign with Father God.

John Lake and George Müller knew Jesus, the Word of God, and knew that He is true (John 1:14).

 
Are these men exceptional? I think so. I used to worry that my faith seemed so small beside theirs. Then I thought about Edmund Hillary and Roger Bannister, I was 11 years old when Hillary (also from New Zealand) climbed the worlds highest mountain, Mt Everest, in the Himalayas, and was 12 when Roger Bannister, an English medical student, first ran the sub-four-minute mile.
 
Like Edmund Hillary, I love the mountains and spent months in the Himalayas; I was so thrilled to climb a peak of 16,500 feet (5030 metres), much less than Everest - my mountain did not even have its own name. From that peak I could see Everest, magnificent in the distance, with many other snow-capped mountains all around. The same thing with running, rowing, basketball and so much else; I loved to participate but was never exceptional. I am simply me. Don't we all like to achieve? But we do well only at some things, and then not always. Only a few people truly excel and are newsworthy. But we can all do our best (Colossians 3:23), especially in our availability to Jesus (Isaiah 6:8), and in our obedience to Him (Matthew 7:21; 1 John 2:3-6).
 
We celebrate George Müller still, he said: "faithfulness is not only about belief but also persistent action", and "I live in the spirit of prayer; I pray as I walk, when I lie down, and when I rise up".

 
This aligns with God's promise to His people: "I will walk among you and be your God, and you shall be My people" (Leviticus 26:12) and Isaiah's understanding of the truth of this, even in the New Covenant that we live under today: "for unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulders: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6).
 
Our Lord Jesus, "the mighty God", is "an everlasting Father" to us, who "provides" (Luke 12:22-24) and "heals" (Matthew 8:16) and "sets free" (Galatians 5:1). Thousands (millions?) of testimonies show all this to be true.
 
Can I stand as Paul commands? "So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you" (2 Thessalonians 2:15; Ephesians 6:13).
 
Some Conclusions 

I have come to see that having "faith" does not make us miracle workers, rather we grow into the assurance that "the God of all the earth shall do right" (Genesis 18:25). We believe that our God in Jesus is who He says He is. He is faithful and can be trusted. We do see miracles, things which cannot be explained in physical terms or by science; our Jesus intervenes by the power of His Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:19-20). 

Other times our faith enables us to persevere and wait on Jesus. I can neither predict nor demand answers, but I do expect to participate with my Saviour Lord and rejoice with Him.

I remember that Jesus did only what He saw His (now our) Father doing; praise Jesus that He now leads His people, us, even me (John 5:19; John 16:13). And I pray "Here am I. Send me!" (Isaiah 6:8).

 
In spiritual conflicts, we can stand on Jesus' name, and the Devil will have to "flee from you" (James 4:7), our faith together with His name is our "strong shield" (Psalm 140:7).
 
In our family we are often joy filled and encouraged because we have seen miracles, our God working on our behalf, His grace flowing towards us. We have also had times of crisis and have known ages of achingly unanswered prayer with sickness, unemployment and other big troubles. My response is to cling ever tighter to Jesus (Acts 11:23; Hebrews 10:39). I have reported that "my faith became like bullet proof steel" and "my dependence on Jesus became radiant", even though things seemed not to be improving. I know that I know my God and His faithfulness, and I can fully trust Him. Jesus has faith enough for both of us, He is our source: "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Romans 10:17).
 
Praise Jesus, praise His name. Amen.
 
In June 2010 I posted "Jesus’ Faith in Me", It seems to me that today I am saying the same thing with different words:
• Permalink https://www.psalmsofjohn.com/2010/06/jesus-faith-in-me.html
 
Praise Jesus our lovely Master, Teacher and Friend.
 
Favourites
 
(John 14:1, Jesus’ words)
"Don't let your heart be troubled. Believe in God. Believe also in me".
 
(Philippians 1:6, Paul writing)
"[I am] confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in me will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ".
 
John Lake’s prayer:
"O God, our Father, let our lives be once and forever and for all be settled on the eternal rock, Christ Jesus, Lord God, where our lives shall stand".
 
Hallelujah. Amen.
 
Permalink to this post "Faith: Knowing God"
https://www.psalmsofjohn.com/2026/01/faith-knowing-god.html

Faith: Now Testimonies

Jesus lives. He said: "My Father is working until now, and I am working". Testimonies abound to the truth of these words.

 
"Therefore [Jesus] is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them" (Hebrews 7:25).
 
In recent days our family have twice seen our God Jesus intervene with intensely personal and uplifting help.
 
Like people everywhere, those near to me all experience trouble and difficulty; my understanding is that every generation sees troubles. We all think that we are very up-to-date and doing things in the very best up-to-date way, yet life is not perfectly smooth.
 
Job's friend Eliphaz was clear: "Humankind is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward" (Job 5:7).
 
Jesus said: "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).
 
When we see God's hand at work in our life we are encouraged. Our faith is affirmed and we know joy and peace. We find the strength to "press on" (Philippians 3:12).
 
 
Becky's and Chris's House - January 2026
 
Our youngest, Rebecca, married Christopher, then last May Sophie was born, she is now an 8 month old delight.
 

The couple have been looking for a house for some time. This is hard here because there is a severe housing shortage, people are immigrating here faster than homes are being built. Prices have been rapidly rising. Even so, every "for sale" property is quickly snatched up.
 

Becky and Chris are "young" Christians but have been hearing Trish's and my testimonies for years. We told them about Jesus undertaking for us when we moved to the country; He answered our prayers and helped sell our city properties in a very depressed market. This enabled us to buy our beautiful country acres where so much of our family history was lived out.
• This story is in PsalmsOfJohn.com post "Our Lord Will":
https://www.psalmsofjohn.com/2010/06/our-lord-will-t3.html
 
I remember saying something like: "You may feel that you don't know Jesus well enough to ask for such a big thing as a house, but He's always known you and He loves you and put you together into a family, so pray. Pray simple prayers, ask for what you need, give detail".
 
Well, last night we received a message, their offer on a lovely house in a sweet part of the city has been accepted. It is near a primary school. Becky added: "Hallelujah! Praise the Lord". They will move in April.
 
One of our family responded: "You've done the almost impossible at the moment". So true. Thank you Jesus, who cares for us and answers prayer. Our faith is well placed in our faithful and loving God and Saviour. Amen.
 
 
An Old Man's Testimony of God's Goodness in Jesus - December 2025
 
Our time at camp down South in Busselton was especially precious this summer as it was my last camp in a tent, (though I did not know this at the time).
 
We had a few days with just Trish and I, then Becky arrived with her Chris and baby Sophie, followed by Frank and his Anlia and Jude, Hamish, Ada and Elroy. We had such great family time, lots of children, love, hugs, bush walks, fun in the sea and great food. Wonderful.
 
Jesus gave us a beautiful testimony. As we were gathering our camp gear, food, books and everything, I could see that this camp was beyond the now older me. (Last year was tough but ok, now I am notably weaker, less stable, less flexible, with less stamina).
 
But by then it was too late to say "not going"; Trish and I have so much "base camp" stuff that everyone always relies on, and they have no capacity to bring it along with their own camping and personal gear.
 
So I prayed that Jesus would undertake for me, give me strength, energy and alertness for the gathering together, loading up, travel, unloading and set-up.
 
We pressed on with the thousand-and-one tasks we have done dozens of times. The loading went so very well, Everything fitted, my Hilux truck was full, the trailer was full, even with three kayaks. We set off. 

When we were about half-way there Trish asked how I was going. My reply: "I am being carried, Jesus is carrying me along, it is Isaiah 40:31. I am not tired, I have energy, the load is perfectly balanced and I am enjoying this drive through our beautiful Western Australian countryside". Jesus’ spiritual reality was impacting our physical world (Matthew 10:7).
 
We arrived, unloaded and set up. Two old timers doing these big jobs. It went so smoothly. We had to have rests from time to time, we had brought lunch and drinks and pressed on in peace and harmony. The sun and the heat were ok, we were stretched but fine.
 
By about 4:30 we had a camp, it was not complete but was nicely livable. Then a swim in the ocean and a cool drink as the sun set in the West. A simple pre-planned dinner. Early to bed. Glorious.
 
That day we lived Isaiah 40:31 - it was answered prayer: "but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint".
 
Jesus was manifestly present with us and gave us everything we needed to have a day accomplishing what was beyond us but was needed. We were at peace in the knowledge that we were in Jesus' hands for the purposes of restoration after a very big year for Trish, and for beautiful fellowship with family.
 
Praise Jesus.
 
Over the two weeks of camping I lost more than two kilograms in weight. Once we were home I needed to rest. I finished and posted "Faith: How We See" which I have been working on for a while, otherwise I tried to not do much. Our hearts are full. My "last camp" was an array of glorious moments – now poignant heart memories.
 
Meanwhile Trish is settling into being retired. This summer she does not have to plan her preparation for next school year but rather is thinking about visiting her brother in Melbourne and much more.
 
Hallelujah, our world may be in a worsening mess, but the Kingdom of God stands and is a glorious sanctuary for Jesus' people.
 
Amen.
 

And an old testimony I heard this week from my sister Dee. (Added 26th February 2026).

My Mother Wyn's Twelve Years

My mother had a heart attack. This was soon after I came to Australia and was living in a mining camp in the far Northwest. She was called Wyn, and I called her my Boffin, perhaps because she was the smartest person I knew.

Dee told me that our mother was not expected to go home from the hospital; the heart attack was caused by an unusual vascular problem that the doctors believed was beyond fixing.

She was offered Holy Communion and accepted it gladly. As she was eating the bread and drinking the wine of our Lord's Supper, Boffin felt a movement in her chest; she told Dee that "it was like a 'click', and I knew that God had put everything right". Soon she was able to leave the hospital, she later told Dee: "Jesus gave me twelve more years". 

Boffin and my father bought some acres on the Kapiti Coast, built a small house and developed a magnificent garden there. And she was able to come to Australia and spend time with Dee's family and with mine. Twelve years, thank you Jesus. She knew that it was Jesus who healed her in a way the doctors had not yet learned.

Dee tells me that my Dad got a huge lift in his faith from the truth of this healing. As I think about it, so do I, both my parents' faith was more profound than I had previously understood, hallelujah! 

Thank you Lord. Praise Jesus.

 
Favourite Bible Verses
 
When Jesus first drew me to Himself I asked for a Bible for my birthday. Trish gave me an NIV large print with a leather cover, very new at that time. This is where it opened; that day Jesus spoke to me in a way I knew was for me and have always remembered and valued. I am so grateful.
 

"Then Jesus said to his disciples: 'Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? "Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you - you of little faith! And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also'" (Luke 12:22-34).
 
Praise Jesus our Creator, Saviour, Sustainer, Rabbi, Lord and friend. Thank you. Amen.

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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: "Until He appeared 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 5:15-17 and 6:23 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 (the good news) 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", our "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 gives 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.
 
And too, our "success" does not take us beyond trouble and strife: "humankind is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward" (Job 5:7).
 
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).
 
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
• Gifts of miracles, 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.

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Bless you, Jesus. Bless us all. Amen.

Our Friend Jesus

 
"I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you" (John 15:15). 

I was surprised to hear the words: "I have called you friends". I cannot remember what the preacher said, I was thinking about this profound idea. The Creator God, Lord and Master of everything, says He is my friend. I was already saved so knew that Jesus had brought me into His kingdom, and in some difficult-to-explain way I was "with" Him. But "friend"? That declared a level of intimacy, trust and even affection that I had never considered possible.
 
At church events I would see people bowing before God (Deuteronomy 26:10) and thought that I would do the same as I matured as a Christian, thus recognising God's eternal truth, mighty power and majesty, His glory. But I have never seen friends behaving like that towards one another, indeed it would spoil the friendship if the socially / financially / corporately "lesser" friend began to bow down to the "superior"; it would place great significance on the unimportant and the material and take away from the important. Isn't this true? Friendship is about personality and shared experiences, trust, and ongoing conversation.
 
Now here is Jesus, my Saviour, God's own Son and the "all" person from Colossians 1. This same Jesus is befriending me? "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" (v16).
 
That sudden revelation was many years ago and, praise Jesus, He has done what the Bible says He will do. Jesus has grown me in every conceivable way; spiritually, mentally, in my work, especially in my marriage, family and other relationships. Happily, I can read John 15:15 and know it to be true; and this is such a wonderful thing to "know" now that I am growing older.
 
All my life I have made friends slowly. My best friend from school days is still in New Zealand. I've seen him only a few times since I left there decades ago. I will call him "G", (his name starts with "R" but I invariably call him by his nickname). Some years after leaving for Australia I returned to visit my family and saw "G" three or four times. The first of those visits left an indelible memory in me; we arranged the meeting at his house which he was nearly finished building, I got there as planned and was approaching just as "G" came around from the side of the building: "Hi Green", he said, (my nickname), and our conversation flowed on from there, just as though we had last seen each other a day or two previously.
 
So much had happened in our lives and yet it was our friendship which was the centre. Sure, over my visits we caught up on our changed lives and revived many memories, but the (unconscious) essence of our time was the continuing of our friendship. "G" and I played golf in our school years and he became a lifelong golfer, I spent my time in boats, mostly sailing, played squash and trekked in the mountains. "G" became a noted architect while I worked with computer systems. I have lived in four countries while "G" stayed in his beloved N.Z. We are very different yet our friendship endured, it is a treasure to me as I look back over my life.
 

So it is now with my friend Jesus.
 
Recently two big things impacted me and Jesus and it was such a comfort to me to share them with Him, we have become close.
 
• My friend, "L" is a committed Christian intercessor, discipler, pastor (and design engineer - together we enjoy developing and constructing creative solutions to maintenance problems around our homes). He has not long returned from a mission trip to an Asian country where Christians are violently persecuted: bashings, burning of houses and churches and even killings. Our Christian brothers and sisters there are denied rights guaranteed in their law, including the freedom to visit other towns or cities. When "L" told me he was planning this trip I began to pray with our friend Jesus (Hebrews 7:24-25; Romans 8:26-27) and many others. We prayed for every step and encounter of the trip.
 
"L" went straight through customs. He was never stopped, let alone harried, beaten or robbed, at any of the official or unofficial checkpoints or during curfews. Never once. The local Christians were amazed and knew that Jesus was actively protecting "L" and his mission. All the ministry and discipling sessions were clearly anointed, people's understanding of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, grew in ways beautiful to see, with fresh insight, healings and with tears. Unique ministry opportunities arose, clearly they were divinely appointed as they occurred on the only day "L" was near; more Jesus, more healing, more tears.
 
We prayed and communicated our great desire (Philippians 4:6) to our friend Jesus who then came; He went before "L" and prepared the people, enabling then to attend the teaching and ministry. He was at "L's" right hand, and He had his back through every moment of the planning and life of that mission journey. Praise Jesus.
 
• A few days ago Iran launched a hundreds-strong drone and rocket attack on Israel. With hushed voice Trish told me about this when I arose that morning. Immediately I began to pray. I was so aware that I was praying alongside my friend Jesus and countless other "friends" all around the world. I did not have to think what to pray: prayer, mostly from Scripture, simply flowed (Romans 8:26).
 
My heart was full, as was David's when he cried out: "you are [Israel's] strength, [we] watch for you; you, God, are [our] fortress" (Psalm 59:9). I remembered David's response to Goliath: "who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?" (1 Samuel 17:26 ). I prayed that we would see what Saul saw: "they found the [enemy] in total confusion, striking each other with their swords" (1 Samuel 14:20). And I remembered how God went to battle with Gideon defeating a vast military force (Judges 7:19-22). I was able to "pray without ceasing" even as I was busy getting ready for our prayer time before our Sunday church service.

(Praise Jesus: "Iran's attack was largely unsuccessful, with the vast majority of projectiles shot down by Israeli air defences with the help of the US, UK and other allies" BBC.

"There have been no reports of [severe] injuries suffered directly through Iranian strikes, according to Israel’s emergency service" CNN).

 

Throughout these times of intercession, I was at peace – I knew I was with my friend Jesus, and we were in the will of our Father. Jesus defeated Satan at the Cross of Calvary, by humbling Himself even to dying on that cross (2 Corinthians 13:4). Then, rising from the grave and ascending to Heaven, Jesus defeated sin and death. Jesus recovered all authority from Satan who had tricked Adam and Eve into giving him that which Father God had initially given them (Genesis 1:28, 3:4-7).
 
Now Jesus rules and reigns and will do so forever. We are in a time which some call "already and not yet". Sin, death and their originator, Satan, are defeated yet we continue to see much sin and pain all around us (Job 5:7; John 16:33).
 
That we can be Jesus' friends is an essential part of God's great plan of redemption after the Fall. It is needful that God's people "know His business" (Jeremiah 33:3; John 15:15) because He wants us to truly and fully participate in His work in the world (Ephesians 2:10; Matthew 10:8).

Through our spirit we are joined to our victorious King; we are with Him "far above all rule and authority, power and dominion" (Ephesians 1:20, 2:6). Often my circumstances seem difficult, then I am glad to remember that the spiritual world is real and God rules and reigns over all worlds (Colossians 1:16). Perhaps this is one reason I have come to love the word "perseverance", a very big Bible word (Romans 5:3-4). My friend Jesus helps me hold on to "all that is good" (1 Thessalonians 5:22), with "all my strength" (Mark 12:30).
 
Jesus told His disciples, (His "friends" and our spiritual ancestors), that all authority had been given to Him, and they were to "go [in His authority] and make disciples" of all the "ethne" (people groups) on Earth (Matthew 28:18-20). They had already seen that the spirits were subject to them when Jesus taught: "I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy" (Luke 10:17-19). They will have been ready to follow Paul’s leading in the physical world and in the spiritual: "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Ephesians 6:12).
 
When Jesus taught about binding and loosing, He tied this exercise of authority to prayer of agreement. Such authoritative praying applies to anything Jesus' followers agree, because He will be there with them (Matthew 18:18-20). So comforting.
 

Let us then honour our friendship with Jesus, and His teaching, and pray together often; He will make "our Father's business" known to us by His Spirit. Our friend Jesus is asking us to give our authority to God's wise use of His mighty power on the Earth. Love in action.
 
Praise Jesus.
 
Favourite Bible Verses
 
"Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know" (Jeremiah 33:3).
 
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God" (Philippians 4:6).
 
"I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you" (Luke 10:19).
 
"Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give" (Matthew 10:8).
 
"I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.  You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit - fruit that will last - and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love one another" (John 15:15-17).
 
Amen.

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New Covenant: Me?

I ask, am I a New Covenant person? There are many references in the New Testament which tell of how we are to "be" as Jesus' people; I try to appropriate these into myself and my life.

Many times I have encountered Jesus. More than once He has intervened and saved me from drowning or dying in a hospital. I have been in awe when He has hugged me. Countless times He has spoken to me. I have often seen Him smiling at me or have felt His hand on my shoulder, or a gentle punch on my arm - as guys do. Once I saw Him dancing, it was as though He was on a glass floor above us, dancing for joy as we all sung our hearts out to Him at a Christian camp in the hills near here.

 
I talk about Jesus all the time. Some people talk about "God" a lot. Not me, I talk about Jesus. I am Christian and believe that this name means that I am "of Christ", I also believe that He has made me of Himself. I am saved and am firmly in His family. I am continually being shaped and grown by Him, His Holy Spirit, and His Father, and will be until I die and go to live with Him in heaven (Ephesians 4:12-13; Philippians 1:6).
 
Everything I have experienced of Jesus completely lines up with what I see of Him, and of our triune God, in the Bible.
 
There came a time when I knew I needed to make a change in me. My spirit needed to wake up and be available to Jesus. It was not enough that I assented to the truth about Jesus and the Kingdom of God, my spirit had to assimilate into His Kingdom; I needed to become a more spiritually aware person and allow Jesus to form relationship with this new me. I had to know what Paul found: "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). I had to learn to listen for what Jesus wanted to ask of me, and be ready to obey Him. Sometimes I think I am getting somewhere with all this ..
 
Now, despite the growing evil and chaos in the world, I know joy and am at peace.
 
Here are some New Covenant things Isaiah never heard God say:
 
• "Your sins are forgiven" (Matthew 9:2; Luke 7:48)

• "I am with you always" (Matthew 28:20)
• "You are a new creation" (2 Corinthians 5:17)
• "You are born again of God's Holy Spirit" (John 3:3-7)
• "You are my child" (John 1:12-13; 1 Peter 1:23; Galatians 4:7)
• "Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit" (1 Corinthians 6:19)
• "You are in the Father and in the Son Jesus" (John 17:20, 21)
• "I have set you free" (Galatians 5:1)
• "Abide in me" (John 15:)
• "Come to me all who are tired, hungry or thirsty" (Revelation 22:17)
• "You will worship me in spirit and in truth" (John 4:23-24)
• "The law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ" (John 1:17) 
• "I will build my church" (Matthew 16:18)
• "Make disciples .." (Matthew 28:19)
• "I give you authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction" (Matthew 10:1)
• "I give you power to destroy strongholds and every lofty thought raised against the knowledge of God" (2 Corinthians 10:4-5)
• "I am building a house for you in heaven" (John 14:2)
 
Not just Isaiah, Moses never heard these words, neither did Abraham, Noah, Esther, Ruth or David .. 

I see these verses and rejoice, I am so blessed that I was born for these times and am able to be with Jesus and to know Him. I now love Him deeply.
 
Psalm 40:2 has become true for me: "He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure".
 
Knowing God
We know God intimately through Jesus in whom "all the fullness of God dwells" (Colossians 2:9); this changes everything for us, and certainly for me.
 
Only a few Old Testament people ever heard God speak directly to them, mostly they understood Him as being distant, one who would speak through His prophets, priests and learned men, and only from time to time.
 
Israel knew that they were God's chosen people. They went to great efforts to obey God; they built the tent of meeting and followed Him 40 years in the wilderness. Later they built the temple (twice). Those physical things were central to their worship, and central to their participation in the necessary rites of belonging to God as a Jewish person.
 
My understanding is that all of our life is to be worship. When two or more Christians are together Jesus is with us. He is within each one of us, and somehow He is also in our midst, another lovely mystery.
 
 
Trish and I grew up going to church and doing church things but we did not become Christian (though we would have said that we were). Then Jesus made Himself known to us, each separately but around the same time. We met Him through committed, excited, active Christians for whom prayer, spiritual life, learning from the Bible and fellowship were vital parts of all our days and lives (Acts 2:42-47). We saw miracles. People were healed or circumstances changed in ways which cannot be explained by medicine or by the laws humankind know from science. We saw, and still see today, God’s hand working supernaturally in peoples’ lives.

My memory is that we saw that the New Covenant living described in the Bible is knowable today, and is quite unlike what I see in my church experiences.
 
Many years have passed. Trish and I moved our family from Karrinyup to Mumballup (in Southwest W.A.) and, over the years, attended four or five Collie churches and a house church in Donnybrook. Trish and my devotional life together, and the prayer meetings, stand out as being the centre of my Christian life over those years.
 
We found vital verses in our Bibles which many seem not to see as they read them. We grew. 

Paul's words came alive to me: "Because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake" (1 Thessalonians 1:5; see also 1 Corinthians 2:4; Luke 4:36).
 
Many Christians look at the world today and take comfort in the many Old Testament promises:
• "I will give you lands flowing with milk and honey" (Numbers 13:2)
• "One hundred of you will defeat ten thousand" (Leviticus 26:8)
• "All their riches will become yours" (Isaiah 60:5).
 
These are promises for physical prosperity. I believe that the New Covenant is mainly spiritual and involves God and His people in Jesus 24x7; the Old Covenant offers life within the Lordship of God but I see the Old Testament talking mainly in physical terms: God is known to be spiritual but He seems to come from outside and affect things in the world as He wills, from time to time.
 
(How did these Old Covenant promises work out for the Christians in the Soviet Union gulags? Or today in the Chinese political prisons, or in Iran, North Korea or the Sudan? Or my friends today in India? Those Christians’ joy can only be in Jesus (Romans 5:3-4; Nehemiah 8:10), not in physical safety, material influence, worldly successes or riches).
 
The New Testament has, for me, a strong emphasis on peace, health, joy and fellowship in Jesus; His shalom in our spirit and our soul. The "fruits of the Holy Spirit" (Galatians 5:22) are our spiritual, or inner, prosperity. I believe that this, when present in us, will flow out to our physical world (Acts 2:42-47). Scripture tells us that Jesus in us is visible to others and is beneficial to them:

"Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his belly [his or her very essence or centre] will flow rivers of living water'" (John 7:38);
 
"To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27). 

And this, I believe, will bring us to being New Covenant people; nearness to Jesus, seeking to grow spiritually and in obedience. I also believe that Jesus wants us, each one, to share and participate in His work here on the earth, in our own time, today (Ephesians 2:10).
 
Amen.
 
Favourite Bible Verses
 
"The law came by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ" (John 1:17).
 
"We have seen the glory of the Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14).
 
"The truth will set us free" (John 8:32).
 
"If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed" (John 8:36).
 
"And Samuel said, 'Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams'" (1 Samuel 15:22).
 
"We can be confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6).
 
"Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give" (Matthew 10:8).
 
"For from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace" (John 1:16).
 
"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me" (John 17:20-22).
 
"I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one" (2 Corinthians 13:14).
 
"And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers to equip his 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 4:11-13).
 
"Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God" (1 John 3:1).
 
Hallelujah. Praise Jesus. Amen.
 
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