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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Forgiveness

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

Jesus is here to help; He always wants the best for us (Matthew 7:11); He is the great reconciler and restorer (Colossians 1:19-20). I pray that my experience and testimony will help you, I bring understanding from my own healings, and from much study. Praise Jesus that the effects of unforgiveness are today being recognised among God's people.

For many years Galatians 5:1 has been a favourite Bible verse - I sought freedom and have found freedom, and peace, in Jesus, "Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6).
 
When Jesus died and rose from the grave He defeated death and sin, humanity's two biggest problems since The Fall (Genesis 3). "For our sake [God] made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21).
 
Jesus is our shepherd and will guide us and care for us all the days of our life (John 10:11, 14:6). He has given us tools to help us. The Lord's Prayer is one such, a beloved and perhaps the most spoken prayer on Earth. (On Easter Sunday 2007, it is estimated that two billion people spoke this prayer).
 
"Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours, now and for ever. Amen".
(Luke 11:2-4 and Matthew 6:9-13, in words I learned as a child).
 
We see that Jesus links our being freed from our sins to our forgiving others and setting them free from their sins against us. This is a theme throughout the Bible.
 

"Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord" (Leviticus 19:18).

"And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins" (Mark 11:25).
 
"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you" (Ephesians 4:32).
 
Healing Our Heart
 
To forgive someone who has hurt us may seem unfair and unreasonable, but with prayer and perseverance Jesus will bring us through, we will be released from our anger and pain. O, the relief, the healing of our heart!
 
Along the way we see the truth of what our friend Bev P. says: "Unforgiveness is like us drinking poison and hoping the other person will get sick". Often the person who hurt us is unaware of our pain, they carry on with life with no burden from their wrongdoing. 
 

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

Every Day: We Christians progress towards "unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God; until we become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:13). But we still seem able to hurt one another and be hurt ourselves: in marriage, in family, and with others. Sometimes we may blame God for our pain or lack or trouble. We can cause or feel offence or pain. Happily, in Jesus forgiving is always possible. Trish and I have learned to repent often and forgive each other quickly (Ephesians 4:32). "Short accounts" are good. I often think of our marriage as a lovely long conversation.
 
Cancer: More recently I had a big fight with prostrate cancer. By the time they found the tumors they were well established. My doctors decided that radiation was the best treatment for me. I was told that there was hope for success but the risks were high; our prostrate is near several major body parts and the cancer can easily spread.
 
A prayer friend sent me some links from a Christian doctor who studied medical advances in the light of what God's Word says about health and healing. I watched the talks, downloaded the big PDF book and had it printed.

Jesus made it plain that I was to clear the "toxic thought patterns", (the "bitter roots" (Hebrews 12:15)), from my life; these included anger at the declining state of our culture and the world, and once again, unforgiveness, of myself and of others. A weeks-long prayer battle followed.

 
I re-learned to: ".. take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5). I pondered what "every" means!
 
Once again I prayed and sought forgiveness for my own sins, prayed and forgave others, and myself. Once again this process needed to be repeated. It is very hard work. My knowledge of my dependence on Jesus became radiant. I sought to ensure that nothing would impede the flow of His grace to me.
 
I went through my treatment as one of a cohort, we were together every weekday for months. I was at peace and made a remarkable recovery. Most of the other men appeared to suffer more, in every way, as the radiation affected us; they seemed to feel a great weight as their days slowly passed. My days were filled with life and prayer, Jesus was manifestly with me, He kept my spirit, my soul and my body for me. At the same time I was able to do less around the house and apologised to Trish. "O John", she replied, "you are fine, you could be all grumpy and demanding but you are not, we can manage, it is ok". Bless her! Jesus was with us in every way.
 
Jesus Helps
 
Jesus is complete love, its source and its essence: "So we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them" (1 John 4:16). We know that Jesus is "always" here with us (Matthew 28:20).
 
My prayer for you: "Dear Lord Jesus, I pray that, by your Spirit, you encourage and help this person who is reading what we have written together, to let go of all those they hold in unforgiveness, even them self, and that he or she may find the peace, freedom and hope only you can bring. Amen".

 
Favourite Bible Verses 
 

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

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"Forgiveness" is now podcast at Spotify under PsalmsOfJohn

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Amen.

Husbands, Love Your Wives

"Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her" (Ephesians 5:25).

"Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them" (Colossians 3:19).

Many may say "what a strange thing to talk about .. of course I love my wife, it is natural, it is why I married her".

My wife is Trish; we are long married, and the years have rolled by. Trish and I have had to face many difficulties, together and separately. Children have come along, bringing great blessings and also many complications. And there is our work, mine and hers, within and outside of our home, and also our extended family and sport and our other strong interests.

We grow and are not the same as when we were courting and newly wed. Love is different now. Isn't this true? Isn't your life together different?

"Husbands, love your wives" said Paul. The words are clear; they were written to the whole church at Ephesus and also at Colossae; Paul will have seen things which prompted him to share this thought with both groups.

I see Paul as the great discipler, he shows us who we are in Jesus - see the early chapters of Ephesians and Colossians. Then, to complete those letters, he teaches us how to grow in Jesus to realise our potential as human beings, as Christians (Ephesians 4:12-13) and as ambassadors for Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:20), and so that we can to bring salt and light (Matthew 5:13-14) to our generation (Philippians 2:15).

Like Paul I have seen things. Trish and I were "fine"; we now have grown-up children, and grandchildren too. But, truth be told, things were only mostly fine, other times there was friction and dissatisfaction.

Oscar Wilde said that bigamy is when a man has too many wives, and that having just one wife is very much the same .. In the Western democracies statistics suggest that about half of all married people feel as Oscar Wilde did.

Was I heading along the path to be another statistic? I don't know. Trish is likely strong enough that she would have kept us together regardless of any foolishness I did, like running off to live alone. I never stopped loving Trish. What we have is precious, as it was when I fell in love across a room. I think that it just became a bit patchy.

Thankfully I met two men for whom these Scripture verses have come alive, men who are now my friends, who have actively responded to this godly command and have the most beautiful testimonies. Each of them, and I, have different stories, but the glorious joy and richness we have found is the same.

Testimony: My Two Friends, And Now Me Also

Here is my wife, this person whom God gave to me, (and I truly believe this: my wife Trish was chosen for me and given to me by our loving Father God). Sometimes we became uncomfortable, at those times we seemed to no longer belong together or be fully fitted.

Even so, I knew that our separating would have a terrible impact on everyone in our family, us too. Our thousands of wonderful memories would be blighted. Family events, (and there are many every year), would be less fulsome, less happy, less complete. The children may feel that they have to take sides.

Trish and I remember when our kids would come home from school and say that such-and-such brother's and sister's parents had split up and how hurt the children were; years later the hurt is still there with the now-young-adult brother and sister making their way in the world; and the parents too, their pain is still clearly present, even after they have "moved on".

Besides, there was so much promise in Trish and my meeting and marrying, surely this was not a false promise?

And there is God's Word:

"May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth" (Proverbs 5:18, see also Malachi 2:15).

"He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord" (Proverbs 18:22).

"In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself" (Ephesians 5:28).

My testimony continues: "I thought that I could take this on as a project for Jesus (and for my wife and me). What do Paul's words mean? What is the "love" he talks about? How and what will I need to change? What do I need to give up? And for how long?"

Both my friend's testimonies, and my own, tell that we learned that "love" is a doing word; love requires thought, humility, commitment and sacrifice, indeed everything we admire in Jesus points to how we should love our wife (Ephesians 5:25). Just as Jesus always prayed before He acted, we learned that prayer was an essential part of our "work" in re-growing our marriages. And, the relationships between men and women are not simply physical and emotional, they are also spiritual, we had to learn to give more fully from our spirit too.

Marriage was never primarily for the husband and wife, and it is not "all about love" (which implies that if we can no longer feel the love, the marriage is over). No, marriage is primarily for the children, so that they grow strong and loving and balanced in a healthy, stable environment, and also for our society, that it too is a stable, healthy environment. This is why, in every country, marriage has been made part of the civil law. Marriage is so important to every society that we protect and encourage it for the betterment of all.

I was intrigued to note that, in our Bibles, wives are not instructed to love their husbands. My researches show that this is because men and women are different. Men must make a conscious effort to take their focus off their work and other interests, and deliberately care for their wife, while women will respond to true, practical love with love! Women are instructed: "However .. the wife must respect her husband" (Ephesians 5:33). Observation shows me that unless we husbands earn that respect, I believe we are unlikely to receive very much at all.

When I set out to grow in loving Trish, one of the first things I learned was to bite my tongue, to be less free with my comments and criticisms of Trish and her ways (James 3:5, 1 Peter  3:10). This was hard. It still is. Over the years I had become like Henry Higgins in "My Fair Lady", thinking "why can't a woman be more like a man?" Trish, like Eliza Doolittle, is not a man, praise Jesus, and, like all of us, was carefully hand-made by God our Father to be herself; and this I needed to learn again, how to treasure and respect her unique person and her woman-ness.

Another thing. These changes in me would not happen overnight. We three men learned that the necessary changes would be difficult and that we would have to call on our Christian training for guidance. Also we would have to break old habits and learn new ones (this I believe takes about 40 days, a timespan known to Jesus Himself): "train yourself to be godly .. godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come" (1 Timothy 4:7-8). I realised that loving my wife God's way would be costly, it would be me who would need to change so it would be costly to me.

In my career as a computer database specialist, I was involved in some important cutting-edge projects, I became a hot-shot and loved my work; but that was then. Now I no longer do paid work, my life is small and I have come to love that. I pray for the whole world, but day-to-day I live among my immediate family and a handful of small prayer groups. People with big lives seem to have all the big problems associated with the big things they are involved in; they may have too little time or energy for the truly big things in their lives, those things involving their relationships with family and the people close to them.

When we study God and the Cosmos, we see that God is most focused on relationships, firstly within the Godhead of Father, Son and Spirit and their eternal loving, sharing relationship, and then with us, His created people, the only creatures created in God's image and likeness (Genesis 1:26), and the only creatures with a spirit (Genesis 2:7; 1 Thessalonians 5:23), just like "God who is spirit" (John 4:24).

We can relate to God spirit to spirit. The whole Bible is about this special relationship between God and humankind (Matthew 22:37), a relationship where God's precious Son will marry a spotless bride (Ephesians 5:27), us Christians, and we will see and know His glory (Isaiah 60:2).

The Creation of physical things and all life was created on God's spoken word in six days. In the fullness of time this Creation will have served its purpose and "be rolled up like an old garment" (Hebrews 1:10), then God will bring forth "a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells" (2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1). The Creation is vast to us and we all wonder at its beauty. Scientists have been studying it since the earliest days and still have many questions. The Creation is not a closed system. To God it is secondary to us people and our relationship with Him, including our marriages, these are all designed to last eternally. Hallelujah!

Trish’s and my marriage had sometimes lost some of its joy and flavour and vitality, but it did not so much need rescuing as reviving, happily it was far from dead.

We can find many lists of the most important elements of human life, none include "being divorced" or "being unhappy in marriage". Here is a list I made when reflecting on the past two or three years of our marriage:

• Listening
• Commitment
• Cleanliness
• Generosity
• Humility
• Contentment

"Listening" comes first, I think this was Trish's greatest unmet need from me, she is very relational (Trish is not strong with physics or numbers, while I am). People respond to her amazingly, (it was the same with my mother!) and she can make any plant grow and bloom! I needed simply to listen. I studied "active listening", it is a skill, easy to learn but quite hard to do.

"Commitment" speaks for itself .. I am often reminded that my greatest good will come from a great marriage, so, I am looking out for me, not just "us". Yes, I am committed!

"Cleanliness” may be obvious. I am not a dirty person but some of my untidy habits ("O, surely that pile of books is fine") really upset Trish who is a lovely homemaker, so I try to improve in those things .. inside and out, on myself and around about our household.

"Generosity" is something Jesus loves. I pray about giving and have learned to go beyond tithing and be free and relaxed about it, and now with myself towards Trish too.

"Humility" is a Jesus hallmark. He was the one who left His glorious life in Heaven to come and become a servant to all (Mark 9:12; Luke 9:22) and then die for us (Romans 5:8) and rise again (1 Corinthians 15:3-7). Besides, as Christians we are expected to "one another" one another, our wife is our best place to start: (Philippians 2:3-4; Matthew 22:35-40).

"Contentment" is lovely: we are told to "grow where you are planted" and "be grateful in all things". "Godliness with contentment is great gain" (1 Timothy 6:6), so true. Trish and I volunteer at "The Garden of Hope" where many of the people are recovering addicts, the amount of gratitude seen there is awesome and inspirational. I now have Jesus' peace (John 14:27) and am content .. I think that this is what the Bible calls "shalom".

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful" (Colossians 3:15).

So I have been working at all this for a good while now, it is not a burden and has mostly become second nature. Our marriage is really good. 

Trish and I, and our whole family, are facing some big challenges but we are facing them together with peace, joy and love in our hearts. 

Both Trish and I know and love Jesus, and we have one another truly and fully in our covenant marriage. Thank you Jesus. Hallelujah!

Simple But Poignant Quotes

"The greatest gift a father can give his children is to love their mother" - Theodore Hesburgh.

"And as ridiculous as it may sound, sometimes all any of us needs in life, is for someone to hold our hand and walk next to us" - James Frey.

Favourite Scripture Verses

"Keep looking to Jesus the founder and perfecter of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2).

"Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant  or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;  it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.  Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  Love never ends" (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).

"His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life" (2 Peter 1:3).

"So encourage one another and help one another to grow stronger in faith, just as you are already doing" (1 Thessalonians 5:11).

Thank you Jesus. Amen.

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Our Future Is Jesus

Our Difficulty
 
Trish and I are trying to plan for our not-too-distant retirement. We are both retirement age but Trish so loves her work, (and her students year-by-year), that she wants to continue teaching life skills to teenagers for another year or so. I stopped working for money some years ago; I am older.
 
But the planning is hard. Inflation is now growing. We remember high inflation from our newly-wed years, it is costly and destructive; hard won money shrinks in real value. Today banks and financial institutions pay very small interest rates that do not even cover the inflation, let alone earn one an income.
 

Seeking professional help seems to be futile. When I analyze what experts advise it is all just platitudes, there is nothing that we, an ordinary couple, can see as a course to follow. They seem to speak or write to people who are already knowledgeable and successful in that investment area, or have so much money that they can play around, or they are so young that they have decades for long-term investments to grow. Even so, the advice is mushy, not concrete.
 
Trish and I agree that, for us, this is a lesson in looking to Jesus.
 
The World
 
I downloaded a Daily Returns from the financial giant which holds our retirement money. For months, in every category except "Cash", most funds have lost money almost every day, not a lot, but the objective is that these funds are to earn income to support the customers in their retirement, and to preserve the capital value so that it will last for years, or even decades. These days the gurus and PhDs and expert traders cannot make a profit. They seem to share in the lack of confidence that now pervades the whole world.
 
Also, we see that today politics are toxic and the different sides do not talk to each other, they do not even acknowledge that their opponents have any grasp of truth. Politics was known as "the art of compromise". Discussion and compromise has worked for centuries in the Western democracies; this is why we have been such free, egalitarian (everybody relatively equal), peaceful and prosperous nations. But today when there is no real discussion about issues, there can be no establishing common ground and no agreement for the benefit of the whole society.
 
Our freedoms are being taken away. In recent years the power of governments, the media, the billionaires and the big corporations has steadily increased. It seems their primary goal is no longer to serve the people but to look after their own ideological interests. Our power and freedoms are shrinking. Democracy is dying.
 
I see that only Jesus gives any hope, our God of the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 10:7) and of all time (Exodus 9:5). There is nothing in this world to give hope, even for those with power and influence, and those who share their ideologies.
 

What Trish And I See
 
People tend to think it would be wonderful if Jesus were to clearly point us to investments which are safe, will grow with inflation and provide an income even if people live to be 100 (which many of us think is possible for Trish). But I know that I would soon become a spoilt child if it were so easy.
 
No, the Bible is clear, both in the Old Testament and the New .. life in our world is often "trouble" (John 16:33; Matthew 6:34) .. but also is filled with "love" (John 15:9), "provision" (Luke 12:31), "triumph" (Revelation 17:14) and "joy" (John 15:11); and in the flow of "God's grace in which we stand" (Romans 5:2), (present tense continuous).
 
We know that above everything, it is God's will for us which is the priority in our life (Romans 12:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:18).
 
Besides, we remember that Jesus assures His disciples: "Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full" (John 16:24). We are His disciples today, this Word is for us.
 
When I was a brand new Christian I asked for a Bible for my birthday; I wanted a large print NIV. NIV was new then and I liked that it used the same kind of English I used every day. We had heard from a professor who had been involved in the NIV development; we were reassured about the depth of the Christian devotion and quality of the scholarship which went into that Bible version over many years.
 
The first passage I encountered in this, my very first Bible, was Luke 12:22-31: ".. do not be anxious .."; it amazed me then, and I still remember.
 
Back then I was a husband and the father of small children, we had a big mortgage and every payday was very welcome. I understood that: ".. all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them". A profound revelation.
 
When I shared this passage with Christian friends, they all responded by telling testimonies of how our lovely Jesus had unexpectedly provided for them in an amazing way. All these years later I do not remember details but do remember the joy these people showed as they shared their excitement at their experiences of God's practical love towards them.

I also remember being told that when the Pilgrims first arrived in America in their ship "Mayflower", they lived as did the early Christians in Acts 2:42-47. They owned everything jointly and shared work, resources, life. For years there was no sickness among them, until they began to divide up property and put their ownership on "their" piece of land! Remember too, there was no sickness among the Israelites as they wandered the Wilderness for 40 years, and "their clothes did not wear out, nor did the sandals on their feet" (Deuteronomy 29:5).
 
Perhaps this time of trying to figure things out shows why I love Christian testimony so much. We can see Jesus (John 12:21) in people's lives, right here, right now; how He has brilliantly brought answers to intractable problems, answers which cannot be explained by science or by doctors. God is Spirit (John 4:24) and He is "Lord of heaven and earth" (Mark 12:29; Acts 17:24). Even beyond the spiritual realm His Spirit influences everything in the world:
• The Israelites crossing the Red Sea (Exodus 14:19-31)
• Dry bones coming to life (Ezekiel 37:1-14)
• Mary's immaculate conception of Jesus (Matthew 1:18, 20)
• Jesus feeding the five thousand (Matthew 14:13-21.
 
When we believe these Biblical miracles, (and I do, completely), then it makes sense that we also believe the Bible about the Creation, in Genesis 1 and 2. To me, these accounts are so much more coherent than the (unproven and un-provable) theories of Big Bang, Billions of Years, Origins of Life, and Evolution. Every day I see God's glory in His beautiful, complex, synchronous, interdependent and complete Creation!
 
(Many people have explained to me why they do not believe in "Evolution of the Species". Happily every one of these people show a different aspect of life which could not exist if it had to be evolved from something less complex. The people share about something they have observed and know to be true [this is how science establishes true knowledge]. Every one)!
 
(Many images from the Hubble Space Telescope show things about the red shift of quasars which cannot be so if a Big Bang had caused everything to "be". John Hartnett, PhD, 2007).
 

Our Decision
 
So here is what Trish and I plan to do. We will write out our known options, then pray. When we know that we are of one mind and at rest in Jesus, we will do that thing.
 
We have gathered the best information and help we can find. We know that we are not expert so will do what Luke 12:29 says ".. do not seek what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not worry", and follow Proverbs 3:5: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding", (see also Isaiah 26:4).
 
Our lovely Jesus has brought us this far. The Bible Tells us that life is short, fleeting, over-in-a-breath, (James 4:14). When people talk like this I often cringe inside. Sure these words are true in the Cosmic scale, but our lives are worked out minute by minute through our childhood, adolescence, youth and on and on. We struggle and see much trouble every day. To us life is long, not short. I can remember days and nights of doubt and pain which seemed endless .. don't tell me it is over in a heartbeat .. Paul was encouraging James to look away from his present worries and to keep his eyes on Jesus: "you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes"; fine, but please also empathize with people today, our pain and difficulties are real, as are the great true things in our lives. What can help now .. help to get us through today and then tomorrow?

In Trish's and my early years we did not know Jesus. Even so, He led us safely through our youth; He brought us together in a most amazing way, and has kept us even through a near-collapse of our marriage and long term unemployment (when our family never went without a meal or left a bill unpaid). He has given us six wonderful children and continually bonds our family together. Now we are expecting our seventh grandchild! So thrilling.
 

Thankfully Jesus has already given us the big prizes; all our sins, (our lawlessness, meanness, cruelty, lying, betrayal and deceit, lust, envy, drunkenness, thieving and more), have been forgiven; we have been set free. Our consciences have been cleared and we are free from guilt (Galatians 5:1). Our long-term future with Jesus in Heaven is assured, He has even built a room for us there, (for many, to have a room of our own will be so lovely). Jesus paid for us to be redeemed (Titus 2:14), He promises us a full share in His inheritance (Acts 20:32), and "life to the full" (John 10:10).
 
"So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed" (John 8:36).
 
Always Jesus
 
We realise that we now know our God so well, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, that we can rest in Him in our future .. Jesus is the One who has saved us (John 3:16-17) and set us free (John 8:31-32).
 
We love Christian testimony, it shows that Jesus' people can always trust Him. So we will.
 
Amen.
 
Favourite Bible Verses
 
"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

 
"He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it" (1 Thessalonians 5:24).

 
Song
 
"We have decided to follow Jesus
"We have decided to follow Jesus
"We have decided to follow Jesus
"No turning back, no turning back .."
 
Thank you Jesus, we are so grateful. Amen.
 
 
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Cancer: Deep

"Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me" (Psalm 42:7).

This is a prayer week for me, a spiritual journey. I am down South at our favourite camp site by the sea. There are others here but my week has been almost entirely with Jesus and Father God and dear Holy Spirit.

I have been diagnosed with another cancer. Not melanoma this time, (I have had four of those). Cancer of my prostate. It is scary. (We have been told that I have been assigned an excellent medical team and that my prognosis is good).

Jesus is always able to make things work for our good (Romans 8:28). With this news Trish and my marriage has become sweeter, more tender, and our family have become closer. I know that I am loved, we all do. This is very precious.

My prayer friends from all the different groups are being very loving too. Trouble brings people closer, especially Christians, our relationships deepen, we bless one another with our love and prayer.

One friend, Betty, helped greatly; she sent me some teaching videos where a quarter century of new medical discoveries are linked to eternal Bible truths. (See Note 1).

This week, praying for myself, (rather than for others, or for the church, our leaders or the nations), has been really great. I have discovered a big area of laziness in my life; I have let anger and unforgiveness take root and build up in my soul; in my mind, will and emotions. Not good.

Praise Jesus who ".. appeared in order to take away sins .." (1 John 3:5), and ".. appeared to destroy the works of the devil" (1 John 3:8). I have whole days with our lovely Jesus to review my life, I found that I have been harbouring toxic thoughts. I have not thought about "toxic thoughts" for years, rather, I was believing that I was becoming more settled and peaceful. (We are deceived in our deceptions (James 1:16)).

Recent Science

Fear, anxiety, unforgiveness, bitterness, self-hatred, low self-esteem, guilt, jealousy, envy, anger, rage, and resentment are now referred to in the medical field as "toxic thinking patterns" because they are known to cause disease. Experiencing trauma or betrayal can also cause disease in humans. The mind-body connection is real. What and how we think affects our body, our brain, nervous system, immune system, organs and internal chemistry, everything. This is accepted science, not simply Christian belief. Toxic thinking patterns also affect our spirit; the spirit-mind-body connection is also real; this is not accepted science, but is well proven in Christian studies.

The Bible calls these toxic thinking patterns sin. Therefore what medical science has recently proven is that, much of the time, disease is a consequence of sin; particularly sin in our thought life.

So I have been thinking about my thoughts about life and the world, about my anger and my deep disappointments at legal and societal changes over the past few years. And about my fears for our children, grandchildren and their entire generations in the years to come.

I pray. I search my heart and my memory and repent. I forgive. Then I pray.

Again .. I pray. I repent. I search my heart and I forgive. Again I pray.

Praise Jesus for this beautiful peaceful place with the trees and the sea. I can feel the weight lifting off me, feel the rust and corrosion leaching away.

(At a prayer meeting here on a New Years Eve many years ago someone pointed out that these Christian campgrounds are saturated in prayer; the people who look after the camps pray for all of us who camp here, day after day and week after week, and have done for more than 30 years).

There is a sweet old song, I remember very few words .. "O how He loves me .."

Birthday

Today is Sunday. Twenty of us gathered at Peter’s and Merci’s for a long late lunch to celebrate Peter’s birthday; he and Rebecca, our twins and our youngest, turn 30 on Tuesday. (Trish and I will no longer have any babies, not even twenty-somethings!).

What a great afternoon, such wonderful company, most of our family and Merci’s family came, and we enjoyed a great feast. (Jude (6), and Hamish (4) each had three helpings of the yummy berry, meringue, ice cream and chocolate dessert I brought, I was thrilled!) We all took turns cuddling the babies, and the conversations and laughter never stopped. That we all know Jesus' love added such a glow to the afternoon ..

And on top of it all, Peter and Merci gave Trish and me a dozen fresh laid eggs from their chickens!

Be Doers

The Bible says that we are to "be doers of the Word" (Proverbs 4:20–23; James 1:22); to be obedient to what God asks of us (Ephesians 2:10, 4:16). I believe that obedience is more beautiful than anointing.

Jesus tells us to "forgive others their sins against us, then our Father will forgive our sins" (Matthew 6:14-15); to harbour unforgiveness is not "doing the Word". We have been told this before, right?

Jesus also tells us to "fear not" (Matthew 10:31; 14:27), and "do not worry or be anxious" (Luke 12:11,22), so when we live with fear, worry or anxiety we are being disobedient. Yes?

So I pray. I search my heart and my memories and then repent and forgive. Then I pray some more.

And the cancer? We will see what becomes of that, and of all my other aches and pains and complaints.

Happily, we are certain that "God is love" (1 John 4:16) and, by grace, His love flows to us, each one. Our heavenly Abba Father sent His Son Jesus to die and pay for our sins, for our redemption and our life (John 3:16), and I am eternally grateful.

Praise Jesus. Hallelujah!

Favourite Bible Verses

"I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; wonderful are Your works, my soul knows it full well" (Psalm 139:14).

"My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words.  Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart;  for they are life to those who find them and health to one's whole body.  Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it" (Proverbs 4:20-24).

"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves" (James 1:22).

".. brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things" (Philippians 4:8).

"Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul" (3 John 1:2). 

Amen.

Note 1:  For many years I have been blessed to hear, see, read and discuss with others, lovely committed Christian teachers whom I find sound in Scripture, theology, science and life-experience. Amongst these are: John Yates (www.cross-connect.net.au), Derek Prince (www.derekprince.com), Francis Frangipane (www.frangipane.org), Dr Michelle Strydom (www.eagleswings.co.zw), Dr Caroline Leaf (www.drleaf.net), John G. Lake (www.jglm.org) and others, and, with deep gratitude, draw from their teaching.

Thank You Jesus.

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Amen.

In

In Father, In Jesus, In Holy Spirit, In Me, In You

John 14:20 - Jesus' words: "In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you".

Some years ago, I started to see the many Bible verses which talked about God being in me, and me being in God. I do not remember preachers or teachers bringing this forward .. just a quiet recognition from my own Bible reading.

I always thought that Adam and Eve had a really good thing going in the very early part of the Creation, you know, before the Fall. They lived in a glorious garden in what I am sure was a really great marriage, (after all, it was God Himself who put them together). They helped God to name all the "kinds" He had created and all the many, many species within each "kind", and even got to walk and talk with God, in the garden at the end of each day! Such a lovely thought .. hanging out with God almighty, the God of all creation! (My wife, Trish, is a brilliant and enthusiastic gardener so we live in a place nearly as gorgeous as that first couple. We also walk and talk with God! How wonderful that is!)

But this being "in" that I found in my Bible, is so much more than Adam's and Eve's experience. A really radical concept. It is to do with our spirit being the main part of us, greater than our soul or our body. I see it in a similar way as when I add milk and honey to my mug of tea. I now have a brew where one cannot distinguish the different inputs but, instead, have something new and better and sweeter too. Recently I was told that I am a sweet guy! Thank you Lord! People used to point out how disenchanted, angry and inflexible I was. Definitely I am much better, in every way, with Jesus added to me, and Father God, and Holy Spirit! How rich my spirit has become, and my life.

I have long understood that Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection made it possible for God and humankind to be fully re-united for the first time since the Fall (Ephesians 1:9-10), and that this is where all humankind are headed (2 Peter 3:9,13), perhaps not in my lifetime but certainly I will see it from my place in Heaven.

After the Fall, God cast Adam and Eve out from the Garden of Eden, they became outcasts (a very sad word), and He even posted "cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life", to prevent their return (Genesis 3:23-24). Then Jesus cast Himself in, with us on Earth, to rescue, redeem and save us. He cast Himself in - what an amazing and costly thing for God to do - yet He did do it as the only way to pay for all our sin and redeem us for Himself. We know Him as Jesus our Messiah.

Surely all this in-ness is a part of the "every spiritual blessing in Christ" (Ephesians 1:3), part of the "glorious inheritance" (Ephesians 1:18) that is promised for all Jesus' people.

Here are some of the very clear, and very striking Bible verses I have added to my "In Father, In Son" list on my laptop.

Jesus' words:

"I will pray to the Father, and he will give you another Helper, that he may be with you forever - the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive; for it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he lives with you, and will be in you" (John 14:16-17).

"Do not believe me unless I do the works of my Father. But if I am doing them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father" (John 10:37-38).

"In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you" (John 14:20).

"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in me" (John 15:4); "abide" means "live"; our position is that we live in Jesus!

"My prayer is .. that they may all be one; even as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that you sent me" (John 17:20-21).

And Paul's words:

" .. you are in Christ Jesus, who was made to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption" (1 Corinthians 1:30). 

So this is where our righteousness comes from, and our wisdom and our growing sanctification, it is all Jesus! we don't have to rely on ourselves - praise you Lord!

"Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17 Amplified).

"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23).

"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1).

"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).

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,  neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39).

"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him,  rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness" (Colossians 2:6-7).

As I ponder these many Scripture verses I am overwhelmed by how I am so very beloved of God - God chose me, a disinterested sinner whom He had created in my mother's womb all those years ago. For each one of us, this was a sovereign choosing, we had no virtue and played no part in it. Then God showered us with gifts beyond price:

•  We were "chosen" in Christ before the Creation of the World (Ephesians 1:4)

•  It was God's pleasure to "predestine us for adoption to sonship" (so, whether we are a man or a woman we are fully included in God's inheritance, just like the first-born son in Bible times) "through Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 1:4-5)

•  We are saved by Jesus' work, we were redeemed and washed clean "through His blood" (Ephesians 1:7;  Hebrews 13:12)

•  We are established by God in Christ ".. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come" (2 Corinthians 1:21-22)

•  We are blessed, in Christ, with "every spiritual blessing" in the heavenly places (Ephesians 1:3); "every", this means that there are no spiritual blessing that we do not have!

This "in" study is very exciting! All the blessings were simply given to us, some were given before we were born ..

But there is something Jesus wants us to do, in fact, He commands it. Once we belong to Him, Jesus desires that we are baptised in the Holy Spirit.

John Baptist told the people about this and it was reported in all four Gospels, and in Jesus' words in Acts:

"John answered them all, 'I baptise you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and with fire'" (Luke 3:16; see also Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:8; John 1:33; Acts 1:5,8).

“Baptise" means "to immerse", so we are immersed in water for our believers' baptism and then are immersed in Holy Spirit to be, in a sense, completed - filled with Holy Spirit and fire (Acts 2:4).

Three of the Old Testament prophets declared this future pouring out of God's Spirit on His people (Isaiah 44:3, Ezekiel 39:29, Joel 2:28-29). From this we know that this was eternally planned.

When it was coming to the time when Jesus would ascend to Heaven He told His disciples not to act yet, but to wait until: ".. you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8).

Acts chapter 2 concludes with a description of how these new Christians were able to live; they were a tightly grouped, strong, generous, sharing and loving community; all their needs were met; they prayed and worshiped and were filled with joy.

When the Pilgrims first arrived in America they appear to have followed this powerful and free way of living with Jesus at the centre. For years there was no sickness and no fighting among them, until they started to claim land and other things as their own. It seems that humankind still has a lot to learn, and a lot of growing to do in Jesus.

This baptism in the Holy Spirit brings "fire" and "power" into our lives .. it enables us to "do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (Ephesians 2:6,10), to live closely with Jesus and with our Christian brothers and sisters and to be "Christ's ambassadors" (2 Corinthians 5:20) in the world.

Baptism in the Holy Spirit comes after our salvation, our justification and redemption, when all the amazing and glorious "in" things are added to us and we are brought into Jesus' family and Kingdom. Sometimes this "second baptism" happens immediately and for others it happens later. Please read Acts chapter 2; Jesus had left His followers and ascended to Heaven. The confused, frightened, bereft disciples were completely transformed by this baptism. Peter, who had denied Jesus three times, became a giant for Jesus and immediately gave a powerful sermon. Then in Acts chapter 3 he and John, with one word and Jesus' power, healed "a man who was lame from birth" (Acts 3:1-10). The whole book of Acts is one of the greatest adventure stories I have ever read!

Baptism in Holy Spirit completes us in Jesus. All we need then is to cleave to Jesus (John 6:29, Acts 11:23 Amplified), share our love, allow time in Scripture, fellowship and prayer, so we can continually grow, and to persevere when things seem not to be going well, and be grateful (1 Thessalonians 5:18) and "he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 1:6).

" God has chosen to make known .. the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27).

Amen.

PS: The words "in Christ" appear 86 times in the NIV New Testament. During my childhood it was understood that to "eighty-six" a person was to absolutely put them out of the game. Whilst working on this piece it occurred to me that we Christians have yet another great tool to put Satan in his place, we can "eighty-six" him with Scripture, reminding him how clearly the Bible reinforces our "in Christ" position, AND that Satan has much less power and influence than he tries to tell us that he has! This is what Jesus did, in the wilderness, when Satan tempted Him (See Matthew 4, Mark 1 and Luke 4). (If my children were reading this, they may well say "ha ha" at this point!)

Bless you, bless us all. Amen

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"In" is now podcast on Spotify under PsalmsOfJohn

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Praise Jesus. Amen.