Separate

Our God wants to have a people for Himself; He wants to share His and Jesus' glory (Matthew 16:27; John 1:14) and to have a bride for His son Jesus, a bride holy and pure, without "spot or wrinkle" (Ephesians 5:27; Philippians 2:15). 

Elohim God began "in the beginning" when Adam and Eve were made in their "image and likeness" (Genesis 1:26). We see something of God's glory here, in those early days. Adam and Eve will have known God as "Father", in the same intimate and loving way that Jesus does. They will have "known the Father's business" (John 15:15), and what was "good" and what was "evil" (Genesis 2:9); they worked with Father God during the day and walked and talked together in the beautiful and fruitful garden "in the cool of the evening" (Genesis 3:8).
 
Then came "the Fall" (Genesis 3:11), sin entered the world; "sin" is everything that does not please God. Sin causes separation between humankind and God, the opposite of God's loving desire.
 
Many generations after Adam and Eve, God chose Abraham and made covenant to form a people for Himself, the nation of Israel: "For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, His treasured possession" (Deuteronomy 7:6).
 
God cares for "His treasured possession" to this day. We Christians are "chosen" (Ephesians 1:14) to be "different", "holy" (1 Peter 1:16), set apart for our God who calls on His people to look only to him: "I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy" (Leviticus 11:44).
 
Jesus calls to us: "'Come out from among them, and be separate', says the Lord. 'Touch no unclean thing. I will welcome you. I will be to you a Father. You will be to me sons and daughters', says the Lord of Hosts" (Isaiah 52:11; 2 Corinthians 6:17-18; Revelation 18:4).
 
I still ponder all this in relation to my life and my worldview; Jesus is growing me into the John He always planned that I would be. Jesus' work continues: "He will not let your foot slip - he who watches over you will not slumber or sleep" (Psalm 121:3).
 
In Old Testament times God saw that His people were being corrupted by their non-Jewish neighbours, (and even by their Kings and those in leadership over them). Do we see something of today in these prophetic Bible words from centuries ago? "Yet my people have forgotten me; they burn incense to worthless idols, which made them stumble in their ways, in the ancient paths. They made them walk in byways, on roads not built up" (Jeremiah 18:15-16). Do we give our time and money to what Father God would call "worthless idols", with what is popular or "trending"? I find myself avoiding more and more what our culture presents.
 
Jesus is front and centre of the whole Bible and is the "all" of God (Colossians 1:15-20). (Some say: "He is hidden in the Old Testament and revealed in the New", I found this to be true at Bible College where we were assigned psalms to present as pre-class devotions, I always found Jesus in the psalms I was allocated). It is clear that Father God wants us to look to Jesus in "all things" (Hebrews 12:1-2)). 

I have come to see that Jesus is now in a deep and eternal relationship with me, and through that He has brought me into His Father's family as a son, and into the constant care of His lovely Holy Spirit. My response is to love in return. "Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind'" (Matthew 22:37).

I find that I do love our Father and Jesus and Holy Spirit, and also that Jesus is my focus; His humanity and the New Testament stories make Him so approachable. As I read my Bible I can see Him in my mind's eye (Luke 6:19). Now, through Holy Spirit's prophetic gifting, (1 Corinthians 14:1,3), I often see Him, feel His touch and hear His voice (2 Samuel 23:2). Jesus is my friend (John 15:15) and I know this to be true. Even as I write this I am singing "Jesus at the centre".. "Nothing in this world will do".. "Everything revolves around You", (Houghton, Massey, Ranney: 2014).
 
Jess Ray sings: "it may seem too good to be understood, but it's not too good to be true" - we hear her joy as she testifies to her certain knowledge of her relationship with our Saviour and Lord.
 
"But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved" (Ephesians 2:4-5).
 
I see Jesus as front and centre of everything, the "fullness" of God (Ephesians 4:13; Colossians 1:19), and that "the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ", (Ephesians 1:3), reveals Jesus endlessly (Matthew 3:17; John 14:6-7), as does Holy Spirit (John 16:14).
 
Jesus mediates a New Covenant for us, a covenant which gives us spiritual closeness to Father, Son and Spirit, a spiritual confidence (2 Corinthians 3:3-6; Ephesians 3:12; Philippians 1:6), an understanding that, although we live in "this present darkness" (Ephesians 6:12), Jesus is with us, we have spiritual authority and can know shalom, God's peace (John 14:27).
 
It may seem that the "powers" in the world, (Ephesians 6:12), are gaining more and more control and influence over us, our societies and our cultures, but we can choose to "abide" in Jesus (John 15:4), and live a "full" and "abundant" life (John 10:10); only Jesus offers this, "by His Spirit" (John 7:39).
 
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ" (Ephesians 1:3) - note "every", a big word.
 
"You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 2:5).
 
When we think in terms of "Jesus", we recognise His desire for intimate relationship with us, each one, and that He has brought us into His "team", (more than simply His salvation and His protection). Jesus is risen; He rules and reigns from the throne room of God; He equips us and commands us to "do the works I have been doing" (John 14:12). This is "boots on the ground" living in faith; there is no guarantee of comfort or glory. We are His "friends" (John 15:15), and also His "servants" (Revelation 19:5): "Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve" (Matthew 20:28).
 
Paul reminds us: "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things" (Philippians 4:8), this verse is now on many hearts. See also Romans 13:14.

How Then Should We Live
(Also see post www.psalmsofjohn.com/2023/06/how-then-should-we-live.html)
 
"Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will" (Romans 12:2).
 
As a Christian I have found a sense of being "foreign" to my old life, but with no desire to "fit back in" with the worldly culture I consciously left behind. This was hard, and still is; we lose friends, some enjoyable activities are now "out of bounds". Happily it is rewarding too, richly satisfying.
 
I have lived in four countries. The early days in each place were exciting and also difficult. Everything was so new, truly "foreign". I assimilated over time; I "fitted in" to the local way of things, and to their kind of "English"; (birth language to all of us but with different ways of speaking, a different idiom or vernacular). I am still "assimilating" into Jesus' "way" (Ephesians 4:13), praise the Lord.
 
"Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God's people and also members of his household" (Ephesians 2:19).
 
"And you shall be holy to Me, for I the Lord am holy, and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be Mine" (Leviticus 20:26).
 
"The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged" (Deuteronomy 31:8).
 
Testimony
I worked in an office where (I believe) I was the only Christian. I was blessed to be there, work was scarce and the money was good. Still, it was hard. Not only was I new, but I was "different"; I asked that people would stop using foul language in the office. Some became hostile; ridiculing or contemptuous. I was isolated and excluded from much of the comradery of the workplace.
 
Jesus found that work for me, it was not advertised. I was given some interesting and knotty problems to solve, one of which had defeated two programmers before me; my business users were overjoyed with my solution, they had been waiting more than a year.
 
By the time all my work there was finished I had found some welcome. I had opportunity to talk to some of my workmates who were experiencing deep personal troubles; they thanked me and said I was "wise and kind". This was Jesus work, He gave time for "divine encounters"; perhaps these ones saw something of Jesus' love and healing, and "Christ in me, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27).
 
The job was timely, and the money was welcome for our family. But perhaps I was there for those struggling, so that Jesus could touch them? I survived having to "be separate”; I know that I grew from it; this was, and still is, precious. I was aware that Jesus was "always" with me (Deuteronomy 31:8; Isaiah 60:19-20; Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 13:5).

 
"Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us" (2 Corinthians 5:20). 

Thank you, my lovely Lord and friend.

Rick Joyner wrote about a study which showed that about 65 percent of all Americans considered themselves to be born-again Christians, but only 3 percent had a Christian or biblical worldview; viewing the world as Christ does, knowing and adhering to His teachings. [Similar numbers appear in other studies]. These results show how poorly the church is accomplishing Jesus' Great Commission; we are commanded to "make disciples", not just converts, and to "teach them everything [Jesus] commanded us".
 
"Being a committed Christian, being baptized in the Spirit, involves a reorientation of life that is significantly different from the way the ordinary modern person thinks - it is a revolution in outlook on the world [our worldview]. We are able to explain the gospel message in a way that allows people to see how great the salvation is that is being offered, and how great a difference there is between living under the rule of Christ – life 'in the Spirit', and the rule of the world - life 'not in the Spirit'". (Discerning the Times, Part 53, 2009).

 
We are saved from sin and death by Jesus' great and sacrificial work; our salvation brought our "justification" (Romans 8:30), we have been given Jesus' "righteousness" (Romans 3:22), henceforth we are being "sanctified" (present tense continuous), being set apart, separated, for our Lord, (John 17:19). Our salvation is forever. (See Note 1).
 
Go
Jesus said: "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).
 
Later, Paul declared: "For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (Ephesians 2:10).
 

Our God of all the Creation has plans for each one of us, His people, plans which will require our commitment and dedication. Let us ponder the words of the songs we sing to Him, and our heart and our life (1 Samuel 16:7; John 14:6).

 
"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you" (Deuteronomy 31:6).
 
"But the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will cause you to recall (will remind you of, bring to your remembrance) everything I have told you" (John 14:26 Amplified).
 
"Be confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 1:6).
 
Jesus said "Come unto me" (Matthew 11:28).
 
My prayer, for all of us, Jesus’ people: "O Lord, you have brought so much to our lives (1 Corinthians 2:12). Go before us please, guide us into a greater commitment to you, your way (Acts 2:42-47), and your work (Philippians 2:13). Let it be clear, both in our selves and in our lives, that we are yours. Amen". 

Jesus' words, "A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another" (John 13:34-35).

Thank you, Jesus. Amen.

Note 1. Our Salvation Is Irrevocable
Even now we can be diverted, as we were before Jesus got a-hold of us: "You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God?" (James 4:4). These are strong words, but they do not mean that we will lose our salvation if we slip and briefly befriend the world.
 
Once we are in our Father's heavenly family we are there forever. Sometimes we see people "fall away" who appeared to be fully part of Jesus "body"; this is a mystery and only Jesus knows. Jesus is "our redeemer" (Ephesians 1:7).

 

Our Bible is clear; once we are "saved" and "in" Jesus' Kingdom, vital aspects of who we are, are changed, renewed:

• Ezekiel 36:26 - He gives us a new heart and puts a new spirit in us; He will remove from us our heart of stone and give us a heart of flesh.
• Romans 8:30 - Jesus' plans include our glorification.
• 1 Corinthians 6:19 - Our bodies are now temples of Jesus' Holy Spirit.
• 2 Corinthians 5:17 - We are a "new creation", the old has gone.

• 1 Peter 1:23 - We are made new, "born again".
• 1 Peter 2:5 - We are "living stones", a part of God's house.
• Titus 3:5 - He "saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit".

(Also see post www.psalmsofjohn.com/2011/02/lukewarm.html) 

 
Bless us all. Amen.

  

P.S. The photos for this post were taken on Trish and my winter-school-break holiday in the bush a couple of hours South from our house. Lovely, cold but beautiful. A true holiday, Jesus was with us :-)

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"Separate" is now a podcast in Spotify under PsalmsOfJohn

• Public link to podcast

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Amen.

Witnesses

"O give thanks unto the Lord, call upon His name, make known His doings among the peoples!" (Psalm 105:1 - David's words). 

We are Jesus' witnesses; we walk in His footsteps. 

Whilst here on Earth, Jesus ministered, He suffered, died, rose and ascended to Heaven - He witnessed about our Father, about love, and about the Kingdom of God. He taught, He loved, He performed miracles. He said: "follow me".
 
At the end of Matthew's Gospel, Jesus gave us "The Great Commission", which is well known among Christians.
 
commission: (noun) the act of granting certain powers or the authority to carry out a task or duty; the authority so granted; the matter or task so authorized. (American Heritage Dictionary).
 
"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19-20 - Jesus words).
 
Today we are Jesus followers, this commission is for us, each one, and for all Christians everywhere. I find this to be daunting but am encouraged by Paul’s words: "And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers" (Ephesians 4:11). The broad scope of the Commission does not mean that I must be an evangelist and a missionary. Rather, I discern (after all my years following Jesus), that my rôle is to help to disciple Christians (of all spiritual ages), sharing and teaching something of the beauty, love and strength of the Lord which He has shown to me.
 
(Though sometimes Jesus does enable me as an evangelist, He prompts me for a particular person; we call this a "divine encounter").
 
I am a "what? why? where? when? how?" kind of person, a seeker after truth. It is natural for me to want to share what I have learned, and to help others to grow where I have struggled.
 
Testimony was, and is, a big help and a significant feature of my Christian walk. (Testimony is the active witness of what people have seen and heard). It was the testimony of excited Christians that carried me beyond simply knowing that "God is". Here He was, alive and vibrant, this Jesus, who I did not know, vitally active in lives near me.
 
In time, Trish and I also became "excited Christians". We too came to know Jesus and to know His love and His power (1 Corinthians 2:4). Now I find that, even in my small world, there are times where my telling about Jesus' miraculous, compassionate and loving work in me, or someone near me, has had a profound effect on others. 

Witnesses of His Majesty
 
While our children were still at school I had a long time unemployed and looking for work. It was a desperate time; I learned that a man who could not support his family lost something of his "man-ness", his sense of worth and of hope. We struggled financially. We learned what it is to be poor in an affluent society. All my training, skills and great work experiences seemed worthless. A desperate time.
 
(We now know that Jesus was always with us, He brought blessings as He invariably does. We never missed a meal or had a bill reach the "debt collector" stage. But during that season our family learned to stick together and to manage, even thrive, with what we had. We are still very close and know how to love and care for one another, a great blessing).
 
Then one morning, while Trish and I were having our quiet time with Jesus, I heard "Bible college" very clearly. I looked at Trish, she had not heard these words, maybe I was mistaken. "Father", I whispered, "I want a good job, what would I do at Bible college?" In my heart I was hoping He had made a mistake, why send me when so many people I knew would really make something of the opportunity? When I shared God's words with Trish she immediately became enthusiastic: "please don't be excited Trish", I said, "I have no desire to go, what I want is a job".
 
We agreed that we would research and see where that led. We reached a short-list of three colleges and went for interviews. One school stood out. Their motto was from 2 Peter 1:16: "Witnesses of His Majesty".
 
It was clear that I was not suited for "Ministry", "Mission", "Counseling", "Youth Ministry" or "Music". That left "Theology", (the study and understanding of God). I had done some teaching as a computer person, theology people tend to teach, so this sounded "possibly ok" to me.
 
Once I was enrolled, it became my desire that "the glorious Father, may give [me] the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that [I] may know him better" (Ephesians 1:17).
 
I now have a bachelor degree in Theology. Absolutely the correct choice, thank you Father! I discovered Jesus afresh, got to know my Abba Father and, like Jesus, my sonship (Matthew 17:5; John 17:22). I learned about God's faithfulness, (Church History 1), and something of how we humans function (Counseling 1 & 2), the whole-ness of the Scriptures (Old Testament, Exegesis, New Testament, Ministry of Holy Spirit). We learned to lead "Devotions", and so much more. I began to lose my anger and my fear. But mostly I grew in Jesus. My theology teacher and I became dear friends and deeply respect one another. Hallelujah!
 
I still remember the College motto: "Witnesses of His Majesty" and believe that this is the essence of what I learned (grew in?) there; to be so centred on Jesus that He has become a key part of me, and all my thinking and life and work. I love testimony, both hearing of others' experience of God's grace and miracle power, and being able to share my own testimonies. "Witnesses of His Majesty". Those years saw me "mushroom" in understanding, after years with seemingly little fruit.
 
I learned to see Jesus as the centre of everything (Colossians 1:16); this is how Father God sees Him; (so I am in good company). God became more personal to me, Father, Son and Holy Spirit; intimately, rather than as an idea I agreed with (so, not simply propositional). The truth of "in Jesus, in Father, in me" became rooted and still fills my life and my worldview, (see Note 1).
 
These truths are the essence of the New covenant. Under the Old Covenant, God chose Israel as His own special possession (Deuteronomy 7:6) but was still over-arching. People visited God at alters, and in His Temple at specially appointed times; only the priests got anywhere near Him. The written Law was rigid and overseen by the priests, scholars and other "special" people. The priests would deal with people's sins once a year; the people had to come to the temple and make the correct sacrifice.
 
Now, under the New Covenant, our sins are permanently covered, God "takes our sins away" (John 1:29) and will "remember them no more" (Hebrews 8:12, 10:16-17). The only sacrifice needed has been made, we need only to repent from our heart; Jesus shed His blood and gave His life to pay for our meanness, wrongdoing and sins, and fully redeem us (Luke 1:68; John 3:16).
 
Now we Christians are "the temple of the living God" (1 Corinthians 3:16; 2 Corinthians 6:16). This is spiritual; our spirit and God's Holy Spirit are bonded together inside of us, every Christian; a mystery and a miracle. This can only be possible because Jesus has given us "His righteousness" (Micah 7:9; Romans 5:17), we are now "clothed with Christ" (Galatians 3:27).
 
God takes our history, no matter how broken or messy this may seem to us. He loves us and finds each one of us so beautiful that our Father in Heaven is preparing us to be His Son's bride, "without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless" (Ephesians 5:27).
 
Jesus' "Great Commission" is often a subject in our prayer meetings. We intercessors know that our availability and obedience to Jesus' calling is an important part of our "new life" in Him (Acts 5:20). But I am shy, not a mixer or networker, and am slow to make friends. Talking to strangers is scary for me, I often stumble over my words.
 
But I do love to disciple and to share about Jesus. I am so blessed with the Christian teaching, training and ministry I have received; many lovely, and loving, people have been patient with me, longsuffering even (Exodus 34:6). Their work has been rewarded in my spiritual growth (Colossians 1:9-10).
 
As I was reading my Bible, I saw many "witness" and "witnesses" verses. "Ah", I thought, "this word is my link, my connection, to Jesus' "Great Commission", I am truly a witness of Him, from my heart".
 
"Witness" is a word with an exact meaning: a witness tells what he or she has seen or heard, neither more nor less. Being a witness is serious. In a court of law, witnesses are sworn to tell "the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth" so that justice may be served, to lie is a crime.
 
I love truth (John 1:14). I love to find out how things work, how they "are" in their essence. Perhaps this is why I love Christian testimony, people are so clear as they share what they have seen, heard or experienced as the Kingdom of God has come near to them (Matthew 4:17; Luke 10:9). I love too how the hearers are affected; they recognise that the testimony is true, for some this is the beginning of their "knowing" Jesus, His "salvation" (Luke 8:10), and his "life" (John 10:10). They can see that blessing and life can come to anyone through Jesus, the source and giver of life (1 Corinthians 8:6) and "Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6). 

Bible Witness Heroes
 
Throughout history our God has treasured His witnesses. Here are some of my heroes:
 
Abram/Abraham - I first met this great man of God when I was a new Christian, a friend gave me a book about him and he quickly became a hero to me. Abraham heard God speak to him and obeyed. He left his home and headed out to "a place I will show you" (Genesis 12:1). This would have been extraordinary, at that time, for a man in his social "landed" position.
 
Abraham's obedience was not perfect, his journey was long and his reward difficult to see, but his faith was steadfast. I find this so very encouraging, I well know that my obedience has not been perfect and my walk halting and slow. I too find our lovely God faithful in the progress of my life and in my troubles, and this causes my faith to grow.
 
God "appeared" to Abraham (Genesis 18:1-2); we learn from Scripture that he encountered the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ (John 8:56). Abraham rejoiced at his understanding that God's Saviour would come to all humankind. (We see the same eternal Jesus in John 1:1).
 
Abraham’s story witnesses to us today as it has throughout history: Jesus is real, He is the God of Heaven and Earth (Colossians 2:9) "For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form .. He is the head over every power and authority". Jesus was and is and eternally will be.
 
Moses is another hero. He lived a small life and had simple communication skills, then God spoke to him: "Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say" (Exodus 4:12). Moses obeyed, he did speak, he helped our God change the world. Through the Bible and so many Bible stories Moses witnesses to us still.
 
Mary was unwavering in her love and devotion to both our Father in Heaven and to her Son, Jesus. Mary's prayer, known as "The Magnificat" (Luke 1:46-55), speaks to this and is known far beyond Christian circles. She endured humiliation by being unmarried while expecting her baby, and then knew devastation at Jesus' unjust condemnation and crucifixion. Another heroic witness.
 
New Testament - We also remember Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, then Paul, James, Peter, Jude and the author of Hebrews, whose witness fills the New Testament. 

And the hundreds of millions of Christians, not so different from you and me, who have shared about our lovely Lord Jesus, our faith, the Kingdom of God, and hope, love, forgiveness, healing, peace, and belonging, and who share the glory of our Father and His Saviour Son, Jesus Christ.
 
Heroes, yet simply servants; witnesses of His Majesty.
 
Praise Jesus for his ceaseless work among us all. Amen.
 
Note 1 - "In Jesus", "In Father" and "In Me" Bible References:

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

See also: John 10:38, 14:17, 15:4, 17:21, 17:23-26; Romans 6:23, 8:1, 8:39, 12:5; 1 Corinthians 1:30, 6:19; 2 Corinthians 6:16; Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 2:6,10, 2:22; Colossians 1:27, 3:3, 3:16-19 and more ...

Also see post "In"

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Or the "In" podcast on Spotify under PsalmsOfJohn

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Favourite "Witnesses" Bible Verses

 
"I have revealed and saved and proclaimed - I, and not some foreign god among you. You are my witnesses' declares the Lord, 'that I am God'" (Isaiah 43:12).
 
"And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come" (Matthew 24:14).
 
"Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms" (Peter 4:10)
 
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go" (Joshua 1:9)
 
"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand" (Isaiah 41:10).
 
Amen.

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• Public link to "Witnesses" podcast

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Praise Jesus.

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 (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/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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Purpose

This Purpose Was A Mystery

It is good to know that God has a purpose and that we live in a time when that purpose has been made known to humankind. Until Pentecost Sunday (Acts 2) this purpose was a mystery (1 Corinthians 2:6-7, Ephesians 1:9-10, Ephesians 3:6, Ephesians 5:31-33, Colossians 1:27, Colossians 2:2-3). But now we know that God's purpose in the Creation was three-fold. It is all to do with Jesus and bringing glory to our heavenly Father.

Firstly, our Father, the Father of the original family, wanted to give a bride to His eternal and beloved Son Jesus. We are that bride, we the Church, the "ecclesia", the gathered ones (Revelation 19:7). 

We are adopted as children of Father God when we are saved and become Christian (Romans 8:16), we are part of the "new Jerusalem" (Revelation 21:2). God's purpose is that we Christians shall be Jesus' bride, His wife for eternity, and to share in His life and His work here on Earth.

"Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God" (John 1:12).

“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son" (Matthew 22:2).

Secondly, our lovely Lord Jesus wanted to give His Father many children, to bring them into the glory of God. Often in Scripture the word "son" or "sons" says that the person has all rights and is fully in the family's inheritance. When used like this in the New Testament the word includes daughters, not just the boys, everybody equally (Galatians 3:28), in Christ.

"For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering" (Hebrews 2:10).

Thirdly, glory: "To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen" (Philippians 4:20). Yes. Everything is to be for our Father's glory! Hallelujah!

I was at a prayer meeting and my (long ago) theology teacher was there, I asked him if I was on track with my understanding of God's purpose .. he grinned broadly, (clearly happy with his student), and said: "Yes .. Yes .. And it is all for the Father's glory". Paul's letter to the Ephesians tells us of God's purpose, as we read, say Ephesians 1:3-12, we can catch something of Paul's excitement at being able to share the good news. (These verses are in the Favourites at the end of this post).

God's purpose flows from His character and nature. Amongst God's many attributes we know that:

•   God is love (Ephesians 1:4-5, 1 John 4:8, 1 John 4:16)

•   God is spirit (John 4:24); God is the Spirit of truth (John 1:17, 16:13, 1 John 4:6)

•   God is relational; God is One (Deuteronomy 6:4) yet at the same time Father, Son and Spirit.

•   God is personal; although infinite and omnipotent, God deals with each one of us in a personal way (Isaiah 49:15, John 10:28). I know that I am God's child and that Jesus is my brother!

•    God is holy (Psalm 99:9); "sacred, consecrated, hallowed, sanctified, divine, blessed, dedicated".

•   God is omniscient; of infinite understanding (Psalm 147:4-5).

•   God is immutable; He does not change in His essence - He is eternally the same - "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever" (Hebrews 1:12,13:8).

As we get to know more about who God is, we can deduce that His purpose will always be good (Psalm 145:9), indeed, "very good". His purpose brought about the Creation where matter and physical life first became extant; time and history began. God created over six days then rested. Almost all the creation came into being when God said "Let there be"; and God declared it all to be "good". 

Then when a vast and beautiful environment had been established, people were brought into being with the words: "Let us make humankind in our image, in our likeness .." (Genesis 1:26). Humans were to be fruitful and to rule and have dominion over all the creation; to be stewards and care for it. God considered this to be "very good" (Genesis 1:31).

"Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath or spirit of life, and man became a living being" (Genesis 2:7 AMP); here "living being" can be translated from the Hebrew as "speaking spirit"; we humans have language and can speak.

We are the ultimate created beings; humankind. We are not part of any other "kind", like monkeys, spiders or whales. Humans are unique in the universe because each of us is created in "the image and likeness" of God. This tells us why, of all the creatures, we are spiritual beings, God is spirit (John 4:24); our spiritual life is the most important part of us. (More than 80% of the world's 7.6 billion people believe that the spiritual world is real and that humans are spiritual beings; that is, more than four out of every five people believe this). It also explains why we are so creative and also so varied; we have free will just as God does, and, in part, we can see the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10). We can visualise things and then make them: art, music, books, sticky date pudding, aircraft, puffer jackets, bridges, football .. No other creatures do any of these things ..

The Creation centres on family. Family takes the shape of the God-head:

•   Lord God, or Jehovah, or Adonai is Father.

•   The Son, Jesus, is Son.

•   Holy Spirit is the enabling power, the counselor and the helper in the Trinity (John 14:16).

They were family and are family, the original family. This is why family seems natural and desirable to us, and is the building block of every human culture in the whole world, and has been so throughout all of history.

We can get a sense of the wonder of the original Creation, and the purpose behind it, when we look at Adam and Eve before the Fall. Often when people talk about these first two humans it is to talk about the Fall and sin.

But before that terrible day they were living the life we've all been designed to live. They were in loving and intimate relationship with God and would walk and talk with Him in the garden at the end of each day. They had been given authority to rule over all the creatures, to raise a big family with lots of babies. They were to subdue the earth and look after it, "using all its vast resources in the service of God and man" (Genesis 1:28 Amplified), this would have been their work and would have been part of the "very good", (John 5:17), advancing the Kingdom of God and keeping their minds and bodies active. They were free to eat (almost) everything which grew in the beautiful garden. 

They would have been so very satisfied: spiritually, emotionally and physically. They didn't even need or desire clothes. They would not have had any wants, or need to strive for anything. Just as God rested on the seventh day, Adam and Eve would have lived their lives from a place of rest (Genesis 1:26-2:3, 2:8-15).

When Adam and Eve believed Satan's deceitful (John 8:44) promise, that they could be independent of God, trouble came to the world (Isaiah 41:10): the glory and majesty of their life was taken away; work became toil, they even had to work for food; having children became painful; they became ashamed of their bodies; death came into the world; they lost a son in awful circumstances.  Worst of all they lost their intimate relationship with God. Yet they continued to fulfill God's purpose, they persevered and continued in their life together, having more children and stewarding their environment. They found that love is a doing word and relationships often need conscious effort to hold together.

Now, as Christians, we see glimpses of life as it was before the Fall (Matthew 5:3-12,1 Corinthians 13:12). We are blessed as being children of God, we are included in Jesus' inheritance, we have been given great spiritual authority (Luke 10:19), and are participants in the earthly work of our lovely Abba Father God, our Saviour Jesus and our counselor and helper Holy Spirit. Each Christian, and every Christian. We are included in the inner circle.

The world may be in a mess (Acts 2:40), but we are moving forward to the glorious day when Jesus will return and dry all our tears (Revelation 21:4). We await this day in faith. Hebrews 11 shows us how to wait with joy; this chapter reminds us of many heroes who lived great and godly lives as they looked forward to "the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God" (Hebrews 11:10). They "were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth" (Hebrews 11:13). 

We can emulate them, and many, many others who have gone before us; missionaries, evangelists, and teachers, pastors and youth leaders, and simple, loving, helpful Christian people who have been a unique blessing to us.

The Purpose Of Jesus' Incarnation

                     

For many years I did not understand how Jesus fitted into God's plans and purposes. I now see that God's purpose in bringing Jesus to the Earth was two-fold and very simple:

"You know that [Jesus] appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin" (1 John 3:5). 

"Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil" (1 John 3:8). 

The Bible says "He appeared" because Jesus is God and has always been .. He called Himself "I AM" (Exodus 3:14). Forever our God had been three Persons in one God, (Elohim is a Hebrew word for God and is used throughout the Creation narrative, it is a plural word, yet does not mean "gods", this name helps us understand the Trinity): Father God, Abba, loving, generous, just, logical; and His Son, Jesus, who Scripture tells us is the great Creator (Colossians 1:15-16, Psalm 8:3), and Servant (John 5:19); and Holy Spirit who makes all things possible (John 14:16). 

So, unlike us, Jesus did not begin his existence in His mother's womb at conception, (like us (Ecclesiastes 11:5 ESV)); this is all part of the miracle of His becoming human, incarnate, (in the image and likeness of Elohim). So "He appeared".

" .. I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10b).

Favourite Scriptures

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.  For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love  he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will -  to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.  In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding,  he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ,  to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment - to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.  In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,  in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory" (Ephesians 1:3-12).

"If you love me, keep my commands.  And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another counselor to help you and be with you forever - the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.  I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.  Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.  On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you" (John 14:15-20).

"The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come'. And let the one who hears say, 'Come'. And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost" (Revelation 22:17).

Amen.

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Amen.