Be Strong And Courageous

Ready To Stand

"Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you" (Deuteronomy 31:6).

When Trish's and my children were Youth Group age they would often sing songs like "Be Strong And Courageous" and "Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war".

We all understood even then that being Christian was counter-cultural and that some of our friends or workmates may think that we were a bit weird.

Our kids were learning that sometimes they may be called on to "stand" for Jesus and their faith (Matthew 12:25; Romans 5:2; Romans 11:20; Galatians 5:1; Ephesians 6:11,13,14; Revelation 6:17).

What Jesus Says

"Be Strong And Courageous" appears in the Old Testament as a call to those who were about to embark on great exploits; works requiring physical strength, endurance and often creativity (1 Joshua 1:6; 1 Chronicles 28:20; 2 Chronicles 32:7).

The same thought, (but not in the same phrasing), is expressed again and again the New Testament too, but, rather than preparing for big projects, its sense is to do with being encouraged, and standing in our faith for Jesus and His Gospel, just as our children were singing.

God may be a God of grace and love but He wants us never to forget that we are with Him in a battle against His fierce, persistent and unscrupulous enemy (Matthew 13:25; Luke 10:19; John 10:10).

Jesus wants us to stick with Him regardless of our circumstances. Back in the Youth Group days the only Christians we knew who faced real opposition, or even persecution, were far away overseas in countries where the majority followed other faiths or religions.

But now, just a few years later, that anger and opposition towards Jesus, His Gospel and His people, has spread all over the world and is very present even to us in the West.

Our Reality And Expectations

At a recent church meeting the preacher noticed a friend, Darren, in the congregation and asked him if he had something to share. Darren considered for a minute then stepped up and said these few words: "If ever there was a time for God's people to stand and hold fast to the truth and speak up, it is now". He then returned to his seat.

To me this seemingly small incident, which was unplanned and tacked on towards the end of the meeting, reinforces the words from Scripture that have been coming into my mind for the past few weeks: "Be strong and courageous .."

We know that people are losing their jobs, and some their businesses, because they hold to Biblical truths. Persecution of Christians is at the highest level in all of recorded history and can be seen in a great many countries, including the Western democracies. (Some people still speak of these as "Christian countries" and regard freedoms of religion, speech and association as absolute and unchanged, though this is now far from true as the Australian rugby champion Israel Folau and many others can attest ..)

Our children talk about their work and how it has been affected by the coronavirus and other present-day influences, and it is clear that their bosses are trying hard to ensure continuity and resilience. This is very welcome news. I am sure too that the 1%, (of whom we now hear so much) who own the great majority of the world's assets, want the world to continue to be their playground, so they want continuity too.

But it is not the billionaires or the different world leaders who bring my peace, I look to Jesus (Hebrews 12:2): "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you .. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid" (John 14:27).

Recently a song played on my radio, the announcer seemed to think it reflected pretty cool thoughts for our times:

  "I believe there comes a time

  when everything just falls in line".

But really, isn't this nothing more than wishful thinking? (Radio 6IX, 19 July 2020).

So very sad. Also very scary!

           

"So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober" (1 Thessalonians 5:6).

So How Shall We Be?

Paul, when writing to Timothy, makes it plain that we are to show courage in times like ours (2 Timothy 1:7), to be encouraged and not discouraged (Romans 1:12), and to be ready to seek God's will for us (Romans 12:2), and to follow His leading (Mark 8:34):

"For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power and love and self-control" (2 Timothy 1:7).

The Book of Revelation includes a letter from Jesus to the church in Smyrna. They were suffering persecution and appear to have had no resources left. Jesus told them, "I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich)" (Revelation 2:9); He considers them rich because they have Jesus securely in their hearts and their lives. He strengthened and comforted them but the persecution, and the lying about them, continued; Jesus did not take it away at the time of that letter which was written in the very "last days", some time in our future. All today's claims and declarations of triumph and victory and success being made by some in the church will be in their past; there is no mention of these claims or declarations in this letter.

Is there something very timely for us here?

Some suggest that the best way to go on from here is to keep our heads down, be careful who we have as friends, and live the best life we can. But this is how people responded in Germany in the 1930s. Hitler, the brownshirts and other Nazis did not go away; indeed they were emboldened by their apparent successes and the terror they created; they escalated their activities and their levels of violence. They even set out to re-write the Bible by removing all references to Jewish-ness. Life in Germany, and then in many other places, became very frightening and restricted. My Dad was in WWII and it damaged him on his inside, he never recovered from it; this is very personal to me. WWII was long and brutal, millions and millions of people, and families and nations were devastated by it.

I now understand my Christian-ness to mean that I belong to Jesus Christ (Psalm 100:3; 1 Corinthians 6:20), and that I am to have an unshakeable allegiance to Him (Romans 1:6), and He to me. He wants me to stand with Him and with others of His ecclesia, His gathered ones, His church.

For Christians to "stand" is Biblical. From my reading of Scripture I see that we are required and expected to "stand" (Mark 13:9; Romans 5:2-5; Romans 11:20; 1 Corinthians 16:13-14; Ephesians 6:13; Philippians 3:20-4:1 (and many more)).

Jesus wants us to be totally available to Him, and be ready to be radically obedient.

Christian history is full of people who have stood for Jesus, sometimes for years and years, often with little or no visible reward. But they knew and were prepared to stand so they would ultimately see God's glory in "the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God" (Hebrews 11:10), (it is always good to read from verse 1 to 10!)

At Bible College we had to do two biographical studies; ever since then I have been blessed that I was given William Carey as one of mine; he went to India in the late 1700s. I have been to India a number of times and love that country and its people (and its food); I welcomed William as my subject. Well, what a life he had .. he was totally committed to Jesus and to his mission there, and praise Jesus for that. Everything went wrong for William, and for decades he seemed to make no headway in bringing people to Jesus though he did many great, creative and lasting works. He stood. And stood. And stood! I see William as having been very strong and courageous over many years. He is known and loved and honoured in India to this day, but his life was very hard.

Paul stood. He was also strong and courageous. Paul's New Testament letters are full of his work, his sufferings and his love and commitment to Jesus and the people he encountered; he wrote about the hard life he often had to live (1 Thessalonians 1:5; Acts 14:19; Romans 8:36; 1 Corinthians 4:10; 2 Corinthians 6:5-10; 2 Corinthians 11:23-31; Galatians 2:4; Philippians 2:17; Colossians 1:29; Ephesians 6:10-18).

Paul also wrote, in the most delightful way, about the love and joy and life that he experienced as Jesus' ambassador, teacher and evangelist (Ephesians 6:20). But he was equally clear in his readiness to stand, and to always press onwards (Philippians 3:12).

I believe that this is the kind of thing Jesus is asking of us in this present time.

People who hold to a Biblical worldview will become more and more estranged from the "social norm" as set by the ideologically bound minority who seem to be running things and "trending" today. Persecution and isolation will increase, particularly in social (and other) media, in the marketplace, (and in the church).

Yes, we will have to "be careful who we have as friends", and where and when we speak out. Ultimately many of us may have to be ready to suffer for our faith. I am very saddened to have reached this conclusion.

I am of the generations who allowed the build-up of the ideologies which infect so many of our institutions, and now our lives. I can remember in my time at university being revolted by the candidates standing for Student Union positions. I felt that no "normal" person would get involved in their far-left kind of politics. We all knew that Stalin and Lenin had killed many millions of their own countrymen and countrywomen, and that every attempt at establishing a communist government anywhere in the world turned a country into a tyrannical one-party police state and an economic basket case.

Now look where we all are! The same kinds of people ran the Student Unions in my day, and now are pursuing state and national totalitarian goals and wrecking countries. Venezuela is a typical, and recent, example.

Faith

Fortunately God builds our faith. The word "gospel" means "good news" and Jesus is the One who brings the best "good news" (Acts 13:32-33). We can be redeemed from our sinful life, our disobedience and sin can be forgiven because Jesus died for us, each one. He was buried then rose from the dead and now sits at God's right hand in Heaven where He will rule and reign, with us, for eternity! Good news indeed.

"How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, Who announces peace And brings good news of happiness, Who announces salvation, And says to Zion, 'Your God reigns!'" (Isaiah 52:7). 

We are the "new Jerusalem" (Revelation 21:2), Jesus is still proclaiming "good news" to us today; we are to share in His work on the Earth with our Christian brothers and sisters and to share our "good news" testimonies of how our God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, is healing many and bringing "life to the full" (John 10:10, Jesus' words) to our neighbours.

"Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world" (John 17:24 (Jesus’ words)).

Trish and I have been on Christian Marriage courses and found them to be wonderfully helpful as we work to grow together. There are things we all can do, (and other things we can undo), which help.

Likewise, we can actively and intentionally grow our own relationship with Jesus, we can talk with Him, conversationally sharing our day, our work and play, successes and failures, our dreams and worries, and our joy, and especially our gratitude. We can ask Him anything, and listen to what He says to us. Paul says to:

•  "Rejoice always" (1 Thessalonians 5:16)

•  "Pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

•  "In everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

These sweet things may come to be the highlights of our days if things get tough, but they will be highlights because Jesus will be at their centre.

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go" (Joshua 1:9).

"Go in peace to love and serve the Lord".

Amen.

Favourite Bible Verses

"David said to Saul, 'Your servant has been keeping his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock,  I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it.  Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God.  The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine'. Saul said to David, 'Go, and the Lord be with you'" (1 Samuel 17:34-37).

"Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy,  to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen" (Jude 1:24-25).

Yes, amen.

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Praise Jesus.

New Covenant: Temple

Our "Inner" Person

The mid winter school holidays are here and Trish and I are enjoying a few days in a sweet little cottage amongst ancient eucalyptus trees with great estuary and ocean views. The weather is blustery and cold with frequent rain showers. We are warm enough here and are able to walk between the wet fronts. We brought our own food so don't have to go out ..

Already Trish says she feels rested and able to relax. Just lovely! Last term she was given the Permaculture classes to teach at her school; for an enthusiastic and creative gardener like her this was a great thrill, besides being a challenge with lots to learn and projects to plan and prepare for her students.

Permaculture is possibly the most sustainable way for us to live on our planet as it fully utilises the synchronicity and symbiosis that God built into the Creation and is inherent in all nature; productivity of the whole managed environment is much greater than the sum of all the different parts added together.

It is really good to be thinking about these things now when all of humanity is pondering our future, and, at the same time, being swamped by the media with warnings of ongoing Covid-19 problems, future pandemics, crashing economies, rioting, deteriorating international relationships, terrorism and global warming.

But no matter how well we manage our land use and infrastructure, our gardens and food supply, we need to look at how we are doing all together in our societies. We all desire that humanity does more than just struggle and survive, but flourishes and is able to enjoy our world and bless one another.

So we ponder these inner things as our world is thrown upside down. Perhaps "upside-down" is too strong to describe these Covid-19 times but I don't think so. Certainly there are doubts about our future, both in the short and the long terms.

There is a sweet Bible teacher who visits our city from time to time. Whatever his topic he always asks how we all are "on our inside". This is how I am now thinking; how are the worlds changes affecting me "on my inside" and my position "in Jesus" (John 14:20). Is "peace with me" (John 20:26)? Am I truly "free to be free" (Galatians 5:1)? Can I be certain that "God loves me" (John 16:27)?

Am I still OK "on the inside"?

Temple Of The Holy Spirit

The Bible says that I am God's temple: "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,  for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

The thought that I am a structure where God dwells is hard for me to grasp. To think that God, who is so glorious and so big and so powerful and so busy, would bother with me is almost shocking. But the Bible makes it perfectly clear; God is “on the inside” of me. I am God's temple, being enlarged from what I once was to what He plans for me:

"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).

What does it mean that I am God's temple? How will the power and truth of it affect me? How should I be, in my every-day life if I am Jesus' temple, His place of worship and honour? If He is there, inside me? All the time?

How can I even begin to measure up to what Jesus sees in me?

The Bible also says that Jesus in me will be visible to others, a tangible, yet spiritual presence; that "rivers of living water" will flow out from me (John 7:38). Doesn't this put a great responsibility onto each one of us?

Here is verse 1 from a new song by Andrew Partington:

"Let rivers of living water flow through us,

 Let rivers of living water flow out from our deepest hearts,

 In the purity of holiness may Your Word be on our tongues

 Through our lives dear Jesus bless, bless every single one".

When He was on the earth, Jesus great focus was to show the glory of His Father (John 1:14). Now that He is ascended to heaven and rules the entire Cosmos His goal is unchanged. When He comes to us and welcomes us into His family Jesus gives us a share in this knowledge of the glory of God! What amazing potential we Christians have!

"We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life" (Romans 6:4).

"And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit" (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Keeping Close

A young and dynamic preacher came from America years ago, he shared about his recovery from burn-out. In his work for a big church he had taken on far too much and reached the point where he became immobilised.

I knew what he was talking about because the same thing happened to me when I was one of the senior technical people in a billion dollar industrial start-up; we had to develop 23 computer applications (now called Apps) before the different elements of the business became operational. Our team succeeded but I burned out. In my childhood this was called a "nervous breakdown", a much clearer term. One loses all perspective and the ability to prioritise anything; it takes months to recover.

This young preacher was given lots of time off from his work and even loaned a cottage in the forest where he could go and rest and spend time with Jesus.

His conclusion, which he had come all the way to Australia to share, was that he had allowed himself to get too far from God. He was so busy with his work for Jesus and Father God that he no longer felt intimately close and accountable to them; he no longer sought their leading in his life. He said: "I learned that it is essential to keep short accounts with God". Short accounts.

He went on to describe what he meant; as Christians we are one with Jesus in God (Colossians 3:3). Learning that we are God's temple is very precious to us because of the image this paints in our mind, in our worldview.

"Short accounts" means not just staying in touch, much more importantly it means to quickly resolve the issues, problems, and misunderstandings that will arise as we all rub along together. Particularly with Father God and even more with Jesus who is our Master, (Luke 5:5), and our chief Discipler,  (Matthew 26:18). Simple things; daily seeking God’s will, and His help when we are tempted, repenting as soon as we realise we have sinned and have fallen short of God’s will for us (Hebrews 4:1; Mark 3:35).

When I sin or am lazy or disobedient, (also sins), Jesus sees and is hurt. He always wants only the best for me. When I remember that He sees me as a temple, as His temple, I want to be my very best for Him, to be clean, upright and obedient!

Also, it stands to reason that if I am a temple of the King of kings and the Lord of lords (1 Timothy 6:13-16), that our God sees me as precious and even honourable. I find this to be inspiring. Oswald Chambers wrote a now famous book "My Utmost for His Highest". This is how I feel. After all these years of being Christian, I still want to grow in giving my utmost for Jesus' high and lovely goals for me!

Hallelujah! I am so very grateful!

Favourite Bible Verses

"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,  for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

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

"But Christ is faithful as the Son over God's house. And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory" (Hebrews 3:6).

Praise Jesus.

Amen.

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Praise Jesus.

Jehovah Jireh

Our Provider

Lots of people now seem to be thinking about survival. Borders are being closed again and some cities are locked down for the second time, others are seeing new Covid-19 clusters. We have all been fighting this virus for months and months. The media are still spreading fear and distrust ..

So I have been asking my friend Jesus (John 15:15) what to think about all this, and more particularly, what should I, and my wife Trish, be doing to prepare for whatever unknowns may be thrown at us in these most uncertain times.

When our children were younger Trish and I had a hundred acre hobby farm three hours South from here. It was beautiful hilly land with a small river, many trees, mighty rock outcrops and fabulous views. When we went outside at night and lay on the grass we could see a million stars and hear total silence, glorious! We kept cows and goats, chickens, ducks, geese and Guinea fowl, a happy Australian Kelpie dog, small parrots and sometimes cats. We had dams and tanks for our irrigation and drinking water and either sunshine or fires gave us our hot water. Trish developed a magnificent garden; our orchard was just beginning to produce fruit when we sold up and came to the city.

There are so many memories of those years and they come to mind when I consider the world today. Is Jesus prompting us to sell up from the city and establish a "safe place", some kind of self-sufficient small farm far from the looming troubles? After all, Trish teaches home economics, gardening and even permaculture, and I am good at planning and design, and am an accomplished handyman with great tools. We would be excellent candidates to attempt such a project.

When the coronavirus first started to spread I began to think these thoughts but quickly said "no". In my heart I think I meant "no, not yet, wait a while". So I have been seeking Jesus' counsel on this for several months.

God said to Abraham "Jehovah Jireh, the Lord will provide" (Genesis 22:14). This account is early in the Bible and sounds, to me, very reassuring. At the time Abraham was on his way to sacrifice his son to God. He may have thought this a strange request seeing as God had promised that Abraham would be "father of many nations"; to achieve this Isaac would need to be alive and married and have children, not be a dead son on a mountain.

But Abraham desired above all else to obey this God who had found him, so he fully planned to go ahead with the sacrifice; (this would have been considered quite normal in those days). But, (and here is the great part of the story), Abraham knew God and had faith that God would fulfill His plans (Hebrews 11:8-10); it followed, as night follows day, that God would provide everything necessary so that the sacrifice could go ahead and Abraham would be father to nations. Well God did, He provided, (Genesis 22:8, 22:13), this is according to His nature, and He never changes (James 1:17).

I have been thinking about this while I consider our possible (?) self-sufficient country acres:

• Our self-supplied sufficiency would mean that we are far from the God-given sufficiency of our children who now are all within a forty-minute drive from here, a big loss to us.

• We would also lose our close contact with our Christian brothers and sisters with whom we share so much, who are "our church", the ecclesia or "gathered ones" God has given us for life and discipleship and fellowship and love.

• Trish would have to leave her job, which she loves, teaching life skills to teenagers, a huge loss to her, and to them!

• As a couple, we would also lose the opportunity to have God show us how much He loves and cares for us .. right through the Bible He shows us how He came to people who were at the absolute end of their strength and resources; then from His love, He would "meet all their needs" (Matthew 6:25-34, Luke 12:22-34, Philippians 4:19).

If we are busy day and night looking after our chickens and cows, our gardens and water supplies, indeed all of our self-sufficiency, then we will have no time to care for and serve others or to maintain our relationship with our lovely Jesus. In Jesus, God has given each of us works to do so that His will may be done on the Earth (John 14:12); He really wants us to be about these works and not shrinking back (Philippians 2:12).

The works are not simply to keep us busy and out of trouble, they are necessary for God's plans for the world to unfold. God chose us specially, every single Christian, man, woman and child (Ephesians 1:4), and is equipping us for the life (Ephesians 4:1) and the destiny He always planned (Ephesians 2:10). Jesus gave everything for us (Ephesians 5:27), He is worthy of His bride, a perfect bride, spotless and radiant (Revelation 19:7), our works here will make glorious white linen garments (Revelation 19:7-8) that we will wear for our wedding feast with Jesus, and that will be a very big day in Heaven (Revelation 19:6-9).

Time and again we rejoice in Scripture where God shows that He is our "foundation" (Isaiah 33:6), our "rock" (Deuteronomy 32:4), our "deliverer" (Psalm 144:2), and is "good" (2 Corinthians 1:20).

These days I spend so much time thinking about truth (John 1:17). I am aware that truth is being driven from the media and public discussion, and from our children's and grandchildren's education. In these confusing times we have an opportunity to live out our certain knowledge of truth, being sure of where we come from and to whom we belong, knowing right from wrong and good from evil (Proverbs 14:22) and helping others who are struggling (Matthew 25:44, Acts 20:35).

God will care for our material needs as He did for Israel for forty years in the desert, and how He has done for millions of His people through all the centuries since.

When I set aside "quiet time" to read, ponder and pray, Jesus often gives me a Scripture to read to get me started. In all the years we have been doing this he has only given the book of Revelation once and that was years ago. For about three weeks we read Revelation every morning; I found it very hard going.

At the end of that time Jesus said, "John, we are done. Now tell me what you have found in this book". What I found was clear: the end times are surely coming and they will be very hard. They will be hard for everybody including Christians, and deadly for many. If we "cleave" to Jesus (Luke 9:23, John 9:38, Acts 11:23 Amplified) He will continue to be "our hope" (Psalm 119:114), "our rock" (Psalm 144:1), "our fortress" (Psalm 71:3) and "our deliverer" (Psalm 18:2), even if we go hungry or we die. 

Only those Christians who truly cleave to Jesus will know peace (John 14:27, John 16:33), because they will have Jesus in their heart and He will continually fill their spirit (Acts 4:31). For everybody else it will be uncertain, terrifying and dreadful (Revelation 13, 17). Only Jesus' followers will have anything besides them-self (Matthew 17:7-8, John 8:9).

Even as their brother lay dead, Mary and Martha learned that it is better by far to be near to Jesus than anywhere else (Luke 10:40-41). Centuries previously the sons of Kora declared that, even under the Old Covenant, where-ever the Lord dwelt, that was the best and safest place for us:

"Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked" (Psalm 84:10).

Favourite Bible Verses

In Matthew 6 Jesus tells his disciples: "Do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on .. Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they .. Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these" (6:25-30).

Jesus continues: "So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'  For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own"  (Matthew 6:32-34).

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).

"Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready;  it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure - for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints" (Revelation 19:7-8).

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that [my people] may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10).

Besides

I believe that self-sufficiency is now pretty much a myth ..

We all now depend on so many electric and digital appliances and tools. Most of what we have was manufactured to last a short while and be replaced. Things which can be repaired usually need an expert and specialised parts. If you cannot repair or replace something essential then you will be stuck. My grandparents had things which were designed and built to last a lifetime and more, Grandpa and Grandma knew how to use them and keep them working and were prepared to put in the necessary hours to do all this. Most of their meals were cooked from a very limited range of fresh food on a wood-fired stove which hourly needed fuel. These are fundamental issues.

Another thing. Those future-apocalyptic movies show the world as it has always been. When devastating times come so do the roving bands of lawless strong men with their guns, dogs and trucks. The land-holders get put in the ground or driven off into the wilderness and their self-sufficiency turns out to be transitory. It may have been lovely but then it is gone. Jesus is offering us a better path, a path which has been proven throughout history. We may know God as our “shield” and “fortress” but this will not stop many others being fearful all the time; those people need us to show how precious is life in the Spirit with Jesus (Romans 8:11; Revelation 2:7), He who is truth and also the Way (Acts 24:14).

Jesus Assures Us

"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).

"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).

Praise Jesus. Amen.

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Bless us all.

Do Not Settle

How Are We To Be Church?

During a recent prayer-Zoom our lovely Lord Jesus gave our group further answers to the questions: "What are you saying Lord God?" and "What are you doing Lord?"

Our group were praying about a local house church where discipleship of the "younger" Christians is a priority, and everyone is committed to Jesus and also ready to contribute in ministry and to grow in Christ ..

We had also been discussing and praying about how we are to be church once the Covid-19 pandemic is passed.

Then a voice said: "Do not settle". Immediately we knew that this was Jesus' thought for us all.

The coronavirus lockdown is easing in Western Australia and we are thinking of our lives now returning to "normal". We are also aware that in so many countries things are still very difficult, not just with the illness, but also with the massive unemployment, and economic, social, health and ethical changes the pandemic has brought to our societies.

We cannot begin to know the extent of the changes which are still before us.  People are talking about a "new normal" saying that "things will not be the same", but no one can tell us what the "not" will be like ..

I, and my prayer partners, believe that "church" will change too. So many people are saying how blessed they have been over the past months to share very simply with other Christians, one-at-a-time or with small groups, walking safely-distanced-apart in parks, or talking over the phone, or on the Internet. They have learned to be "church" in a new and deeper way. Their times together have been precious and filled with worship; Jesus was in the midst during the sharing and prayer and as they helped one another.

Here is my note-from-memory from that prayer-Zoom meeting; Jesus said to me:

"I want you to be totally available to me and to be ready to be radically obedient. I want you to love the brothers and sisters I have put you with, to be discipled by them, and you in turn to disciple them. I want you to go about doing the works I set before you. I want you to look beyond one church or group, rather to be a part of a number of groups each with its own focus; that way you will get to know many people and be close enough that you can love them.

Beyond this, I want you to look outwards, to always remember that my focus is the whole world; I desire that the whole world will hear my gospel (Isaiah 52:7) and know that I came to set everyone free from their sin, their rebellion and disobedience,  and that they may look forward to eternal life with me. And that everyone can grow into fullness in me (Ephesians 4:12), that my church will grow in unity (John 17:21), and that none should perish (2 Peter 3:9), but come into the fullness of life in me (Romans 6:23, 1 Corinthians 4:17, 2 Timothy 3:12) and be free (Galatians 5:1)".

Paul reminds us that the Church is Jesus' body, "the fullness of him who fills everything in every way" (Ephesians 1:23) and its members are "Christ's body" (1 Corinthians 12:12). We are those members.

Our primary responsibility as Jesus' people is to put God first always, and to put our neighbour next (Matthew 22:37-40).  By the time I put Jesus, then my Christian brothers and sisters and my family ahead of me, and do what I do to look out for others including strangers (Matthew 22:39), and do any work I'm committed to do, I find myself well down in my priority list for my love and care .. it is very sobering for me to think about this ..

Jesus wants us to gather around Him as our Shepherd; to find places where He is Head, where He is Centre and the object of our worship, where there is the intimacy of a big Brother and His siblings, all looking to our Father for active guidance by our loving and caring Holy Spirit.

One of my prayer friends often refers to "the aroma of Christ" (2 Corinthians 2:15), how lovely it would be to be surrounded by Jesus' aroma!

We know that we are to love one another and even to disciple and help one another as we make room for them to love, disciple and help us (John 13:34-35, Acts 5:42, Romans 12:7, Romans 15:4, 1 Timothy 4:13). Growing in love is a slow processes, so Jesus must mean that we are to call one group or fellowship or congregation "home", but we are also to involve ourselves well beyond that one group.

In Bible times Christians met in one another’s homes and at the Synagogues where the Jews would have been conducting their liturgies, (there were no buildings set up specially for Christian meetings). There is a sense of Jesus' people being "one family"; they were very generous and shared much. They knew one another as brothers and sisters, and together they cared for and nurtured all the children, the old folk and the disadvantaged, and their neighbours too.

When Peter, Paul or Timothy, or any mature teacher (1 Corinthians 2:6-7) came to a city, Jesus' newly formed church would gather in all its variety to hear from them, this would add another and precious dimension to their Christian walk and give opportunity for Jesus' Way to be taught (and doctrinal error to be rectified). The apostles' letters would have been handed around and read aloud much as we use the Internet today, so that good, clear teaching could reach all the "ecclesia", all the "gathered ones".

What Does It Mean? "Do Not Settle"?

Whatever else, Jesus is telling us to not become too settled where we are planted. Scripture makes it clear that we are to form bonds with other Christians. This means to help, form relationship and share with each other, and to "love one another" .. this takes time. But we have been given enough time to do even more .. 

Jesus and Paul often spoke or wrote about these things: Scripture shows everybody ministering, love in action, unity, making room for one another, compassion, mutual growth, humility and service. And most of all, there was a focus on Jesus, and our Father and His Kingdom. Jesus asked Abba Father to send us Holy Spirit so we would be equipped and strengthened to do all this (John 14:26)!

I hear Jesus saying: "find groups of believers where you see lots of wheat and few tares, where the people are more committed to Me and My Kingdom than to the world and its culture".

The name "Christian" was not given to Jesus' people for almost a generation after that amazing Pentecost when Holy Spirit came with tongues of fire and Jesus' church was born (Acts 2). The early believers were mostly Jews and still attended Synagogue. But they also began to follow Jesus' teachings, alongside of their Jewish religious life. They were initially called "the followers of the Way" (Acts 24:14).

This reminds me of Trish's and my early Christian life. We came to Jesus during the Charismatic Renewal in the early 1980s. Although we still went to church in the regular way, we Charismatics also met where and whenever we could. We never thought of our meetings as "services" because we all contributed, even newcomers! We had prayer, worship and teaching meetings, mostly these were small but we communicated with other groups and sometimes gathered in big numbers. We did get to know and love one another, we knew that Jesus was growing all of us, and we all learned to use the spiritual gifts Holy Spirit had blessed us with, and to minister and grow in these, within the body of Christ and in the world. We understood what "freely give" means (Matthew 10:8).  There was much joy and there were many miracles. We knew that we were being fed.

How Well Am I Doing Now?

If Father God is asking us to come into line with His will in a way that is going to help the world, then am I doing so? What am I now doing better or more truly? With whom? When? These are tough questions!

Am I living as though I am "God's temple" (2 Corinthians 6:16) and Jesus and Holy Spirit live and minister from inside me (Colossians 1:27)? Are there "rivers of living water" flowing from my spiritual belly (John 7:38)?

I think a lot about being a "living stone" (1 Peter 2:5) .. how well am I doing this? Am I allowing Jesus to chip away at me and shape me to conform to His will? Am I where He wants me in His "house of God", or do I just go where I like and am comfortable?

Do I bring "salt and light" (Matthew 5:13-16) to people and situations? Am I one who builds "hope and faith" (1 Thessalonians 1:3)? Do I encourage others with true testimonies (John 19:35, 2 Timothy 1:8) of God's "grace" (Romans 5:2), "love" (1 Corinthians 13), "salvation" (Romans 13:11), “compassion” (Philippians 2:1-2), "power" (2 Timothy 1:7) and "kindness" (Acts 4:9)?

I do not have answers to these questions but am grateful to our lovely Jesus for asking them; just thinking about these things helps me to focus more on His will and less on mine, and to encourage me away from my comfortable or lazy habits. Trish and I both think that these times are critical for the world, and require us to re-commit to Jesus and to be sure of our duty to God and to our fellow humanity.

The Father's Heart

Trish and I have six children. We are so grateful that we all live within a few suburbs of one another in the same city. How lovely it is when we all get together with wives and girlfriends and grandchildren too, we often have more than a dozen of us sharing a meal! How saddened Trish and I are when a rift develops between some of the kids, or anything disrupts our harmony. We worry and pray until relational healing comes.

How much worse it must be for our Abba Father God. He loves us so infinitely more than we do our kids, and He has seen such lack of unity in His body for so long, (for all of my life and more). He constantly sees critical judgments, mistrust, isolation, and broken fellowships besides the materialism, pride and seeking-a-name-for-our-self, greed and the abuse that we Christians are so publicly accused of .. How His heart must ache ..

Time and again in Scripture Jesus calls us to unity, it is one of the great themes of the New Testament. In the church today there is often much talk of unity but sadly, not much of it to be seen ..

"Do not settle" has much to say to this state of affairs, as we meet, worship, pray, fellowship and work with others, unity will grow as love grows, then the world will see Jesus.

(John 4:23 NIV) "Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks".

(John 4:23 Message)  "But the time is coming - it has in fact already come - when what you're called will not matter and where you go to worship will not matter. It's who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That's the kind of people the Father is looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship".

Praise Jesus. Amen.

Favourite Bible Verses

"So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors 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).

"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.  The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one,   I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me" (John 17:20-23). 

"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). 

Amen.

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Praise Jesus.