New Covenant: Me?

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

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

 
I talk about Jesus all the time. Some people talk about "God" a lot. Not me, I talk about Jesus. I am Christian and believe that this name means that I am "of Christ", I also believe that He has made me of Himself. I am saved and am firmly in His family. I am continually being shaped and grown by Him, His Holy Spirit, and His Father, and will be until I die and go to live with Him in heaven (Ephesians 4:12-13; Philippians 1:6).
 
Everything I have experienced of Jesus completely lines up with what I see of Him, and of our triune God, in the Bible.
 
There came a time when I knew I needed to make a change in me. My spirit needed to wake up and be available to Jesus. It was not enough that I assented to the truth about Jesus and the Kingdom of God, my spirit had to assimilate into His Kingdom; I needed to become a more spiritually aware person and allow Jesus to form relationship with this new me. I had to know what Paul found: "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (Galatians 2:20). I had to learn to listen for what Jesus wanted to ask of me, and be ready to obey Him. Sometimes I think I am getting somewhere with all this ..
 
Now, despite the growing evil and chaos in the world, I know joy and am at peace.
 
Here are some New Covenant things Isaiah never heard God say:
 
• "Your sins are forgiven" (Matthew 9:2; Luke 7:48)

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

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

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

Paul's words came alive to me: "Because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake" (1 Thessalonians 1:5; see also 1 Corinthians 2:4; Luke 4:36).
 
Many Christians look at the world today and take comfort in the many Old Testament promises:
• "I will give you lands flowing with milk and honey" (Numbers 13:2)
• "One hundred of you will defeat ten thousand" (Leviticus 26:8)
• "All their riches will become yours" (Isaiah 60:5).
 
These are promises for physical prosperity. I believe that the New Covenant is mainly spiritual and involves God and His people in Jesus 24x7; the Old Covenant offers life within the Lordship of God but I see the Old Testament talking mainly in physical terms: God is known to be spiritual but He seems to come from outside and affect things in the world as He wills, from time to time.
 
(How did these Old Covenant promises work out for the Christians in the Soviet Union gulags? Or today in the Chinese political prisons, or in Iran, North Korea or the Sudan? Or my friends today in India? Those Christians’ joy can only be in Jesus (Romans 5:3-4; Nehemiah 8:10), not in physical safety, material influence, worldly successes or riches).
 
The New Testament has, for me, a strong emphasis on peace, health, joy and fellowship in Jesus; His shalom in our spirit and our soul. The "fruits of the Holy Spirit" (Galatians 5:22-23) are our spiritual, or inner, prosperity. I believe that this, when present in us, will flow out to our physical world (Acts 2:42-47). Scripture tells us that Jesus in us is visible to others and is beneficial to them:

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

And this, I believe, will bring us to being New Covenant people; nearness to Jesus, seeking to grow spiritually and in obedience. I also believe that Jesus wants us, each one, to share and participate in His work here on the earth, in our own time, today (Ephesians 2:10).
 
Amen.
 
Favourite Bible Verses
 
"The law came by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ" (John 1:17).
 
"We have seen the glory of the Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14).
 
"The truth will set us free" (John 8:32).
 
"If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed" (John 8:36).
 
"And Samuel said, 'Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams'" (1 Samuel 15:22).
 
"We can be confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6).
 
"Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give" (Matthew 10:8).
 
"For from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace" (John 1:16).
 
"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me" (John 17:20-22).
 
"I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one" (2 Corinthians 13:14).
 
"And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:11-13).
 
"Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God" (1 John 3:1).
 
Hallelujah. Praise Jesus. Amen.
 
Permalink: https://www.psalmsofjohn.com/2023/06/new-covenant-me.html

How Then Should We Live?

Jesus wants us to live for Him. Thankfully, we can do this because we live in Jesus, and He in us, each one .. this is one of the great themes of the New Testament. 

But are we living in Him? Am I? Are you? Are our brothers and sisters at our local church? (Do we even think of them as brothers and sisters?).
 
Living for Jesus is a big thing, Paul makes it plain what Jesus is asking of us: "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship" (Romans 12:1).
 
This can only be a spiritual action from our heart, empowered by Holy Spirit filling us, each one (Acts 1:8).
 
Here is the Romans verse from the Message Bible: "So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life - your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, [your family time], and walking-around life - and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him" (Romans 12:1 Message).
 
Since the Covid pandemic, (March 2020 until May 2023), our Western world has become completely new. Governments are implementing laws and societal changes which would have been unthinkable just a decade ago. Everybody is talking about this, even people who normally would say nothing at all are alarmed and speaking out - they are deeply concerned for their children and grandchildren. The popular media seem to have little time for reporting truth, rather they promote their ideas for "liberal" or "progressive" change, which represent the opposite of what is truly liberal or progressive, and the opposite of what would come from a traditionally Western or Christian worldview. Big businesses are operating with a shocking degree of disregard for their customers, their employees, and the laws (and tax systems) of the various countries where they operate, (though they ensure that their lawyers and advertisers say that they are compliant and "good neighbours").
 
The Bible warns us: "We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the power of the evil one". And goes on: "We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life" (1 John 5:19-20).
 
".. the whole world is under the power of the evil one ..". Have those words always been in our Bibles? Yes. The Bible is truth; these words are true, many of us are just beginning to see this truth now .. Praise Jesus that the Bible goes on with another, hope filled, thought: ".. Jesus Christ, He is the true God and eternal life .." 

God is relational, three persons yet one God: our Father, His eternal Son Jesus, and Holy Spirit, our counselor and comforter. We were each created in the image and likeness of God. It makes sense then, that we are most complete when we lead relational lives; relational vertically by loving God and following Him, and horizontally by being in relationship with our natural family and our Christian family, and with our neighbour (Matthew 22:37-39).
 

 

In living for Him, Jesus wants us to care for one another:

" .. love one another .." (John 13:34)
" .. encourage one another" (Hebrews 10:25)
"Don't grumble against one another .." (James 5:9)
" .. pray for one another" (James 5:16)
" .. live in harmony with one another .." (1 Peter 3:8)
"Offer hospitality to one another" (1 Peter 4:9)
"Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve one another .." (1 Peter 4:10)
" .. clothe yourselves with humility toward one another .." (1 Peter 5:5)
" .. love one another" (1 John 3:11)
 
He wants us to be His home here in the world, His temple:

"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).
 
He wants us to not be afraid because He is always with us:

"He said to them, 'It is I; do not be afraid'" (John 6:20); "I am with you always .." (Matthew 28:20).
 
"Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom" (Luke 12:32).
 
"So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known" (Matthew 10:26).
 
He wants us to be strong and courageous in Him:

"My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ" (Colossians 2:2).
 
"I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong - that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith" (Romans 1:11-12).
 
He wants us to follow His leading:

"For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; 'he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes'" (Revelation 7:17).
 
He wants us to follow His way:

"Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy" (1 Corinthians 14:1).

Zechariah prophesied that John Baptist would go before Jesus who would "guide our feet into the way of peace" (Luke 1:79).
 
He wants us to keep our minds sharp and focused:

"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).
 
He wants us to see that we stay free in Him:

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery" (Galatians 5:1).
 
"See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ. For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority" (Colossians 2:8-10)
 
He wants us to be servants, to Himself, and to our brothers and sisters, and to our neighbour:

"Jesus called the Twelve and said, 'Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all'" (Mark 9:35).
 
"Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant" (Mark 10:43).
 
"Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen and will see of me" (Acts 26:16).
 
He wants us to be united, that is, together:

Not just conceptually and not just Sundays. He wants us to be alongside, truly as brothers and sisters. Alongside in joy and also when trouble comes, or persecution which is much more likely today, in the West, than for generations.
 
"For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body - whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free - and we were all given the one Spirit to drink" (1 Corinthians 12:13).
 
"Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2).
 
He wants us to be separate from the world:

"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).
 
"Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.  For everything in the world - the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life - comes not from the Father but from the world.  The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever" (1 John 2:15-17).
 
He wants us to avoid close links with unbelievers:

"Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?" (2 Corinthians 6:14). For many Christians these links are already firmly established, then we must go on as we are, in Jesus and with love and humility. This struggle may be life long and require love, sacrifice and perseverance. 

I believe that all these commands have now become imperative. I also that believe that only those Christians who truly cleave to Jesus will make it through this present dark time in history:
"When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful, [hold tight, cling, cleave], to the Lord with steadfast purpose" (Acts 11:23).

 
Knowing My Need

When my life seems tough I love to reflect on how blessed I am. I "count my blessings", (a very old English expression). I have learned that the greatest blessing anyone can receive is to encounter Jesus and to love Him and grow and live in Him (John 15:1-17).
 
It was just before my 43rd birthday that I became Christian. I had led a happy and blessed life, and had taken this for granted while I was a kid growing up in New Zealand in the 1950s and 60s. There was not much prosperity there, (as we know material prosperity today), but there was hope and freedom and light.
 
World War II was past, freedom from a terrible tyranny had been won. The world was recovering from the costs of war. Democracy was flourishing and the economic principle of a buoyant middle class was well established and successful. New Zealand had become very egalitarian; there was not much difference between the rich, the professionals and managers and the trades people and workers. Even the dispossessed were cared for in a workable welfare system. Health care and education (even university) were almost free and also world class.
 
We children knew that the future needed bright, enthusiastic people, just like us, even though we came from a tiny and mostly rural island nation at the bottom of the world.
 
After much living and growing, and many adventures, there came a time when I saw that the world is not enough, (this was long before James Bond reached the same conclusion and made a movie about it). I thought that my need was for a life partner and our own family. I met, fell in love with, and married Trish, this was a whole new series of adventures; now, many chapters later, our book is still being written.
 
But we quickly found that the God who was somewhere in our consciousness was real and wanted us to come to Him. It was only then that the vacuum which was in both of us could be filled. Trish was much quicker at grasping Jesus and Christian life, I struggled for years, then when I had taken myself away camping so that I could truly seek Jesus, Father God revealed Him to me. At last I was born again (1 Peter 1:23). Our Lord Jesus brings us peace and many joys.
 
Who We Are In Jesus

The go-to place for me when I feel weak and useless is Paul's letter to the Ephesians. Here he makes plain the wonder of the spiritual changes that Jesus brings to every believer. He starts by affirming that Father God "chose us" (Ephesians 1:4), and we are to receive "Grace .. and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 1:2), he then assures us that our Creator God has: ".. blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless in his sight" (Ephesians 1:4).
 
".. every spiritual blessing ..", now that is something to ponder!
 
The whole Ephesian letter is as affirming and encouraging as these early lines. It is no wonder we feel "whole", and our friends, (and even strangers), see that there is "something different" about us. At the end of Acts Chapter 2 we see that the lives of the early Christians were so attractive that people willingly came to them and joined them in what they then called "The Way". There were no evangelistic crusades or tent meetings or "out-reaches". Jesus' people simply led authentic Christian lives, and thus were seen as remarkable, and blessed, in their community.
 
God is constantly at work: "But Jesus answered them, 'my Father is working until now, and I am working'" (John 5:17). Jesus will accomplish His goals in each one of us: "And I am sure 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).
 
We will reach His goal for us, each one: "until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature adulthood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love" (Ephesians 4:13-16). 

My Prayer For Jesus' Church - For Us, His "Gathered Ones"

Our Father and our Lord Jesus, I cry out for help and pray that you will speak and reveal your will for us, each one, so that we know how to follow you, even in these days.
 
I am so aware that many people who would never speak out or complain about the world are declaring their alarm at the increasing evil and darkness being brought to us by governments, businesses and the media. I bring their fears to you Lord, you who are our "Rock" (Psalm 18:2) and our "Anchor" (Hebrews 6:19-20) in the storms of life.
 
I also pray for the many church leaders who seem to be inclined to simply "go along" and "not be controversial" ..
 
My understanding is that throughout history evil has come to the world, and that once it has a foothold it seems to gain momentum and become a tsunami, overwhelming everything in its path, and then lasting for years or even decades.
 
Our political leaders now have the votes and support of millions, they keep getting re-elected despite their policies of destruction of the family and our children and grandchildren (and school systems and more); they act as do totalitarian regimes.

Everywhere I see Christians praying that you will come like a flood and restore good, benign governments and laws. They remind us, and you Lord, of how you have stepped in for your people and righted wrongs.
 
But I also see that you often seem to wait until your people turn back to you. Israel were in captivity for seventy years, then they walked in the wilderness forty years until a generation died; only then they could enter the lands you promised them.
 
The Nazi era lasted twelve years before Hitler's rule was stopped, and the Soviet Union lasted seventy years, (a familiar number). How long for us Lord? How then should we live? Help us to be aware and to pray. Come Lord Jesus (Revelation 28:20).

 
I am so grateful Father that you hear all our prayers, each one is placed in one of the bowls of incense before your throne (Revelation 5:8).
 
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
 
Are God's words for Israel for us today? "When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a pestilence among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land" (2 Chronicles 7:13-14).
 
Faith, Hope, Love

Remember "faith, hope and love"? Jesus died and rose again so that we could live free in faith and in hope and in love. Paul wrote: "We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God's people - the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel" (Colossians 1:3-5). 

How Then Should We Live?

We each live our own unique life and none can tell another how to live. We are assured that Holy Spirit will "teach us all things" (John 14:26), so are assured that He, who always reveals Jesus, will help us to lead a life of the Spirit (Romans 8:11) which centres on Jesus, regardless of the our present circumstances, (Hebrews 11:37).
 
Jesus brings peace. After He had been crucified the disciples were frightened; their beloved leader, their rock, had been unjustly killed, they were suddenly alone among hostile people so had locked themselves away. Jesus miraculously appeared to them and the first thing He said was "peace be with you" (John 20:21). He will do no less for us as we keep Him in our heart.
 
Bless us all as we greet each new day. Amen.
 
Favourite Bible Verses
 
".. I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.  For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-control" (2 Timothy 1:6-7).
 
"We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek" (Hebrews 6:19-20).
 
"The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold" 
(Psalm 18:2).

AND .. so many "in Jesus" verses. See John 10:38, 14:17, 14:20, 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.

 
Bless Jesus, Amen.
 
Permalink: https://www.psalmsofjohn.com/2023/06/how-then-should-we-live.html
 

Emmanuel: God With Us

It is such a lovely thought .. God with us .. "Emmanuel" is a Hebrew name for God which says "God with us". Isaiah prophesied that Emmanuel would come to save the Jewish people. Matthew recognised that Jesus was that Messiah (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew1:23). Hallelujah! He is come! He is with us!
 

Back at the very beginning of history God created Adam and Eve, the first humans. He immediately established close and loving relations with them; they helped God in the Garden during the day, keeping it and stewarding its resources, then in the evenings they would fellowship together.
 
Since the Fall, when sin separated humankind from God, people have been seeking a god with whom he or she could find favour and relate.
 
The Creator God of Heaven was always there, but most people looked, (and many still look to this day), for another god who fits their image of what they want in their deity. Our Bibles tell about so many gods who are not our God. These gods usually demand costly sacrifice and religious obedience from their people but do not respond with intimacy or a loving relationship or a glorious future. Neither do they have the authority or power of our God who gives us miraculous help then great testimony of His working amongst us.
 
Often our hearts know that we need God. For me this is a need for Jesus my Saviour and Redeemer. This is very practical - Christians can know God's presence in the here and now. Jesus once walked the roads ministering to the people. He worked intimately with His twelve disciples and with the crowds who came to see and hear Him; they "marveled" (John 7:15) and "were amazed" (Matthew 7:28; Luke 2:47) at His "understanding of the Scriptures" (Luke 24:32), of Israel's history (Acts 17:26), and of the miracles He worked among them (John 2:1-12). All this brought to them the "Kingdom of God" (Mark 1:15) which was a term they had not previously known.
 
Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to those who were blind (Luke 7:21), the Bible tells that sometimes "Jesus healed all who came to Him" (Luke 4:40). Remember, Luke was a doctor, he was there, these are strong testimonies!
 
It is so good for us to know that there is coming a time when we will be with Jesus in Heaven, we will all be healed of our ills and sicknesses, be they spiritual, relational or physical.
 
People knew that Jesus was not just "with" them (1 John 1:3), but also "for" them (Romans 4:24) when they saw the many different miracles He performed.
 
When threatened with a great storm Jesus' twelve woke Him because they knew that He alone could help, and He did, He calmed the wind and the waves with the words "Peace! Be still!" (Mark 4:35-41). Often when I pray I will have a key thought and will talk for minutes. Jesus, who is an example to us, was so brief yet God heard Him and answered completely.
 
Praise Jesus, He is still with us, even though He is now ascended to Heaven and seated on His throne with our Father. He is still Emmanuel.
 
More and more these days I hear this name, "Emmanuel". People simply say the name, it is spontaneous .. Someone will begin to sing, and we will all join in:
"Emmanuel, Emmanuel,
"His name is called Emmanuel.
"God with us, revealed in us,
"His name is called Emmanuel". (Bob McGee, 1976)
 

Francis Schaeffer

Francis Schaeffer recognised our need to actively participate in this love relationship our God offers us in Jesus:

"Our purpose is to 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength' (Deuteronomy 6:5; Mark 12:30), and to know His glory [Hebrews 2:9]. Then Jesus said, 'Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?' (John 11:40).
 
"We are to stand, as we are, in love, as a created being before our Creator, by choice, having made the decision to do so. Not as proscribed by some authority [or religious edict], not uniformly, not as cause and effect, simply to love. Not in to the state, the government of where we live. Not in reference to our sexuality. Not in reference to our affluence or our success in the world. Without choice the word 'love' is meaningless. We were designed and purposed to live face to face in a loving relationship with the God who is there.
 
"God has made no evil thing. Evil comes from a choice of the heart. Hindus believe otherwise; they believe that both good and evil come from god/God and are equal. This does not make sense in the light of Jesus' death and resurrection" (1973).
 
Jesus Is Near
"God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him" (Acts 10:38). 
 
".. and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades" (Jesus' words, Revelation 1:18).
 
It is because Jesus is here with us that we can be close with Him, we can choose Him. This song is always sung with great heart:
"I have decided to follow Jesus,
"I have decided to follow Jesus,
"I have decided to follow Jesus,
"No turning back, No turning Back".
Verse 2: "The cross before me, the world behind me .."
Verse 3: "Though none go with me, I still will follow .."
Verse 4: "I have decided to follow Jesus .. " (Simon Marak)
 
Friends In India
A couple in India, now beloved friends, care for widows as part of their ministry. There are many widows nearby and many of those are forgotten and very poor, my friends give food and other practical help and teach skills so the widows can have work and an income for themselves and their children. The widows have lived their lives as Hindus.
 
The wife speaks, woman to women, to them, from Matthew 16:24-28: "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me". The Hindus cannot understand the Christians, they say "we serve our gods, we wash religiously before attending to them, we eat or do not eat to please them, every day we prepare offerings for them, just as they demand, and we attend all the ceremonial days and perform in whatever way the gods demand .. But you Christians, you do not ceremonially wash, you do not even go to church unless you want to, we see no sacrifices that you have offered to your God, you are lazy".

My friend replies like this: "But we surrender all of our self, we become children of our Father and give our heart and our life to Him. Our Father and His Son Jesus love us and care for us all the time; we are deeply in relationship, our God is with us, here and now, we are secure with our God and know peace".
 
The widows are amazed, just as were Jesus' followers in ancient Israel (Matthew 7:28), many are finding room in their heart for Jesus, and are finding comfort and peace in Him.
 
(Since I first wrote these words, persecution in India has escalated. My friends are under daily threat, yet they are holding fast to Jesus, (Hebrews 10:23; Revelation 3:10-11), and continue to help these widows and others. Thank you, Jesus for caring for your own).
 
Who God Is
When we look at God's purposes, His nearness can be seen as who He is. God created the Creation so that He could be in community with creatures in His own image and likeness and we could share in his glory.
 
Abraham became the first Jewish person, and through his son Isaac, he became "the father of many nations" (Romans 4:17-18). At the very beginning of all this, God came into relationship with Abram (his birth name). The first time we encounter him is in Genesis 12:1: "The Lord said to Abram, 'Go from your country, your people and your father's household to the land I will show you'", a truly personal conversation, God was with Abram!
 
Abraham is one of my heroes, he made many mistakes and false starts on his long journey, he was a "late bloomer"; I can so identify with this. Most importantly, Abram, and then Abraham, knew his God so was accepting of his role of obedience "for he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God" (Hebrews 11:10). Jesus' disciples were in a similar position, they were asked to "Follow me" (Matthew 4:19), and they did because Jesus was personal to them and they knew to trust Him.
 
Already This Year - Testimonies
I have grown to love Christian testimony, it is people today telling about our God meeting them and bringing them through difficult, even impossible, situations, often by using His powers beyond the natural, using miracles. The Bible contains hundreds of miracles, from the creation of "the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1) to the Spirit and the bride saying, "Come! .. And take the free gift of the water of life" (Revelation 22:17).
 
Easter Sunrise: On Easter Sunday, well before sunrise, a bunch of us gathered on the hill on the Eastern side of our church property. We do this every year to celebrate Jesus' resurrection, and the beginnings of our life with Him and His church family. Many of us were simply friends who came to share in this wonderful hour when we remember where our hope comes from; brothers and sisters together. We prayed, sang some lovely Christian songs and shared the Word of God together, then fellowship over a cuppa. A spiritually rich time, one of the highlights of my year!
 
I do not know if the people driving past below us were aware of us or what we were doing; we were a people set apart, sharing our love for and from Jesus, and rejoicing that He had come to the Earth and saved us, each one, all of us together in His church. Together with our Lord, with Jesus.
 

My Nose: I see a miracle in my latest cancer healing. for years there was a growing pain on the bridge of my nose. If my glasses slipped down .. OOO! Pain! No-one knew what to do about it; I asked dermatologists, my orthopedic surgeon, four or five GPs, and my optician. I even asked my dentist what she thought - no suggestions anywhere. I was afraid that soon I may not be able to wear eye glasses and would, effectively, be crippled. A few months ago I saw a lump on my temple .. Through a great series of seemingly "serendipitous" events I was booked to have the lump removed by the plastic surgery team at our nearby teaching hospital. As we waited for the anesthetic to work, I asked my surgeon, "Would you please look at my nose and tell me what you think?" She did and was immediately interested, there was nothing to see, but when she touched it my pain was real. I asked: "when you write up this excision, would you please add my nose to your notes?" "Yes", she replied and later, as I was thanking her and her team, she told me that she was writing up my nose "right now". Weeks later when her boss reviewed her (excellent) surgery on my temple, he asked, "what is this about your nose?" I told him my story. He and his student checked me out; they decided to do two biopsies; one showed a carcinoma cancer which has now been treated and is gone, and so is my pain and the threat that this mysterious growing pain presented.
 
Serendipitous? No, I don't believe so. It is extraordinarily difficult to get to see these plastic surgery teams; certainly the lump on my temple did not warrant their attention. But Jesus wanted them to see my nose because they had the skills to identify the problem and deal with it. I see Jesus' hand in all of this long, complicated chain of events. I am thrilled to be healed. My GP doctor was all smiles when I shared these thoughts ..
 
 
Is our God with me? Yes. With us? His Church? Yes. Our Jesus, who is the fullness of God (Colossians 1:19) is always present to every Christian (Matthew 28:20), even to the whole world. Always present.
 
 
Favourite Bible Verses
 
"We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.  And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life" (1 John 5:19-20).
 

"the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord's people.  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 1:26-27).
 
"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).
 
Praise Jesus. Amen.
 
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My Prayer - April 2023

Dear Father and our Lord Jesus, I feel strongly to respond in prayer to you, after my friend shared his prayer of Godly commitment last Tuesday.

My heart knows that L's desire to give himself completely is wonderful. It is what you ask of us, and I remember it from reading Scripture, and about St Francis of Assisi and others. I thought that I could never be that wholehearted, but admired it in Francis, a hero of our faith.
 
When I hear teachings about Martha and Mary I can never see myself with Mary's degree of devotion. I am so aware of my, and Martha's, areas of responsibility and stewardship towards our families, friends and beyond, that I cannot conceive of turning aside from them and totally towards you. Instead I try to work a balance where I meet my "You are not your own", (1 Corinthians 6:19), devotion to you and your Kingdom, while also meeting my worldly obligations.
 
Such a balance is difficult and I have often shared about it with prayer friends without ever reaching clarity; I often feel overwhelmed with all that is before me day by day. Help me please Lord.
 
(Perhaps too there is something of the mystery I find in Acts 2:44-45 where the first Christians "had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need". I see no-one doing this in present decades [except for those in the Bruderhof and similar communities], and feel we are missing something big. I remember hearing about the Pilgrims who did live like this when they first arrived in America, they had no sickness until they started calling a parcel of land their own and claiming title to it. I believe that this is similar to the Exodus: while your people worshipped and followed you, you met all their needs day-to-day, their clothes did not wear out and there was no sickness among them. Again, my sense of responsibility does not allow me even to consider this course of action or suggest it to Trish).
 
Some may believe that we should all be fully and totally committed, full time, like St Francis, George Muller, John G Lake, and Mother Theresa, but I cannot see this. Scripture tells me that each of us is especially created, and that you want from us, each one, that which you ask of us, and our love. It seems to me that you give all grace for this. Some people are able to do lots, but I know that I can only do a little bit. It is good that I see this and do not fret. I thank you that I now see that "small is beautiful", and that many, many small things are happening in your Church near me. We are growing and I am truly encouraged.
 
I am delighted that you have taught me so much about obedience, and I do pray that you will continue to grow me in it. I often pray for others that you will help them to hear your voice so that they know Whom to follow and also may learn what, and Who, is truth (John 1:14); I pray the same for myself. Please Lord, be clear with me, speak to my spirit, reveal yourself more and more (Daniel  2:28; Amos 4:13). The New Testament shows that you have unique work for every Christian, (Ephesians 2:10), and I find great satisfaction in the ways you use me.

I truly want to thank you that you gave me a love for pondering things, and that you give me such great things to ponder. Your sending me to study theology at Tabor College when you did was just wonderful and has enabled my latter years to be filled with delight in you, your ways and your people. From this comes my understanding of your lead in my writing; now there are more than 150 pieces we have written together. I am thrilled that people still read the early work, not just the most recently posted. Thank you, I am so very grateful, this is the most satisfying work I have ever done.
 
You will remember how I love the hymn "Here I am, Lord"? Hundreds of times I have sung it to you from my heart. I remember too, though it has been many years, and I still feel the same. Here I am Lord, use me.
 
I know that I am free (Galatians 5:1), and blessed (Romans 5:2; Colossians 1:27), I am in your family (Philippians 2:15; 1 John 3:1), and stand in your flow of grace (Romans 5:2; 1 Peter 5:12). Thank you, I am ever so grateful.
 
Bless us all Lord. Again I pray: Come Lord Jesus .. Amen.

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Our Future Is Jesus

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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