Thy Rod And Thy Staff

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me" (Psalm 23:4).
 

Most of us like to have structure in our lives, you know, so that we know we have a place, and are close to people we can rely on. We long to be blessed and secure in loving relationships and a peaceful, prosperous nation, but these things are out of reach for many. Such structures help us to cope and rub along together and be a people, a society (Isaiah 61:9).
 
For me it is a great comfort to know that our God designed us, and the whole Creation, with this desire for structure in our heart; really, it parallels the laws of physics, chemistry, thermodynamics and logic which apply always everywhere in the Universe, (except when God over-arches and intervenes supernaturally with a miracle).
 
Our Bible tells us that we are made in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26), and from that same Bible we see a vast narrative in time and space. The Bible begins with a miraculous and very ordered building from nothing until that glorious (perfect?) world before the Fall, with the second family of Adam and Eve as its carers and stewards. They were intimate companions of the God who gave them everything they needed, even meaningful work, and He walked and talked with them in the garden at the end of each day (Genesis 3:8). Our families are descendents of this couple. The first and eternal family is God, three persons in one Deity, Father, the Son Jesus and Holy Spirit who is the inner presence of God in us, the believers.
 
I grew up in New Zealand in the post WWII years when the Western democracies were known as Christian countries. We had Bible readings, hymns and prayer as part of assembly at school, and I went to church as part of Sea Scouts and, later, Bible class. Our people and our government followed the ethics and morality as outlined in God's Ten Commandments and everyone understood that this gave us a fair, safe and generous nation.
 
David's 23rd psalm was well known to me, and to just about everybody, as was the true meaning of Christmas and Easter.
 
Some church words and phrases embedded themselves in my consciousness, I still remember "thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me" (from Psalm 23:4 in the KJV) and "the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds" (from Philippians 4:7). I now believe that these verses told me that the God I did not know was (is) truly there, and is very big, and there are mysteries I may take a lifetime to understand.
 
Looking back, I see that God was assuring me that, more than simply being "there", He was aware of everything going on in the whole Universe, including everything to do with me. But the people around me did not seem to be happier or more welcoming because of God; I now think perhaps they did not know God or see His glory, they may have simply known about God with no deep and abiding relationship with Him.

Since Jesus drew me to Himself I have read many excited, articulate, "born again" Christian authors who were writing during those years. I believe that these writers saw people around them who were very like me; lost in what seemed to be a flourishing but materialistic world.
 
Whilst a new Christian, I spent time reading the Psalms; all these years later I still love them deeply, they are the Bible book where God's people talk, (and cry out), to Him. Psalm 23 soon came to my attention, I had heard it throughout my life - probably I had connected it to the "God" I knew was "there" but who I did not know and could not define.
 
Here were the "out of reach" words, "your rod and your staff, they comfort me" (v4). I knew this as deep but real, and, yes, "transcending my understanding".
 
My Dad had come home from WWII, he was whole physically, but we realised later, very damaged on his inside. He was a navigator on bomber airplanes, guiding his pilot to the bombing target amidst the anti-aircraft gun fire and the enemy fighter planes. Again and again he had been "through the valley of the shadow of death" (v4). Were these Bible words telling me that this God-over-everything could make sense of all of life (Acts 9:18) and give me a correct and complete perspective, or Biblical worldview? (So that I would know and be strengthened by God's moral absolutes, the certainty of miracles past, present and future, the dignity and value of every person, and the certainty of redemption, of being forgiven and set free?)
 

Jesus' words: ".. I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me" (John 14:6).
 
Again Jesus' words: ".. blessed are those who hear the word of God, and keep it" (Luke 11:28).
 
Later, when I read the Bible passages where Jesus likens Himself to a shepherd, I connected these thoughts and knew comfort. I had worked as a shepherd during a springtime school holiday, the idea that God was also my shepherd resonated with me. This is what this PsalmsOfJohn piece is about: Jesus shepherd-like care for us, His strength always there to help and protect.
 
Jesus loved to teach about the shepherd caring for His sheep, He clearly saw Himself as the shepherd of His Father's flock. As a boy Jesus would have learned about His famous ancestor David, who, being the youngest of Jethro's sons, was the shepherd of their sheep. David took his work seriously and found good pasture, water and shelter for his charges, and when trouble came: "I slew the lion and the bear" (1 Samuel 17:35-36). As he tells King Saul about this, David clearly thinks he was simply doing his job, and, because he was one of God's own, he needed nothing more than God's covering.
 
My shepherd's crook was just like David's "staff" and was a vital part of my equipment (and often difficult to hold onto as I rode my horse around the flocks of expectant mother sheep with all my "midwife" equipment). The crook was shaped like an "f" (without the horizontal) and about 1½ metres (5 feet) long. It was beautifully made from a single slim tree branch and carefully shaped to give the "crook". I needed my crook for the extra reach it gave me to catch a ewe sheep who was having trouble giving birth to her lamb and needed help.
 
My crook and David's "staff" were an aid to help us guide and nurture the sheep in our care. In Christian terms I see this being God's Word, the Bible, the living Word of God to us, together with God's New Covenant, His eternal promise to humankind that He will forgive our sins and welcome us into His family, in full communion, when we believe in His Son Jesus Christ, as Saviour, with all our heart.

(I also believe that the New Testament shows that this kind of belief will inspire us to join with the living Jesus in His work in the World today, with prayer, discipling and mentoring, helps of all kinds, evangelism and mission, teaching, pastoring and leadership, and music for "the God who sings over His people" (Zephaniah 3:17). All these form our worship (John 4:24)).
 
David's "rod" was a sturdy wooden stick used as a weapon to fight off wild animals, a weapon of protection (much like a policeman's billy club). As a Christian I see Jesus providing discipline, authority, protection from danger. Part of this is our conscience through which Holy Spirit tells us when we are off God's true path for us (1 Timothy 1:5); and also His prophetic word by which He shows us His will, and His discipline when needed (John 16:13; 2 Timothy 1:7; Revelation 3:19).

The Weather

Our weather is one way everyone sees God's power and foresight in our lives; we experience the effects of weather every day.

 
Scientists marvel at the symbiosis and synchronicity of everything.
 
Symbiosis: a close and long-term biological interaction between two biological organisms of different species, be it mutualistic, commensalistic, or parasitic (Wikipedia).
 
Synchronicity: coincidental occurrence of events that seem related but are not explained by conventional mechanisms of causality (Wikipedia).
 
Our weather is a part of "everything" and is one vast ongoing system involving the oceans and land masses, the mountains and the deep ocean trenches, the polar ice caps and the equatorial tropics.
 
The Sun, the star at the centre of our Solar System, pours out light and heat and radioactivity and magnetic fields. It is an essential and intrinsic part of all life here. The Sun gives us day and night, it is the driving force for our weather, and it keeps our planet safe and warm, but not too hot or too cold.
 
God manages all our weather with the same love and care and the same eternal perspective as He cares for all of humankind. We are assured that we will never again see an overwhelming flood such as Noah and his family knew (Genesis 9:8-17).
 
At first glance our world may look chaotic. There are times and places where we are overwhelmed. But even lightening, bush fires, hurricanes and the Antarctic cold have purpose in the global weather processes. This is a high degree of order which our lovely God provides for us, even in the still-fallen state of the world in which we live. Every day I rejoice and am amazed at God's Creation, that I am a part of it and in so many relationships within it. I know that we all are "fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psalm 139:14).
 
Now
At men's group last week one of the guys was happy to tell us how his sin life has shrunk since Jesus drew him to Himself. We all agreed that this is what Jesus does; He doesn't just forgive our sins (when we repent) but in some mysterious way He de-motivates us from sinful habits and new temptations. One of us read Galatians 5:19-21:
"Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God".
 
Seeing and acknowledging our sin and then repenting are at the heart of our Christian life, a true part of God’s "rod" and "staff". They bring belief and faith, we know we are loved and have been set free (Galatians 5:1). We remember that our "flesh" nature still influences us but Jesus is stronger.
 
What a relief to be (almost totally) free from what many think of as the "normal life" that we had been part of. As Jesus grows us we flourish: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law" (Galatians 5:22-23).
 
Paul says that we crucify the sin in our self (Galatians 5:24). I am not sure that is totally true for me. Sure, I have learned to say "no" often, but it is Jesus in me who has made the big difference in living cleaner: "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).
 
I see that Jesus' "rod" and "staff" have been at work in my life. In His provision for me and my family we are blessed; in His care for us we are safe, as were David's sheep when He provided good pasture and "slew the lion and the bear". Jesus holds our lives together; "In Him we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28).
 
This is not surprising really; it is part of the ordered way Jesus does everything (Colossians 1:16). His "rod" and "staff" guide us from our heart outwards. He promised through the prophet Ezekiel that He would do this: "I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh" (Ezekiel 11:19).
 
Spiritual Gifts
Spiritual gifts help in our life here. They are given so that our spirit is equipped and strengthened. They add to us inside, and enable us to be more effective on the outside (Romans 1:11; 1 Corinthians 12).
 
"Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a New Covenant, not of the letter [of the law] but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life" (2 Corinthians 3:5-6 ESV).

Jesus Speaks
Today Jesus still keeps and guides us, He is every bit the shepherd He was for Israel and the early Church. He does not use a wooden "rod" or "staff", but speaks in words or by His Holy Spirit through His relationship with each one of us:
 
• "Jesus said: 'Follow me'" (Matthew 4:19).
• "Let me hear what God the Lord will speak .." (Psalm 85:8).
• "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!" (Luke 11:28, Jesus' words).
• "Paul's spirit was provoked within him" (Acts 17:16).
• "So faith comes by hearing [what is told], and what is heard comes by the preaching [of the message that came from the lips] of Christ (the Messiah Himself)" (Romans 10:17 Amplified).
 
Jesus does go before us, He is at our shoulder and He has our back; indeed, Jesus, our shepherd with His "rod" and His "staff", is with us always (Psalm 23:4; Matthew 28:20). Always. So encouraging.
 
Thank you Jesus.

Song: Singing In The Spirit - (their 2nd CD)

Holy Spirit, you're the illumination of my soul, of my soul
Searching all my inward parts, and defining me as whole
You quicken God's word like a lamp unto my feet
Guiding my every care to the Mercy Seat
You quicken God's word like a lamp unto my feet
Guiding my every step to the Mercy Seat
Guiding my every care to the Mercy Seat  Holy Spirit, you're the illumination of my soul.
 
Thank you Jesus. Amen
 
Favourite Bible Verses
 
"And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for 'In him we live and move and have our being'; as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we are indeed his offspring'" (Acts 17:26-28).
 
"But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect" (1 Peter 3:15).
 
"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit .. he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you" (John 14:26).
 
"The God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him" ( Ephesians 1:17).
 
"But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him" (1 John 2:27).
 
"And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony" (Colossians 3:14).
 
Praise Jesus. Amen
 
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Authority

We, God's people, have authority over all the Creation; we are to help in determining how things are to be here on the Earth. 
 

God has knowledge and power; He is all knowing, omniscient, and he is all powerful, omnipotent.

Yet our Bible tells us: Satan is "the prince of this world" (John 16:11) and "the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient" (Ephesians 2:2) and will remain so until Jesus returns after our Father has put "everything under His feet" (Matthew 22:44).
 
Here is my question (I am still pondering this): What, in all the Creation, is my sphere of influence? Where can I, a simple Christian believer, bring God's mighty power, (Matthew 3:11; Matthew 10:8; Acts 1:8; Romans 8:1-2, 38-39), to my neighbour, my family, and even myself, and see God's love, glory and peace overcome some of the pain, sickness and trouble in the world?

My present understanding, (while I continue to pray and study):
 
In the beginning God gave humankind authority over the Creation: "God blessed them and said to them, 'Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground'" (Genesis 1:28). These words were spoken to the first human beings, both to the man and to the woman, thus to all humankind.
 
Then, even before Adam and Eve had their first baby, Satan came and tricked them into giving him the authority God had given them. What Satan promised was less than Adam and Eve already had, yet they went along, thus precipitating the Fall with sin and death coming to the world (Genesis 3).
 
Throughout the Old Covenant, Satan had authority while God in Heaven continued in His eternal knowledge and power. We can see why things were so difficult for the Israelites during those centuries. Yet God loved Israel and her people deeply with a Father's love, He was faithful to them despite their callous treatment of Him and His way. God foresaw the cost of sending His Son to Earth to pay for all of humankind's sin, yet for Jesus' sake, He continued, and continues still, to love and be faithful to His Creation and its crown, humankind.
 
At just the right time Jesus came to Earth, "Emanuel, God with us", born as a boy child to the virgin Mary (Matthew 1:23, 25); His God-given name means "saviour":
 
"You know that [Jesus] appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin" (1 John 3:5).
 
"Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil" (1 John 3:8).
 
Jesus' earthly ministry concluded with His Passion. Humility in God's people is a great Bible theme; Jesus, the only person who ever lived without sin, humbled Himself even unto death on the Cross (Philippians 2:8). Jesus died (Mark 15:33-38) then God's mighty power raised Him from the dead (Ephesians 1:18-23) and He ascended to Heaven where He now rules and reigns, with Father God, by their Holy Spirit (Revelation 19:6).
 
This is how Jesus recovered back (an exact legal term) the authority Adam and Eve had given away; Jesus defeated Satan, sin and death. Jesus established the New Covenant so that we Christians, the "ecclesia", His church, could work with our God in Heaven to reveal Him and share in His glory. 

Jesus gave us His authority (Luke 10:19; Matthew 28:18) and commands that we, His body, do His work on Earth until He comes again (1 Corinthians 4:5; Ephesians 2:10). Remember, Jesus is "Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6), "God is love" (1 John 4:8,16). We are called to pray and lend our authority to ensure that God's knowledge, power and love can do their good work as we continue to steward and care for all the Earth (John 14:16; John 14:23; Luke 10:19; Matthew 10:8).
 
This is why we are given "spiritual gifts" (1 Corinthians 12; Romans 12; Ephesians 4:11-13; 1 Peter 4:9-11), so that we have the skills and power to exercise this God-given authority to do good.
 
Are we the church fulfilling that rôle today?
 
How did we do last century? Well, we had World War I, The Great Depression, World War II, also many totalitarian and communist governments (who deliberately killed more than 100,000,000 of their own people while completely failing to bring their utopian paradises into being).
 
In my lifetime we have seen the sexual revolution and acceptance of many unbiblical practices which undermine the family; "family" is God's foundation and building block for every human society. Sure, there were many advances too, in productivity and prosperity and diminution of hunger and some diseases. But the church shrank in impact, in numbers and in its blessing to the people and the societies of the world. This 21st century already looks worse.
 
Happily, Christian testimony shows that when we follow Jesus and God's way, His Kingdom can be seen here and now in our midst (John 7:38; Acts 2:42-47; Galatians 5:22-23; Colossians 1:27).
 
God asks us to unify, repent and pray:
"When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague 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).
 
Those words were first spoken to Solomon about Israel's great Temple. We Christians are the present-day "temple of God" (2 Corinthians 6:16) made of "living stones" (1 Peter 2:5); we are spiritual workers for God's earthly Kingdom (Ephesians 6:10-12).

Jesus ever intercedes for us, by His Spirit (Romans 8:26), so that we can live by and for Him (Colossians 1:16). God asks us to "humble [our]selves and pray and seek [His] face and turn from [our] wicked ways [of omission as well as commission], then [God] will hear from heaven, and will forgive [our] sin and will heal [our] land". 

We may be small in number, it seems to me that we are a remnant like those reported in our Bibles. Hitler's Germany had a remnant during those twelve terrible years, as did the Soviet Union during their three generations. We know, and thousands of testimonies show us, that Jesus is truly with us and amongst us, but the world does not see Him.
 
Let us unite and care for one another. "Jesus, I pray, reveal yourself, teach us to love in your likeness".
 
We each have a place and a rôle to fill. A great theme of the Bible is that we, God's people, pray:

God is the power,

Ours is the prayer,

Without Him we can not,

Without us He will not.

(Quoted by Stuart Robinson in "Prayer Power").

Let us gather together and pray often. Let us seek our Father’s will, and lend our hearts and voices, our availability and obedience, to His wisdom and strength, for ourselves, our families, our brothers and sisters in Jesus, and for our neighbours everywhere.

"Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know" (Jeremiah 33:3).
 
"Jesus replied, "Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them from heaven" (John 14:23).
 
"And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Comforter, Intercessor, Advocate to help you and be with you forever" (John 14:16).
 
"I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you" (Luke 10:19).
 
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God" (Philippians 4:6).
 
"Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give" (Matthew 10:8).
 
Come, Lord Jesus. Amen.
 
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Our Friend Jesus

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

Permalink: https://www.psalmsofjohn.com/2024/05/our-friend-jesus.html
 

Broken, Now Mended

Trish and I bought a beautiful "love you" mug from a shop which sells Christmas things all year long. Years later the mug was broken. I tried, as carefully as I could, to glue the handle back on; it never looked "right" so when I bought a ceramic cutting disk for my angle grinder I cut off the repair, leaving it (almost) smooth and tidy. We now use our beautiful mug-without-a-handle as our tooth brush holder. It is still precious to us but it is no longer a mug, it is no longer what it was originally made to be.
 
When Jesus takes us, in all our brokenness, he mends us in a way that we become (firstly) more in line with how He purposed every human to be, in His image and likeness, and (second), He makes us more lovely, more precious.
 
When we become Christian we grow in ways we could not have imagined, (see NOTE 1). Jesus promises this; our growth as God's children is a theme in the Bible. The results of our growing are like the results in our planting pots or garden beds at home; the seeds germinate and sprout then grow and grow, until at the proper time, buds form which flower and the flowers become fruit with new seeds. Just so, Jesus makes fruit in our lives by His Holy Spirit. We are blessed to go along and share in what our Lord is doing.
 
Our fruit? "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control .." (Galatians 5:22-23).
 
The Philippian Christians were able to live well because of the outworking of Jesus’ spiritual fruit in their lives: "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things" (Philippians 4:8).
 
Brokenness And Lost-ness
I now know many people who work in social services or are studying because they want to work with people. There is great need in this field. This need is despite our society being one of the most affluent in all the world and in all of history. Western Australia is resource rich and there is near full employment. The problems come, I believe, from our increasing personal independence from one another, and this is made possible by material abundance. Sad but true. That and the growing "me, me, me" narcistic nature of our society which is fueled by "popular" media: movies and TV, and the immense forces of social media.
 
At a men's breakfast last year, a school chaplain declared that he saw "the biggest single problem in the world is screen time for young people", he went on to say that many of today's young generation will grow up incapable of independent thought. Their opinions are dictated by "influencers" and "celebrities" they will never meet or talk to face-to-face. They are morally paralysed by pornography which is ever present even among school children. Many under twenty-five have decided to never have children; they accept as fact that the known world will soon collapse because of "climate change". Sadly, these same people are unable to define "climate change" in practical terms or even describe how our climate has changed in the past decade or so. But they have been taught to be afraid.
 
Many people today, particularly the young, do not know who they are. They cannot give meaningful answers to any of the Four Big Questions which have been asked by billions of people over the centuries:
1.  Who am I?
2.  Where did I come from?
3.  Why am I here, for what purpose?
4.  What will happen when I die?
 
I see that all this is where so much brokenness and lost-ness come from, and why we have an epidemic of depression and anxiety and our rates of suicide are so frighteningly high. 

Kintsugi is a Japanese art of pottery where broken things are carefully, lovingly and beautifully mended with a mix of gold and resin. Then, instead of being discarded, the treasured article can continue to be useful. It is now more precious because of the work of repair, and from the cost of the gold. We see this beauty in the (I believe public domain) photo.
 
Answers
I am sometimes reminded that answers, even simple suggestions, are always better than cries of disaster. Happily, I see two big answers to these problems.
 
My first answer is "Jesus". At Bible college our theology teacher told us: "during your years here I will ask you many questions: the answer to every question will always be 'Jesus'". I have learned that our teacher spoke truly. It can take a long time to accept this, but O the joy when we do: "For in [Jesus] all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him" (Colossians 1:16).
 
When we truly have Jesus in our heart we are "born again" (1 Peter 1:22-23). From this our God, (for He does become "ours"), becomes our Father, the world's only perfect father (Galatians 4:6), and also our Lord and our Master (Matthew 28:19-20). He wants us to become available to Him, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, ready to obey His calling, His will. Jesus will lead us saying "follow me" (Matthew 4:19). I have found this to be freeing (John 10:1-4; Galatians 5:1). Even though I am bound with many earthly constraints, I learn to live free despite them as I actively work at following Jesus (John 8:12).
 
My second answer is: "seek". Do not give up and just go along with the world. Seriously seek. We are facing a generational epidemic. Thankfully many testify that when they were seeking truth, they found Jesus, and through Him, freedom (Galatians 5:1).
 
What do I mean by "seek"? We can seek with our mind and with our spirit:
 
Seeking with our mind: Everyone can do this. We don't have to be super clever, simply keen and persistent. The seeking is working out what is fact, what is truth, and taking it from there. This is something I have always loved to do, it comes easily to me and I enjoy the challenges. I get huge help by reading and listening to some of the great writers and teachers of science and of Christianity whose intellect has led them to only one conclusion: that a loving, personal God created everything and included them in it, and also sent His Son as Saviour so we all can be rescued from our guilt and shame, our brokenness.
 
Do you love to hang around with friends and discuss the world? I still do and have done since Boy Scout camps, and later in coffee bars when we were still too young to buy beer, (We could make one coffee and a toasted sandwich last an afternoon!).
 
The big thing here is to look at all the foundations and underlying assumptions behind an idea or argument. We can ask: "What are the building-blocks of this idea, this theory? Are they solid and provable? Are the underlying assumptions reasonable, or simply ideas, leaps of faith? What has been shown to be empirically true about this concept?"
 
It may be good to also ask: "Is there strong disagreement among experts on this subject?" And then to look at both sides. I look for leaps in logic and also for ridicule in the language, these are big tells of poor analysis.
 
(Evolution is a good subject to check out; we are often told that all life evolved from nothing, but I have never found any believable evidence to support this theory. See NOTE 2)).
 
I was not good at high school science because I am not strong in mathematics. But I am good with ideas. I have found that even complex scientific, engineering or social ideas can be explained clearly in simple and complete terms. Many things that I now believe to be false are always described with big underlying assumptions which have no clear foundation, they are still unproven after years of effort by thousands of clever people. These are nothing more than ideas even though they may be widely proclaimed as fact.
 
We are also seeking what everyone needs, an understanding of what is there, what is above and beyond what we can see and touch, the precious intangibles: life, love, beauty, freedom, joy, empathy, forgiveness, compassion. And also those mysterious or spooky things: déjà vu and premonitions (seeing events before they occur), fire dancing without injury, near-death experiences, out-of-body experiences, knowing that you are being watched, telepathy (thinking of someone immediately before they call you, or before a big event in their life). Answered prayer too, where neither doctors nor science can explain a prayed for change.
 
Scientific discussion does not include these things, (certainly not to explain them), even though most people know them to be real. The spiritual world is real, these phenomena all impact our lives because they affect our spirit.
 
The Bible tells us in Genesis 1 and 2 that God spoke and His power, His energy, created all the matter in the universe; (from this I can understand the basis of Einstein’s formula E=MC²). Then life came into the world on God's breath, He spoke and from His life we see life. God is uncreated yet creative, eternal, relational and loving. We see this in Himself: Elohim, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, eternally loving and sharing within the God-head and from there to the whole universe.
 
If people do not know our beginnings, we can see why there is so much doubt, fear, anxiety and depression in the world. Such not-knowing is very hard on our inner person who sees that something essential is missing, so we lose our peace.
 
Seeking answers from God: The other way of seeking is spiritual, everyone can do this too. It is simple, find a place where you can be alone and other people cannot hear you, then cry out to God. You don't even have to believe that He is there. Speak quietly or yell out loud, something like: "O God, if you are real please show yourself to me". I have heard many testimonies where God has answered a cry like this; the people are so happy to share their story! Also, many people have found God and His Son Jesus by reading the Bible which is the "living Word" of God (1 Peter 1:23).
 
(Today I was exercising at our local pool. A friend and I were talking; "the human spirit", (Proverbs 20:27), came up as we marveled at the wonderful way people responded together after the big 2010 earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand. Where did the human spirit come from? Is it real? If the "human spirit" is not spiritual, what is it?)
 
Brokenness

Things break when they fall. The world is fallen, it is broken. People everywhere are now saying that they see this. The big "Fall" occurred when human beings first sinned, when Adam and Eve went against God's will. Sadly, every human since then has also been a fallen sinner (Romans 3:23), we recognise this in our self. We remain sinners until we are "saved" (Matthew 1:21). Only Jesus can mend this brokenness, it seems to me that He does so by saving one life at a time, we then become His people and are set free (John 3:16).
 
Mending: God's Power At Work
One testimony I know well is from a couple who were in London where the husband had a one year work assignment. The couple had been brought up Buddhist. He became very ill and the doctors warned them that he may die. The wife cried out: "Jesus, you God of these English people, if you heal my husband and give him back to me I will serve you with all my heart, all my days". Radical stuff. Almost immediately the husband began to get better, the hospital people were amazed at how soon they were able to release him and he could return to work.
 
The woman investigated Christianity and found it difficult. But she had spoken to God once and been given a miracle; she felt she could talk to Him again. She persevered and Jesus did reveal Himself to her in ways she could not deny. For decades now this lovely wife and mother has led a vibrant and effective healing ministry. Her husband wanted nothing to do with the promise she had made to the God he did not know, but later came willingly to Jesus as he saw his wife change and grow as a person, and as he saw miraculous healings and restorations from her prayers. The couple continue to testify to Jesus' love: "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). 

I flew (on a test flight of a new Boeing 747 airplane) over Mount St Helens in Washington State not long before its spectacular 1980 eruption when there was vast devastation; great areas of landscape were suddenly and radically changed. Now, just a few decades later the area is again thriving and beautiful. How does this happen? God mended it. Not "nature" or "time"; nature and time have no will, volition or power. Jesus our Creator God mended it all (Colossians 1:17).
 
We are here on the earth to share with God and to reflect who He is. But, being born into a fallen world, we start life "dead in [our] sins" and "by nature children of wrath" (Ephesians 2:1-3). Is there some way to be mended, to be redeemed, to get past our guilt and sin?
 
Yes, Jesus came to save us!
 
How can we our-self be mended? God always looks to our heart; our heart reflects our spiritual and emotional state. Our heart knows when we are living with something which is not true. Jesus can mend us from guilt and shame, from brokenness from life, from bad memories, even from the effects of traumas, addiction or evil spirits. So many people happily testify new freedom because Jesus helped them.
 
This is why I focus so much on Jesus. The Bible tells us that Jesus is truth, (John 1:14, 17; 2 John 1:3). So I am always seeking truth as I spend time with my lovely Lord.
 
O Lord Jesus, thank you, we see your glory ".. the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14).
 
Amen.
 
Favourite Bible Verses

"Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me'" (John 14:6).
 
"To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, 'If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.  Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free'" (John 8:31-3).
 
"When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father - the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father - he will testify about me" (John 15:26).
 
"Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths" (Psalm 25:4).
 
"Never take your word of truth from my mouth, for I have put my hope in your laws" (Psalm 119:43).
 
NOTE 1: 

When I was a boy I was sickly for a time. My mother encouraged me to read, she would come home with books from the library. I did not like them. One day she brought home a "Swallows and Amazons" book and I was hooked. I have read every book in that series two or three times and have devoured thousands of books since. I so loved reading I just knew that I wanted to be a writer "when I grew up". So I tried. I read many author autobiographies and learned that the best writers seemed to have learned their craft by writing, not by going to university or taking creative writing classes.
 
I tried to write short stories a number of times, the people who reviewed my efforts all said I should do something else for my work, so I gave up the idea. Since then I have written many, many letters, and possibly hundreds of business reports and user manuals while working in IT.

But it was Jesus who got me writing, for Him, from my heart, for life, for joy. He gave me PsalmsOfJohn.com, He gives me all the topics for these pieces, and He helps me write them. Jesus gave me a gift of what I loved but was beyond my reach.

(When I was half awake this morning Jesus reminded me about our "love you" mug .. so lovely; I have simply written what He has given me).
 
Authors often give sincere thanks to their editor. Jesus is my editor, nothing gets posted until I am sure that Jesus is happy with it, that it is on topic, complete, gracious, and useful for discipling others. I am so very grateful. He and I have now been working together on PsalmsOfJohn since 2010, and have begun podcasting the articles beginning last year. It is the most satisfying and fulfilling work I have ever done! Thank you Jesus.
 
NOTE 2: 

"Evolution, akin to religion, involves making certain a priori or metaphysical assumptions, which at some level cannot be proven empirically" (Renowned Canadian science philosopher Dr Michael Ruse). If people could prove that evolution is true then there is no need for a Creator, nor any power to guide and sustain the universe and all life from minute to minute and day to day. But once we conclude that evolution is a falsehood then we surely need our God, the God who we know is there!
 
Dr Ruse likens evolution to a religion, I now believe that it is one, that evolutionists have made an idol of the theory of evolution and worship there. I now turn the sound off when I watch those lovely nature shows on TV, I neither want to listen to, nor participate in their faith journey.
 
(As I type this, I am remembering the song: "When I rise in the morning, give me Jesus!") 
 
Millions of people have come to Jesus by working out that:
• Everything had to start somewhere – true, from all the laws of physics, chemistry, thermodynamics and biogenesis.
• The complexity, compatibility and symbiosis of life had to be designed and carefully built – true in line with the rules of logic.
• Love, like all the other intangibles, is real – true, according to the observations of every person who ever lived.
• DNA could never have spontaneously formed – true, DNA is itself a design and construction tool which occurs in every cell in every living thing.
• People are made differently from every other creature – true, we have a spirit, just like our Creator who is Spirit (John 4:24). Also humans are creative, just as God is (Genesis 1:1); we make bread, bridges, buttons, books, baskets, boats. And bats and balls for fun.
 
"Since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.  For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse" (Romans 1:19-20).
 
Praise Jesus. Hallelujah! Amen.
 
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Joseph and Mary

Christians delight to remember how the God of all Creation came to Earth and lived among us, He was given the name "Jesus" and grew up in a family just like us. One of His names is Emmanuel; this means "God with us". It is so lovely that, at Christmas time, we celebrate Jesus' birth; I have great memories from childhood until now.

 
This last December, during her quiet time, Trish spoke to me: "How hard it must have been for Joseph and Mary", she said, "they had to face one hugely impossible event after another, yet they pressed on, they believed God, and they knew that there was no need for fear". Trish is my wife, life companion and mother of our children.
 
In the weeks since then I have been pondering Joseph's and Mary's adventures from that time, and marveling in my heart.
 
Jesus' birth story is told in two of the four Bible Gospels, Matthew and Luke, each one with its own emphasis. As I read and re-read the accounts I am surprised at the focus on God's presence, again and again, as events unfolded.
 
Ancient prophecies came to their fulfillment. God spoke to many different people through dreams and through angels. Holy Spirit was present to them and impacted their lives, first in Zechariah and Elizabeth, (by miraculously giving them a baby late in her life), and then by "overshadowing" Mary in what will have been a sudden and shocking way.
 
I am amazed that in every case, the people responded so gracefully. Zechariah seems to have accepted that God would make him speechless because of his unbelief. Mary "knew" in her heart that she was "highly favoured" by God Himself that she would bear His Son, the promised Messiah for all of Israel. We can understand Joseph’s sense of betrayal at Mary’s pregnancy, then how beautiful was his acceptance and agreement when the angel spoke to him. Such unexpected upheavals of lives, yet the people found peace in their hearts, such extraordinary faith!
 
This profound God activity was after a period we know as "the 400 years of silence" when God said nothing, prophesied nothing, and was not present to Israel for about fifteen generations; they knew themselves to be God's chosen people yet He had left them to themselves since the time of Malachi.
 

Then Caesar declared a census. This meant that Joseph would have to take his new family to Bethlehem to be counted. Joseph was a carpenter, a low income person, such a journey would have been hard financially, and the timing could not have been worse because Mary was well along in her pregnancy. They found no accommodation in Bethlehem except a stall in a barn with the cows, chickens, dogs and donkeys! Then Mary gave birth there. Imagine, Mary's first baby (who God had said would be King and Saviour to His people) being born like this, we do not even know if any family were there to help.
 
Yet the peace of God was with the young couple and with everyone involved.
 
Near by, some shepherds were "overjoyed" to see Jesus’ special star in the sky and to hear the angel tell them of His birth; the Bible accounts suggest to me that the shepherds were expectant and I ask: How? Why at that time? And why did God use lowly shepherds, another of the "ordinary" people He chose, (and not the priestly people or Jewish or Roman leaders)? The three Magi too were miraculously told about the birth and were thrilled to be involved; they were foreigners, not Israelites whose King had been born, foreigners. Then Joseph was told to escape with his wife and baby to Egypt; not a favoured destination for Jewish people in those days, but they went.
 
We see  radical yet willing obedience. To me it as an example of God's people pressing on with life because they know that they are inside God's will for them.
 
Joseph and Mary experienced one shock after another after another. God was always clearly present, He was the key factor in all of this. God Himself was working out His plan, a plan He had had in mind since before time began. This is what I find so thrilling about these Bible events with so many (mostly) very ordinary people.
 
In recent years and throughout the world we are all seeing frightening / negative / shocking changes and events involving all of us. Yet we know from Scripture, and so many testimonies, that Jesus is with us, even as He was with Joseph and Mary so long ago.
 
Praise Jesus that His work never ceases: "Jesus answered them, 'My Father is working until now, and I am working'" (John 5:17).
 
These Bible accounts are all about people, about relationships and how God reveals Himself and brings our lives into His great eternal plan. I treasure my time with my Bible as I see how we can relate in our lives and relationships today.  
 

More Than A Lifestyle
Christianity is more than a lifestyle, it encompasses all of life. Jesus gives us new life and comes to us as our Lord and Saviour .. I see that both "Lord" and "Saviour" are very big words.
 
I now see things with new eyes and new heart:
 
Love is an essential for a full life. My testimony is that I knew love from when I was a boy, and more so when I met and married Trish, then again when Jesus came to me, and again with my being able to call Father God Abba. My knowing of love grew and grows still. It adds to all my earthly relationships and how I see life.
 
When we have love we need little else. At this campground by the sea where I am writing, there are two families tenting, they have three generations there and perhaps eight little children, one just a few months old. The families are close, all the grownups love all the children. Anyone can see that the children are free and safe; they know they are always loved and cared for. The children may tumble and hurt them-self, but this doesn't matter, they are immediately cuddled and reassured, the love surrounding them is unconditional. Camping is living close, in this closeness the children see the grownups love for and acceptance of one another. This is another form of assurance to them. (The seagulls love these families’ meal times, they feast off the children’s scraps!)
 
We Westerners have been taught, over the past two or three generations, to be almost entirely materialistic. Love is better. God's love for us, from Father God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit, is endless and without limit. It flows by grace. It flows and is the mortar, the glue which cements relationships. For me, this is a treasure which came from my lovely Jesus.
 
Newness of Life – Christians are made new, we are born again. Many people live with guilt, shame, lack - they feel lost. A part of becoming Christian is that Jesus' Father becomes our Father and we are "born again" (John 3:3; 1 Peter 1:23) and set free from the condemnation our sins deserved (Romans 8:1-4), we come into a refreshing "newness of life" (Romans 6:4). This changes our whole perspective, our worldview. We come to identify with Jesus, rather than with the world. Re-reading Ephesians Chapter 1 and Colossians 1:1-20 reminds me of all this. I turn to these chapters often.
 
Spiritual Awareness: Trish and I became Christians during a great time of renewal. We were thrilled to see the spiritual world impacting on "our" world, our physical world where there was much trouble, sickness and pain, and where so much was transient or temporary. We saw that Christians were different, also that they would pray and people would be healed. This was Jesus' spiritual gift of healing (1 Corinthians 12:9). We saw all of Jesus’ spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:1-11) at work among us. This became clear to us. True.
 
Sometimes someone would share a word with me, or with Trish; they spoke about things they could not know in the natural, true and important things which helped us and encouraged us. This was the spiritual gift of "word of knowledge" (1 Corinthians 12:9), or of "prophecy" (1 Corinthians 14:1,3-4). These gifts do not make us a prophet, an Isaiah or a Haggai, but they do enable us to hear what God has to say for us, or for another. God loves everybody and wants to communicate and lift us up, to encourage and help us, and to show people that He loves them, each one (Psalm 139:17; Daniel 2:22; Amos 4:13).
 
"But if an unbeliever or an inquirer comes in while everyone is prophesying, they are convicted of sin and are brought under judgment by all as the secrets of their hearts are laid bare. So they will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, 'God is really among you!'" (1 Corinthians 14:24-25).
 

Joy is a fruit of God's Holy Spirit. The different fruits grow in us as we grow in Jesus. Our Western culture teaches us to seek happiness. Happiness is different from joy, it is often fleeting, it comes and goes. Joy can live in our heart even when circumstances are tough for us.
 
"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law" (Galatians 5:22-23).
 
These fruit add to us and make us more human and more Christ-like. We become able to get along in all the busyness and troubles of life. This may explain why Christians are keen to testify to others about the lovely changes they experience as their healing and understanding grows.
 
Working with Jesus is another treasure for me. I had been a believer for years when I began to see that Jesus expects me to work with and for Him, here on the Earth. While He was here Jesus ministered with great compassion, generosity, power and grace, all coming from love. Now He is with our Father in Heaven and He wants us carry on His work in this very needy and hurting world.
 
"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10).
 
"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience" (Colossians 3:12).
 
"Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give" (Matthew 10:8).
 
Prayer is a constant with Jesus, "Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them" (Hebrews 7:25 - note the present continuous tense). As I have grown in Jesus I have learned to love prayer. I am still not sure I know how to "pray continually" (1 Thessalonians 5:17; Ephesians 6:18), but I pray many times each day and regard prayer as a vital and satisfying part of my life work, praise Jesus.
 
Prayer works. We see results, sometimes spectacular and always thrilling. Prayer is part of our Christian adventure. Payer is integral: "So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my understanding; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding" (1 Corinthians 14:15). See also Matthew 6:9; Matthew 21:13; Luke 6:28; Luke 18:1; Romans 8:26; Romans 12:12 (and more).
 
The Way
Early Christians called their new kind of life "the Way"; they testified as to how their lives changed once they had come to Jesus. He previously said: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6).
 
I believe that Joseph and Mary understood that this was so; they, and Zechariah, Elizabeth, Anna and Simeon had a foretaste of the new life of faith, of being available to Jesus, and being ready to be obedient. We see this in committed Christians throughout history, and we saw it first in them.
 
When I have doubts or am confused at the state of the things, I am encouraged and remember that I too am on "the Way", pressing onward with Jesus and the people He has put me amongst. I love to remember the belief and faithfulness we see in God, in His Son Jesus and the angels and in the people He chose to share in His wonderful incarnation. So also the story we read every year where Joseph and Mary shine and reflect our Lord (Matthew 5:16). Such a lovely demonstration of His love, power and grace to us, even all these generations later.
 
Praise Jesus, Amen. 
 

 

The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
 
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
 
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
Amen.

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