Offences - too hard to carry

"A good person who gives into evil is like a muddy spring or a dirty well" Prov 25:26 (NCV)

 Like a muddied fountain and a polluted spring is a righteous man who yields, falls down, and compromises his integrity before the wicked. (AMP) 

It is so easy to take up offences, and once again, I was reminded over a recent incident when an unfounded accusation was hurled my way.  I immediately retaliated with a wall and stalked off.  It troubled me.  I had no peace.  The gramophone repeat was on and I began to entertain it by replaying it in my mind over and over.  However, it wasn't very funny.  It really was a poor imitation of entertainment.  It definitely was trashy!  I asked God why? Why did I react this way? Was there some past memory contained in my soul area that was wounded and caused so childish a reaction?

 

As with God, when He so graciously teaches us, I "happened" to read the above scripture and the Word became so clear, so confronting, so releasing as I repented before the Lord.  This was exactly how I was feeling, muddied, dirty, the swirling waters of restlessness mocking and churning up dis-ease in my mind and emotions.

 

Jesus has called us to a higher law of love.  Yet, here I was quick to take up an offence and not allow that law of love to rule and reign in me.  What a can of worms this opened up for me and the ensuing struggle between good and evil.  I can really understand the Apostle Paul's lament, "For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish." Gal 5:17 

The scripture in Proverbs brought to my remembrance another so well known:-

Anyone who believes in Me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, 'Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.'" Joh 7:38 

Wow, "rivers of living water"!  I wasn't exactly flowing with those at this moment of time.  How could I, with the river muddied from the waste water of pride-filled irritation, bring refreshing or life to any situation or person, in this present state.  I mean, they say that "Rome wasn't built in a day", yet the wall I put up was so instantaneous it would have made your head spin.  I reckon I built Rome in that split second but the trouble with walls that go up so quick is that they really look ugly especially from the inside.

   
It is obvious.  I had a choice to make.  Was I going to drop the offence as quickly as a kid caught stealing the candy, or hang on to it, and miss out on the promise of God that "living water" would flow out of my belly to bring the sweet, refreshing flow of the Spirit of Life to others instead of the carnal bondage of the flesh?  If our waters are muddied, how can we minister to others?  How can the Spirit move through us and out of us if the flow is blocked by the deeds of the flesh, "For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption." (Gal 6:8a)
   
Gal 5:19  Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,

Gal 5:20  idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies,

Gal 5:21  envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

These are the choices that we make which bring us into great bondage.  Satan's kingdom is a hard task-master, especially on our soul area where wounds are deep (and often of our own making in carrying an offence) and in our mind where restlessness reigns.  It is no wonder that the bible encourages us to choose "life" over "death".  Yet how we struggle to choose and maintain the peace that is available to us through being Spirit-led.  The fruit that the spirit yields in us, "is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law." (Gal 5:22-23)

I heard it preached that the fruit "love and self-control" are the book ends of this cluster of spiritual fruit.  Without the "love" we are not motivated to show any of this fruit to others but when we do "love" we need the self-control to operate the fruit.  It is hard when the fruit is "squeezed" and I guess when we are squeezed we see what is really in our hearts.

I was squeezed.  Severely squeezed!  And as you can see stinking pride, instead of longsuffering, kindness, goodness and gentleness, reared its ugly head, so there was no instant reconciliation but a breached friendship at that moment in time.  It wasn't a whale of a time which I would have preferred!

Hmmmm!  Reminds me that, "A little leaven leavens the whole lump". (Gal 5:9)  It was definitely a "lumpy" situation.  You know the one.  The atmosphere is so thick you need a bread knife with a sharp serrated edge to cut the lumps, especially the lump in your soul. That sneaky little temptation of holding onto an offence was reaping havoc and was becoming a crushing weight to snuff out my joy and peace.

I suppose I did show the fruit of the Spirit in my self control by not snapping back and using that knife to advantage, but my frosty reaction could have taken care of a nuclear reactor melt down.  I don't know which was worse. Somehow it didn't seem to help my dis-ease.  I wish I could have remembered at that time that "he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life".

Seriously though, I am sorry.  Really sorry that this happened and really sorry that I reacted in so childish a way!  I have repented before the Lord because I so desire that He will be able to use me.  I so desire that His power will be evident in my life.   I long to have His resurrection power, that dunamis power that is available in the Holy Spirit, change me, heal me and help me act like Jesus would act. 

Yes, the attack may not have been deserved but that is no reason to pick it up and have it wound me and allow death instead of life to reign in me.  I alone am responsible for my reaction to any offence that comes my way.  It is no wonder it is called an "of" "fence" because it truly is "off" and "of" the kingdom of darkness and has no place for children who walk in the light.

Gal 5:16  I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

I believe in transparency before God.  What we leave in the dark, because of shame, can only grow stronger (and musty smelling too) but what we bring to the search light of the Holy Spirit can be broken and its power nullified.  I believe that we should bring things to God quickly and ask for His help in whatever area we are struggling and be quick to repent.  We are quick to take offence.  You may say, "Not me" but mediate on it.  What if a driver cuts you off in traffic?  Do you take an offence at him or her?  What if someone at the checkout is showing an "off" attitude, or you are waiting for service and the store attendant is having a good chat on the mobile phone?  Our pride quickly takes offence because we expect better service.  Oh yes.  Some offences come through the back door like the smell of freshly laid manure and are gone before we even have gone into damage control.  Our mind quickly moves on, yet unkind thoughts we have just had, or voiced, hang in the air as we breeze on to the next little offence that sparkles and tempts us to pick it up.

I love this little gem in Isa 44:22  of what Abba has done for us. "I have swept away your sins like a cloud. I have scattered your offenses like the morning mist. Oh, return to Me, for I have paid the price to set you free."

He has paid the price to set us free.  Hallelujah.  He has taken care of our offences toward Him, the sins that have wounded our souls on the cross.  Shouldn't we too, discard offences and be thankful that the Lord has forgiven us and we can forgive others?  His grace will enable us.

Gal 5:1  Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.

   
Jesus, in the gospel of John after His resurrection, visited the apostles in a closed room.   He had some great advice to give them after breathing the Holy Spirit upon them.  He said:

Whosoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whosoever sins ye retain, they are retained.(Jn 20:23) (KJV)

Quite honestly, this scripture has really bothered me, because the only person who can forgive sins is our Heavenly Father.  We can forgive offences or sins that are committed against us but if the person repents to the Father, his/her sins will be forgiven. I looked up the meaning of whosoever and it referred to a person or object. I looked at this scripture from a different slant.  Maybe Jesus wasn't referring to a persons sin, but the sin which causes offence and which we can choose to let go (remit - to forgive, forsake, lay aside,(send) away) or we can, by our own choice, hold on to them (retain - use strength, that is, seize or retain, to keep).  If we retain the offences, as the translation says, seize them, the ill-effects of that offence will harbour great dis-ease in us.  If we do not choose to forgive, the root of bitterness will destroy our relationships and make our bodies/minds sick too.  We know that forgiveness releases the offender into God's hands and the one offended into peace.

Yes, it is hard to forgive and hard not to pick up offences, but the fruit of letting go is ample reward in following in our Saviour's footsteps and being used in the Kingdom for His purposes.

So an encouragement would be to not "grow weary in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not lose heart" (Gal 6:9).  Reaping righteousness, that's what I want.

Pro 10:12  Hatred stirs up quarrels, but love makes up for all offences.

 

Thirsty for Living Water

Joh 7:37  On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.

Joh 7:38  He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."

Jesus invites all those who are thirsty to come and drink of Him and out of the overflow of the abundant life giving water He presents, we are able to minister to others.  There is no life without water and Christ the Rock is the water of our life, struck and broken open so that we can partake of Him. 

 

With every clang of the hammer upon the nail Jesus was calling, “Come”.  With every knock that the nail was driven into the wood, Jesus was calling, “Come”.  He was beckoning for those who would listen to come to Him.  As the blood dripped from his hands and feet, falling upon the ground where those who mocked him gambled for his garment, He was praying, “Father forgive them” and His love was the calling card to come.

 

The invite was issued and is still issued today but so many of us don’t hear or heed the call.  We are too busy to come, too busy sorting out our needs and problems, too busy to be refreshed by the living water available for us to drink of deeply.  We look for answers, we look for acceptance, we look for love and it is all available in the One who took our shame upon the cross.  But we are downcast, desperately digging in the dirt of our ignorance unaware that the Saviour of the world has opened His heart and hands to fill us with an abundant life.

 

“Come to me” He calls as He knocks on the door of our hearts, “Let me ease your burden, lighten your load.  My yoke is easy, my burden light so learn of me.” (Matt 11:29-30)

 

Yet in our pride and arrogance, not wanting to relinquish the driving wheel of our life, we stay dry and thirsty for things that cannot satisfy and forsaking  “the fountain of living waters, we hewn for ourselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water.” Jer 2:13 

 

His promise to is us that, “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." Joh 7:38 

 

Jesus wants us to drink deeply so that we overflow His life and goodness to others around us.  He wants the water to splash on others as we encourage, love, forgive, accept and show the light of the Saviour.

 

Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. Isa 12:3 

 

He is the good news, having taken the just punishment for our crimes against a Holy Creator God, we no longer carry the burden of guilt and shame for our sins that He bore in His body on the tree.  He has rescued us from punishment and “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” Rom 8:1 

 

Come drink deeply of the joy and forgiveness found in Christ.  Come drink deeply of the refreshing water He offers.  Bathe in His Love for you.  Be washed in the fountain of His cleansing blood, stilled in the waters of His peace.  He has this and so much more to offer as we float in the crystal sea of eternal life.

John 3:16 Revisited

“For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He (even) gave up His only begotten (unique) Son...”

Imagine this!  Think about who is actually voicing these words?  It is Jesus, talking to Nicodemus about God’s love and God’s plan for the world.  Jesus is the one to whom He is referring...that His Father gave Him up.  And for whom – the world!  That’s us, in our sin, violence, idolatry and rebellion against the Father of Heaven, The Almighty.

I wonder at the willingness and peace with which Jesus Christ said this.   Fully aware and fully supportive of the plan, God’s plan to save us!  He was in on the discussion and there are no feelings of rejection here.  Just amazing grace, and total surrender to the will of the Father.  Jesus knew from whence He had come.  Back up a few verses and Jesus speaks of His deity.

Joh 3:13  And yet no one has ever gone up to heaven, but there is One Who has come down from heaven--the Son of Man [Himself], Who is (dwells, has His home) in heaven.

And the reason for all of this....

Joh 3:15  In order that everyone who believes in Him [who cleaves to Him, trusts Him, and relies on Him] may not perish, but have eternal life and [actually] live forever!

Christ knew His purpose in the plan, to be the Lamb that was slain from the foundation of the world. (Rev 13:8) He knew that He was the only begotten Son of the Father to be given up for us.  Ponder the love both had for us, both willing to give up their best – The Father His Son, and the Son His Life.  Both of them in total agreement, both of them proactive in dealing with men’s sinful condition.  Jesus trusting the Father, coming in human flesh to dwell among His created, knew what His suffering and pain would bring.  He was separated from His Father when He bore the sin of the world upon Himself at the cross of humiliation yet great victory.  The Father trusted the Son to accomplish the plan to the very “t” – not strive from it but strive toward it – not to run from the cross of suffering but to run toward it and embrace it.

Humankind desperately needed a Saviour as the prophets’ lamented about our condition.

Isa 59:12  For our transgressions are multiplied before You [O Lord], and our sins testify against us; for our transgressions are with us, and as for our iniquities, we know and recognize them [as]:

Isa 59:13  Rebelling against and denying the Lord, turning away from following our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving in and muttering and moaning from the heart words of falsehood.

Rom 3:23  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

In our despair and suffering of our own making, God and demonstrated His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Rom 5:8)

I encourage you, mediate upon this Love.  Mediate upon the cross of Christ and may the revelation of God’s full Love be yours forever.

Battle over souls

Jesus came to earth to fight one battle.  The battle for men's souls!  He came to establish a heavenly kingdom in men's hearts.  The Jews were looking for a Messiah to establish an earthly Kingdom and freedom from Roman oppression, but the main battle, even in Jewish history, was a battle for the hearts of God's people; people who would fear the Lord and worship Him alone. 

Throughout their history, the Jewish nation, who was called out to be God's people, swayed back and forth between worship of God and worship of Baal. Even in the wilderness, satan told Jesus to bow down and worship him, stupidly offering Jesus all the kingdoms of the world if He would.  An earthly Kingdom with riches and success was nothing compared to the Heavenly Kingdom that would touch and change hearts and reconcile sinners with a Holy Father.  Listen to the Father's lament over His people:-

Is 63:8-9 He said, "They are my very own people.  Surely they will not be false again."  And He became their Saviour.  In all their suffering, he also suffered, and he personally rescued them.  In His love and mercy He redeemed them.  He lifted them up and carried them through all the years."

Roman oppression was nothing compared to the oppression in satan's kingdom.  Hate, lies, envy, unforgiveness, self-centred living and bitterness of soul are hard task masters robbing those caught in the trap with a loss of joy and peace and hurting others in the wake.

Throughout Jewish history, men with a heart after God, had a showdown with the powers of darkness and encouraged the nation to turn back to God.  The most significant confrontation is the story of Elijah on top of Mount Carmel.

1Ki 18:21  And Elijah came to all the people, and said, "How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him." But the people answered him not a word.

We know the story well.  God showed Himself strong burning up the bull sacrifice on the altar well and truly sodden whereas the prophets of Baal had worn themselves out calling upon their "god" to show up.  Elijah even mocked them to call out louder in case Baal had gone on holiday, was deaf or relieving himself.  What a picture of those caught in satan's kingdom.  Weary, heavy laden and lacking the peace of those who trust in God when storms come out of left field.  A picture of those who have to drive themselves hard for wealth and success, always wanting more and trying to prove themselves to others all because they can't find their contentment in Christ. 

Through the cross, Christ paid for and won the hearts of people.  With the power of the Holy Spirit now in us, we have died to sin and are alive to Christ.

Rom 6:11  Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Rom 8:2  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death

1Co 15:22  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.

Eph 2:1  And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins.

Eph 2:5  even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).

What good news.  And even better news, Jesus is coming back and will establish a glorious earthly Kingdom too where people will willingly give their allegiance to Him.

Rev 21:4  And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."

If we are the body..

If we are the body, why aren't his arms reaching

Why aren't his hands healing

Why aren't his words teaching

If we are the body, why aren't his feet going

Why is His love not showing them there is a way? (Casting Crowns)

Why, I really want to know why?  Why don't we see the people of God manifest His works and glory all over our land? Is it because we see ourselves as "grasshoppers" in the realm of the spirit, looking at the giant of circumstance in the light of unbelief?  The Promised Land is there for the taking, but we're too scared to step over into the realm of the enemy territory and capture what Christ paid for us to have.  To scared to leave the comfort zone where we, in our false status quo, don't want to rock the enemy's boat in case we become his target and so settle for less than God's best.  Is it that we "perish for lack of knowledge",  (Hos 4:6) don't know what God has promised, or worse don't know him well enough for the spiritual confidence and trust in Him to be deeply rooted in our hearts.

Hos 4:1  HEAR THE word of the Lord, you children of Israel, for the Lord has a controversy (a pleading contention) with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no faithfulness, love, pity and mercy, or knowledge of God [from personal experience with Him] in the land.

 
Is it because we think that the spiritual heavyweights are only those who are in upfront ministry and forget that the Word is clear that we are all messengers of reconciliation?

2Co 5:18  But all things are from God, Who through Jesus Christ reconciled us to Himself [received us into favour, brought us into harmony with Himself] and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation [that by word and deed we might aim to bring others into harmony with Him].

 
Not only that, but Jesus commissioned all of us, that is all who believe in Him, to go into the world drive out demons, speak in new languages and heal the sick. (Mark 16:17-18)
 
Can we be like David, the shepherd boy and a worshipper, who shared the wilderness, not only with his sheep and harp but with the presence of His God, defeating the bear and the lion by leaning on God's faithfulness and power?  He knew God in the secret place, that private place of intimate fellowship, and was bold to take God with Him out into the public arena, declaring fearlessly, to Saul, "The Lord Who delivered me out of the paw of the lion and out of the paw of the bear, He will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. (1Sa 17:37)  And when the rubber met the road, David proclaimed to the Goliath the giant, "You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the ranks of Israel, Whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will smite you and cut off your head. (1Sa 17:45-46)  To David, God was not an impersonal God somewhere off in the bye and bye, but a very relevant, powerful God who touched Him and worked powerfully through him to deliver Israel from the enemy.

What stops us from having and moving in the spirit?

Unbelief is probably our biggest enemy.  Our unbelief does not negate God's awesome power, but it does negate that power available to us, working through us.  Our limited mind with its reasoning and analysing, limits the unlimited power in its flow.  God is willing to heal.  His character and nature is one of perfect order and although we are in a fallen world, His will is laid out clearly in Jesus last command, "they will lay hands on the sick and they WILL get well." (Mar 16:18b).  Do we really believe this or do we question, "who are the "they", surely that does not mean me?  It is for those who are anointed with a healing ministry.  Not according to the Word, Jesus obvious commission is for "he who believes and is baptised". 

I always say, if we really truly believed this, we would all be visiting those sick in hospital and praying for them.  But perhaps we don't have the compassion for the sick and hate illness as much as Jesus seem to dislike it, for we see "How God anointed and consecrated Jesus of Nazareth with the [Holy] Spirit and with strength and ability and power; how He went about doing good and, in particular, curing all who were harassed and oppressed by [the power of] the devil, for God was with Him." Act 10:38 
 
A powerful statement is made by God in the wilderness to Moses' unbelief when he debated God on how He was going to feed the people with meat.

The Lord said to Moses, Has the Lord's hand (His ability and power) become short (thwarted and inadequate)? You shall see now whether My word shall come to pass for you or not.  (Num 11:23)

 
Is it our grumbling and complaining that stops the flow of the spirit in us?

Num 11:1  AND THE people grumbled and deplored their hardships, which was evil in the ears of the Lord, and when the Lord heard it, His anger was kindled; and the fire of the Lord burned among them and devoured those in the outlying parts of the camp.

I find it interesting the last few telling words at the end of this sentence.  "Outlying parts"!  Is it that those who grumble and complain are the ones who on the edges of the fellowship.  They are the ones who separate themselves, not sharing the fellowship and union of the saints and becoming involved in service to God and to one another.  They are the ones with the right to be "fed", "watered", "pampered" and to have their "needs" met.  They don't consider service nor do they consider that maybe they should be the first to say "hello", be warm and friendly and solicit relationship.  If they were encouraging others to be the best they can be in the Lord, they wouldn't have the time to complain and grumble about the pastor or the congregation.  If they tried out serving the Lord in some capacity to help church be a place where others are welcomed and comfortable, they would experience the joy of serving the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

Eph 4:16  For because of Him the whole body (the church, in all its various parts), closely joined and firmly knit together by the joints and ligaments with which it is supplied, when each part [with power adapted to its need] is working properly [in all its functions], grows to full maturity, building itself up in love.

Maybe we just don't get who we are in Christ? 

·         Alive to God (Rom :1)

·         Free from the law of sin and death (Rom 8:2)

·         Nothing can separate us from the love of God (Rom 8:39)

·         One body in Christ, individually members of each other (Rom 12:5)

·         Approved and accepted in Christ  (Rom 16:10)

·         Sanctified in Christ 1 Cor 1:2

·         Triumphant in Christ (1 Cor 2:14)

·         A new creation (1 Cor 5:17)(Gal 6:15)

·         liberty in Christ  (Gal 2:4) (Gal 5:1)

·         Justified by faith in Christ (Gal 2:16)

·         Blessings of Abraham for whose who have received the spirit of promise (Gal 3:14)

·         Sons of God (Gal 3:26)

·         Blessed with spiritual blessing in the heavenly places (Eph 1:3) (Eph 2:6)

·         Created for good works (Eph 2:10)

·         Forgiven (Eph 4:32)

·         Righteous (Php 3:9)

That is quite a list of the blessings of grace for the new creations we became when we believed in Him.  This is why it is imperative that we do know who we are, the power of the blood to defeat the enemy and God's Word.  No wonder Paul prayed for the church in a relevant way, for us to know Him.

Eph 1:17  that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, Eph 1:18  the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, Eph 1:19  and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power Eph 1:20  which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places.

I dearly would love to see the sick healed, physically, emotionally and spiritually.  I would love to see people raised out of wheelchairs and the dead raised.  Jesus is doing this around the world.  We hear testimonies of it all the time, so why not in our neck of the woods?  Oh that I would be a humble vessel that God could use.  That my faith would rise to every occasion and that I would boldly proclaim the greatness of Him who delivered me out of the darkness and into the Kingdom of His Son. (Col 1:13) 

"..His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue.."2Pe 1:3

May we, the church, hunger and thirst for Him!  May we know Him, really know Him.  May we desire with all our hearts, to see His glory shine into our dark world, and release those who are taken captive by the enemy.  May we not be worried about being on the front lines of the spiritual battle, suffer the losses if need be, to see our nation walk in freedom of the cross.  May we walk under the banner of His love reaching out to see people delivered and healed and may His Kingdom come and His will be done in our hearts and lives.  Amen, so be it Lord.

Jesus Understands

And He said to them, My soul is exceedingly sad (overwhelmed with grief) so that it almost kills Me! Remain here and keep awake and be watching.  (Mk 14:34) (AMP) 

Please don't ever say Jesus doesn't understand the pain you are going through.  Here amongst the olive trees, in a place where olives were pressed and crushed, Jesus was going through His own crushing.  For the last three years He had laid down His life in service to the twelve and the many others who called out, and now He was about to lay down His life on the cross for the salvation of many. 

For the Son of Man must die, as the Scriptures declared long ago. (Mk 14:21) (NLT) 

This dark night of Gethsemane, when He most needed the support and prayers of Peter, James and John, He grappled alone with the Father's pending judgement to fall on Him because of our sins.  Imagine how He felt that night.   So intense was His struggle that He sweat drops of blood.

At the last meal Jesus had with His disciples, He warned them of His coming trial and death and the betrayal of one whom He had taught and loved to the end.  Not only the betrayal of a friend, with whom He had shared his bread, but all the disciples would run that night and flee as fast as they could away from the situation.

And Jesus said to them, You will all fall away this night [that is, you will be caused to stumble and will begin to distrust and desert Me], for it stands written, I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered. Mar 14:27  [Zech. 13:7.]

Peter, James and John who had witnessed His glory on the mountain and His struggle in the garden, could not watch and pray one hour with Him in His deepest need.  Even though Jesus knew of the events unfolding as fulfilment of scripture written well before His time, even from the foundation of the world, there was no comfort found in the agony of the moment.

Jesus knows what it feels like to be abandoned by His closest friends and yet even as they forsook Him and stumbled in their faith, His promise was to go ahead of them after He rose from the dead and meet them in Galilee.

The writer of Hebrews is quick to allay our inadequacies, hurts and fears with this little gem:-

For we do not have a High Priest Who is unable to understand and sympathise and have a shared feeling with our weaknesses and infirmities and liability to the assaults of temptation, but One Who has been tempted in every respect as we are, yet without sinning. Heb 4:15 

Isn't that so comforting, that the Creator of the Universe, understands.  He has shared our plight, by putting on flesh, coming and dwelling among us.  He knows what it is like to be tired, hungry, cold, alone, abandoned, hurt, lied about, envied, distrusted, condemned, misunderstood, put on trial and sentenced to death.  He has loved His own, taught, healed, raised the dead and yet been despised for it all.  He has felt the sharp bite of the whip upon His back in order that we could have continued healing.  He heard the condemning and accusatory words, was spat upon and mocked. He felt the weight of the cross as He dragged it to His pending death.  He heard the sharp reverberation of metal upon metal as the iron pegs nailed him to that tree.  Shamed before all, He tasted death, paid for our sins and rose in power and glory. 

Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God's unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it]. Heb 4:16 

Follow Me

"But Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved, following –"  John 21:20

I love the word picture we see in this incident.  Jesus has just commissioned Peter, "Follow me", yet Peter looks back, looks at John and asks, "what about this man?"  What Peter's motivation is, we can only hazard a guess, but Jesus replies, "If I want him to stay until I come, what is that to you? [What concern is it of your?] You follow me!" (Jn 21:20-22)

We can learn quite a few lessons from this incident.  Firstly, Christianity is about relationship, not ritual, but a living relationship with the Risen Christ.  We can so hold up the "badge" of denomination as though this is salvation in itself, but this only produces pride in our hearts.  This reminds me of the story of the Pharisee and the tax collector in the synagogue. (Lk 18:10-14) The Pharisee, proud of all the religious activities which I'm sure he kept to the 't', whilst the tax collector, recognising his deep need of forgiveness humbly beat his breast in humility of heart.  I hate to burst your bubble, but Jesus wasn't an Evangelical, a Catholic or even a Pentecostal.  He was not a denomination.  He is the Saviour who came and showed a radical way to live by relationship not ritual.  Personal relationship!  That is, intimacy with Him, one-on-one, face-to-face fellowship not ritualistic going-through-the-motion, once a week duty.  Hence in that one-on-one relationship of love between Himself and Peter, He commissions and equips.  Jesus is clear, each must have their own relationship with Him.  "He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life."  1Jn 5:12 

This leads us to the second lesson.  We are not to look at others.  We are not to compare.  We alone, each one, are to look at Jesus – period.  We look to Him, we love Him, we obey Him and we follow Him.  Are you following Him?  Are you following Jesus – no one else, just Jesus!  We don't follow any man, any priest, teacher, evangelist, man or woman.  No we follow Jesus.  We do what He did, love God and love others.  We learn from Him, He is the Light (Jn 812), He is the burden-bearer, He said, "Take my yoke and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls". (Matt 11:29)  This is not to say that we cannot be encouraged by others of faith but we are to listen, each one of us, to the personal charge of the Holy Spirit in our lives as He speaks to us through the Word of God.  And we give grace to others who are also on this journey of getting to know Christ intimately as their Saviour and LORD.

The third lesson I get from this is that God has a plan for each one of us. (Jer 29:11)  Peter who became a leader of the church in Jerusalem along with James (Jesus brother) had a big impact on the Jewish nation to whom they were called.  Equally John's revelation of "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (Jn 1:14) has made and will continue to make impact upon humankind.  John's gospel oozes with the revelation of love and relationship.  He presents Jesus in intimate ways, such as the Vine and we the branches, connected yet pruned for greater fruitfulness, receiving health and vitality from the Vine. (Jn 15:1-6) Close, joined, abiding - the only way for the life to flow from Vine into branch.

Lastly we learn about God's amazing grace toward those who are repentant and His restorative desire to reconcile relationship.  Peter had mucked up, and mucked up bad. He had declared his allegiance to Jesus before all the disciples – "I'll die for you, even if the others leave you and stumble, I won't." (Matt 26:31-35) We know the story, when the crunch time came, the crunch of Peter's retreating footsteps became a distant, quiet sound in the dark night.  Peter denied His Lord, not once but thrice before he fled into the night.  We don't see him standing at the cross.   We see the fulfilment of Jesus words,  "All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: 'I WILL STRIKE THE SHEPHERD, AND THE SHEEP OF THE FLOCK WILL BE SCATTERED.'"  Imagine how Peter felt, the remorse, the bitter weeping, the shock that what he declared he would do - stand by his Lord - he couldn't do.  He let down Jesus who had loved him thoroughly for 3 years, sowing into His life and building him up.  Now the Risen Christ stands before Him and asks Him to "follow me".  There is no recrimination but reappointment.  Grace is extended, mercy received and Peter became one of the "Fishers of Men". (Mat 4:19)  Peter's journey had led him back to the shores of Galilee where Jesus first called him and where he had put down his nets to follow.  The reappointment came on the shores of Galilee where once again they were fishing.  And the commission was clear, the fishing is behind you, service in the Kingdom is in front of you.  "Follow Me."

Jesus is still calling today.  He calls to you, "Follow Me."  What will your response be?