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?

God-given purpose

What is my God-given purpose? Is it not to worship, and to bring glory to God? These are the priorities of my walk with God and living in this priority, His work will be established through us.

When Moses was sent to Pharaoh he was to announce to him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to tell you, "Let My people go, so they can worship Me in the wilderness." (Exo 7:16). Worship was God's priority for them. And Jesus declared in John 3:4 "But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him."

Worship is most important in our walk with God. I keep mediating on this scripture, that Father is seeking those who will worship Him. I don't know about you, but I want the Father to seek after me. That He is looking for my company and wants to spend time with me, is an astonishing truth. It makes my heart sing and yearn to spend the time with Him too.
 
This God-given purpose, to worship, is what I need to keep before me continually. Jesus prioritised His life by spending time with Father.......and then "went about doing good." (Acts 10:38)

I believe in the gifts the Holy Spirit gives us but do we tend to worry too much about our gifts? I don't seen anywhere in scripture Jesus expounding His gifts or worrying about what they are. He just lived in the presence of the Father and in this intimacy of worship and mutual love, the works and words of the Father were manifested through Him. The more we fellowship with someone, the more we know their heart and desires.

"So Jesus explained, "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by Himself. He does only what He sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does." Joh 5:19

In looking for my gifts, and I still don't recognise them, I have found that I sometimes struggle with envy of another's gift. It comes from a pure (or maybe not so pure) motive to serve God and a desire to move in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. I certainly have had to repent and I have to constantly ask myself, are my motives pure? Is there this smidgen of pride in me that maybe seeks my own glory? Oh let it not be Holy Father, but that, even like Jesus, I would seek to do your will and give all glory to You, recognising that in doing so and living this priority will bring certain opposition.

In the early history of the church, the apostles moved in such power, the work of the Holy Spirit evidently witnessed by all. This resulted in persecution because of the jealousy of the religious leaders of the time. (Acts 13:45; 17:5) Envy and jealously of those moving in the spirit is a real thing. Look at the example of Simon the Sorcerer. He had the crowds, in awe of the magical signs at his hand, yet when he received his salvation, he became an ordinary, on the same level as others who witnessed the outpouring of Holy Spirit signs. Seeing the power of the Holy Spirit being imparted at the apostle's hands, he offered money to move in the same gift. (Act 8:24) Thankfully after a rebuke from Simon Peter, he repented. God's power cannot be brought. It comes to those who by faith and grace, boldly move in obedience to the pulse of the Holy Spirit, when His compassion compels us and His love declares through us the wondrous truth of salvation.

We need to know the Father to know what His will is and to know the work He wants to do. We find our God-given purpose out in gazing upon His face and connecting with His heart. It's in worship and prayer that the sweet whisper of the Holy Spirit compels us to do, to give, to encourage, to love and to show grace to others. When we live in worship, our intimacy with Him is strengthened in His presence. When we know and walk in the presence of God, we will know the power of God.

"but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits." (Dan 11:32)

Fullness of Joy

Need more joy in your life?  The answer is to live in His presence.  The Psalmist emphatically stated, "In His presence there is fullness of joy and at His right Hand pleasures forevermore". (Ps 16:11)  David, the Psalmist certainly knew the joy of the Lord, dancing with all his might before the Ark of the Covenant (the symbol of God's Presence and Power), and in his extravagant worship of the Lord was disdained by his very own wife for his open display of ecstatic joy in God's presence.

As the song goes, "Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace."  It is when we look into His face that the things of the earth, the worrying, crippling or niggling things are washed away in the Presence of His Holiness.  Our joy is found in His All-Sufficiency, The El Shaddai. 

The first mention of this name of God is found in Genesis when God commands Abraham, "I am El Shaddai.  Walk before me and be perfect." (Gen 17:1), an impossible command unless, like the baby who nurses at its mother's breast for its nourishment and survival, we come to the El Shaddai to receive from His Hand the power to change whilst we trust in the All Mighty one, who is able to conquer and destroy all the destructive strongholds that seek to suck the joy out of our lives.  When we know God as the Omnipotent One, all our struggles and negative circumstances can be left at the foot of His Throne while He appropriates the grace and help we need to overcome.

Yesterday has gone.  Tomorrow may or may not come.  People have died of the most bizarre circumstances.  The only moment we have is the now.  Should we waste this moment choosing anything less than being joyful, even in the challenging circumstances of living life?  The Apostle Paul is still a great example of having joy in the midst of taxing conditions.

The crowd [also] joined in the attack upon them, and the rulers tore the clothes off of them and commanded that they be beaten with rods. And when they had struck them with many blows, they threw them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely. He, having received [so strict a] charge, put them into the inner prison (the dungeon) and fastened their feet in the stocks. But about midnight, as Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the [other] prisoners were listening to them, Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the very foundations of the prison were shaken; and at once all the doors were opened and everyone's shackles were unfastened.   Act16:22-24

Paul and Silas's praises transported them out of the severe discomfort, filthiness and smell of the rotting goal into the presence of His Majesty.  As their praises rose into the heavenly realms, it captured El Roi (the One who sees) heart and "Inhabiting the praises" of these two disciples, an earthquake of His presence burst open the doors of the prison and prisoners and guards alike (who were listening to this worship) were swept into the fullness of joy and salvation as the bondages that sought to keep them in despair fell off.  In the midst of circumstances, we too can chose to praise the One from who deliverance comes.  Or we can choose to sit amongst the disappointments, disillusionment and disenchantments of broken dreams and be consumed by these instead of looking heavenly to the One who gave us all, so that we might have LIFE in Him.

Oh the power in praising when we don't understand and when circumstances are beyond our control.  No extreme expression of faith could be more powerful when we choose to praise in the dark of "I don't know why this in happening" and invites the Light of the Spirit to comfort and drop in the seed of peace that surpasses all understanding.  An expression of faith, when we can say no matter what the circumstance, Lord God I trust in you that the outcome will be to my advantage.  We show we trust in what God can do in and within the circumstances when we hand over the control of our life to the control of the only One who is All-Sufficient.  His joy will be our strength.  His joy will help us laugh in the face of adversity and stop the enemy in his tracks. 

His joy!  Found and contained in His Presence.  Linger there today.

What....Marriage?

The Courier Mail yesterday ran an article which I think should have made first page news so important the information is to our crumbling society.  The article was called "Reforms urged for children in crisis" and was a major report  to be presented to Federal parliament on findings conducted by the University of Sydney and calling "for a return to conservative family values" especially for the behalf of children.  It reported on the deterioration of mental stability, particularly of girls (66% increase in mental disease for 12-14 year olds and a 90% increase for girls aged 15-17).  The major factor is this was the breakdown of the family unit and the introduction of "unstable and conflictual family relationships of Australian families."   The report went on to argue that significant increase in the risk of the emotional instability of children was because of the rise of new partners not biologically related to the children and also  the stress of single parentedness.

It is not surprising that marriage is under attack for if satan can divide the family, he leaves in the wake, broken children who carry the scars of the loss of a secure and nurturing environment  with the unconditional love of both parents and the subtle choosing of sides they should never had to endure.  In turn, they carry these hurts into future relationships and the devastating cycle goes on down through generation after generation.

Whenever we think that we can destroy what God has put together, and He sanctioned marriage as a covenant until "death do us part", we exalt ourselves above the Maker, who know what is good for us.  He wrote the model of marriage in the bible and He also presents this as a picture of the relationship between Christ and us.  Intimate, one in unity and loving!  I'm certainly glad that Christ does not divorce us, even though as far as I'm concerned, He probably has every right to do so because of the hardness of our hearts.

God has called us to be Holy, and warns us that if we are not holy, we will not see Him and marriage is His institution that teaches us how to be Holy.

Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, "BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY." (1Pe 1:13-16)

Where else can we learn the fruit of righteousness, choosing to be holy instead of getting our own way?

Where else do we learn the fruit of humility and not always be right?

Where else do we learn to forgive (as Christ forgave us) and not hold on to offences?

Where else do we learn not to walk in the way of the flesh, not spitting out whatever our hurt little heart desires and so tear down instead of building each other up?

Where else do we learn that the earth does not revolve around us, and our petty little hurts, but instead we have a choice, set aside our selfishness (ouch!) and look at the important issues in bringing up healthy, mature, well adjusted children with our spouse?

Where else do we learn to walk as Jesus did, doing good to each other, healing, loving, forgiving and guiding?

Where else can we nurture and guide, TOGETHER, the young impressionable, ETERNAL souls into the Kingdom of God, showing the expression of love and forgiveness and selfless living?  Or will we play Russian roulette with our eternal life and theirs by teaching them to live in the flesh, disdain God's ways and disregard the feelings and wellbeing of the family unit?

God calls us to the "bond of peace", beseeching us "to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavouring  to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (Eph 4:1-3)

Why is keeping the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace so important?  It shows we are the children of God.  Father, Son and Holy Spirit display for us complete unity and harmony, contentedness, love, respect, honour, preferring the other members of the Trinity so much so that they are completely ONE.  There is no division amongst them, three persons in ONE.

And we are called to this ONENESS.  One with them and one with each other!  And where else do we learn submission?  Yes, a hard and difficult word, made all the more awful because of our human self-centredness and self seeking living.

For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?  You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. Jas 3:16 –Jas 4:2 

Children of God, we are called to walk a higher walk and imitate Jesus.  Let's us not lay the blame at our spouse's feet but take the responsibility that we too are marred, and touchy, self-seeking and wanting our own way and will.  Let's ask the Holy Spirit to soften our hearts and to whisper when we are out of line.  Let's ask for help to extend grace to each other and hold our tongues.  Let's ask Him to help us submit to His ways, for surely in doing so, we will crucify the flesh become more like Christ and enjoy the fruit of peace, unity and joy in our marriages.

Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God. 3Jn 1:11 

 
Amen?

"Grace has found me just as I am"

"being confident in this, that God who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Phil 1:6

Your grace reached out to me and found me. Just as the Shepherd left the 99 sheep to look for the lost lamb, so He found me and touched me and saved me.

There was nothing in me that should have attracted His love, except He is LOVE. He is full of grace and He sent Jesus to die for me so that I would be reconciled into His arms, His Love and His mercy. God saw me, not where I was, in the cesspool of sin, but He saw what I would become in Christ as He worked in and through me, producing good works.

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Eph 2:4 -7

In Him! In Him, I have heavenly blessings and His divine nature to live a holy life. It's not me, it's HIS POWER in me. It's even His love in me, that perfect love that came from the Father and helps me to love others. It's not even my prayers, but the spirit in me who makes intercession for the saints and for my life.

There's nothing I bring to this table of relationship except my willingness to yield, to draw closer, to know Him more, to love deeper. My willingness and His power interweave to produce goodness in me. I offer nothing that He has not already given me and yet in giving nothing, He gives all. All blessings flow from His heart, His throne and fills me with joy in living life, in loving others, in being in Him and with Him.

Oh come to the living water and drink deeply of His grace and mercy bathed in love and soaked in His presence. Come and receive. Be confident in Him and surrender. He will complete the work in us that will produce the fruit of righteousness. He will safely present us to Himself on that great and glorious day that we stand before the throne, In Him.

Simple grace

God has given us all things to enjoy richly, simple things that we can take for granted. Like most mornings I really enjoy my breakfast, more so at present being on a diet, and this morning was no exception. I began thinking about how much we take this simple pleasure and the satisfaction that a good meal can bring for granted. We say grace around the table but do we really consider why we should be thankful to God for the provision. I have heard people critise grace because as far as they are concerned they put the meal on the table and cannot make the connection of gratitude to Father, the Creator.

Oh the wisdom of God, that He put life into a seed, so when in the right environment, it bursts forth to grow and reproduce and multiply. What an incredible thing. Not only does the plant grow and produce fruit but the quantity a single fruit tree produces, is well and truly more than it needs to reproduce itself.

The other most amazing thing is that everything our bodies need to grow and function and keep healthy is in the food that God put on the earth. And the variety of grains, nuts, fruits and vegetables speaks to me of God's abundant nature toward us, ensuring we have plenty to chose from that is pleasing to the eye as well as the palette.

Talking about the palette. How satisfying is it not only to have a good meal, but to be able to share that meal with friends and family. How much joy and laughter has there been around the family table.

And just think on the flavour of the different foods that God has made available. To think that God put those flavours there when He created them and then gave us a tongue that can receive and enjoy all these different flavours. I think that is incredible. The wisdom He had to have digestion begin in the mouth, so that we are to savour the flavours and linger over them, to really enjoy them and get the full satisfaction.

We tend to turn mealtime grace into a rote prayer, but when we consider all that God has done, it can once again be a genuine, thankful and heartfelt prayer.

Simple grace offered to an awesome, abundant Giver of GRACE and Life. Let's have abundantly thankful hearts, Amen?

Caught in an earthly perspective

It is so easy to be caught in an earthly perspective and complain about all kinds of things that, really in the light of eternity, are very small. Here I am, on the way to heaven, yet so many people as well as members of my family are facing an Christless eternity in hell. The bible is very clear:- "He who has the Son has life, He who does not have the Son of God does not have life." 1 Jn 5:12 and Jesus warned: "Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins." According to the parable of The Sower, only 25% of people will believe and go to heaven. That really is not good odds and it is imperative that we get out the message, the Good News, that Jesus saves us and we have forgiveness for all our sins because of what He did on that cross.

What a perspective to have, The Eternal! If we could keep focused on that alone, how different would our lives be lived here on earth.

For me, I think it helps to produce humility. The fact that God, the Creator of the Universe and all things, chose me before the foundation of the earth to be adopted into His family is a very humbling thought. If I had not heard the Good News and believed, I could still be in my sin and if I had died whilst a sinner, this would have packed a horrible eternal judgement. Oh for the grace that found me and loved me to salvation.

An eternal perspective encourages the gift of compassion as we deal with the lost everyday, even for some, our spouses, children, relatives, friends and workmates. We're ok, they are not okay. We need to shine the light of Christ's love, acceptance and grace upon them so that they can see how different life is when we walk in the love and peace of the Son.

If we kept this eternal perspective, I don't think we would have much to grumble and complain about. We would not be focusing on and critising our church family or pastors, but rather keep on working out our own salvation with fear and trembling. Being saved and on our way to heaven, should keep us rejoicing as we have opportunity to gather together with our brothers and sisters before God Almighty, to have times of refreshing in His presence and worship Him with thankful hearts. After all, what is more important, that the Pastor didn't say hello, the music is too loud, the church seems too , "clicky", or the fact that we are saved and growing in God's presence and love. No one and no church is perfect, but we go to meet with God and to please Him. Isn't that more important then all the things we can critise.

If something is lacking in your church, step out and volunteer to fix it. Remember we have been saved from a sure judgement and eternal punishment. Hell, let the full weight of that word sober you, is an awful eternity for those we love. Let's rejoice instead in the forgiveness of our sins and the eternal life we have been promised.

Rom 6:20
For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.
Rom 6:21

What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.
Rom 6:22

But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.
Rom 6:23

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.