- Published on
John 16:25-33
These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; but the time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but I will tell you plainly about the Father.
In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you;
for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God.
I came forth from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father."
His disciples said to Him, "See, now You are speaking plainly, and using no figure of speech!
Now we are sure that You know all things, and have no need that anyone should question You. By this we believe that You came forth from God."
Jesus answered them, "Do you now believe?
Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.
These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer,
I have overcome the world."
In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you;
for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God.
I came forth from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father."
His disciples said to Him, "See, now You are speaking plainly, and using no figure of speech!
Now we are sure that You know all things, and have no need that anyone should question You. By this we believe that You came forth from God."
Jesus answered them, "Do you now believe?
Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.
These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer,
I have overcome the world."
‘Figurative language’ looks and sounds awkward and unlikely as a Biblical expression, and I find myself turning again to the King James Version, where verse 25 reads as ‘These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father.’ Many will find this translation archaic or difficult; it is what we are used to reading. For myself, what is often lost in more modern translations is the poetry — my mother always cited ‘the majesty’ — of the Authorised Version.
Why do I mention this matter of translation? The reason has a lot to do with understanding. A good translation — and one that you are comfortable reading — aids understanding, whereas another translation can positively hinder your relationship with The Lord. Here is verse 25 from the Wycliffe Bible … ‘Y haue spokun to you these thingis in prouerbis; the our cometh, whanne now Y schal not speke to you in prouerbis, but opynli of my fadir Y schal telle to you.’ It speaks better than it reads — if you can speak it!
Jesus says “I will tell you plainly”, and the disciples are pleased — “now You are speaking plainly,” — yet Jesus has not changed His manner of speech. He merely tells the disciples that He has. In other words, Jesus has imparted spiritual understanding to the disciples. They now understand because Jesus gifts them with it. This is what our Saviour does. He speaks life and our thoughts become His thoughts; where previously we knew not, we now know. This foretaste of Holy Spirit work that He gave the disciples, He also gives us when we ask for His clarity; when we ask that the fog be lifted from our minds. “Ask and it shall be given to you.”
His purpose in this is simple and powerful — “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." His peace is the most valuable gift any of us could wish for, and we have that in abundance … in Him.
Why do I mention this matter of translation? The reason has a lot to do with understanding. A good translation — and one that you are comfortable reading — aids understanding, whereas another translation can positively hinder your relationship with The Lord. Here is verse 25 from the Wycliffe Bible … ‘Y haue spokun to you these thingis in prouerbis; the our cometh, whanne now Y schal not speke to you in prouerbis, but opynli of my fadir Y schal telle to you.’ It speaks better than it reads — if you can speak it!
Jesus says “I will tell you plainly”, and the disciples are pleased — “now You are speaking plainly,” — yet Jesus has not changed His manner of speech. He merely tells the disciples that He has. In other words, Jesus has imparted spiritual understanding to the disciples. They now understand because Jesus gifts them with it. This is what our Saviour does. He speaks life and our thoughts become His thoughts; where previously we knew not, we now know. This foretaste of Holy Spirit work that He gave the disciples, He also gives us when we ask for His clarity; when we ask that the fog be lifted from our minds. “Ask and it shall be given to you.”
His purpose in this is simple and powerful — “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." His peace is the most valuable gift any of us could wish for, and we have that in abundance … in Him.
Meditate On These Things
2 JOHN 1:3
Grace, mercy, and peace, which come from God the Father and from Jesus Christ—the Son of the Father—will continue to be with us who live in truth and love.
Grace, mercy, and peace, which come from God the Father and from Jesus Christ—the Son of the Father—will continue to be with us who live in truth and love.
PEACE LIKE A RIVER — Vinesong Worship
A HOLY COMMAND: Oswald Chambers on LOVE
— Love with all your MIND --
IT IS ONLY by getting our mind into the state of the Mind of Jesus that we can understand how it is possible to fulfill the royal law and love our neighbour as ourselves. We measure our generosity by the standards of men; Jesus says, "Measure your love for men by God's love for them, and if you are My disciple, you will love your neighbour as I have loved you.
[from ‘Conformed To His Image’]
[from ‘Conformed To His Image’]
Listen to this meditation by clicking below…
- Published on
John 16:16-24
"A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me, because I go to the Father."
Then some of His disciples said among themselves, "What is this that He says to us, 'A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me'; and, 'because I go to the Father'?"
They said therefore, "What is this that He says, 'A little while'? We do not know what He is saying."
Now Jesus knew that they desired to ask Him, and He said to them, "Are you inquiring among yourselves about what I said, 'A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me'?
Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy.
A woman, when she is in labour, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.
Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.
"And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you.
Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.”
Then some of His disciples said among themselves, "What is this that He says to us, 'A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me'; and, 'because I go to the Father'?"
They said therefore, "What is this that He says, 'A little while'? We do not know what He is saying."
Now Jesus knew that they desired to ask Him, and He said to them, "Are you inquiring among yourselves about what I said, 'A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me'?
Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy.
A woman, when she is in labour, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.
Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.
"And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you.
Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.”
We see that Jesus is giving the disciples an understanding of His Resurrection, yet they remain confused by His words. We might consider the disciples to be a bit slow to grasp the truth, but we must also remember that we already know what happened thereafter, how things unfolded in the world.
Their reaction is one that all of us might have, when our teacher speaks of things that are contrary to our everyday experience. Jesus’ “now you’ll see me, now you won’t” speech could come across to us as obfuscation, should we not know otherwise. He seems on occasions to speak in riddles. Why not explain it simply to begin with?
Jesus speaks truth always, but throughout the Gospels has to explain that truth in parables for us to understand. Jesus’ words come straight from the throne of God, but as our intercessor, He must bring God’s message and then re-interpret those words for our limited understanding. Thus, the ‘riddles’ are a difference language which we cannot yet grasp, unless Jesus translates for us.
Jesus’ story of a woman in labour, forgetting her anguish when she experiences the joy of her newborn child, perfectly captures sorrow turned to joy, while giving the disciples a real life example to help them see the heavenly reality of what was occurring. It shows us afresh that Jesus is more real than real — if I can put it like that. Supernatural reality and Earthly reality become one in His person.
“Most assuredly”, (or “Verily, verily” in the King James Version), is mentioned twenty five times in John’s Gospel, and twice in our chosen passage today. ‘Verily’ means ‘truthfully’, made more so by repetition. The modern ‘most assuredly’ emphasises the promise in the truth, that our “sorrow will turn to joy” and that we should “Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.”
Their reaction is one that all of us might have, when our teacher speaks of things that are contrary to our everyday experience. Jesus’ “now you’ll see me, now you won’t” speech could come across to us as obfuscation, should we not know otherwise. He seems on occasions to speak in riddles. Why not explain it simply to begin with?
Jesus speaks truth always, but throughout the Gospels has to explain that truth in parables for us to understand. Jesus’ words come straight from the throne of God, but as our intercessor, He must bring God’s message and then re-interpret those words for our limited understanding. Thus, the ‘riddles’ are a difference language which we cannot yet grasp, unless Jesus translates for us.
Jesus’ story of a woman in labour, forgetting her anguish when she experiences the joy of her newborn child, perfectly captures sorrow turned to joy, while giving the disciples a real life example to help them see the heavenly reality of what was occurring. It shows us afresh that Jesus is more real than real — if I can put it like that. Supernatural reality and Earthly reality become one in His person.
“Most assuredly”, (or “Verily, verily” in the King James Version), is mentioned twenty five times in John’s Gospel, and twice in our chosen passage today. ‘Verily’ means ‘truthfully’, made more so by repetition. The modern ‘most assuredly’ emphasises the promise in the truth, that our “sorrow will turn to joy” and that we should “Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.”
Meditate On These Things
ISAIAH 51:11
So the ransomed of the LORD shall return,
And come to Zion with singing,
With everlasting joy on their heads.
They shall obtain joy and gladness;
Sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
So the ransomed of the LORD shall return,
And come to Zion with singing,
With everlasting joy on their heads.
They shall obtain joy and gladness;
Sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
THEREFORE THE REDEEMED OF THE LORD SHALL RETURN — Maranatha Music
A HOLY COMMAND: Oswald Chambers on LOVE
— Love with all your MIND --
MANY A CHRISTIAN who loves Jesus Christ in his heart denies Him in his head.
[from ‘Bringing Sons Unto Glory‘]
[from ‘Bringing Sons Unto Glory‘]
Listen to this meditation by clicking below…
- Published on
John 16:5-15
"But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, 'Where are You going?'
But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.
Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.
And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgement:
of sin, because they do not believe in Me;
of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more;
of judgement, because the ruler of this world is judged.
"I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.
However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.
All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.
But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.
Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.
And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgement:
of sin, because they do not believe in Me;
of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more;
of judgement, because the ruler of this world is judged.
"I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.
However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.
All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.
The Holy Spirit — the Paraclete (from the Greek ‘paraklētos’, helper, advocate, comforter) — is no better explained than in Jesus words to His disciples here. The purpose of the Spirit of Truth is to act as Jesus’ presence with all who follow Him, when He is no longer physically in our company.
As always, what Jesus says illuminates our understanding, otherwise we could easily fall into error. He names this guide and helper ‘The Spirit of Truth’, and personified as ‘He’, so that we are to know that the Holy Spirit is someone with whom we should have an intimate relationship, just as we would if Jesus stood before us. As has been said, “it’s an inside job”; and Jesus is preparing His disciples — and us — for that direct connection which bypasses all of our external resistance; our moods and prejudices, our thoughts and interpretations, and leads us into all truth.
Jesus also discerns that all He is saying may be too much for the Disciples to take in all at once, saying that “you cannot bear them now.” And nor can we at first. There is a wide gulf of difference between hearing and experiencing. Only by experience — “Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!” [Psalm 34:8] — can we find the truth realised in us, and thus our faith is enhanced and trust in Him grows.
There is always profound wisdom from Jesus whenever He speaks, and compassion also, so that we are lifted up despite the ever-present troubles. He tells us that through the Spirit of Truth, the world will be convicted of sin, righteousness and judgement … and the reasons why this will be, and is now so, for we have this promise from Him — “… the Father … will take of Mine and declare it to you."
As always, what Jesus says illuminates our understanding, otherwise we could easily fall into error. He names this guide and helper ‘The Spirit of Truth’, and personified as ‘He’, so that we are to know that the Holy Spirit is someone with whom we should have an intimate relationship, just as we would if Jesus stood before us. As has been said, “it’s an inside job”; and Jesus is preparing His disciples — and us — for that direct connection which bypasses all of our external resistance; our moods and prejudices, our thoughts and interpretations, and leads us into all truth.
Jesus also discerns that all He is saying may be too much for the Disciples to take in all at once, saying that “you cannot bear them now.” And nor can we at first. There is a wide gulf of difference between hearing and experiencing. Only by experience — “Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!” [Psalm 34:8] — can we find the truth realised in us, and thus our faith is enhanced and trust in Him grows.
There is always profound wisdom from Jesus whenever He speaks, and compassion also, so that we are lifted up despite the ever-present troubles. He tells us that through the Spirit of Truth, the world will be convicted of sin, righteousness and judgement … and the reasons why this will be, and is now so, for we have this promise from Him — “… the Father … will take of Mine and declare it to you."
Meditate On These Things…
HEBREWS 13:5-6
Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."
So we may boldly say: "The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?"
Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."
So we may boldly say: "The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?"
HOLY SPIRIT WE WELCOME YOU — Chris Bowater
A HOLY COMMAND: Oswald Chambers on LOVE
— Love with all your MIND --
TO THINK AS a Christian is a rare accomplishment, especially as the curious leaven which puts a premium on ignorance works its sluggish way. A blatant pride which boasts of knowing nothing outside the Bible, in all probability, knows nothing inside it either. Christian thinking is a rare and difficult thing; so many seem unaware that the first great commandment according to our Lord is, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God… with all thy mind…”
[from ‘Called of God’]
[from ‘Called of God’]
Listen to this meditation by clicking below…
- Published on
John 15:26 — John 16:4
But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.
And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.
"These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble.
They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service.
And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me.
But these things I have told you, that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them.
"And these things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you.
And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.
"These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble.
They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service.
And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me.
But these things I have told you, that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them.
"And these things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you.
Is there a specific event to which our Lord is referring in this passage? The first words here speak of ‘The Helper’, which we know refers to the Holy Spirit, which Jesus refers to as ‘the Spirit of Truth’. Is that ‘when the time comes?’ Assuredly, yes it is.
The apostle Peter talks of ‘the time has come for judgement to begin at the house of God’ [1 Peter 4:17-19], that time when we have to face our Maker and submit to His judgement. Psalm 9:7-8 says ‘But the LORD shall endure forever; He has prepared His throne for judgment. He shall judge the world in righteousness, And He shall administer judgment for the peoples in uprightness.’ Is that ‘when the time comes?’ Assuredly, yes it is.
‘the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service.’ Jesus tells us openly that there will be times of persecution, pain and suffering, that we may also die for our faith, because some who do not know Him or God will believe that they are doing the right thing by God. Is that ‘when the time comes?’ Assuredly, yes it is.
When the time comes is always now; the present moment. What Jesus is saying is He is always with us, because He is ‘of The Father’, ‘begotten not created.’ David Wilkerson put this better than I, in his devotional ‘You Will Survive’…
The apostle Peter talks of ‘the time has come for judgement to begin at the house of God’ [1 Peter 4:17-19], that time when we have to face our Maker and submit to His judgement. Psalm 9:7-8 says ‘But the LORD shall endure forever; He has prepared His throne for judgment. He shall judge the world in righteousness, And He shall administer judgment for the peoples in uprightness.’ Is that ‘when the time comes?’ Assuredly, yes it is.
‘the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service.’ Jesus tells us openly that there will be times of persecution, pain and suffering, that we may also die for our faith, because some who do not know Him or God will believe that they are doing the right thing by God. Is that ‘when the time comes?’ Assuredly, yes it is.
When the time comes is always now; the present moment. What Jesus is saying is He is always with us, because He is ‘of The Father’, ‘begotten not created.’ David Wilkerson put this better than I, in his devotional ‘You Will Survive’…
You may feel rejected, abandoned and alone. Your faith may be weak and you think you are down for the count. Sorrow, tears, pain and emptiness may swallow you up at times. But God is still on the throne. He is still God!
Convince yourself that you will survive. Read His Word and meditate on it. You will come out of it; live or die, you belong to the Lord. Life does go on, and it will surprise you how much you can bear with God’s help.
He wants you to cry aloud, “Jesus loves me! He is with me and He will not fail me. He is working it all out right now. I will not be cast down, I will not be defeated. I will not be a victim of Satan, I will not lose my mind or my direction. God is on my side. I love Him and He loves me!”
The bottom line is faith. It rests on this one absolute: “No weapon formed against you shall prosper” (Isaiah 54:17).
DAVID WILKERSON from ‘God Is Faithful'
MEDITATE ON THESE THINGS..,
ROMANS 3:24-26
Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.
For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past,
for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.
Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.
For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past,
for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.
WHEN THE TIME COMES — Abigail Liong and Alyssa Haijon
A HOLY COMMAND: Oswald Chambers on LOVE
— Love with all your SOUL --
ATONEMENT [Romans 3:25] TAKES AWAY fearfulness and unbelief, and brings us back again into the relationship of faith and love to God. The new birth will bring us to the place where spirit, soul and body are identified with Christ, sanctified here and now and preserved in that condition, not by intuitions now, not by sudden impulses and marvellous workings of the new life within, but by a conscious, superior, moral integrity, transfigured through and through by our union with God through the Atonement.
[from ‘Biblical Philosophy’]
[from ‘Biblical Philosophy’]
Listen to this meditation by clicking below…
- Published on
Mark 16:14-20
Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.
And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;
they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."
So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.
And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.
And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;
they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."
So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.
And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.
Mark presents this coda to the wonders of the previous days in a very matter-of-fact way — almost like a business meeting, where Jesus is the chairman, summing up and clarifying a few points, reminding the disciples of the ground covered and the way ahead, before He heads home. The heading — in the New King James Version quoted here — is ‘The Great Commission’.
It is interesting to see how each of the gospel writers end their final chapter. Matthew is closest to Mark, but ends with the more inspirational “I am with you always.” Luke records no similar final briefing, preferring to emphasise Jesus’ appearing to His disciples, as on the road to Emmaus. John — as would be expected — gives a more personal account — but distils ‘The Great Commission’ down to ‘feed my sheep’.
However, the most important thing to remember is that we have four inspirational gospel letters, each speaking with his own voice — testimonials, really — giving us a vivid and rounded picture of Jesus. Mark highlights three aspects of the way ahead for us, His disciples in this present time,
It is interesting to see how each of the gospel writers end their final chapter. Matthew is closest to Mark, but ends with the more inspirational “I am with you always.” Luke records no similar final briefing, preferring to emphasise Jesus’ appearing to His disciples, as on the road to Emmaus. John — as would be expected — gives a more personal account — but distils ‘The Great Commission’ down to ‘feed my sheep’.
However, the most important thing to remember is that we have four inspirational gospel letters, each speaking with his own voice — testimonials, really — giving us a vivid and rounded picture of Jesus. Mark highlights three aspects of the way ahead for us, His disciples in this present time,
- He who believes and is baptised will be saved. Jesus here separates the wheat from the chaff, making a clear distinction of eligibility into the Kingdom of Heaven. Those who fall into unbelief will be condemned, He says. Both the King James Version and The Message use the word ‘damned’.
- In My name. This is, I believe, the single most important message in these verses. When walking out our faith, when praying to Him for help, guidance, in intercession, we should do so ‘in Jesus’ name’. What does that entail? It means with a heart after God, ‘and a right spirit within me.’ His name is His essential being and nature, and we must be rightly related to Him.
- The Lord working with them. This follows on from the last aspect. Remember that we can do nothing of ourselves. Only He has ‘all authority and power … in heaven and on earth.’ And He says “I am with you always.”
‘Meditate on these things…’
MATTHEW 28:18-20
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.
CHRIST IS RISEN — Phil Wickham
A HOLY COMMAND: Oswald Chambers on LOVE
— Love with all your SOUL --
WHEN THE LOVE of God is in me I must learn how to let it express itself; I must educate myself in the matter: it takes time.
[from ‘The Place of Help’]
[from ‘The Place of Help’]
Listen to this meditation by clicking below…
- Published on
Mark 16:1-7
Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him.
Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. And they said among themselves, "Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?"
But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away—for it was very large.
And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.
But he said to them, "Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him.
But go, tell His disciples—and Peter—that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you."
Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. And they said among themselves, "Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?"
But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away—for it was very large.
And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.
But he said to them, "Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him.
But go, tell His disciples—and Peter—that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you."
‘Very early in the morning’ is a powerful symbol of the light appearing above the horizon, or darkness vanquished — ‘a new day is dawning’. And what light brings is sight to the blind, an awakening of perception, understanding of something not previously understood. It is positive crushing negative, vibrant new life replacing dusty decay; it is resurrection. ‘The sun had risen’ and The Son is risen — that is the Easter message.
‘The first day of the week’ is the eighth day, and eight represents a new beginning. Seven is the number for completion and wholeness, so where do you go from “It is finished!”? You start afresh with a new week. Everything here, right down to the detail, points to the conclusion that the impossible has happened. Such things stretch our credulity, but in the spirit, our hearts leap.
And then comes the message from ‘a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side,’ and the three women were alarmed, just as we would be. So many unanswered questions; this is more than unexpected, even to those who had witnessed Jesus’ miracles. Hope had gone and all was lost, but now revelation of the truth was awakening as the young man spoke — “He is going before you … you will see Him, as He said to you.”
Nothing is as it was. All things are now made new.
‘The first day of the week’ is the eighth day, and eight represents a new beginning. Seven is the number for completion and wholeness, so where do you go from “It is finished!”? You start afresh with a new week. Everything here, right down to the detail, points to the conclusion that the impossible has happened. Such things stretch our credulity, but in the spirit, our hearts leap.
And then comes the message from ‘a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side,’ and the three women were alarmed, just as we would be. So many unanswered questions; this is more than unexpected, even to those who had witnessed Jesus’ miracles. Hope had gone and all was lost, but now revelation of the truth was awakening as the young man spoke — “He is going before you … you will see Him, as He said to you.”
Nothing is as it was. All things are now made new.
‘Meditate on these things…’
MARK 16:9-11
Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons. She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept. And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.
Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons. She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept. And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.
AN EASTER HALLELUJAH — Cassandra and Callahan Star
A HOLY COMMAND: Oswald Chambers on LOVE
— Love with all your SOUL --
OUR LORD HAS told us how love to Him is to manifest itself. "Lovest thou Me? Feed My sheep"— identify yourself with My interests in other people, not, identify Me with your interests in other people. The character of this love is the love of God expressing itself.
[from ‘Called of God’]
[from ‘Called of God’]
Listen to this meditation by clicking below…
- Published on
Mark 15:33-39
Now when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" which is translated, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"
Some of those who stood by, when they heard that, said, "Look, He is calling for Elijah!" Then someone ran and filled a sponge full of sour wine, put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink, saying, "Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to take Him down."
And Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last.
Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. So when the centurion, who stood opposite Him, saw that He cried out like this and breathed His last, he said, "Truly this Man was the Son of God!"
Some of those who stood by, when they heard that, said, "Look, He is calling for Elijah!" Then someone ran and filled a sponge full of sour wine, put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink, saying, "Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to take Him down."
And Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last.
Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. So when the centurion, who stood opposite Him, saw that He cried out like this and breathed His last, he said, "Truly this Man was the Son of God!"
Mark’s Gospel is thought to be the earliest of the first four New Testament books, and is the most pared back, telling of Jesus with a straightforward narrative. One feels that it is a news report, an ‘as it happened’ approach to events, devoid of philosophising or conjecture, but also compelling. Mark seems to ask the question, “You weren’t there? I can tell you what it was like!”
Each of the gospel books differs in some way or another in the detail of the crucifixion story. For example, Luke does not mention Jesus saying “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me”, preferring to report Jesus saying “Father, into Your hands, I commit My spirit”, while John writes “It is finished!” Matthew goes with Mark’s commentary — and some scholars believe that Matthew based his writing on Mark’s version — and those words reverberate with a very human cry of despair. Despite all He had preached, did Jesus at the last succumb to doubt?
My own feeling — for what it is worth — is that there are two ways the expression “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” can be considered; as “why have You forsaken Me”, or “why have You left Me behind”. There is a subtle distinction, because we believe that God did not forsake Jesus, but to fulfil His eternal plan He had to leave Him behind at that time. There had to be a break in the Father/Son bond for God’s eternal plan to succeed. This was an involuntary cry of anguish at being separated from Father God for the first time ever. That pain was too great even for Jesus to bear.
The skies were un-naturally darkened in the heat of the day — the whole earth was shaken in that moment, as were the heavenlies — The Creator groaned for His creation, and His pain was surely as great, if not greater than that experienced by His only begotten Son. The cost to God was immense, by any standards we can know. That the heavenly realms were shaken was shown with the veil ‘torn in two from top to bottom’ — the division between man and God was being removed and soon Jesus The Christ would be the bridge between man and God. No wonder the centurion said that “Truly this man was the Son of God!”
Each of the gospel books differs in some way or another in the detail of the crucifixion story. For example, Luke does not mention Jesus saying “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me”, preferring to report Jesus saying “Father, into Your hands, I commit My spirit”, while John writes “It is finished!” Matthew goes with Mark’s commentary — and some scholars believe that Matthew based his writing on Mark’s version — and those words reverberate with a very human cry of despair. Despite all He had preached, did Jesus at the last succumb to doubt?
My own feeling — for what it is worth — is that there are two ways the expression “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” can be considered; as “why have You forsaken Me”, or “why have You left Me behind”. There is a subtle distinction, because we believe that God did not forsake Jesus, but to fulfil His eternal plan He had to leave Him behind at that time. There had to be a break in the Father/Son bond for God’s eternal plan to succeed. This was an involuntary cry of anguish at being separated from Father God for the first time ever. That pain was too great even for Jesus to bear.
The skies were un-naturally darkened in the heat of the day — the whole earth was shaken in that moment, as were the heavenlies — The Creator groaned for His creation, and His pain was surely as great, if not greater than that experienced by His only begotten Son. The cost to God was immense, by any standards we can know. That the heavenly realms were shaken was shown with the veil ‘torn in two from top to bottom’ — the division between man and God was being removed and soon Jesus The Christ would be the bridge between man and God. No wonder the centurion said that “Truly this man was the Son of God!”
‘Meditate on these things…’
HEBREWS 13:5-6
Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."
So we may boldly say: "The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?"
Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."
So we may boldly say: "The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?"
WERE YOU THERE WHEN THEY CRUCIFIED MY LORD — featuring Andrea Thomas by The Vigil Project
A HOLY COMMAND: Oswald Chambers on LOVE
— Love with all your SOUL --
HOW COULD THE Pharisee in our Lord's parable possibly love his neighbour as himself? It was impossible, he had not found the true centre for himself. His centre was self-realisation, and instead of loving the publican he increased his own conceit in every detail of comparison. Immediately I become rightly related to God and have perfect love toward Him, I can have the same relationship to my fellow men that God has to me, and can love my fellow men as I love myself.
[from ‘Biblical Philosophy’]
[from ‘Biblical Philosophy’]
- Published on
Mark 15:21-24
Then they compelled a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, the father of Alexander and Rufus, as he was coming out of the country and passing by, to bear His cross.
And they brought Him to the place Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull.
Then they gave Him wine mingled with myrrh to drink, but He did not take it.
And when they crucified Him, they divided His garments, casting lots for them to determine what every man should take.
And they brought Him to the place Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull.
Then they gave Him wine mingled with myrrh to drink, but He did not take it.
And when they crucified Him, they divided His garments, casting lots for them to determine what every man should take.
The soldiers mocked Jesus as He struggled to carry the cross to Golgotha. They forced Simon (a derivation of ‘Simeon’, meaning ‘hearing’) to take the burden of that cross. Simon, Alexander and Rufus are all introduced to us for the first time and their presence at this moment seems arbitrary — except that nothing in the Bible is without significance.
Simon was ‘coming out of the country’, and it is my belief that God led Simon to be there at that very moment and for an amazing purpose. There is a Bible principle that ‘the name is the nature’, and in Simon we should see that he had spiritual hearing, guiding him to perform that service for Jesus. And his coming out of the country gives us the insight that he was a man who worked the land, strong and able, willing to get a job done in adverse conditions.
Simon’s son’s names mean ‘man-defender’ and ‘red’ respectively, and it could be that their mention — there is nothing to indicate that they were present at the time — is to confirm Simon as, first of all, a father with sons, but also as ‘ defender’, someone who would not like to see injustice. But why ‘red’? The most common attribute for the colour red in Scripture is to indicate ‘the blood of Jesus, or the lamb.’ Other uses of the name Rufus suggest redemption, salvation, love of Christ and the atonement — the very things that Jesus was on the point of bringing to pass, except that His physical body was failing Him. Father God brought help.
Simon the Cyrenian, performs an invaluable service to our Lord — at the (literally) crucial moment — enabling the bringing of God’s plan to fruition. It also shows that the insignificant one can be of great significance, when acting for The LORD; an encouragement for each one of us in His service.
Simon got Jesus to Golgotha — the place of the Skull. Significantly, the skull houses the mind, and forms a protective shell around it. The soldiers could kill the body, but not the mind. They merely divided up His clothes, the earthly things of no importance. They looked to the earth and crucified The King of Kings, but knew it not.
Simon was ‘coming out of the country’, and it is my belief that God led Simon to be there at that very moment and for an amazing purpose. There is a Bible principle that ‘the name is the nature’, and in Simon we should see that he had spiritual hearing, guiding him to perform that service for Jesus. And his coming out of the country gives us the insight that he was a man who worked the land, strong and able, willing to get a job done in adverse conditions.
Simon’s son’s names mean ‘man-defender’ and ‘red’ respectively, and it could be that their mention — there is nothing to indicate that they were present at the time — is to confirm Simon as, first of all, a father with sons, but also as ‘ defender’, someone who would not like to see injustice. But why ‘red’? The most common attribute for the colour red in Scripture is to indicate ‘the blood of Jesus, or the lamb.’ Other uses of the name Rufus suggest redemption, salvation, love of Christ and the atonement — the very things that Jesus was on the point of bringing to pass, except that His physical body was failing Him. Father God brought help.
Simon the Cyrenian, performs an invaluable service to our Lord — at the (literally) crucial moment — enabling the bringing of God’s plan to fruition. It also shows that the insignificant one can be of great significance, when acting for The LORD; an encouragement for each one of us in His service.
Simon got Jesus to Golgotha — the place of the Skull. Significantly, the skull houses the mind, and forms a protective shell around it. The soldiers could kill the body, but not the mind. They merely divided up His clothes, the earthly things of no importance. They looked to the earth and crucified The King of Kings, but knew it not.
ADDENDUM: It occurred to me after posting this meditation, that Simon’s sons represent his inheritance, the continuing of his seed beyond his own earthly experience, and thus, in the spiritual realm they speak of his inheritance in Christ for his faithfulness in hearing God’s direction. That inheritance is redemption, salvation and the love of Jesus by the blood of the Lamb.
‘Meditate on these things…’
MATTHEW 27:36-37
Now it was the third hour, and they crucified Him.
And the inscription of His accusation was written above: THE KING OF THE JEWS.
Now it was the third hour, and they crucified Him.
And the inscription of His accusation was written above: THE KING OF THE JEWS.
AT THE CROSS — Chris Tomlin
A HOLY COMMAND: Oswald Chambers on LOVE
— Love with all your HEART --
THE LOVE OF God is the great mainspring, and by our voluntary choice we can have that love shed abroad in our hearts. Then, unless hindered by disobedience, it will go on to develop into the perfect love described in 1 Corinthians 13.
[from ‘Biblical Philosophy’]
[from ‘Biblical Philosophy’]
Listen to this meditation by clicking below…
- Published on
Psalm 46:4-5
There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God,
The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.
God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved;
God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.
The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.
God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved;
God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.
The ‘river’ is a very important metaphor in scripture for the Holy Spirit — the river of life. The Psalmist in Psalm 46 states that ‘There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God.’ The Psalm helpfully explains that the city of God is the holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High. God’s tabernacle was spoken to Moses in Exodus 25, and in verse 9, God says to Moses ‘According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it.‘
‘The city of God’ and ‘the Holy Place’ in the tabernacle are synonymous, thus — as the Holy Place is a spiritual university for those who have ‘entered in’ from the Outer Court, and are determined to go on with The LORD — the river of life is constantly refreshing and cleansing His people, washing them with the water of His word until they are become holiness. Our Lord has said that it will be so…
‘The city of God’ and ‘the Holy Place’ in the tabernacle are synonymous, thus — as the Holy Place is a spiritual university for those who have ‘entered in’ from the Outer Court, and are determined to go on with The LORD — the river of life is constantly refreshing and cleansing His people, washing them with the water of His word until they are become holiness. Our Lord has said that it will be so…
As we have heard,
So we have seen
In the city of the LORD of hosts,
In the city of our God:
God will establish it forever.
[Psalm 48:8]
So we have seen
In the city of the LORD of hosts,
In the city of our God:
God will establish it forever.
[Psalm 48:8]
‘Meditate on these things...’
REVELATION 7:13-17
Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, "Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?" And I said to him, "Sir, you know."
So he said to me, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple.
And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, "Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?" And I said to him, "Sir, you know."
So he said to me, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple.
And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
COME TO THE RIVER OF LIFE — Don Moen
A HOLY COMMAND: Oswald Chambers on LOVE
— Love with all your HEART --
A SERVANT OF Jesus Christ is one who is willing to go to martyrdom for the reality of the Gospel of God. When a merely moral man or woman comes in contact with baseness and immorality and treachery, the recoil is so desperately offensive to human goodness that the heart shuts up in despair. The marvel of the Redemptive Reality of God is that the worst and the vilest can never get to the bottom of His love. Paul did not say that God separated him to show what a wonderful man He could make of him, but "to reveal His Son in me.”
[from ‘Called of God’]
[from ‘Called of God’]
Listen to this meditation by clicking below…
- Published on
Isaiah 22:4-5
Therefore I said, "Look away from me,
I will weep bitterly;
Do not labour to comfort me
Because of the plundering of the daughter of my people."
For it is a day of trouble and treading down and perplexity
By the Lord GOD of hosts
In the Valley of Vision--
Breaking down the walls
And of crying to the mountain.
I will weep bitterly;
Do not labour to comfort me
Because of the plundering of the daughter of my people."
For it is a day of trouble and treading down and perplexity
By the Lord GOD of hosts
In the Valley of Vision--
Breaking down the walls
And of crying to the mountain.
With so much distress across the World, it is perhaps no wonder that Gill felt that The LORD spoke to her about plunder and plundering. However, that Spirit Word also came as ‘line upon line; precept upon precept’, a God-given follow-on from our previous meditation ‘Set Your Boundaries’.
Isaiah is speaking ‘a proclamation against Jerusalem’ — a warning to God’s people, which begins with ‘The burden against the Valley of Vision. What ails you now, that you have all gone up to the housetops’. Here, ‘burden’ signifies a prophecy, ‘valley of vision’ speaks of pride in perception or revelation, which is underlined when he talks of ‘housetops’, a high place, but not high enough, thus indicating self-elevation. This is not ‘love lifted me’.
And in verse 2, we hear of ‘a joyous city’, where ‘joyous’, meaning ‘exultant in triumph’, appears to have been used sarcastically, and certainly without any suggestion of the joy of The Lord. Verse 3, has rulers fleeing, captured by the archers — giving us the picture of weak leaders caught in a trap that should have been foreseen and thus avoided.
This prophecy goes on to reveal that, inevitably, there will be ‘the plundering of the daughter of my people‘, or put another way, ‘the desolation and ruin of the apple of His eye … His people.’ This plundering can only take place when boundaries fall, when our misplaced self-confidence and arrogance allows the enemy into the camp to wreak havoc; trampling down, stealing salvation and draining away life.
Thus, because of the enemy’s plundering, we stand to lose every thing that we hold dear, but have not held dearly enough. We cannot afford to hold our faith lightly, or to dip in and out of The LORD’s covering, otherwise we are merely aiming for the housetop instead of the mountaintop.
Isaiah is speaking ‘a proclamation against Jerusalem’ — a warning to God’s people, which begins with ‘The burden against the Valley of Vision. What ails you now, that you have all gone up to the housetops’. Here, ‘burden’ signifies a prophecy, ‘valley of vision’ speaks of pride in perception or revelation, which is underlined when he talks of ‘housetops’, a high place, but not high enough, thus indicating self-elevation. This is not ‘love lifted me’.
And in verse 2, we hear of ‘a joyous city’, where ‘joyous’, meaning ‘exultant in triumph’, appears to have been used sarcastically, and certainly without any suggestion of the joy of The Lord. Verse 3, has rulers fleeing, captured by the archers — giving us the picture of weak leaders caught in a trap that should have been foreseen and thus avoided.
This prophecy goes on to reveal that, inevitably, there will be ‘the plundering of the daughter of my people‘, or put another way, ‘the desolation and ruin of the apple of His eye … His people.’ This plundering can only take place when boundaries fall, when our misplaced self-confidence and arrogance allows the enemy into the camp to wreak havoc; trampling down, stealing salvation and draining away life.
Thus, because of the enemy’s plundering, we stand to lose every thing that we hold dear, but have not held dearly enough. We cannot afford to hold our faith lightly, or to dip in and out of The LORD’s covering, otherwise we are merely aiming for the housetop instead of the mountaintop.
‘Meditate on these things…’
PSALM 91:1-6
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust."
Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler
And from the perilous pestilence.
He shall cover you with His feathers,
And under His wings you shall take refuge;
His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust."
Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler
And from the perilous pestilence.
He shall cover you with His feathers,
And under His wings you shall take refuge;
His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.
PSALM 91 — Esther Mui
A HOLY COMMAND: Oswald Chambers on LOVE
— Love with all your HEART --
IT NEVER COST a disciple anything to follow Jesus; to talk about cost when you are in love with anyone is an insult. The point of suffering is that it costs other people — fathers, mothers, households; consequently we decline to go on, consideration for others causes us to hold back.
[from ‘The Servant As His Lord’]
[from ‘The Servant As His Lord’]