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LIVELY STONES MEDITATIONS

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John 14:1-6

The song displayed on our ‘You Tube’ offering today is the inspiration for today’s meditation. For whatever reason, I was profoundly moved by the words in this song when I first heard it sung recently, and the point that impressed so deeply came after two verses revealing the uncertainty of our existence, when three words turn chaos into order, doubt into knowing, and calamitous wandering into comfort and security … “but You said”
This world is broken, a ship with no anchor
Sailing through space always unchartered waters
Yet we seem to know where we want to go
But we don’t know why we’re here.


Millions get lost on their own little journey
Some only stay for a few passing moments
And the only thing that we know for sure
Is some day our journey ends.


But You said You are
The resurrection and the life
And whoever believes in you shall never die.
And you said, that by Your word and power
Even though we die, we’ll live forevermore.


And I believe, I believe, I believe in You
You are the way, You are the truth, You are the life everlasting
You are the light, You are the word, You are the Son of the Father


Robin Mark, Andrew McCann 2011 Inciite Publishing ©
As I thought about the words of the song, I was taken to the beginning of John 14 and “Let not your heart be troubled;” the reality that gives the power to “but You said” when we choose to turn again to Him.

It is simplicity itself to wander off on our own way, but so hard to get back to where we belong. We need to be anchored firmly where we can see the lighthouse and avoid the rocks. We cannot do it, only He can. So our part is to regularly bring to mind “but You said, Jesus.”
"Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.
In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
And where I go you know, and the way you know."
Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?"
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

[John 14:1-6 NKJV]

A HOLY CONDITION: Oswald Chambers on Peace
— Life in the Spirit --

The devil is the adversary of God in the rule of man and Satan is his representative. Because a thing is satanic does not mean it is abominable and immoral. As our Lord said, ‘that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.’ (Luke16:15).
Satan rules this world under the inspiration of the devil and men are peaceful: ‘when a strong man armed keeps his palace, his goods are in peace,’ there is no breaking out into sin and wrongdoing.
​One of the most cunning travesties is to represent Satan as the instigator of external sins. The satanically-managed man is moral, upright, proud and individual; he is absolutely self-governed and has no need of God.

[from ‘Baffled To Fight Better’]

Listen to this meditation by accessing the download file below ...

“You Said” — Robin Mark

‘MEDITATE ON THESE THINGS’

JOHN 15:26 KJV
But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
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Tuesday Gathering — 23rd November 2021

Therefore,
"Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you."
"I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty."
Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
[2 Corinthians 6:17-7:1 NKJV]
This Tuesday’s gathering was beautiful in its simplicity and looking to the Lord for His guidance and covering. Prayer was more intercessory on behalf of others than we have seen recently and we who were there were much encouraged by the moving of The Holy Spirit in the midst of us, and realising that in turning to Him, either individually or gathered in the fear of God, holiness is being perfected in us. The challenge is always to hold on to the gains made and walk in them.

There is not too much to be expanded upon, other than looking at the scripture readings that His presence guided us to consider, and in particular REVELATION 18:4-8 reproduced in our endpiece below. We also looked at GALATIANS 5:16-26 and PHILIPPIANS 4:8-9.

We sang songs such as
  • Oh the blood of Jesus
  • There is power in the blood
  • I will magnify your name
  • For All That I Have I will thank you
  • In Him we live
  • Rock of Ages, you are faithful and true
  • We bow down and confess

Perhaps most meaningful from our meeting (outside of many prayers for healing) was this Oswald Chambers reading from ‘My Utmost For His Highest’.
“What we must beware of is not damage to our belief in God but damage to our Christian disposition or state of mind. “Take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously” (Malachi 2: 16*). Our state of mind is powerful in its effects. It can be the enemy that penetrates right into our soul and distracts our mind from God. There are certain attitudes we should never dare to indulge. If we do, we will find they have distracted us from faith in God. Until we get back into a quiet mood before Him, our faith is of no value, and our confidence in the flesh and in human ingenuity is what rules our lives. Beware of “the cares of this world” (Mark 4: 19). They are the very things that produce the wrong attitudes in our soul. It is incredible what enormous power there is in simple things to distract our attention away from God. Refuse to be swamped by “the cares of this world.” Another thing that distracts us is our passion for vindication. St. Augustine prayed, “O Lord, deliver me from this lust of always vindicating myself.” Such a need for constant vindication destroys our soul’s faith in God. Don’t say, “I must explain myself,” or, “I must get people to understand.” Our Lord never explained anything—He left the misunderstandings or misconceptions of others to correct themselves. When we discern that other people are not growing spiritually and allow that discernment to turn to criticism, we block”

— My Utmost for His Highest, Updated Edition by Oswald Chambers


* MALACHI 2:16 "For the LORD God of Israel says That He hates divorce, for it covers one's garment with violence," says the LORD of hosts.
"Therefore take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously." [NLT]

A HOLY CONDITION: Oswald Chambers on Joy
— Strength in the Lord --

People are tired of the preaching about a future heaven and they have gone to the other extreme and deal only with what is called the practical. Consequently they rob themselves of the unfathomable joy of knowing that everything that God has said will come to pass.
The Redemption covers more than men and women, it covers the whole earth. Everything that has been marred by sin and the devil has been completely redeemed by Jesus Christ. At present that is absolutely inconceivable to us.
The world represents the societies of men on God’s earth, and they do as they like; the earth remains God’s. “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.” The meek bide God’s time.
[from “Biblical Ethics”]

Click on the download below to listen to this meditation

“Holiness Unto You Lord” — Vineyard Music

“MEDITATE ON THESE THINGS”

REVELATION 18:4-8 NLT
Then I heard another voice calling from heaven,
“Come away from her, my people.
Do not take part in her sins,
or you will be punished with her.
For her sins are piled as high as heaven,
and God remembers her evil deeds.
Do to her as she has done to others.
Double her penalty for all her evil deeds.
She brewed a cup of terror for others,
so brew twice as much for her.
She glorified herself and lived in luxury,
so match it now with torment and sorrow.
She boasted in her heart,
‘I am queen on my throne.
I am no helpless widow,
and I have no reason to mourn.’
Therefore, these plagues will overtake her in a single day--
death and mourning and famine.
She will be completely consumed by fire,
for the Lord God who judges her is mighty.”
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Tuesday Gathering — 16th November 2021

Our Tuesday Gathering was led by His Presence to follow the theme of service. He is ‘The Servant King’, and although we did not sing that song, His servanthood was expressed over and over again by His Word. This brief meditation cannot hope to do justice to all that was shared, so only a part can be written here, but a list of the scriptures will be given in our ‘Meditate on these things’ endpiece.

This meditation is less a report on what we shared, more some thoughts that have occurred during the last few days, amid all the usual thinking turmoil which conspires to keep one from completing anything useful.

But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, "You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." [MARK 10:41-45 NKJV]

Here (and also reported in Matthew 20) is the story of James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who ask if they can be seated at either side of Jesus in His glory. Jesus explains that such a thing is not in His gift, but for whom it is prepared. He then concludes with the words reproduced above in verses 41 to 45. The import of these words are set out in GALATIANS 5:13-15 …

For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: "You shall love your neighbour as yourself." But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!

This lesson is another where Jesus turns our natural assumptions on their head, as we see in MATTHEW 10:39, He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. We are shown that if we are to declare the love of Jesus by our actions, it can only be done in humility, through service. To serve is to love.

A HOLY CONDITION: Oswald Chambers on Joy
Strength In The Spirit

The joy of God remained with Jesus, and He said, “I want My joy to be in you.”
The wonder of communion is that I know and believe that Jesus Christ has redeemed the world; my part is to get men to realise it and then devote themselves to Jesus.
[from ‘He Shall Glorify Me’]

Click on the download file below to listen to this meditation

“The Servant King” — Graham Kendrick

‘MEDITATE UPON THESE THINGS’

SCRIPTURE VERSES CONSIDERED ON 16TH NOVEMBER 2021,
SHOULD YOU WISH TO FOLLOW HIM, ‘LINE UPON LINE’:
Acts 2:17-21
Luke 1:38
Galatians 5:13
John 12:26
Romans 12:1
Colossians 3:23-25
Mark 10: 35-45
Hebrews 9:15
Revelation 7:14-17
Psalm 85:10-13
Isaiah 55:11
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1 Thessalonians 5:12-22

  1. And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labour among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake.
  2. Be at peace among yourselves.
  3. Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly,
  4. comfort the fainthearted,
  5. uphold the weak,
  6. be patient with all.
  7. See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.

  1. Rejoice always,
  2. pray without ceasing,
  3. in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
  4. Do not quench the Spirit.
  5. Do not despise prophecies.
  6. Test all things; hold fast what is good.
  7. Abstain from every form of evil.

[1 Thessalonians 5:12-22 NKJV]
In ‘Be Thankful And Give Thanks’, we noted that the final group of verses written by Paul in 1 Thessalonians, formed a group of seven denoting a whole, a completion, but in fact there are two groups of seven to be discovered in chapter 5:12-22. The first group can be seen as an exhortation; an urging for our earnest attention, while the second are instructions — essentials for the journey — which, if put into practice, will help in guiding us in dealing with the exhortations.

For example, how can I be patient with all if it is not within me to do? Only by the Holy Spirit working through me will the longsuffering fruit of the Spirit enable me to overcome my natural impatience with all. Furthermore, we can learn much by the order in which the second grouping is presented.

Do not quench the Spirit is central to our discernment and all that we are accomplishing for The Lord. Without the intimate voice of the Holy Spirit, we can do nothing. However, to be ‘in the Spirit’, we must be in ‘the right spirit’, having a heart that is praising and rejoicing, ever praying and giving thanks — three things that have us effectively ‘abiding in Christ’.

But having that relationship with Jesus Christ means that we can lose it unless we take four conscious steps to avoid that outcome — two ‘do not’s’, which would otherwise leave us rudderless in the sea of humanity, and two aspects of spiritual discernment — Hold the good; reject the bad.

This is Paul’s checklist for the journey, as it were, which if I bear in mind can be a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. [Psalm 119:105 NKJV]

A HOLY CONDITION: Oswald Chambers on Peace
Life in the Spirit

Lord, may I be full of calm peace which comes from knowing that You reign.
[from ‘Knocking at God’s Door’]

Click on the download file below to listen to this meditation

“Rejoice In The Lord Alway” — George Rathbone

‘Meditate on these things’

1 CORINTHIANS 15:20-23
But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.
But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming.
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Thank [God] in everything [no matter what the circumstances may be, be thankful and give thanks], for this is the will of God for you [who are] in Christ Jesus [the Revealer and Mediator of that will].
[1 Thessalonians 5:18 AMPC]
I chose the Amplified Version of Thessalonians 5:18 here because it says be thankful and give thanks. It emphasises both aspects of giving thanks — the words and, more importantly, the heart. To give thanks we must also be thankful. I can say “Thank You, Lord,” but if I am gritting my teeth as I say it, then I be not thankful at all. It requires a change of heart, and the answer to the change is the ‘ever and always’ one — prayer.

In our translation here we are told that this thankfulness is the will of God for you who are in Christ Jesus. And the bracketed qualifying statement tells us that Christ is the Revealer and Mediator of the will of God. Unless we are in Christ Jesus — in the Holy Spirit — then we are nowhere and our thanksgiving is hollow and without meaning. Verse 19 tells us “Do not quench (suppress or subdue) the [Holy] Spirit;” and quenching the Holy Spirit is what looking to ourselves and our own disquiet is doing, but we can avoid this quenching of the Spirit, and be in the right spirit to be thankful, if we heed the preceding verse — verse 17 — “Be unceasing in prayer [praying perseveringly];” Prayer comes before being thankful, because it brings us into relationship with Christ.

Paul recognised God’s order in our relationship with Christ, and that order always involves prayer, because prayer is our direct link to Him. Without that communication, there is no relationship. Look at the sevenfold order that Paul states at the conclusion of 1 Thessalonians 5:
  • Rejoice always,
  • pray without ceasing,
  • in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
  • Do not quench the Spirit.
  • Do not despise prophecies.
  • Test all things; hold fast what is good.
  • Abstain from every form of evil.
We shall look at these verses in a little more detail in our next meditation.

We also considered this verse from 1 Thessalonians in the meditation ‘In Everything Give Thanks’ from October 2020. Click on the title if you wish to visit that meditation.

A HOLY CONDITION: Oswald Chambers on Joy
Strength In The Lord

The people who have plenty of time for you are those who have been through suffering, but now seem full of joy.
If a man has not been through suffering he will snub you unless you share his interests, he is no more concerned about you than the desert sand; but those who have been through things are not now taken up with their own sorrows, they are being made broken bread and poured-out wine for others.
You can always be sure of the man who has been through suffering, but never of the man who has not.
[from ‘Baffled To Fight Better’, also known as ‘Our Ultimate Refuge’]

Tap on the ‘Download File’ link to listen to this meditation.

“Thank You, Lord” — Don Moen

‘Meditate on these things…’

2 THESSALONIANS 2:13-15 NKJV
But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle.
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Proverbs 20:27

The Lord’s light penetrates the human spirit, exposing every hidden motive.
[Proverbs 20:27, NLT]

The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly.
[Proverbs 20:27 NKJV]

One of the regular jobs I have in our home is to clean the windows inside and out. As we live in a bungalow this is a fairly easy task. It doesn’t require the use of steps or a ladder. I always try to make as good a job of them as possible and not leave any smears, streaks, or blemishes on the glass. When I finished this job a few days ago and inspected what I had done, I was satisfied with my achievements as all the windows appeared clean and free of dust and dirt and seemed to sparkle. A job well done, I thought.

On the following day when I had an opportunity to sit down and enjoy the sunlight coming through the window, I was disappointed to discover that what I had thought to be a clean, clear pane of glass the day before did, in fact, still have marks and smears. The sunlight highlighted the imperfections of my efforts.

This has caused me to think how we can be like that. We can so easily deceive ourselves and others into believing that we are doing well, and living and behaving as we should, doing and saying all the right things. Proverbs 21:2 reminds us of this when it says, ‘People may be right in their own eyes but the Lord examines their heart.’

When the light of God’s word of truth and love is allowed to shine into our heart, it reveals things which otherwise would remain unnoticed and may have done so for a long time. Things such as wrong thoughts and desires, pride, jealousy and bitterness can be revealed when we allow God, by His Spirit, to highlight them, and when we begin to look at them from His perspective, in line with His word.

Inconsistencies and lack of integrity, not noticed, or perhaps overlooked, by others, are made visible when the Holy Spirit is allowed to scrutinise our hearts and point out the blemishes and smears which need to be dealt with. Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross provided the means by which forgiveness and removal of these ‘blemishes’ is available. We are then to appropriate that for ourselves personally. This is the sanctifying process which the Lord is wanting to do in each one of us, changing us into His likeness.

The words from Psalm 139:23-24 would be a good way to pray each day, ‘Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life,’ or these words from Graham Kendrick’s song, ‘Shine Jesus Shine’. ‘Lord I come to Your awesome presence, from the shadows into Your radiance; by Your blood I may enter Your brightness: search me, try me, consume all my darkness – shine on me.’

Prayer: Dear Lord, please help me to allow the light of Your love to highlight the irregularities in my heart, so that I can offer them to You for forgiveness and cleansing. Amen.


Today's Writer : Malcolm Wood Malcolm Wood and his wife Anna became part of the Ellel family as House Managers at Ellel Grange in 1990. Since then they have been involved with many aspects of the developing Ministry. From 2001 until 2015 they were Directors of Ellel Scotland where they hosted several International Schools and Operation Blairmore and helped pioneer the exciting Creative Inspiration Weeks. They have three sons.

A HOLY CONDITION: Oswald Chambers on Joy
Strength in the Spirit

God is so immediately near and so immensely strong that I get more and more joyous in my confidence in Him and less and less careful how I feel.
[from ‘Run Today’s Race’]

Listen to this meditation by clicking on the link below

“Shine Jesus, Shine” — at The Royal Albert Hall

‘Meditate on these things’

REVELATION 22:1-5
And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:
And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.
And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.
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John 13:36-38

Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, where are You going?"
Jesus answered him, "Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you shall follow Me afterward."
Peter said to Him, "Lord, why can I not follow You now? I will lay down my life for Your sake."
Jesus answered him, "Will you lay down your life for My sake? Most assuredly, I say to you, the rooster shall not crow till you have denied Me three times.
[John 13:36-38 NKJV]
We all like to think that we are in control of things, that we have a say in the direction of our lives. Certainly we can make choices, but how informed are our choices? Judas made a choice, exercising what he thought was control over Jesus and the other disciples, but at this point in the story had yet to realise how his choice would play out. Jesus knew, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man. [John 2:25 NKJV]

God uses our choices — good or ill — in His eternal plan, and does so because He knows us better than we know ourselves. We are His creation; creatures with the free will to make those choices which can take us to life or death. He prefers that we choose life; His life, and to leave the important choices up to Him.

Peter voiced his lack of understanding of what Jesus repeated about the outworking of choices made. "Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you shall follow Me afterward." Notice that this passage begins ‘Simon Peter said to Him,’ but when he responds to Jesus’ statement, he is described as ‘Peter’. The name Peter means ‘rock’; Simon is a form of Simeon, or ‘hearing’. When Peter replies with “Lord, why can I not follow you now?” he is not hearing, or rather, understanding what has been said to Him, so He impetuously responds with “I will lay down my life for your sake.”


Jesus says, “Will you … ?” and shows His discernment of Peter’s heart, by prophesying Peter’s denial of Him. This could be any one of us to whom Jesus asks “Will you lay down your life for my sake?” It is easy to respond “Yes, Lord. Yes!” and believe it in the moment, but it takes a daily determination to hand over the reins of our will to Him. He will make it our reality.

A HOLY CONDITION: Oswald Chambers on Joy
Strength In The Lord

It is always easy to neglect a man or woman who deliberately accepts the aim of his life from the Lord Jesus. Many of us are imitators of other people, we do Christian because someone has asked us to do it.
We must receive our ministry, which is to testify the gospel of the grace of God, from Jesus Christ Himself, not from other Christians. Joy is the result of the perfect fulfilment of what man is created for. It is continually necessary to revert to what the New Testament asks us to accept about ourselves. Our first accepted vocation is not to help men, but to obey God, and when we accept that vocation we enter into relationship with the despised and the neglected.
[from ‘The Psychology of Redemption’]

Click below to hear the audio version of this meditation…

“Yes, Lord, Yes” — Shirley Caesar, Young Adult Choir with Anthony Brown

‘Meditate on these things’

JOHN 10:17-18 NKJV
Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father."
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John 13:31-35

So, when he had gone out, Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him.
If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and glorify Him immediately.
Little children, I shall be with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, 'Where I am going, you cannot come,' so now I say to you.
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."
[John 13:31-35 NKJV]
Judas has barely left the room and Jesus declares “Now the Son of Man is glorified,” and glorified is used here in the sense of being confirmed; that His worth and purpose is made manifest and can be acknowledged. There is now no going back — the Divine Plan is being fulfilled — and so Jesus is set irrevocably on course for Calvary.

Jesus repeats His statement “Where I am going, you cannot come,” and as we will see, His disciples are confused again by His meaning. Then we find something that is only reported in John’s gospel, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” Only John uses the phrase a new commandment, and “love one another” appears in writings by John, Paul and Peter.

Other New Testament writers use expressions like love your neighbour as yourself. It might seem pedantic, but there is a subtle difference in how “love one another” is presented here, because it is qualified by “as I have loved you”. Jesus loves us like no other, and this is Him again turning our perception from the ways of the world to the way of the Spirit. He is the way. When Jesus speaks it is always to ‘the higher calling’.

A HOLY PROMISE: Oswald Chambers on Hope

Certainty of God means uncertainty in life; while certainty in belief makes us uncertain of God. Certainty is the mark of the common-sense life; gracious uncertainty is the mark of the spiritual life, and they must both go together.
[from ‘The Love of God’]

Click below for an audio version of this meditation

“Love One Another” — Tommy Walker Ministries

‘Meditate On These Things’

Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honour giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.
[Romans 12:9-13 NKJV]
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Tuesday Gathering — 2nd November 2021

Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.
The ungodly are not so,
But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
For the LORD knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the ungodly shall perish.

[Psalm 1:1-6 NKJV]
Psalm 1 (and Psalm 2) were integral to our meeting this week, when we found ourselves focussing on the chaff which the wind drives away, that separated stuff which is cast away. As Psalm 1 says, it is the ungodly which are separated and driven away … they are of no consequence in the eyes of The Lord. Our thoughts were prompted when Gill noticed the husks of the grain on the garden bird table being blown away on the breeze. However, the ungodly can also mean the ungodly part in godly people.

Where, therefore, do we stand in this? It seems plain that if we believe that we are godly people, following His ways and truth and life, then there is an inevitability that at some point along the road we must face judgement. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment. Why should the ungodly be exempt from His judgement? Because they cannot stand in the wind. They are not held fast in solid ground. They are not ‘in the company’. They are not saved and thus know not His life, which we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast. [Hebrews 6:19a]

While considering these Psalms we sang praises to Him, and here are a few that we can recall now--
  • We are here to praise You
  • Be Still for the presence of The Lord
  • Thank You Lord for loving me
  • All hail the Lamb
  • Only by grace can we enter
  • The Spirit of the Lord says ‘come’

Matthew Henry’s Commentary is a sure exposition and we have included below, his thoughts on Psalm 1, verses 4-6.
THE WAY OF THE RIGHTEOUS AND END OF THE UNGODLY
Vs. 4-6. The ungodly are the reverse of the righteous, both in character and condition. The ungodly are not so, ver. 4; they are led by the counsel of the wicked, in the way of sinners, to the seat of the scornful; they have no delight in the law of God; they bring forth no fruit but what is evil.
The righteous are like useful, fruitful trees: the ungodly are like the chaff which the wind drives away: the dust which the owner of the floor desires to have driven away, as not being of any use. They are of no worth in God’s account, how highly soever they may value themselves. They are easily driven to and fro by every wind of temptation.
The chaff may be, for a while, among the wheat, but He is coming, whose fan is in his hand, and who will thoroughly purge his floor. Those that, by their own sin and folly, make themselves as chaff, will be found so before the whirlwind and fire of Divine wrath.
The doom of the ungodly is fixed, but whenever the sinner becomes sensible of this guilt and misery, he may be admitted into the company of the righteous by Christ the living way, and become in Christ a new creature. He has new desires, new pleasures, hopes, fears, sorrows, companions, and employments. His thoughts, words, and actions are changed. He enters on a new state, and bears a new character.
Behold, all things are become new by Divine grace, which changes his soul into the image of the Redeemer. How different the character and end of the ungodly!
[Matthew Henry’s Commentary on Psalm 1]

A HOLY PROMISE: Oswald Chambers on Hope

When God gives a vision and darkness follows, wait; God will bring you into accordance with the vision He has given if you will wait His time. We try to do away with the supernatural in God’s undertakings. Never try and help God fulfill His word. There are some things we cannot do, and that is one of them.
[from ‘Not Knowing Whither’]

Click on the file below to listen to our audio version …

“We have an anchor” — The Mandate

‘MEDITATE ON THESE THINGS’

[Psalm 2:10-12 NLT]
Now then, you kings, act wisely!
Be warned, you rulers of the earth!
Serve the LORD with reverent fear,
and rejoice with trembling.
Submit to God’s royal son, or he will become angry,
and you will be destroyed in the midst of all your activities--
for his anger flares up in an instant.
But what joy for all who take refuge in him!
Published on

John 13:18-30

"I do not speak concerning all of you. I know whom I have chosen; but that the Scripture may be fulfilled, He who eats bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me.' Now I tell you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe that I am He. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me."
When Jesus had said these things, He was troubled in spirit, and testified and said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me." Then the disciples looked at one another, perplexed about whom He spoke.
Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved. Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask who it was of whom He spoke.
Then, leaning back on Jesus' breast, he said to Him, "Lord, who is it?"
Jesus answered, "It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it." And having dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus said to him, "What you do, do quickly." But no one at the table knew for what reason He said this to him. For some thought, because Judas had the money box, that Jesus had said to him, "Buy those things we need for the feast," or that he should give something to the poor.
Having received the piece of bread, he then went out immediately. And it was night.
[John 13:18-30 NKJV]
And it was night. A time of darkness. The last act in this drama begins to unfold. Everyone is set to fulfil their predestined purpose, something that Jesus knew, down to the finest detail. His betrayer is confirmed in these verses; not in a loud declaration, but quietly, gently and to the conscience.

When Jesus convicts us of a wrong, He does so in this same way. He does not humiliate or punish, He merely says to the inner man, “What you do, do quickly.” Do we realise that we betray Him when, having walked with Him, we decide to go our own way?

Consider the manner in which Jesus handles the situation — can we see through Jesus’ eyes in a given situation? Does He stand and point at Judas and publicly accuse him? Is Judas condemned before the other disciples? Does Jesus hinder Judas in any way? Jesus does none of these very human reactions. Instead, having dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot. (The name means ‘praised man of the city’; maybe what we might call ‘a respected man about town’.)

Jesus feeds Judas with bread dipped in what? We don’t know, although some scholars have suggested it may be garum, a kind of fish sauce, and the act of sharing the bread dipped expresses at least a phileo, if not an agape love. The betrayer and the betrayed acknowledge the truth of what is happening.

Jesus fed and cared for the one who was the instrument to bring about His death; it is part of God’s plan, but shows us something transcending our daily experience — that even when we go our own way and hurt Him unto death, He will still love us and feed us. He will not deny us a piece of bread.

A HOLY PROMISE: Oswald Chambers on Hope

Beware of trusting in your trust and see that you trust in the Lord, and you will never know you trust Him because you are taken up into His certainty.
[from ‘Not Knowing Whither’]

Click on download file below to listen to this meditation

“Jesus Loves Me” — Rosemary Siemens

'Meditate on these things'

But unto you who revere and worshipfully fear My name shall the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing in His wings and His beams, and you shall go forth and gambol like calves [released] from the stall and leap for joy.
[Malachi 4:2 AMPC]

MEDITATE ON THESE THINGS…

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.
PHILIPPIANS 4:8-9

Authors

GEORGE and GILL STEWART
for Cornerstone Christian Fellowship, Kilmartin
(unless post shows otherwise)