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But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.
[Matthew 5:39 NKJV]
[Matthew 5:39 NKJV]
Jesus tells us in Matthew 5 — a chapter which reads as a “Guide to The Kingdom” — that we should not resist or stand against an evil person; instead, if someone hits out at us, we should offer to be the recipient of another blow. Is that really what He is saying?
In the book of James, the apostle says Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. [James 4:7 NKJV]; and Peter echoes this line with Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. [1 Peter 5:8-9 NKJV]
On the face of it, Jesus is saying ‘do not resist’, and the disciples are saying ‘resist’. How do we see a way through this conundrum? The only clear difference is that James and Peter are speaking of the devil, and Jesus talks of an evil person. When we look at the translation of ‘person’, we find that it is variously shown as ‘time’ ‘by’, ‘to’, ‘upon’, ‘against’, ‘at’, ‘over’, ’in’, and a number of other prepositions.
It would seem — and I am open to any better explanation — that Jesus’ meaning is that when one is dealing with a person, who at that moment, is consumed by or overcome by a spirit of evil, then do not resist, but show love instead of offence.
Interestingly, a few verses later, Jesus says But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. [Matthew 5:44-45 NKJV]
Thus, we can say that we must ‘stand against’ the accuser and adversary, the devil, but not stand against a brother/sister, who has been unable to stand, for he/she could easily be me/us.
Therefore take up the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. [Ephesians 6:13 NKJV]
In the book of James, the apostle says Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. [James 4:7 NKJV]; and Peter echoes this line with Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. [1 Peter 5:8-9 NKJV]
On the face of it, Jesus is saying ‘do not resist’, and the disciples are saying ‘resist’. How do we see a way through this conundrum? The only clear difference is that James and Peter are speaking of the devil, and Jesus talks of an evil person. When we look at the translation of ‘person’, we find that it is variously shown as ‘time’ ‘by’, ‘to’, ‘upon’, ‘against’, ‘at’, ‘over’, ’in’, and a number of other prepositions.
It would seem — and I am open to any better explanation — that Jesus’ meaning is that when one is dealing with a person, who at that moment, is consumed by or overcome by a spirit of evil, then do not resist, but show love instead of offence.
Interestingly, a few verses later, Jesus says But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. [Matthew 5:44-45 NKJV]
Thus, we can say that we must ‘stand against’ the accuser and adversary, the devil, but not stand against a brother/sister, who has been unable to stand, for he/she could easily be me/us.
Therefore take up the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. [Ephesians 6:13 NKJV]
Resist The Devil Jabin Mills
Beware of blaspheming the Creator by calling the natural sinful. The natural is not sinful, but un-moral and un-spiritual. It is the home of all the vagrant vices and virtues, and must be disciplined with the utmost severity until it learns its true position in the providence of God.
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That they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.”
And they shall rebuild the old ruins, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations.
[Isaiah 61:3b-4 NKJV]
And they shall rebuild the old ruins, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations.
[Isaiah 61:3b-4 NKJV]
This morning — “out wiv dog”, as Alex Hamilton would say —I thought again at the beautiful trees that surround us here at Calgary. I noticed that many had leaves only on their upper branches and that they were stretching up to the heavenlies.
I heard the phrase ‘trees of righteousness’, and immediately I saw that these aged trunks were stretching their branches to the heavens and there was ‘outrageous praise’ as the song says. Trees are representative of the saints and when we each raise our branches to the Lord, He hears that voice of praise. Oh, Lord, hear our praise, hear every cry of our heart in this time of difficulty and answer our prayers ... we look to you in every moment and lift our branches to you in praise.
I had hoped to find a a version of the wonderful song “Awaken unto righteousness, ye Lords of the Most High”, but alas, no. So, here is an instrumental song which bears no relation to anything I know, but is pleasant nonetheless.
We must remember, always, that the most important thing is “that He may be glorified”. That is what it is all about.
I heard the phrase ‘trees of righteousness’, and immediately I saw that these aged trunks were stretching their branches to the heavens and there was ‘outrageous praise’ as the song says. Trees are representative of the saints and when we each raise our branches to the Lord, He hears that voice of praise. Oh, Lord, hear our praise, hear every cry of our heart in this time of difficulty and answer our prayers ... we look to you in every moment and lift our branches to you in praise.
I had hoped to find a a version of the wonderful song “Awaken unto righteousness, ye Lords of the Most High”, but alas, no. So, here is an instrumental song which bears no relation to anything I know, but is pleasant nonetheless.
We must remember, always, that the most important thing is “that He may be glorified”. That is what it is all about.
Awake to Righteousness (Instrumentsl) — Inspiration Music
When you are thinking of the grudge you owe someone, let the Spirit of God bring back to your mind how you have treated God.
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Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed — in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.
For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
[1 Corinthians 15:51-53 NKJV]
For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
[1 Corinthians 15:51-53 NKJV]
Paul tells us that we shall all be changed in a moment, which is true; but the decision for change is made in the moment, and we do not know when that moment will come.
God creates the circumstances for ‘the moment’, and when ‘the moment’ arrives, we shall surely know - it is a moment of decision, a choosing to go with Christ, or to turn away. That is always the choice. The Holy Spirit never says “I’ll come back to you next week, once you’ve weighed up the pros and cons.”
Time after time in scripture, we see His saints faced with challenges; literal life and death decisions — and the response has to be immediate. When the test comes, there can be no prevarication; act ‘in the moment’; act now, for there is no other option.
When the disciples chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit to serve, he had the option to refuse that commission. God always let’s us choose the way we will go — But he [Stephen], being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”
Stephen being full of the Holy Spirit will have understood ‘in the moment’, what the outcome of the situation would be when he spoke to the assembly. He had to decide whether to proclaim truth, or save himself. Stephen chose the path of truth ...
Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; and they cast him out of the city and stoned him.
[Acts 7:55-58a NKJV]
In Stephen’s story we see the crucial element in making that life-changing decision — being full of the Holy Spirit. That allows us to be “carelessly careful”, with everything in life, allowing Christ to guide in the moment.
Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, until the indignation is past.
[Isaiah 26:20 NKJV]
God creates the circumstances for ‘the moment’, and when ‘the moment’ arrives, we shall surely know - it is a moment of decision, a choosing to go with Christ, or to turn away. That is always the choice. The Holy Spirit never says “I’ll come back to you next week, once you’ve weighed up the pros and cons.”
Time after time in scripture, we see His saints faced with challenges; literal life and death decisions — and the response has to be immediate. When the test comes, there can be no prevarication; act ‘in the moment’; act now, for there is no other option.
When the disciples chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit to serve, he had the option to refuse that commission. God always let’s us choose the way we will go — But he [Stephen], being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”
Stephen being full of the Holy Spirit will have understood ‘in the moment’, what the outcome of the situation would be when he spoke to the assembly. He had to decide whether to proclaim truth, or save himself. Stephen chose the path of truth ...
Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; and they cast him out of the city and stoned him.
[Acts 7:55-58a NKJV]
In Stephen’s story we see the crucial element in making that life-changing decision — being full of the Holy Spirit. That allows us to be “carelessly careful”, with everything in life, allowing Christ to guide in the moment.
Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, until the indignation is past.
[Isaiah 26:20 NKJV]
We Shall Be Changed Kitty Parham + Richard White
Wednesday 7th October 2020
I have to get to the implicit relationship that takes everything as it comes from God. He never guides presently, but always now. Realise that the Lord is here now, and the emancipation is immediate.
I have to get to the implicit relationship that takes everything as it comes from God. He never guides presently, but always now. Realise that the Lord is here now, and the emancipation is immediate.
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All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
[2 Timothy 3:16-17 NKJV]
[2 Timothy 3:16-17 NKJV]
All scripture is given by inspiration of God. ‘Inspiration’ means breathing in.* We are inspired by drawing in whatever it is that quickens the pulse; enthuses us and spurs us on to creative endeavour; greater achievement, or infuses peace and calm through our being, and much more besides.
I remember, as a young Christian (but getting on in years) coming across the phrase all scripture is God-breathed, and wondered where such an expression originated.
Reading verse 16 of 2 Timothy 3 in the Amplified Bible gives the explanation:
Every Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, [and] for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God’s will in thought, purpose, and action),
And surely that is the truth of God’s communication with us through His Holy Spirit - the wind of His Spirit; it is His inspiration. We feel His breath upon us; the breath of heaven flowing through us, carrying us upward to the mountaintops. The higher you go, the stronger the air current.
Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath or spirit of life, and man became a living being.
[Genesis 2:7 AMPC]
I remember, as a young Christian (but getting on in years) coming across the phrase all scripture is God-breathed, and wondered where such an expression originated.
Reading verse 16 of 2 Timothy 3 in the Amplified Bible gives the explanation:
Every Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, [and] for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God’s will in thought, purpose, and action),
And surely that is the truth of God’s communication with us through His Holy Spirit - the wind of His Spirit; it is His inspiration. We feel His breath upon us; the breath of heaven flowing through us, carrying us upward to the mountaintops. The higher you go, the stronger the air current.
Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath or spirit of life, and man became a living being.
[Genesis 2:7 AMPC]
* the act of drawing in (specifically : the drawing of air into the lungs) Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Breath of Heaven Amy Grant
Tuesday 6th October 2020
The need is never the call; God’s redemption is the call, the need is the opportunity.
The need is never the call; God’s redemption is the call, the need is the opportunity.
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Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.
[Proverbs 22:6 NKJV]
[Proverbs 22:6 NKJV]
These last couple of days my mind has, not unexpectedly, turned to thoughts of my mother, who died a year ago. We miss her greatly, and one of the things I treasure most in her last few years was our conversations about faith and scripture.
Mum would often talk about her father, my grandfather, and how he would teach her the names of the trees and the flowers on many a countryside walk in Ayrshire, giving her a deep love of nature; but Mum grew up in a Salvation Army household and so certain Christian attitudes and beliefs were instilled in her from birth. Two lifelong guiding influences were hers, but each reached her in differing ways.
For us as children, there was no pushing us into beliefs or interests; we were allowed to follow our own inclinations. As a result, only I am following Jesus, while my sister and brother are not. My mother’s method brought me to faith - but only after many years in the wilderness did I finally decide to follow The Lord.
What am I saying here? Was my parents way, or my grandparents way better? I suspect that for each one of us there is or was a different way. One tailor-made for who we are. And we do not know what is happening in the deepest parts of others, whether they will come to know Jesus or not.
I am grateful for all my mother did — encouraging (in her own way) me and my siblings to find faith . And that is all any of us is expected to do in The Lord. She taught as she felt right for her children.
He surely knows who was chosen from before the beginning of time and the teaching of ‘His children’ is best left up to Him. All we need to do is to play our part and train up our children in the way. The Lord will decide the way he should go.
I [the Lord] will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you. [Psalm 32:8 AMPC (NIV says ‘loving eye upon,]
Mum would often talk about her father, my grandfather, and how he would teach her the names of the trees and the flowers on many a countryside walk in Ayrshire, giving her a deep love of nature; but Mum grew up in a Salvation Army household and so certain Christian attitudes and beliefs were instilled in her from birth. Two lifelong guiding influences were hers, but each reached her in differing ways.
For us as children, there was no pushing us into beliefs or interests; we were allowed to follow our own inclinations. As a result, only I am following Jesus, while my sister and brother are not. My mother’s method brought me to faith - but only after many years in the wilderness did I finally decide to follow The Lord.
What am I saying here? Was my parents way, or my grandparents way better? I suspect that for each one of us there is or was a different way. One tailor-made for who we are. And we do not know what is happening in the deepest parts of others, whether they will come to know Jesus or not.
I am grateful for all my mother did — encouraging (in her own way) me and my siblings to find faith . And that is all any of us is expected to do in The Lord. She taught as she felt right for her children.
He surely knows who was chosen from before the beginning of time and the teaching of ‘His children’ is best left up to Him. All we need to do is to play our part and train up our children in the way. The Lord will decide the way he should go.
I [the Lord] will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you. [Psalm 32:8 AMPC (NIV says ‘loving eye upon,]
The Way You Should Go — Scripture Memory Verses
Monday 5th October 2020
The essence of Christianity is that we give the Son of God a chance to live and move and have His being in us.
The essence of Christianity is that we give the Son of God a chance to live and move and have His being in us.
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On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding.
[John 2:1-2 NKJV]
[John 2:1-2 NKJV]
We have only just heard, that a dear and beloved Christian friend of ours is getting married in the near future. It is our strongest prayer that all goes well for her and her fiancé.
We must remember that the joining of one to another is a ‘third day’ event - it is of God - and is the completion of a work He is doing.
It has to be an event where “Jesus and His disciples” are invited. When it comes to a wedding it is not only Jesus, but also His disciples who are invited to the wedding. In other words, there has to be a complete witness - by the head and the body of Christ - for the joining is not only of a man and a woman, but of the natural and the spiritual.
It is no coincidence that Jesus’ first miracle took place at a wedding. The transformation of water into wine - and the best wine at that - is symbolic of the change that a wedding represents; life recreated and raised up to be new fruitful life. Life given purpose by the presence of Jesus in the midst. It is two becoming one. What better cause for celebration.
There is going to be a wedding, between our Lord Jesus Christ - the Bridegroom - and His people - The Bride. God will have His way.
Go forth, O daughters of Zion, and see King Solomon with the crown with which his mother crowned him on the day of his wedding, the day of the gladness of his heart.
[Song of Solomon 3:11 NKJV]
We must remember that the joining of one to another is a ‘third day’ event - it is of God - and is the completion of a work He is doing.
It has to be an event where “Jesus and His disciples” are invited. When it comes to a wedding it is not only Jesus, but also His disciples who are invited to the wedding. In other words, there has to be a complete witness - by the head and the body of Christ - for the joining is not only of a man and a woman, but of the natural and the spiritual.
It is no coincidence that Jesus’ first miracle took place at a wedding. The transformation of water into wine - and the best wine at that - is symbolic of the change that a wedding represents; life recreated and raised up to be new fruitful life. Life given purpose by the presence of Jesus in the midst. It is two becoming one. What better cause for celebration.
There is going to be a wedding, between our Lord Jesus Christ - the Bridegroom - and His people - The Bride. God will have His way.
Go forth, O daughters of Zion, and see King Solomon with the crown with which his mother crowned him on the day of his wedding, the day of the gladness of his heart.
[Song of Solomon 3:11 NKJV]
The Eliezer Call Broken Strings Bluegrass
Sunday 4th October 2020
The people who are always desperately active are a nuisance; it is through the saints who are one with Him that God is doing things all the time.
The people who are always desperately active are a nuisance; it is through the saints who are one with Him that God is doing things all the time.
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But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.” Be hospitable to one another without grumbling.
As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
[1 Peter 4:7-11 NKJV]
As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
[1 Peter 4:7-11 NKJV]
You may have come across this video of David Wilkerson before. We have watched it several times, but it still comes across as fresh, and we felt to present this to you again this morning ...
Get Ready For The End Of All Things - David Wilkerson
In The Hour Of Trial - Acapeldridge
Friday 2nd October 2020
We have to keep in the light as God is in the light and the grace of God will supply supernatural life all the time. Thank God there is no end to His grace if we will keep in the humble place. The overflowing grace of God has no limits, and we have to set no limits to it, but “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”
We have to keep in the light as God is in the light and the grace of God will supply supernatural life all the time. Thank God there is no end to His grace if we will keep in the humble place. The overflowing grace of God has no limits, and we have to set no limits to it, but “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”
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Do not [earnestly] remember the former things; neither consider the things of old.
Behold, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs forth; do you not perceive and know it and will you not give heed to it? I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
[Isaiah 43:18-19 AMPC]
Behold, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs forth; do you not perceive and know it and will you not give heed to it? I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
[Isaiah 43:18-19 AMPC]
We are often told that ‘nothing is impossible with God’, and while that is undoubtedly true, He is remarkably reticent in exercising His amazing magical powers to solve all problems in an instant. Of course He doesn’t. Our God is not a wizard or genie granting us whatever we wish for; but He is in the business of making the impossible possible. He is not 'magical'; He is supernatural -- omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent.
I remember going to see Julia Lockwood play Peter Pan in Glasgow as a child. It was magical and gave me a lasting love of theatre, but even as an eight year old (or whatever age I was at the time), I recognised the stage tricks that made the magic happen. Yes, I shouted that I believed in fairies, when Tinkerbell was dying - even although I knew that it was, in reality, a technician dimming a focussed spotlight. That was fantasy recreated by clever means give an illusion of reality. Our God is not illusory, He is not sleight-of-hand or a trick of the light to convince where something is not; we know from experience; from knowing His presence, that He is real.
Our problem is often the rational mind. We expect to be able to figure out the nuts and bolts of how things work; how something has been put together, and the realm of the spirit does not appear to fit that scheme. Yet the same Creator God made the natural world to provide us with understanding of the deeper things. First the natural; then the spiritual.
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, [Romans 1:20 NKJV]
Only through the Holy Spirit can these things be clearly seen, but a seed of that remarkable agency lies dormant in every one ready to make the impossible possible; ready to awaken the life of the Son when His light shines through the darkness of the mind. It is making a way where there is no way, and He performs miracles again and again, over and over, every day in every way; creating new life. He makes ways in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, and we understand at last, that there is order of a higher order in Spirit-filled life.
But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.” [Mark 10:27 NKJV]
I remember going to see Julia Lockwood play Peter Pan in Glasgow as a child. It was magical and gave me a lasting love of theatre, but even as an eight year old (or whatever age I was at the time), I recognised the stage tricks that made the magic happen. Yes, I shouted that I believed in fairies, when Tinkerbell was dying - even although I knew that it was, in reality, a technician dimming a focussed spotlight. That was fantasy recreated by clever means give an illusion of reality. Our God is not illusory, He is not sleight-of-hand or a trick of the light to convince where something is not; we know from experience; from knowing His presence, that He is real.
Our problem is often the rational mind. We expect to be able to figure out the nuts and bolts of how things work; how something has been put together, and the realm of the spirit does not appear to fit that scheme. Yet the same Creator God made the natural world to provide us with understanding of the deeper things. First the natural; then the spiritual.
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, [Romans 1:20 NKJV]
Only through the Holy Spirit can these things be clearly seen, but a seed of that remarkable agency lies dormant in every one ready to make the impossible possible; ready to awaken the life of the Son when His light shines through the darkness of the mind. It is making a way where there is no way, and He performs miracles again and again, over and over, every day in every way; creating new life. He makes ways in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, and we understand at last, that there is order of a higher order in Spirit-filled life.
But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.” [Mark 10:27 NKJV]
God Will Make A Way -- Janet Paschal and Vestal Goodman
Thursday 1st October 2020
Forgetting in the Divine mind is an attribute, in the human mind it is a defect, consequently God never illustrates His Divine forgetfulness by human pictures, but by pictures taken from His own creation—“As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12). “I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions” (Isaiah 44:22).
Forgetting in the Divine mind is an attribute, in the human mind it is a defect, consequently God never illustrates His Divine forgetfulness by human pictures, but by pictures taken from His own creation—“As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12). “I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions” (Isaiah 44:22).
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I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You in a time when You may be found; surely in a flood of great waters they shall not come near him.
You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance.
[Psalm 32:5-7 NKJV]
For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You in a time when You may be found; surely in a flood of great waters they shall not come near him.
You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance.
[Psalm 32:5-7 NKJV]
When considering for 'My Fellow Prisoners' on Sunday, and the idea of being held 'captive with Christ', we were led to the description of our Lord Jesus Christ as our 'hiding place. It seems odd to the natural mind that the Bible encourages us to come out of our caves, and yet — at the same time — seek another place to hide.
We all need a hiding place; somewhere to run to when life gets too overwhelming; a place of peace and respite from the troubles of everyday life, no matter how large or small those troubles are.
He has probably already hidden in some pit or cave. [2 Samuel 17:9a NKJV]
In 2 Samuel, the hiding place is a place of security from which a murderous attack could be launched, and in another side to the same scenario, we have David and his mighty men hiding in the Cave of Adullam.
So David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. Soon his brothers and all his other relatives joined him there.
Then others began coming—men who were in trouble or in debt or who were just discontented—until David was the captain of about 400 men. [1Samuel 22:1-2 NKJV]
This time it was for the Lord’s purpose. Can we always tell? Not always, but maybe you can see where we are headed with this. A cave, a hiding place, is somewhere to hide and gather strength before going out into the world; into a place of danger or conflict; out to - maybe - fulfilment of a destiny. Remember Jesus, laid to rest in a cave until a supernatural force rolled the stone away and released a promise that changed everything for eternity!
Our Lord Jesus Christ offers us nothing less than that miraculous change for every one of us; but first we must be hidden in the depths of Him. We must drink of the water of His word, that we may be refreshed; we must live under the shadow of His hand that we may be nourished, and only when fully equipped with His protective armour, can we stand against the enemy’s assaults.
Our hiding place is the place of growth and maturity, which only our Saviour can provide - the only sure place of refuge and restoration; of strengthening and sustaining; our all in all.
We all need a hiding place; somewhere to run to when life gets too overwhelming; a place of peace and respite from the troubles of everyday life, no matter how large or small those troubles are.
He has probably already hidden in some pit or cave. [2 Samuel 17:9a NKJV]
In 2 Samuel, the hiding place is a place of security from which a murderous attack could be launched, and in another side to the same scenario, we have David and his mighty men hiding in the Cave of Adullam.
So David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. Soon his brothers and all his other relatives joined him there.
Then others began coming—men who were in trouble or in debt or who were just discontented—until David was the captain of about 400 men. [1Samuel 22:1-2 NKJV]
This time it was for the Lord’s purpose. Can we always tell? Not always, but maybe you can see where we are headed with this. A cave, a hiding place, is somewhere to hide and gather strength before going out into the world; into a place of danger or conflict; out to - maybe - fulfilment of a destiny. Remember Jesus, laid to rest in a cave until a supernatural force rolled the stone away and released a promise that changed everything for eternity!
Our Lord Jesus Christ offers us nothing less than that miraculous change for every one of us; but first we must be hidden in the depths of Him. We must drink of the water of His word, that we may be refreshed; we must live under the shadow of His hand that we may be nourished, and only when fully equipped with His protective armour, can we stand against the enemy’s assaults.
Our hiding place is the place of growth and maturity, which only our Saviour can provide - the only sure place of refuge and restoration; of strengthening and sustaining; our all in all.
You Are My Hiding Place -- Selah
- Published on
Wishing to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas for them, and after having Jesus scourged, he handed Him over to be crucified.
[Mark 15:15 NASB]
[Mark 15:15 NASB]
Today’s title is also the title of a recent, provocative but insightful secular book written by political commentator Douglas Murray. The book examines issues of sexuality, gender and race, arguing that much of today’s activism in social justice and identity politics is verging on a form of mass hysteria, based on ill-founded ideologies.
The book title reminded me of the account of Jesus being examined by Pilate. The record of his interrogation finishes with these sobering words, ‘wishing to satisfy the crowd … he handed Jesus over to be crucified’. The pressure of the angry voice of the crowd was too difficult for Pilate to counteract with his own sense of justice regarding Jesus.
When the rule of godly and established law is surrendered to the perceived rights of the crowd, it’s very likely that society will suffer rapid decline, a situation, I suggest, that is worryingly apparent in much of the world today. Interestingly, it was not many years after this world-changing decision by Pilate, that Jerusalem was utterly destroyed.
Today, biblical truth seems to be facing a mass of angry opposing voices, demanding adherence to ill-defined slogans of equality, diversity, inclusivity and freedom. Followers of Jesus should not be surprised, in these end days, by the strength of opposition to God’s ways, but He asks us to simply stand in a place of grace and truth with Him, believing that His ways are right.
Prayer: Father God, I ask for the strength and courage to keep going with You and not with the crowd, however challenging that may be, in a world that advocates the rights and power of public opinion, rather than biblical truth and justice. Amen.
The book title reminded me of the account of Jesus being examined by Pilate. The record of his interrogation finishes with these sobering words, ‘wishing to satisfy the crowd … he handed Jesus over to be crucified’. The pressure of the angry voice of the crowd was too difficult for Pilate to counteract with his own sense of justice regarding Jesus.
When the rule of godly and established law is surrendered to the perceived rights of the crowd, it’s very likely that society will suffer rapid decline, a situation, I suggest, that is worryingly apparent in much of the world today. Interestingly, it was not many years after this world-changing decision by Pilate, that Jerusalem was utterly destroyed.
Today, biblical truth seems to be facing a mass of angry opposing voices, demanding adherence to ill-defined slogans of equality, diversity, inclusivity and freedom. Followers of Jesus should not be surprised, in these end days, by the strength of opposition to God’s ways, but He asks us to simply stand in a place of grace and truth with Him, believing that His ways are right.
Prayer: Father God, I ask for the strength and courage to keep going with You and not with the crowd, however challenging that may be, in a world that advocates the rights and power of public opinion, rather than biblical truth and justice. Amen.
Author
David Cross: David is part of the Executive Leadership of Ellel Ministries, with particular responsibility for the Ellel centres in Western Europe. He is married to Denise and they have three grown up children and eight grandchildren. David has been a civil engineer and ski-touring instructor in the Highlands of Scotland. He is passionate about the teaching and practice of the healing and deliverance ministry of Jesus and has written several books: Soul Ties, Trapped by Control, God’s Covering, The Dangers of Alternative Ways to Healing (co-authored with John Berry), an A to Z Guide to the Healing Ministry, and, most recently, What`s Wrong with Human Rights? You can follow a daily thought from David on Twitter: @dmcross62
In Christ Alone - Keith and Kristyn Getty; Alison Krauss
Oswald Chambers
RUN TODAY'S RACE
Tuesday 29th September 2020
The next best thing to do is to ask, if you have not received; to seek, if you have not found; to knock if the door is not opened to you
RUN TODAY'S RACE
Tuesday 29th September 2020
The next best thing to do is to ask, if you have not received; to seek, if you have not found; to knock if the door is not opened to you