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And in the morning you shall see the glory of the LORD; for He hears your complaints against the LORD. But what are we, that you complain against us?”
Also Moses said, “This shall be seen when the LORD gives you meat to eat in the evening, and in the morning bread to the full; for the LORD hears your complaints which you make against Him. And what are we? Your complaints are not against us but against the LORD.”
Then Moses spoke to Aaron, “Say to all the congregation of the children of Israel, ‘Come near before the LORD, for He has heard your complaints.’ ”
[Exodus 16:7-9 NKJV]
Also Moses said, “This shall be seen when the LORD gives you meat to eat in the evening, and in the morning bread to the full; for the LORD hears your complaints which you make against Him. And what are we? Your complaints are not against us but against the LORD.”
Then Moses spoke to Aaron, “Say to all the congregation of the children of Israel, ‘Come near before the LORD, for He has heard your complaints.’ ”
[Exodus 16:7-9 NKJV]
So often we do not see the hand of God upon us, and we mistake the trials of life as a snare from which God has failed to protect us. Then we cry out to God “Why have You abandoned me?”. Seen like this, our God can seem selfish and unconcerned about His people.
Moses and Aaron felt the rising resentment amongst the Israelites and were getting the blame from the many who merely saw the store of provisions dwindling and nothing but misery on the path ahead. “We would be better back in Egypt!” was the cry. “This was all a big mistake.” Aaron and Moses then tried to reassure their people that God had it covered - that He hears your complaints.
Notice the progression of Moses’ attempt to convince the Israelites to put their trust in God in adversity:
These verses help us to see that we must trust our Heavenly Father to care for us. This is the trial of our faith; to continue walking the road with God, knowing He will lead us in His way. And so it proved in the next verses ... God honours His promises.
Now it came to pass, as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud.
And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "I have heard the complaints of the children of Israel. Speak to them, saying, 'At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. And you shall know that I am the LORD your God.'"
[Exodus 16:10-12 NKJV]
Moses and Aaron felt the rising resentment amongst the Israelites and were getting the blame from the many who merely saw the store of provisions dwindling and nothing but misery on the path ahead. “We would be better back in Egypt!” was the cry. “This was all a big mistake.” Aaron and Moses then tried to reassure their people that God had it covered - that He hears your complaints.
Notice the progression of Moses’ attempt to convince the Israelites to put their trust in God in adversity:
- and in the morning you shall see the glory of the LORD; for He hears your complaints against the LORD.
- when the LORD gives you meat to eat in the evening, and in the morning bread to the full; for the LORD hears your complaints which you make against Him.
- Come near before the LORD, for He has heard your complaints.
These verses help us to see that we must trust our Heavenly Father to care for us. This is the trial of our faith; to continue walking the road with God, knowing He will lead us in His way. And so it proved in the next verses ... God honours His promises.
Now it came to pass, as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud.
And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "I have heard the complaints of the children of Israel. Speak to them, saying, 'At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. And you shall know that I am the LORD your God.'"
[Exodus 16:10-12 NKJV]
“I Love The Lord, He Heard My Cry” — Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir
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Monday 17th August 2020
The need is not to do things, but to believe. “What must I do to be saved?” Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.”
Monday 17th August 2020
The need is not to do things, but to believe. “What must I do to be saved?” Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.”
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“Say to them, “Thus says the Lord GOD: “On the day when I chose Israel and raised My hand in an oath to the descendants of the house of Jacob, and made Myself known to them in the land of Egypt, I raised My hand in an oath to them, saying, ‘I am the LORD your God.’
On that day I raised My hand in an oath to them, to bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, ‘flowing with milk and honey,’ the glory of all lands.
[Ezekiel 20:5-6 NKJV]
On that day I raised My hand in an oath to them, to bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, ‘flowing with milk and honey,’ the glory of all lands.
[Ezekiel 20:5-6 NKJV]
The land around us is special and glorious to be sure, but God is concerned above all things about the land within us, and when we give that land to Him, we see His glory, for He is the glory of all lands.
I cannot help but think of our late and much lamented John Whitefield. If I had to link John with one word it would be ‘glory’, for that was something that was ever present for him.
John desired the glory of The Lord, and he surely found that glory in everyday living. The Lord assures us — indeed gives an oath — that if we heed His voice, He will bring us out of Egypt (a type of the world) — and lead us into His promised land, the one flowing with the good things of milk and honey, to enter His glory of all lands, which is His eternal presence. Let us glory in that today — even for a little moment.
One of my favourite Christian singing groups is ‘The Cathedrals’, particularly the great George Younce with his amazing vocal range. Here he is with a glorious song, “Movin’ Up To Gloryland” ...
I cannot help but think of our late and much lamented John Whitefield. If I had to link John with one word it would be ‘glory’, for that was something that was ever present for him.
John desired the glory of The Lord, and he surely found that glory in everyday living. The Lord assures us — indeed gives an oath — that if we heed His voice, He will bring us out of Egypt (a type of the world) — and lead us into His promised land, the one flowing with the good things of milk and honey, to enter His glory of all lands, which is His eternal presence. Let us glory in that today — even for a little moment.
One of my favourite Christian singing groups is ‘The Cathedrals’, particularly the great George Younce with his amazing vocal range. Here he is with a glorious song, “Movin’ Up To Gloryland” ...
“Movin’ Up To Gloryland” — The Cathedrals
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Sunday 16th August 2020
There is something in human pride that can stand big troubles, but we need the supernatural grace and power of God to stand by us in the little things.
Sunday 16th August 2020
There is something in human pride that can stand big troubles, but we need the supernatural grace and power of God to stand by us in the little things.
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“Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.
O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me.
And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”
When Jesus had spoken these words, He went out with His disciples over the Brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which He and His disciples entered. And Judas, who betrayed Him, also knew the place; for Jesus often met there with His disciples.
[John 17:24-26 and John 18:1-2 NKJV]
O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me.
And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”
When Jesus had spoken these words, He went out with His disciples over the Brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which He and His disciples entered. And Judas, who betrayed Him, also knew the place; for Jesus often met there with His disciples.
[John 17:24-26 and John 18:1-2 NKJV]
When Jesus had spoken these words ... There is a tendency in us to follow the Bible chapters and keep them separate, but that is not how these things were written. The chapters are later impositions on what has been set down and we should consider this in our reading.
To see that Jesus was in the garden of Gethsemane immediately after the amazing words of John 17, elevates that declaration into a summation of Jesus’ earthly ministry; all the time knowing of His betrayal and execution on the cross.
It began in the garden and it ends in the garden. The Bible story is bookended by the garden. We even have Mary Magdalene, on seeing the Risen Christ, mistaking Him as the gardener, which in reality is not a mistaking at all. Indeed, that pivotal moment - the first witness to the Risen Christ - is the moment when the New Eden was revealed to mankind.
Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?”
She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”
Jesus said to her, “Mary!”
She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which is to say, Teacher).
[John 20:15-16 NKJV]
What is special about this moment is that Mary recognises Jesus when He speaks her name. That is what is so important for each one of us — when the gardener call us by our name. We see that in Jesus’ last declaration at the end of John 17 ...
And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.
Jesus Christ will declare each name of His Chosen Ones to Father God, so that the love with which He loved Jesus May be in each one of us. That deserves an almighty Hallelujah!
To see that Jesus was in the garden of Gethsemane immediately after the amazing words of John 17, elevates that declaration into a summation of Jesus’ earthly ministry; all the time knowing of His betrayal and execution on the cross.
It began in the garden and it ends in the garden. The Bible story is bookended by the garden. We even have Mary Magdalene, on seeing the Risen Christ, mistaking Him as the gardener, which in reality is not a mistaking at all. Indeed, that pivotal moment - the first witness to the Risen Christ - is the moment when the New Eden was revealed to mankind.
Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?”
She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”
Jesus said to her, “Mary!”
She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which is to say, Teacher).
[John 20:15-16 NKJV]
What is special about this moment is that Mary recognises Jesus when He speaks her name. That is what is so important for each one of us — when the gardener call us by our name. We see that in Jesus’ last declaration at the end of John 17 ...
And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.
Jesus Christ will declare each name of His Chosen Ones to Father God, so that the love with which He loved Jesus May be in each one of us. That deserves an almighty Hallelujah!
“Gethsemane” — Claire Ryan
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Friday 14th August 2020
Where did Jesus place His feet? He placed them by the sick and the sorrowful, by the dead, by the bad, by the twisted and by the good. He placed His feet exactly where we have to place ours, either with or without Him, in the ordinary rough and tumble of human life as it is. “I will make the place of My feet glorious.”
Friday 14th August 2020
Where did Jesus place His feet? He placed them by the sick and the sorrowful, by the dead, by the bad, by the twisted and by the good. He placed His feet exactly where we have to place ours, either with or without Him, in the ordinary rough and tumble of human life as it is. “I will make the place of My feet glorious.”
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“Listen to Me, you who follow after righteousness, You who seek the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the hole of the pit from which you were dug.
Look to Abraham your father, and to Sarah who bore you; for I called him alone, and blessed him and increased him.”
For the LORD will comfort Zion, He will comfort all her waste places; He will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; Joy and gladness will be found in it, thanksgiving and the voice of melody.
[Isaiah 51:1-3 NKJV]
Look to Abraham your father, and to Sarah who bore you; for I called him alone, and blessed him and increased him.”
For the LORD will comfort Zion, He will comfort all her waste places; He will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; Joy and gladness will be found in it, thanksgiving and the voice of melody.
[Isaiah 51:1-3 NKJV]
The message is always “Look to The Rock” which is Jesus Christ. Nowhere else will you find the complete comfort that will make your “wilderness like Eden”, and your desert “like the garden of The Lord.”
The passage ends with that beautiful phrase “thanksgiving and the voice of melody”. Interestingly, ‘melody’ is related to a word meaning to prune, as in ‘pruning the roses’, with the actual expression meaning to ‘pluck on strings’, or ‘make music’. What a lovely connection to make between the garden and music. It shows that the creation of our spiritual garden requires regular cutting back to allow new growth, something that pleases The Lord, and that the voice of melody, or praise, is the vocal equivalent of saying that a flower is a delight to the eye, or has a sweet perfume. Joy and gladness will be found when we return to His garden.
On this occasion we are in Isaiah, but similar thoughts appear in many other books in scripture. Really, The Lord can take the worst of us and turn us around — with no condemnation! Then we see more in verses 5 to 6 ...
“Listen to Me, My people; and give ear to Me, O My nation: for law will proceed from Me, and I will make My justice rest as a light of the peoples.
My righteousness is near, My salvation has gone forth, and My arms will judge the peoples; The coastlands will wait upon Me, and on My arm they will trust.
Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look on the earth beneath. For the heavens will vanish away like smoke,
The earth will grow old like a garment, and those who dwell in it will die in like manner;
But My salvation will be forever,
And My righteousness will not be abolished.
[Isaiah 51:5-6 NKJV]
These are words to treasure; to take to the heart, and it becomes apparent that the Genesis garden promises become embedded into scripture as a ‘garden of verses’, each verse a seed which will be sown in the fertile ground of a believer’s heart. We must always and ever ‘look to the Rock’.
The passage ends with that beautiful phrase “thanksgiving and the voice of melody”. Interestingly, ‘melody’ is related to a word meaning to prune, as in ‘pruning the roses’, with the actual expression meaning to ‘pluck on strings’, or ‘make music’. What a lovely connection to make between the garden and music. It shows that the creation of our spiritual garden requires regular cutting back to allow new growth, something that pleases The Lord, and that the voice of melody, or praise, is the vocal equivalent of saying that a flower is a delight to the eye, or has a sweet perfume. Joy and gladness will be found when we return to His garden.
On this occasion we are in Isaiah, but similar thoughts appear in many other books in scripture. Really, The Lord can take the worst of us and turn us around — with no condemnation! Then we see more in verses 5 to 6 ...
“Listen to Me, My people; and give ear to Me, O My nation: for law will proceed from Me, and I will make My justice rest as a light of the peoples.
My righteousness is near, My salvation has gone forth, and My arms will judge the peoples; The coastlands will wait upon Me, and on My arm they will trust.
Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look on the earth beneath. For the heavens will vanish away like smoke,
The earth will grow old like a garment, and those who dwell in it will die in like manner;
But My salvation will be forever,
And My righteousness will not be abolished.
[Isaiah 51:5-6 NKJV]
These are words to treasure; to take to the heart, and it becomes apparent that the Genesis garden promises become embedded into scripture as a ‘garden of verses’, each verse a seed which will be sown in the fertile ground of a believer’s heart. We must always and ever ‘look to the Rock’.
“Jesus Is My Rock” — Anointed Body of Praise
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Tuesday 12th August 2020
Conscience is the faculty of the spirit that fits itself on to the highest a man knows, whether he be an agnostic or a Christian; every man has a conscience, although every man does not know God.
Tuesday 12th August 2020
Conscience is the faculty of the spirit that fits itself on to the highest a man knows, whether he be an agnostic or a Christian; every man has a conscience, although every man does not know God.
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Now a river went out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it parted and became four riverheads.
The name of the first is Pishon; it is the one which skirts the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. And the gold of that land is good. Bdellium and the onyx stone are there.
The name of the second river is Gihon; it is the one which goes around the whole land of Cush.
The name of the third river is Hiddekel; it is the one which goes toward the east of Assyria.
The fourth river is the Euphrates.
[Genesis 2:10-14 NKJV]
The name of the first is Pishon; it is the one which skirts the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. And the gold of that land is good. Bdellium and the onyx stone are there.
The name of the second river is Gihon; it is the one which goes around the whole land of Cush.
The name of the third river is Hiddekel; it is the one which goes toward the east of Assyria.
The fourth river is the Euphrates.
[Genesis 2:10-14 NKJV]
On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.
He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
[John 7:37-39 NKJV]
When we consider the four rivers described as going out of Eden to water the garden, we can be puzzled, for if Eden is the garden, then how can water flowing out of Eden be also watering Eden?
But then consider John 7:37-39 above. The act of giving life to another, also refreshes the giver. Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water, and this because he/she has already received refreshing life from Christ.
Four rivers flowed from Eden; and four represents creation - the four corners of the world; the four ancient elements (earth, air, fire, water), the four winds and so on. It also thus reveals God’s creative universal plan of redemption through Jesus Christ.
These rivers proclaim through their names the flow of divine life coming from the creative hand of Father God. Pishon and Gihon together mean ‘increase bursting forth’, while Hiddekel and Euphrates combined says ‘rapid fruitfulness’. Abundant life in the Spirit. Good Lord show us the way! Show us Your rivers of living water.
He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
[John 7:37-39 NKJV]
When we consider the four rivers described as going out of Eden to water the garden, we can be puzzled, for if Eden is the garden, then how can water flowing out of Eden be also watering Eden?
But then consider John 7:37-39 above. The act of giving life to another, also refreshes the giver. Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water, and this because he/she has already received refreshing life from Christ.
Four rivers flowed from Eden; and four represents creation - the four corners of the world; the four ancient elements (earth, air, fire, water), the four winds and so on. It also thus reveals God’s creative universal plan of redemption through Jesus Christ.
These rivers proclaim through their names the flow of divine life coming from the creative hand of Father God. Pishon and Gihon together mean ‘increase bursting forth’, while Hiddekel and Euphrates combined says ‘rapid fruitfulness’. Abundant life in the Spirit. Good Lord show us the way! Show us Your rivers of living water.
“Down To The River To Pray” — Virtual Choir
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Tuesday 11th August 2020
Whenever we begin to worship our habit of prayer or of Bible reading, God will break up that time. We say—“I cannot do this, I am praying; it is my hour with God.” No, it is our hour with our habit; we pray to a habit of prayer.
Tuesday 11th August 2020
Whenever we begin to worship our habit of prayer or of Bible reading, God will break up that time. We say—“I cannot do this, I am praying; it is my hour with God.” No, it is our hour with our habit; we pray to a habit of prayer.
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The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed.
[Genesis 2:8 NKJV]
[Genesis 2:8 NKJV]
We have been moving from garden to garden these last few days, checking that all is well in one for a friend who has been away for a few months but now returning; my parents Kintyre garden has needed a hefty dose of loving care, and of course, our own garden is being remodelled. Gardens are hard work, but give enormous pleasure, and so it was with God when He planted His ‘garden eastward in Eden’.
The words translated in this way have an interesting derivation, which reveals the care put in and the pleasure experienced by Father God in creating this garden.
Garden is a place contrived to defend protect and surround and I find myself recalling the verse in Song of Solomon ‘a garden enclosed Is my sister, my spouse, a spring shut up, a fountain sealed. A secret or hidden garden perhaps.
Eastward has only an indirect connection with place or compass point, but instead has a root meaning to project oneself, to precede or be in front of or before something. Thus the sun precedes the day and rises in the east, and God is eternal (preceding all things as the Creator of Creation) and has projected Himself into this garden.
Eden is a word expressing the idea of pleasure or delight.
We get a real sense when delving behind the words that this creative work gave and gives Him tremendous joy, seeing each newly formed man finding His beautiful garden and forming a relationship with the eternal Father.
The words translated in this way have an interesting derivation, which reveals the care put in and the pleasure experienced by Father God in creating this garden.
Garden is a place contrived to defend protect and surround and I find myself recalling the verse in Song of Solomon ‘a garden enclosed Is my sister, my spouse, a spring shut up, a fountain sealed. A secret or hidden garden perhaps.
Eastward has only an indirect connection with place or compass point, but instead has a root meaning to project oneself, to precede or be in front of or before something. Thus the sun precedes the day and rises in the east, and God is eternal (preceding all things as the Creator of Creation) and has projected Himself into this garden.
Eden is a word expressing the idea of pleasure or delight.
We get a real sense when delving behind the words that this creative work gave and gives Him tremendous joy, seeing each newly formed man finding His beautiful garden and forming a relationship with the eternal Father.
“Creator of Creation” — Eden’s Bridge
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Monday 10th August 2020
The self-expenditure of the love of God exhibited in the life and death of our Lord becomes a bridge over the gulf of sin; human love can be imbued by Divine love, the love that never fails.
Monday 10th August 2020
The self-expenditure of the love of God exhibited in the life and death of our Lord becomes a bridge over the gulf of sin; human love can be imbued by Divine love, the love that never fails.
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Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it.
[Genesis 2:15 NKJV]
[Genesis 2:15 NKJV]
We have spent more time this week at Dalbuie (the name means yellow meadow, fallow field or my preference agreeable place), trying to tackle the garden, which has been ignored because of the coronavirus lockdown. It is amazing how quickly an intended garden reverts to its natural state. What took my father many years to create is seriously threatened in only a few months.
It is no surprise to find that The Lord uses the idea of the garden to show us how our hearts and minds, our spirit, can become corrupted if left untended. God put us in charge of our personal spiritual gardens to tend and keep them - and left strict instruction as to how this can be achieved.
And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
[Genesis 2:16-17 NKJV]
Gardens are not always peaceful loving places; let us not forget that a garden is a tamed wilderness - its natural state is disorder and needs constant attention from the gardener to overcome the runaway chaos.
Our song today speaks of the heart garden, where The Lord is the gardener. His garden is always well-tended and full of wonderful blossoming life, and when weeds appear, He can direct our hands to pull them out and lead us in maintaining His garden plan.
It is no surprise to find that The Lord uses the idea of the garden to show us how our hearts and minds, our spirit, can become corrupted if left untended. God put us in charge of our personal spiritual gardens to tend and keep them - and left strict instruction as to how this can be achieved.
And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
[Genesis 2:16-17 NKJV]
Gardens are not always peaceful loving places; let us not forget that a garden is a tamed wilderness - its natural state is disorder and needs constant attention from the gardener to overcome the runaway chaos.
Our song today speaks of the heart garden, where The Lord is the gardener. His garden is always well-tended and full of wonderful blossoming life, and when weeds appear, He can direct our hands to pull them out and lead us in maintaining His garden plan.
THE GARDEN OF MY HEART
1. There’s a sacred and hallowed retreat,
Where my soul finds a fellowship sweet,
Where the Lord of my life I may meet,
In the garden of my heart.
Refrain
In the cool of the day He walks with me,
In the rose bordered way He talks with me;
In love’s holy union,
And sacred communion,
In the garden of my heart.
2. There is naught can disturb or molest,
There my spirit finds comfort and rest,
And my soul is no longer distressed
In the garden of my heart. [Refrain]
3. Shut away from earth’s strife and its din,
And protected from soul staining sin,
For my Savior is dwelling within,
In the garden of my heart. [Refrain]
4. There the dove of sweet peace always sings,
And my faith ever trustingly clings;
And the chime of sweet happiness rings
In the garden of my heart. [Refrain]
1. There’s a sacred and hallowed retreat,
Where my soul finds a fellowship sweet,
Where the Lord of my life I may meet,
In the garden of my heart.
Refrain
In the cool of the day He walks with me,
In the rose bordered way He talks with me;
In love’s holy union,
And sacred communion,
In the garden of my heart.
2. There is naught can disturb or molest,
There my spirit finds comfort and rest,
And my soul is no longer distressed
In the garden of my heart. [Refrain]
3. Shut away from earth’s strife and its din,
And protected from soul staining sin,
For my Savior is dwelling within,
In the garden of my heart. [Refrain]
4. There the dove of sweet peace always sings,
And my faith ever trustingly clings;
And the chime of sweet happiness rings
In the garden of my heart. [Refrain]
“The Garden of My Heart” — Livin’ Forgiven
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Sunday 9th August 2020
We have to love where we cannot respect and where we must not respect, and this can only be done on the basis of God’s love for us. “This is My commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you.”
Sunday 9th August 2020
We have to love where we cannot respect and where we must not respect, and this can only be done on the basis of God’s love for us. “This is My commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you.”
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“Sing, O barren, You who have not borne!
Break forth into singing, and cry aloud, you who have not laboured with child!
For more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married woman,” says the LORD.
“Enlarge the place of your tent, and let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings; do not spare; lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes.
For you shall expand to the right and to the left, and your descendants will inherit the nations, and make the desolate cities inhabited.
[Isaiah 54:1-3 NKJV]
Break forth into singing, and cry aloud, you who have not laboured with child!
For more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married woman,” says the LORD.
“Enlarge the place of your tent, and let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings; do not spare; lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes.
For you shall expand to the right and to the left, and your descendants will inherit the nations, and make the desolate cities inhabited.
[Isaiah 54:1-3 NKJV]
There is a song that we have often sung — and I must confess that at first I had no idea what it was about; I loved the tune and the lyrics and did not delve any deeper than surface. The song goes like this...
Sing O Barren, sing
Thou who wouldst not bear.
Now you have a new song for all men everywhere
The river of life within you is calling out to say
Sing O barren, Sing
For this is thy new day.
And a nation shall be born in a day
Yes a nation shall be born in a day
When Zion travails, He shall break forth
And a nation shall be born in a day.
Thou who wouldst not bear.
Now you have a new song for all men everywhere
The river of life within you is calling out to say
Sing O barren, Sing
For this is thy new day.
And a nation shall be born in a day
Yes a nation shall be born in a day
When Zion travails, He shall break forth
And a nation shall be born in a day.
Simply stated, if we look to Jesus, we who can do nothing — because it is not in us to do it — will break out in spiritual fruitfulness with all that The Lord has provided for us. Genesis stresses that all things ‘bear fruit after their kind’, so what fruit am I producing? If I am moving in my own way, I can realise no thing, but if ‘the spirit of The Lord’ is in me then I can do ‘all things’ that His presence empowers. Put another way, I am producing fruit after His kind.
Expand your horizons; it is not about what we feel able to accomplish, because The Lord is offering so much more than we can imagine — and not in the far-distant future, but right here and now. Read the remainder of Isaiah 54 and discover some amazing promises from God for us all, if we will ‘lengthen [our] cords’ and embrace His fruitfulness.
No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is from Me,” says the LORD.
[Isaiah 54:17 NKJV]
Expand your horizons; it is not about what we feel able to accomplish, because The Lord is offering so much more than we can imagine — and not in the far-distant future, but right here and now. Read the remainder of Isaiah 54 and discover some amazing promises from God for us all, if we will ‘lengthen [our] cords’ and embrace His fruitfulness.
No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is from Me,” says the LORD.
[Isaiah 54:17 NKJV]
“Sing O Barren” — Marla Jackson
OSWALD CHAMBERS — RUN TODAY’S RACE
Thursday 6th August 2020
The love of God in Christ Jesus is such that He can take the most unfit man—unfit to survive, unfit to fight, unfit to face moral issues—and make him not only fit to survive and to fight, but fit to face the biggest moral issues and the strongest power of Satan, and come off more than conqueror.
Thursday 6th August 2020
The love of God in Christ Jesus is such that He can take the most unfit man—unfit to survive, unfit to fight, unfit to face moral issues—and make him not only fit to survive and to fight, but fit to face the biggest moral issues and the strongest power of Satan, and come off more than conqueror.
- Published on
but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all. For it is written:
“Rejoice, O barren,
You who do not bear!
Break forth and shout,
You who are not in labour!
For the desolate has many more children
You who do not bear!
Break forth and shout,
You who are not in labour!
For the desolate has many more children
Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise.
[Galatians 4:26-28 NKJV]
[Galatians 4:26-28 NKJV]
Paul tells us that the city of Jerusalem is the Mother of Us All. Jerusalem is a type of the church of Jesus Christ in the Earth, just as Zion represents the church of Jesus Christ in the Heavenlies or Spiritual realm.
Jerusalem means “set ye double peace” or sometimes shown as "the fountain of peace", which bears witness to the abundant peace to be found in ‘the city of the Living God’. We can see that God is the Father, and thus there must be a Mother to us who will raise us as ‘children of promise’ to become sons and daughters to our Heavenly Father. That Mother is the church; the Church of Jesus Christ the Redeemer of all who choose Him as their Saviour.
However, the Church of Jesus Christ is not the denominational church system, but a church of his chosen ones, from within and without that system, who together form His ‘children of promise’. Such wonders, such promise.
Jerusalem means “set ye double peace” or sometimes shown as "the fountain of peace", which bears witness to the abundant peace to be found in ‘the city of the Living God’. We can see that God is the Father, and thus there must be a Mother to us who will raise us as ‘children of promise’ to become sons and daughters to our Heavenly Father. That Mother is the church; the Church of Jesus Christ the Redeemer of all who choose Him as their Saviour.
However, the Church of Jesus Christ is not the denominational church system, but a church of his chosen ones, from within and without that system, who together form His ‘children of promise’. Such wonders, such promise.
“You Promised” — Corey Voss
OSWALD CHAMBERS — RUN TODAY’S RACE
Wednesday 5th August 2020
Thank God for His safeguarding, for His salvation which keeps us, waking and sleeping, conscious and unconscious, in danger and out of it.
Wednesday 5th August 2020
Thank God for His safeguarding, for His salvation which keeps us, waking and sleeping, conscious and unconscious, in danger and out of it.
- Published on
... circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.
[Romans 2:29b NKJV]
[Romans 2:29b NKJV]
This was today’s (yesterday’s now) message from Ellel Ministries’ “Seeds of The Kingdom” daily devotional, which we reproduce today because it chimes directly with some of our thoughts when clearing and cleaning the family home in Kintyre.
As each hour passed we were faced again and again with decisions regarding things around the house. “Do we keep this?”, “Will anyone in the family be upset if we throw that out?”, and having then made the often ruthless disposal decision, “Which bin do I put it in?”
I recently moved house, and, although I haven’t moved far, I have moved across county lines. This brings me into a whole new set of local district regulations. I’ve moved from a county where the recycle bin was blue to one where it is black. Not only that, but I can no longer put glass in the recycle bin. It must go in a separate container. For anything plastic, all of the previous regulations using the little triangle with a number have gone out of the window. Only plastic bottles can be recycled. Everything else is now classed as rubbish.
Unfortunately, I only read the regulations the night before putting the bin out. Which meant I found myself head down in the bin at 8pm, fishing out all the wrong things I had unwittingly thrown in.
As I was doing this, I started to wonder how much stuff I put into my spiritual recycle bin instead of putting it straight into God’s disposal bin, things like recycled hurts – maybe shame, guilt or rejection, things like recycled sin – pride, jealousy or unforgiveness, the things that we think we have given to God but somehow keep coming up to be ‘reused’. That could be in arguments we have, or the masks that we wear, or the ways we behave. It’s these things of pretence in our lives that need to go into the disposal bin, rather than the recycle bin. And they need to stay there and not get fished out!
In Romans chapter 2, Paul is talking about the physical act of circumcision that was given to Abraham as an act of covenant for the Jewish people with God. Paul says that physical circumcision is not what is needed, but rather circumcision of the heart. Circumcision is painful. It means cutting something out of our lives. The thing that is cut out becomes dead, it can never be reused or recycled.
When we put something into the recycle bin and squash it down to the bottom in the hope that it will get lost there, it doesn’t die, it lives. But it isn’t new, fresh, godly living. Instead, it’s something living in the dark that we don’t really want to see, but that has the tendency to rise to the surface when we are pushed.
Paul writes that, whether we are Jew or Gentile, our hearts must be given to God to be circumcised by His Spirit – to truly release the things we have tried to hold on to. Then God will provide healing for the wounds and hurts of our hearts, and forgiveness for the sin in our hearts.
What sin or wound in your life needs to be brought to Jesus and put into the disposal bin to be dealt with once and for all?
Prayer: Thank You, Jesus, that You want to take my sin and my wounds and cleanse me from all the rubbish in my heart. Help me to know that I can trust You in this process, and that Your Holy Spirit will lead me in Your paths of righteousness. Amen.
Writer : Morna Gillespie Morna Gillespie Having done the Modular course at Ellel Grange, Morna went to Ellel Pierrepont for nine months to do NETS and is still there twenty years later! She is part of the leadership team and enjoys admin, teaching and worship. Morna has a passion to help others grow and mature as believers, through the life-changing healing and training offered on both NETS and Explore.
We should add that having taken our carefully bagged recycle and disposal items to the depot, we were told to put it all in the one ‘disposal’ skip as there is no recycling facility currently available - the Council depot having ‘fallen out’ with the private recycling contractor. The spiritual picture in this we shall leave aside for now.
As each hour passed we were faced again and again with decisions regarding things around the house. “Do we keep this?”, “Will anyone in the family be upset if we throw that out?”, and having then made the often ruthless disposal decision, “Which bin do I put it in?”
I recently moved house, and, although I haven’t moved far, I have moved across county lines. This brings me into a whole new set of local district regulations. I’ve moved from a county where the recycle bin was blue to one where it is black. Not only that, but I can no longer put glass in the recycle bin. It must go in a separate container. For anything plastic, all of the previous regulations using the little triangle with a number have gone out of the window. Only plastic bottles can be recycled. Everything else is now classed as rubbish.
Unfortunately, I only read the regulations the night before putting the bin out. Which meant I found myself head down in the bin at 8pm, fishing out all the wrong things I had unwittingly thrown in.
As I was doing this, I started to wonder how much stuff I put into my spiritual recycle bin instead of putting it straight into God’s disposal bin, things like recycled hurts – maybe shame, guilt or rejection, things like recycled sin – pride, jealousy or unforgiveness, the things that we think we have given to God but somehow keep coming up to be ‘reused’. That could be in arguments we have, or the masks that we wear, or the ways we behave. It’s these things of pretence in our lives that need to go into the disposal bin, rather than the recycle bin. And they need to stay there and not get fished out!
In Romans chapter 2, Paul is talking about the physical act of circumcision that was given to Abraham as an act of covenant for the Jewish people with God. Paul says that physical circumcision is not what is needed, but rather circumcision of the heart. Circumcision is painful. It means cutting something out of our lives. The thing that is cut out becomes dead, it can never be reused or recycled.
When we put something into the recycle bin and squash it down to the bottom in the hope that it will get lost there, it doesn’t die, it lives. But it isn’t new, fresh, godly living. Instead, it’s something living in the dark that we don’t really want to see, but that has the tendency to rise to the surface when we are pushed.
Paul writes that, whether we are Jew or Gentile, our hearts must be given to God to be circumcised by His Spirit – to truly release the things we have tried to hold on to. Then God will provide healing for the wounds and hurts of our hearts, and forgiveness for the sin in our hearts.
What sin or wound in your life needs to be brought to Jesus and put into the disposal bin to be dealt with once and for all?
Prayer: Thank You, Jesus, that You want to take my sin and my wounds and cleanse me from all the rubbish in my heart. Help me to know that I can trust You in this process, and that Your Holy Spirit will lead me in Your paths of righteousness. Amen.
Writer : Morna Gillespie Morna Gillespie Having done the Modular course at Ellel Grange, Morna went to Ellel Pierrepont for nine months to do NETS and is still there twenty years later! She is part of the leadership team and enjoys admin, teaching and worship. Morna has a passion to help others grow and mature as believers, through the life-changing healing and training offered on both NETS and Explore.
We should add that having taken our carefully bagged recycle and disposal items to the depot, we were told to put it all in the one ‘disposal’ skip as there is no recycling facility currently available - the Council depot having ‘fallen out’ with the private recycling contractor. The spiritual picture in this we shall leave aside for now.
“The Spirit Of The Lord Is Upon Me” — Edward Elgar, John Rutter, The Cambridge Singers, Andrew Lucas
OSWALD CHAMBERS — RUN TODAY’S RACE
Tuesday 4th August 2020
Never be deluded into making this statement: “I am here because I am so useful,” say rather “I am here because God wants me here.” The one lodestar of the saint is God Himself, not estimated usefulness.
Tuesday 4th August 2020
Never be deluded into making this statement: “I am here because I am so useful,” say rather “I am here because God wants me here.” The one lodestar of the saint is God Himself, not estimated usefulness.