 “Jesus washing Peter’s feet” (detail) by Ford Madox Brown John 13:6-17Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, "Lord, are You washing my feet?" Jesus answered and said to him, "What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this." Peter said to Him, "You shall never wash my feet!" Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me." Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!" Jesus said to him, "He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you." For He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, "You are not all clean." So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. [John 13:6-17 NKJV] Jesus is with us and wants us to find the truth in our relationship with Him. He says when He washes our feet — when His presence makes us clean — "What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this." He knows the effect that He will produce in us. I cannot speak for anyone else, but I have always felt awkward or uncomfortable about receiving a gift; not ungrateful, just “easier to give than to receive.” I think it is probably a common trait, but really it can be a form of pride, or more accurately, a lack of humility. Here, Jesus is offering a very personal touch — literally — to bless and refresh, knowing that it requires grateful acquiescence in return. It is a two-way thing. Jesus always requires our response to His touch, and He seeks the response that helps us grow in faith, love and trusting in Him — humility. Peter shows us the unvarnished truth of ourselves. His first response is to reject and object, — effectively returning the gift unopened — but when the reality is explained to him; "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.", he swings completely to the opposite extreme; "Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!" Peter still does not understand. He is stuck in his own interpretation, and does not see with Jesus’ eyes. Jesus persists and washes the disciples’ feet, but tells them (and us, for the disciples represent ourselves in our relationship with Him), that they ought to wash one another’s feet; care for one another as Jesus cares for us. Be as He is. A HOLY PROMISE: Oswald Chambers on HopeAlone with God! It is there that what is hid with God is made known — God’s ideals, God’s hopes, God’s doings. The intense individual responsibility of walking among men from the standpoint of being alone with the real God, is never guessed until we do stand alone with God. It is a hidden thing, so hidden that it seems not only untenable but a wild quixotic thing to do, and so it would be if God were not known to be real. [from ‘Christian Discipline’] Listen to this meditation by clicking on the audio file below
“Lord I Come (Wash My Feet) — David Brackenbury 'Meditate on these things' Please let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. And I will bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh your hearts. After that you may pass by, inasmuch as you have come to your servant." They said, "Do as you have said." [Genesis 18:4-5 NKJV]   “Christ Washing The Disciples Feet” by Dirck van Baburen (1616) John 13:1-5Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray Him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. [John 13:1-5 NKJV] A favourite television programme for us is BBC’s ‘Gardener’s World’. Gill is a keen and creative gardener, while I am a keen admirer both of the garden she is creating and of the gardener herself. I wish that I could say that through watching this programme, I was learning the art of gardening. Instead the gardening, the flowers and trees inspire my art, and I find myself choosing to paint gardens in watercolour more often. In one of the episodes of this programme recently, a blind girl shared how her father had taught her how to mow the lawn by removing her shoes and feeling her way around the garden with her bare feet. It was truly enlightening to hear that story, and immediately thought of it when reading this passage from John 13. Our feet take a lot of physical punishment; they bear the weight of the whole body and yet are every bit as sensitive and useful as our hands. My Aunt Ann always sent the family Christmas cards with images painted by foot and mouth artists — talented painters who had lost the use of their hands through accident or disability and yet could work wonders by holding a brush or palette knife in their mouth or foot. The practice of foot-washing was a necessary service rendered to the weary traveller or pilgrim in Jesus’ day. The disciples were astonished when Jesus did this for them. They believed that this would be beneath Him and did not understand that Jesus was about His Father’s business; symbolically cleansing and purifying, so that their spiritual walk following Him would be holy and spotless. He does this still with each one who gives their heart to Him. He carefully washes away the dust and grime with living water and then uses His garment — His own covering — to refresh and restore. Just like the blind girl and the foot and mouth artists, we can learn to unlock the purpose that God has hidden within us. We can walk anew for Him. A HOLY WALK: Oswald Chambers on FaithDrink deep and full of the love of God and you will not demand the impossible from earth’s loves. Then the love of wife and child, husband and friend, will grow holier and healthier and simpler and grander. [from ‘The Love of God’] Click on ‘Download File’ below to listen to this meditation
“He Washed Their Feet” — Michael Crawford 'Meditate on these things' Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. [Galatians 5:1 NKJV]   Round Tower at St Kevin’s Monastic City, Glendalough, Co Wicklow Tuesday Gathering — 26th October 2021We felt to begin our meeting by listening (and joining in) to Stuart Townend and Robin Mark’s version of ‘I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene’. It set the direction of our gathering in The Lord’s purpose. This is easy — maybe even trite — to say, for it is something we all know, surely; that we hear Him and follow in His ways. But, as our quote last week from Isaiah 30:15 said, but you would not. This suggests a deliberate waywardness on our part, at the very least a suggestion of “I’m not listening right now!” 8 The words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles, And they go down into the inmost body. 21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit. [Proverbs 18:8+21 NKJV] A lot of the not listening to His voice comes from liking the sound of our own; and what we say echoes what is in the depths of us, and the way that anything embeds itself in the deep recesses within comes from what we hear. This is a principle to which many a physician will testify — that the voice we hear affects our state of being. Basically, if you tell yourself often enough that you are a hopeless case, that precise thing is what you can become. that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. [Ephesians 4:14-16 NKJV] It is only listening to that One who is greater than I, that we can no longer be children, but may grow up in all things into Him. Notice that here again the words we speak are essential; paramount in that maturing process — we must be speaking the truth in love. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. [Hebrews 11:1-3 NKJV] It is so important that the worlds — our world especially — is framed by the word of God. What does that mean, exactly. It means that everything which surrounds and hedges and feeds our natural life must have its source in the word of God. The living water of His word is what sustains and heals, whether it be read in scripture, or heard from His Holy Spirit. As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my food day and night, While they continually say to me, "Where is your God?" When I remember these things, I pour out my soul within me. For I used to go with the multitude; I went with them to the house of God, With the voice of joy and praise, With a multitude that kept a pilgrim feast? [Psalm 42:1-4 NKJV] We sang many songs of praise after this — I only recall a few — and they need not be mentioned. You will have your own praises to sing by now, but after this, as we shared tea and coffee and a biscuit or two, the conversation turned to the damage that anxiety can do to us. Jesus frequently exhorted us to not let our hearts be troubled. This is not mere platitude, but truth pointing to the pathway to healing. Let our every thought and action be framed by the word of God. It is good for you. A HOLY WALK: Oswald Chambers on FaithThe love of God! We have turned our back on the ocean of it and are looking for it out over barren colourless hills. We need converting again — turning around, and there basks the ocean’s fullness, whose waves sparkle and ripple on fathomless deeps. We are too introspective today, we mourn and wonder, then, lifted on waves of feeling, we glow and say we love God. But again our feelings ebb and flow and we mourn. Christianity is not a thing of times and seasons, but of God and Faith. [from ‘The Love of God’] Click on the file below to listen to this meditation
“I Stand Amazed In The Presence” — Robin Mark 'Meditate on these things' For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. [Colossians 1:9-12 NKJV]   ‘The Wallace Monument’, Stirling. Proverbs 18The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe. [Proverbs 18:10] For quite a few days now The Lord has reminded me of Proverbs 18. I have read and re-read it, but I cannot see the inspiration that led me to it in the first place. I can see that it refers to what we say; what our mouths speak and whether the words that fall from the tongue are good or bad. But then, in the centre of the chapter, I read the verse above, and followed the line that is at the heart of it. The name of The Lord is a strong tower. A lot of castles in Scotland began as tower houses. It was an old form of building which brought security and safety from attackers. It was only in comparatively easier times that castles moved from being impregnable fortresses to become country houses, mansions and palaces. When we lived in Ireland some years ago, the ancient monastic site at Glendalough was only a few miles away. In the midst of it was a tower, the door of which was many feet above ground level so that the monks, once inside the tower, could pull in the access ladder and keep safe from marauding invaders. We can readily see that — secure within the strength of The Lord’s tower — safe in our faith in Him — we who look to Him to guide us in His righteousness know that the attacking words of the naysayers and unbelievers cannot drag us off course, protected as we are from assault by His everlasting embrace. But consider the words that surround this central truth. Why are these words central to a passage which speaks of the foolish and that the words of a man’s mouth are deep waters? Verse 21 tells us that death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit. We are being shown that what we speak reveals more about us than we like to think, suggesting that having a ‘listening ear’ will be of more benefit. The attack on the Capitol in Washington on January 6th was only possible by the words that were spoken in many quarters to build a fever of conspiracy, deception and anger in the hearts of the rioters. Before destruction, the heart of man is haughty [verse 12a]. Verse 1 is especially powerful in this regard: A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; he rages against all wise judgement. The Lord’s tower of His nature; His name, is surrounded by such rage. We need His peace to shield us from the rage of the world. A HOLY WALK: Oswald Chambers on FaithMany of us have no faith in God at all, but only faith in what He has done for us, and when these things are not apparent we lose our faith and say, “Why should this happen to me?” [from ‘Baffled To Fight Better’] For a download to listen to this meditation, click on the file below:
“The Name Of The Lord (Live) — Blessed Be The Name Of The Lord” — Bill and Gloria Gaither. Glendalough Monastic Settlement 'Meditate On These Things' Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. [Philippians 3:12-14 NKJV]   A heron, silent and unmoving, on the River Add near the Crinan Canal Tuesday Gathering Report — 19th October 2021Scripture readings and Praise from the meeting, with comment. Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! [Psalm 46:10 NKJV] Gill had felt strongly that The Lord’s word for us on Tuesday was “Quiet”, confirmed when Derek Prince’s audio podcast that morning (in the ‘Hearing God’ series) spoke of being quiet in His presence — so that we can hear that still small voice [1 Kings 19:12 NKJV] SONG: I WAS GLAD WHEN THEY SAID UNTO ME, LET’S GO UP TO THE HOUSE OF THE LORD. But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!" [Mark 1:25 NKJV] SONG: GIVE THANKS WITH A GRATEFUL HEART In Mark’s gospel, Jesus casts out an unclean spirit from a man in the synagogue. This took place
Yet another picture of whenever Jesus stands in the midst, He declares “Peace be with you.” The LORD your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing." [Zephaniah 3:17 NKJV] This quiet in the spirit is something that Jesus’ presence undoubtedly brings, but is also a state we should aspire to, and earnestly desire by looking to Him at all times until His nature becomes an ineradicable part of ours. But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; and indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more; that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing. [1 Thessalonians 4:9-12 NKJV] Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul, Like a weaned child with his mother; Like a weaned child is my soul within me. [Psalm 131:2 NKJV] But as always, there are two sides to the ‘quiet life’… When the Gazites were told, "Samson has come here!" they surrounded the place and lay in wait for him all night at the gate of the city. They were quiet all night, saying, "In the morning, when it is daylight, we will kill him." [Judges 16:2 NKJV] ‘Quiet’ does not always mean ‘at rest’, or indeed ‘in his rest’. The unregenerated man can be quiet when plotting or conspiring in the dark hours, and that will always seek to kill the Christlife. This need not necessarily be of deliberate intent, but it can be the outworking of choosing unbelief. 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. [Psalm 1:1-3 NKJV] -- He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake. [Psalm 23:2-3 NKJV] As is often the case, Isaiah has much to say on the subject. We read chapter 30 from verse 15 onwards, but two verses were particularly relevant. In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength." But you would not, [Isaiah 30:15 NKJV] -- Moreover, the light of the moon will be like the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold, like the light of seven days [concentrated in one], in the day that the Lord binds up the hurt of His people, and heals their wound [inflicted by Him because of their sins]. [Isaiah 30:26 AMPC] The light of the moon is reflected light from the sun — a type for the Divinity. The moon has no light of its’ own and thus is a picture of the Church of Jesus Christ. The vision Isaiah describes is surely an amazing revelation of God’s perfecting work in His people. Notice that He binds up the hurt and heals the wound, expressed in the singular. That is because His people have become one in Him. Set me as a seal upon your heart, As a seal upon your arm; For love is as strong as death, Jealousy as cruel as the grave; Its flames are flames of fire, A most vehement flame. [Song of Songs 8:6 NKJV] SONG: BE STILL (FOR THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD IS HERE) A HOLY WALK: Oswald Chambers on FaithThe acts of faith the writer of the Hebrews refers to were not performed by astute-minded men and women who made defined statements about God. They were not tortured for convictions’ sake, but for the sake of their faith. And God is training us to do what they did — to live a life of tenacious hold upon God in spite of everything that happens. [from ‘He Shall Glorify Me’] Listen to this Gathering Report by clicking the download file below:
“Be Still And Know That I Am God” — Divine Hymns Erratum: Please note that the lyrics in verse 3 should read “In Thee, O Lord, do I put my trust”. 'Meditate on these things' There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High. God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn. [Psalm 46:4-5 NKJV]   “Jesus Teaching By The Shore” by James Tissot Ephesians 4:10-13And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; [Ephesians 4:10-13 NKJV] Pastors and teachers can appear almost like an afterthought, but the actuality is that this category (which I believe includes a whole variety of ministries mentioned by Paul elsewhere*) is that it is the workhorse for most of what the Lord wishes to accomplish in His people. The Apostles, Prophets and Evangelists maybe have star billing, but it is the pastors and teachers who put God’s word into the everyday. No one anywhere is more worthy than another, so that none should cover the Lord’s gift to another. Everyone who comes to Him has a God-given rôle to play. We saw that in the previous post in this series, quoting the message ‘God’s Gift’ from Liz Griffin at Ellel Ministries. But ‘my ministry’ is not an achievement that we should wear as a badge of honour. Instead it should be something treated with humility, as a precious — and dare I say it — an undeserved gift from above. None of us know why the Lord chooses any of us for His holy purpose, but we should know that His gift is as easily withdrawn if we fail to live up to the trust that He has placed in us. We should never take it for granted. In 1 Corinthians 12:28 we read And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. No mention here of pastors, who generally do not figure or warrant a mention except in Ephesians. Teachers however are frequently mentioned, and perhaps that is because for the pastoral to be effective there must be a large teaching element to it. The two are not exactly synonymous, but heavily rely on one another, as Paul suggests by placing them together in Ephesians 4:10. A HOLY OCCUPATION: Oswald Chambers on PrayerAs long as we are self-sufficient and complacent, we don’t need to ask God for anything, we don’t want Him; it is only when we know we are powerless that we are prepared to listen to Jesus Christ and to do what He says. [from ‘If Ye Shall Ask’ (now entitled ‘If You Shall Ask’)] Click on the download link below to listen to this meditation
“Spirit Lead Me” — Michael Ketterer and Influence Music 'Meditate on these things' Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, [Ephesians 2:19-20 NKJV]   Leaf from a gospel book, with four standing evangelists — Armenian Ephesians 4:10-13And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; [Ephesians 4:10-13 NKJV] To be an evangelist means to preach the gospel, indeed the root of the expression is two words ‘good’ and ‘tidings’, the latter being why angels are named angels — they bring God’s message. The suggestion is that we must all be preachers, and 2nd Timothy appears to confirm this notion… But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. [2 Timothy 4:5 NKJV] To whom is this verse referring? If we look at 2 Timothy 3:16-17 and 4:1-2 we read that Paul says, 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. I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. I must admit a degree of confusion in my understanding here. It appears that some are to be evangelists, i.e. preachers, and yet there is an expectation that all become evangelists. After puzzling over this for some time, I prayed last night and asked the Lord to unravel this knot in my understanding. This morning came this 'Seed of The Kingdom' from Ellel Ministries, written by Liz Griffin. God’s GiftGod has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. That all of the ministries we have (whether five-fold, seven-fold, seen or unseen) are gifts from God, is readily understood, but what is perhaps less so is that 'preaching'; being evangelistic, is a gift that comes with growing into God's purpose. We are preaching His word, His message, by who we are in Him. But to some, He makes it their prime expression of Him. A HOLY OCCUPATION: Oswald Chambers on PrayerPrayer to us is not practical, it is stupid, and until we see that prayer is stupid, that is, stupid from the ordinary natural common sense point-of-view, we will never pray. “It is absurd to think that God is going to alter things in answer to prayer.” But that is what Jesus says He will do. It sounds stupid, but it is stupidity based on His redemption. The reason that our prayers are not answered is that we are not stupid enough to believe what Jesus says. [from ‘So Send I You’] Listen to this meditation by clicking on download file below:
“Sweet Peace, The Gift of God’s Love” — George Beverly Shea Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, [Ephesians 2:19-20 NKJV]   Rainbow over Kilmartin Glen Tuesday Gathering: 12th October 2021SONG: I JUST WANT TO PRAISE YOU Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. "For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. [Isaiah 55:7-11 NKJV] Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; [Proverbs 3:5 NKJV] But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way. [1 Corinthians 12:31 NKJV] As the heavens for height and the earth for depth, So the heart of kings is unsearchable. [Proverbs 25:3 NKJV] Our understanding of one another is imperfect. We see only through the lens of our own understanding, our own partial experience. Only The Lord has the untainted truth of the matter; seeing us as we are. SONG: ONLY BY GRACE CAN WE ENTER Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Let Israel now say, "His mercy endures forever." Let the house of Aaron now say, "His mercy endures forever." Let those who fear the LORD now say, "His mercy endures forever." I called on the LORD in distress; The LORD answered me and set me in a broad place. The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? The LORD is for me among those who help me; Therefore I shall see my desire on those who hate me. It is better to trust in the LORD Than to put confidence in man. [Psalm 118:1-8 NKJV] SONG: 10000 REASONS SONG: HOLY HOLY HOLY ARE YOU LORD SONG: I WILL ENTER HIS GATES WITH THANKSGIVING IN MY HEART SONG: THIS IS THE DAY THAT THE LORD HAS MADE But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete." [Genesis 15:16 NKJV] This was an unusual turn in our deliberations, but just the right word — things need to get worse before they will get better. The scripture says that there is more to come — the depths of the Amorite spirit has yet to reach its fullness. Amorite means to be boastful of self, to act pridefully and suggests that The Lord will not do part of a work and finish it at later. No, He will wait until we are ‘at the end of ourselves’ before He does His healing and restoring work. There has to be a full uncompromising commitment from us to put aside our selfishness and arrogance and throw ourselves at His feet. We must always remember that The Lord always works ‘in His time’, not in ours. There has to be our complete trust in Him for this to work. When that trust is there, the bond of love is complete and we can wholeheartedly sing “He has made me glad”! SONG: WE ARE BLESSED SONG: WALK IT OUT (THAT’S WHAT EVERYTHING’S ABOUT) A HOLY OCCUPATION: Oswald Chambers on PrayerIn regard to prayer, we are apt to be apologetic and apathetic, complex and confused; yet what a splendid audacity a child has, and that is what our Lord taught us to have [from ‘Christian Discipline Volume 2’] Sorry, there is no audio presentation of this gathering reportSONG: I WILL ENTER HIS GATES WITH THANKSGIVING IN MY HEART (HE HAS MADE ME GLAD) Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, [Ephesians 2:19-20 NKJV]   “The Great Prophets - Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel” Ephesians 4:10-13And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; [Ephesians 4:10-13 NKJV] A prophet is someone who prophesies, who foretells what is to come, and this is a difficult area. How can you tell if a prophet is genuine or if they are merely making it up? The test and proof is if the prophetic word comes from God. It is for this reason that we must ‘test the spirits’. Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. [1 John 4:1-3] The prophetic is the ministry to which some people seem to aspire, perhaps because it has a certain glamour, a caché, that is a misrepresentation of its purpose and actuality. However, it is a calling and the only true prophets are chosen by God, by His Spirit. Those who are genuinely prophetic often consider it a burden, knowing that if they mishear the Lord’s message, or if they mis-speak it, there can be eternal consequences. However, our God can steer the faithful prophet to fulfill His purposes. The word of The Lord through a prophet can be a blessing or a warning, but always a profoundly affecting experience. Look at the major influence on our understanding by Samuel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel (whose names mean ‘his name is El (great, almighty, god)’; ‘Jehovah has saved’; ‘whom Jehovah has appointed’; ‘God strengthens’ and ‘God is my judge.’) Also, consider this: while a prophet will have prophetic visions from God, someone who has visions from God is not necessarily a prophet. I believe that visions are a way that the Holy Spirit uses to communicate with us. Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way. [1 Corinthians 12:27-31 NKJV] We can see that Paul always puts prophets as second in line after apostles. This is what seems to be a hierarchical principle seen throughout the Bible, indicating a ‘God’s-eye view’ of things purposed by and emanating from Him. Third is mention of teachers in 1 Corinthians; in Ephesians, evangelists, which we shall consider next time in this series. A HOLY OCCUPATION: Oswald Chambers on PrayerBy what right do we become ‘a royal priesthood’? By the right of the Atonement. Are we prepared to leave ourselves resolutely alone and to launch out into the priestly work of prayer? The continual grubbing on the inside to see whether we are what we ought to be generates a self-centred, morbid type of Christianity, not the robust, simple life of the child of God. [from ‘My Utmost For His Highest’] Listen to this meditation by clicking on the download file below
”Prophetic praise and Worship music” (you can let the spirit decide whether or not it is anointed) “He who dwells in the secret place of the most High” — Ray Watson Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, [Ephesians 2:19-20 NKJV]  |
Archives
May 2022
Archive by Title
Archive by Bible VerseAuthors
GEORGE and GILL STEWART |
||||||||||||||||
RSS Feed
