- Published on
John 15:18-25
"If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.
If you were of the world, the world would love its own.
Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.
But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.
If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.
He who hates Me hates My Father also.
If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father.
But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, They hated Me without a cause.'
If you were of the world, the world would love its own.
Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.
But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.
If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.
He who hates Me hates My Father also.
If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father.
But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, They hated Me without a cause.'
What Jesus meant by ‘the world’ has generated much discussion and not a little confusion over the years. However, it is clear that Jesus saw His people as ‘not of the world’, because His people were like Him and the world hated (persecuted) Him.
‘The world’ translates literally as ‘orderly arrangement’, but also suggests a variety of other interpretations, from ‘the earth’, ‘the people of the earth’ to ‘the ungodly multitude’, but remembering John 3:16 ‘ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son...’ The concluding statement in verse 17, makes it plain that Jesus’ purpose was the saving of the world — a change of the ‘orderly arrangement’ — showing that God’s desire is that all should turn to Him.
For those of us who believe, it is a matter of who is our inspiration; the source of who we are and are to be — ‘abiding in Jesus Christ’ or ‘of the world’. Scripture tells us that the prevailing spirit in the world is not The Lord, and we read in 1 Corinthians 2:10-11 ‘For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.’
We also know that the spirit of the world has been defeated in the heavenly realms — ‘So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.’ [Revelation 12:9] — although that spirit tries to deceive us into believing otherwise.
Jesus’ purpose here is — as ever — to bring reality to bear, simply because He is the way, the truth and the life, and it cannot be otherwise with Him. He said, “If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.” Know that ‘You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.’ [1 John 4:4]
‘The world’ translates literally as ‘orderly arrangement’, but also suggests a variety of other interpretations, from ‘the earth’, ‘the people of the earth’ to ‘the ungodly multitude’, but remembering John 3:16 ‘ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son...’ The concluding statement in verse 17, makes it plain that Jesus’ purpose was the saving of the world — a change of the ‘orderly arrangement’ — showing that God’s desire is that all should turn to Him.
For those of us who believe, it is a matter of who is our inspiration; the source of who we are and are to be — ‘abiding in Jesus Christ’ or ‘of the world’. Scripture tells us that the prevailing spirit in the world is not The Lord, and we read in 1 Corinthians 2:10-11 ‘For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.’
We also know that the spirit of the world has been defeated in the heavenly realms — ‘So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.’ [Revelation 12:9] — although that spirit tries to deceive us into believing otherwise.
Jesus’ purpose here is — as ever — to bring reality to bear, simply because He is the way, the truth and the life, and it cannot be otherwise with Him. He said, “If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.” Know that ‘You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.’ [1 John 4:4]
‘Meditate on these things…’
JOHN 16:8-11
And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgement:
- of sin, because they do not believe in Me;
- of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more;
- of judgement, because the ruler of this world is judged.
And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgement:
- of sin, because they do not believe in Me;
- of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more;
- of judgement, because the ruler of this world is judged.
‘This is My Father’s World’ (instrumental) — Taryn Harbridge
A HOLY WALK: Oswald Chambers on FAITH
— What God says about THE WORLD --
In the face of problems as they are, we see in Jesus Christ an exhibition of where our faith is to be placed — in a God whose ways we do not understand.
[from ‘Disciples Indeed’]
[from ‘Disciples Indeed’]
Listen to this meditation by clicking below …
- Published on
Friday Gathering — 25th February 2022
Our gatherings have been a little erratic of late, what with the work been done in Dove Cottage, as well as various illness, stresses and a dash of confusion. However, through it all came the message of hope, particularly welcome considering the Ukraine invasion. Indeed, had we met on Tuesday as planned, we would not have come together to pray until next week.
The Lord met us in our meeting, and over and over again, the Holy Spirit message was unmistakably one of hope. A lot of what was shared centred around the invasion of Ukraine on 24th February 2022, and David Wilkerson’s devotional for that date in his book ‘God Is Faithful’ was entitled ‘We are not without hope’, which says this:
The Lord met us in our meeting, and over and over again, the Holy Spirit message was unmistakably one of hope. A lot of what was shared centred around the invasion of Ukraine on 24th February 2022, and David Wilkerson’s devotional for that date in his book ‘God Is Faithful’ was entitled ‘We are not without hope’, which says this:
We who know Christ’s righteousness are not to live as those who are without hope. We have been blessed with both the love and the fear of God. And His will for us in the darkest, most terrible times is to obtain His joy and gladness. Even as we see judgment falling around us, we are to sing, shout and rejoice—not because judgment has come but in spite of it.
In Isaiah 51:10, God reminds His people, “[I] made the depths of the sea a road for the redeemed to cross over.” The next verse begins with the word So—meaning, “in light of what I have just said.” God was telling His people, in effect, “I am still the Lord, the Ancient of Days, the worker of miracles—and My arm is still strong to deliver you.” What does God want to get across to us in light of this truth? He says it all in one verse, Isaiah 51:11:
— “So the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing.” In other words, “I am going to have a people who return to Me with trust, faith and confidence. They will take their eyes off the conditions surrounding them and get back their song of joy.”
— “With everlasting joy on their heads.” The joy that God’s people experience will not be just for a Sunday morning or a week or a month. It will last through the years, through hard times, even to the very end.
— “They shall obtain joy and gladness.” God looked down through the ages and said, “I am going to have a people who will obtain joy.”
— “Sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” This does not mean all our suffering will end. It means our trust in our faithful Lord will put us above every pain and trial.
With these truths in mind, nothing should be able to rob us of our joy in Christ.
DAVID WILKERSON [from ‘God Is Faithful’]
“Hope Has A Name” — River Valley Worship
A HOLY PROMISE: Oswald Chambers on HOPE
— In Doubt: Hope in GOD --
Darkness is not synonymous with sin; if there is darkness spiritually it is much more likely to be the shade of God’s hand than darkness on account of sin; it may be the threshold of a new revelation coming through a big break in personal experience.
Before the dawn there is desolation; but wait, the dawn will merge into glorious day.
[from ‘He Shall Glorify Me’]
Before the dawn there is desolation; but wait, the dawn will merge into glorious day.
[from ‘He Shall Glorify Me’]
To listen to this meditation click below ...
- Published on
John 15:9-17
"As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.
If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.
"These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.
This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.
You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.
No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.
You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.
These things I command you, that you love one another.
If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.
"These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.
This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.
You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.
No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.
You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.
These things I command you, that you love one another.
There is a feeling — or maybe a deep understanding — that much in this latter part of John’s Gospel is Jesus’ personal testimony as well as His gift to us. He says “As the Father loved me, I also have loved you;” and thus testifies to the completeness of His relationship with Father God. He is teaching us and reaching into the very depths of us in a way that — though we may wish to deny it — cannot be cast aside. It is profoundly affecting.
We must also remember that this is not like the Sermon on the Mount, speaking to the crowd; these are words for His friends, those closest to Him, and through this Gospel, we are of that privileged company.
Some believers maintain that perfection is not possible this side of the veil, and the natural rational mind struggles to comprehend how that perfection can possibly be, but here Jesus lays out the pattern that results in joy and love.
We must also remember that this is not like the Sermon on the Mount, speaking to the crowd; these are words for His friends, those closest to Him, and through this Gospel, we are of that privileged company.
Some believers maintain that perfection is not possible this side of the veil, and the natural rational mind struggles to comprehend how that perfection can possibly be, but here Jesus lays out the pattern that results in joy and love.
- “that your joy may be full.” That word ‘full’ can also be translated as ‘rendered perfect.’
- “Greater love has no one than this,” clearly speaks of the greatest love there is, the love of God. In Song of Songs 5:2 The Shulamite hears the voice of the Beloved calling her His ‘perfect one’ …
I sleep, but my heart is awake;
It is the voice of my beloved!
He knocks, saying,
"Open for me, my sister, my love,
My dove, my perfect one;
For my head is covered with dew,
My locks with the drops of the night."
It is the voice of my beloved!
He knocks, saying,
"Open for me, my sister, my love,
My dove, my perfect one;
For my head is covered with dew,
My locks with the drops of the night."
Jesus is our ‘Beloved’, and in reality, much more than a friend. He speaks as someone we know very well and who knows us intimately. Never high-handed, always loving. In these verses He not only gives the commandment “that you love one another”, but adds “as I have loved you.” The commandment is not a proclamation from on high, but a statement that we should ‘do as He does’, or better, ‘be as He is.’ In this way, we can be perfect this side of eternity, and when we pray, if we pray ‘in Jesus’ name — as Jesus is — we are speaking with His authority.
Then He makes a statement, which is astounding, but also factually accurate. As far as the original disciples were concerned “You did not choose Me, but I chose you” is as it is recorded. Jesus did choose and appoint each one. But also, by His Spirit, each one of us is also chosen by Him — and that is something to which each one of us must cling tenaciously, and repeat to ourselves — ‘He chose me’!
Then He makes a statement, which is astounding, but also factually accurate. As far as the original disciples were concerned “You did not choose Me, but I chose you” is as it is recorded. Jesus did choose and appoint each one. But also, by His Spirit, each one of us is also chosen by Him — and that is something to which each one of us must cling tenaciously, and repeat to ourselves — ‘He chose me’!
‘Meditate on these things…’
PHILIPPIANS 2:1-2
Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
“Lovingkindness” — Matt Boswell and Matt Papa
A HOLY WALK: Oswald Chambers on FAITH
— What God says about THE WORLD --
We all have faith in good principles, in good management, in good common sense, but who among us has faith in Jesus Christ?
Physical courage is grand, moral courage is grander, but the man who trusts Jesus Christ in the face of the terrific problems of life is worth a whole crowd of heroes.
[from ‘The Highest Good’]
Physical courage is grand, moral courage is grander, but the man who trusts Jesus Christ in the face of the terrific problems of life is worth a whole crowd of heroes.
[from ‘The Highest Good’]
Listen to this meditation by clicking below…
- Published on
John 15:1-8
"I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.
Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
"I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.
If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
"I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.
If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
I AM THE TRUE VINE
John 15 is often quoted, and no wonder; for it contains incredible reassurance, but also clear exposition regarding God’s eternal plan. It also holds the gardening metaphor that began in Eden and ended with the Garden Resurrection. Jesus calls Himself ‘the true vine’, and there is a special relevance to choosing a vine instead of any other plant.
IF ANYONE DOES NOT ABIDE IN ME … HE IS CAST OUT … AND WITHERED
The vine that only produces the same few clusters of grapes each season will not thrive, but the well-tended vine will fill the vineyard. The picture Jesus gives us to consider is the perfect example for the growth of the Church of Jesus Christ, but He also reveals the warning for not abiding in Him. So Jesus reveals the consequences of life with Him, or without Him.
By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
John 15 is often quoted, and no wonder; for it contains incredible reassurance, but also clear exposition regarding God’s eternal plan. It also holds the gardening metaphor that began in Eden and ended with the Garden Resurrection. Jesus calls Himself ‘the true vine’, and there is a special relevance to choosing a vine instead of any other plant.
- Vines are very long-lived — suggestive of eternal life
- Vines thrive on poor dry soil, indeed, wet clay ground suffocates their growth — So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, [Exodus 22:14a] — the dry ground being a place of safety (see also Genesis 8:13 and elsewhere)
- Vines are best planted on a southern facing hillside — the higher ground, with south representing the place of blessing, with its gentler, warmer winds.
- The fruit of the vine — the grapes — grow in clusters; communities of individual grapes in a sense — His people are His fruit, and each fruit contains seeds.
- This fruit, as we know, is put into a wine press to remove the flesh of the fruit, — in the same way that the trials and suffering in our lives removes the flesh nature to make us holy — producing wine; a type for life in the Spirit
- Pruning the vine in the right way, cutting away the trailing tendrils, exercises an order and a government which encourages more fruit on the same plant… bearing fruit after its kind.
IF ANYONE DOES NOT ABIDE IN ME … HE IS CAST OUT … AND WITHERED
The vine that only produces the same few clusters of grapes each season will not thrive, but the well-tended vine will fill the vineyard. The picture Jesus gives us to consider is the perfect example for the growth of the Church of Jesus Christ, but He also reveals the warning for not abiding in Him. So Jesus reveals the consequences of life with Him, or without Him.
By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
‘Meditate on these things…’
PSALM 92:13-15
Those who are planted in the house of the LORD
Shall flourish in the courts of our God.
They shall still bear fruit in old age;
They shall be fresh and flourishing,
To declare that the LORD is upright;
He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.
Those who are planted in the house of the LORD
Shall flourish in the courts of our God.
They shall still bear fruit in old age;
They shall be fresh and flourishing,
To declare that the LORD is upright;
He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.
“I Am The True Vine” — Theatre of Voices - The Pro Arte Singers
A HOLY WALK: Oswald Chambers on FAITH
— What God says about THE WORLD --
Spiritual famine and dearth, if it does not start from sin, starts from dwelling entirely on the experince God gave me instead of on God who gave me the experience.
When I plant my faith on the Lord Jesus my experiences don’t make me conscious of them, they produce in me the life of a child.
[from ‘Disciples Indeed’]
When I plant my faith on the Lord Jesus my experiences don’t make me conscious of them, they produce in me the life of a child.
[from ‘Disciples Indeed’]
Listen to this meditation by clicking below…
- Published on
Leviticus 2:7-10
'If your offering is a grain offering baked in a covered pan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil.
You shall bring the grain offering that is made of these things to the LORD. And when it is presented to the priest, he shall bring it to the altar.
Then the priest shall take from the grain offering a memorial portion, and burn it on the altar. It is an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the LORD.
And what is left of the grain offering shall be Aaron's and his sons'. It is most holy of the offerings to the LORD made by fire.
You shall bring the grain offering that is made of these things to the LORD. And when it is presented to the priest, he shall bring it to the altar.
Then the priest shall take from the grain offering a memorial portion, and burn it on the altar. It is an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the LORD.
And what is left of the grain offering shall be Aaron's and his sons'. It is most holy of the offerings to the LORD made by fire.
She conceived again and bore a son, and said, "Now this time my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons." Therefore his name was called Levi. [Genesis 29:34]
In Leviticus (the book of the Levites), we see set out before us, a lot of the detail of ritual and law that God handed to the Israelites. The priestly tribe of Levi, whose name arises from a word meaning to twine, or to unite and to remain, were the guardians of God’s laws, and thus all the complex rules about the feasts, about approaching and worshipping God, and the manner in which offerings should be made and so on, were set down in Leviticus with the purpose of bringing The Hebrews and now us into an abiding relationship with Him.
the priest shall take from the grain offering a memorial portion, and burn it on the altar. It is an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the LORD.
Here in Leviticus 2:8, we are shown that the priest takes a memorial portion to be burnt on the altar of incense to be a pleasing aroma to The Lord God. What is this memorial portion; and what does it signify for us? A memorial is a remembrance, something retained, held in memory, a marker or prominent sign to remind us of something essential. In Leviticus it is the Levite or Aaronic priest who performs this function, but those of us living in this New Testament age — and fulfilling the call to be the Third Testament as priests and kings in His service — we must take on that rôle, and take the memorial portion. We are to be living memorials — living stones, if you will — each a testimony to the life of Jesus flowing through us by His Holy Spirit. We are the remembrance that Jesus Christ did not die in vain, the people — His people — of whom He asked ‘Do this in remembrance of me’.
you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. [1 Peter 2:5]
Yes, we can falter and fail, but He is faithful to enable and re-enable so that we may fulfil His plan and purpose. Keep your eyes upon Him, your ear alert to the Holy Spirit’s voice: you have been chosen since before the beginning of the world for this day. Take a memorial portion and be encouraged today.
In Leviticus (the book of the Levites), we see set out before us, a lot of the detail of ritual and law that God handed to the Israelites. The priestly tribe of Levi, whose name arises from a word meaning to twine, or to unite and to remain, were the guardians of God’s laws, and thus all the complex rules about the feasts, about approaching and worshipping God, and the manner in which offerings should be made and so on, were set down in Leviticus with the purpose of bringing The Hebrews and now us into an abiding relationship with Him.
the priest shall take from the grain offering a memorial portion, and burn it on the altar. It is an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the LORD.
Here in Leviticus 2:8, we are shown that the priest takes a memorial portion to be burnt on the altar of incense to be a pleasing aroma to The Lord God. What is this memorial portion; and what does it signify for us? A memorial is a remembrance, something retained, held in memory, a marker or prominent sign to remind us of something essential. In Leviticus it is the Levite or Aaronic priest who performs this function, but those of us living in this New Testament age — and fulfilling the call to be the Third Testament as priests and kings in His service — we must take on that rôle, and take the memorial portion. We are to be living memorials — living stones, if you will — each a testimony to the life of Jesus flowing through us by His Holy Spirit. We are the remembrance that Jesus Christ did not die in vain, the people — His people — of whom He asked ‘Do this in remembrance of me’.
you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. [1 Peter 2:5]
Yes, we can falter and fail, but He is faithful to enable and re-enable so that we may fulfil His plan and purpose. Keep your eyes upon Him, your ear alert to the Holy Spirit’s voice: you have been chosen since before the beginning of the world for this day. Take a memorial portion and be encouraged today.
‘Meditate on these things …’
LUKE 22:17-20
Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, "Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes."
And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me."
Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.
Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, "Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes."
And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me."
Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.
“Remembrance” — Matt Rodman
A HOLY WALK: Oswald Chambers on FAITH
— What God says about THE WORLD --
The average view of Christianity — that we only need to have faith and we are saved — is a stumbling block. How many of us care anything about being witnesses to Jesus Christ? How many of us are willing to spend every ounce of energy we have, every bit of mental, moral, and spiritual life for Jesus Christ? God has left us on earth, what for? To be saved and sanctified; No, to be working for Him.
[from ‘Approved Unto God’]
[from ‘Approved Unto God’]
Listen to this meditation below …
- Published on
Joshua 8:21-23+28-29
Now when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city and that the smoke of the city ascended, they turned back and struck down the men of Ai.
Then the others came out of the city against them; so they were caught in the midst of Israel, some on this side and some on that side. And they struck them down, so that they let none of them remain or escape.
But the king of Ai they took alive, and brought him to Joshua.
So Joshua burned Ai and made it a heap forever, a desolation to this day.
And the king of Ai he hanged on a tree until evening. And as soon as the sun was down, Joshua commanded that they should take his corpse down from the tree, cast it at the entrance of the gate of the city, and raise over it a great heap of stones that remains to this day.
Then the others came out of the city against them; so they were caught in the midst of Israel, some on this side and some on that side. And they struck them down, so that they let none of them remain or escape.
But the king of Ai they took alive, and brought him to Joshua.
So Joshua burned Ai and made it a heap forever, a desolation to this day.
And the king of Ai he hanged on a tree until evening. And as soon as the sun was down, Joshua commanded that they should take his corpse down from the tree, cast it at the entrance of the gate of the city, and raise over it a great heap of stones that remains to this day.
The Lord God made an appointed place for His people here at Ai to show that He was Lord over all and In control of all things. In this tale of the destruction of Ai, we seem to see such cruelty, destruction and desolation. With the natural mind it does not seem to fit with our perception of this loving, forgiving God, and some might think that it could so easily send our faith off track and into doubt; even unbelief. The Holy Spirit shows us otherwise, for this battle occurred as The Lord had commanded Joshua.
Read Leviticus 26 (some verses of which are shown below) and we can begin to see that the light continues shining forth, that this is a description of a spiritual battleground, one in which we need to vanquish the heap of ruins [Ai] that the evil one [the king of Ai] seeks to establish in us.
We must always remember to see the spiritual and not the natural in God’s Word, which is another way of saying ‘look at this from His point of view instead of our own’. In some ways, we can see this story as a retelling of the story of the flood, but in a different location. Indeed, God removing sinners by a cataclysm of some sort is a recurring motif — particularly in the Old Testament — showing that The Lord is constantly separating the wheat and the tares; except that the good and the bad must always be raised side by side. Why? Simply that unless we know of the darkness, we can have no real perception of the light. It is all part of the fiery trial of our faith.
Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn. [Matthew 13:30]
Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. [1 Peter 4:12-13]
This is strong stuff, but a picture of what The Holy Spirit is working in us through the spiritual battleground within us. The Lord wants to see us holy, pure and incorruptible, raised to the fullness of life in Him, with all that is not of Him cast behind us — a desolation to this day.
Read Leviticus 26 (some verses of which are shown below) and we can begin to see that the light continues shining forth, that this is a description of a spiritual battleground, one in which we need to vanquish the heap of ruins [Ai] that the evil one [the king of Ai] seeks to establish in us.
We must always remember to see the spiritual and not the natural in God’s Word, which is another way of saying ‘look at this from His point of view instead of our own’. In some ways, we can see this story as a retelling of the story of the flood, but in a different location. Indeed, God removing sinners by a cataclysm of some sort is a recurring motif — particularly in the Old Testament — showing that The Lord is constantly separating the wheat and the tares; except that the good and the bad must always be raised side by side. Why? Simply that unless we know of the darkness, we can have no real perception of the light. It is all part of the fiery trial of our faith.
Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn. [Matthew 13:30]
Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. [1 Peter 4:12-13]
This is strong stuff, but a picture of what The Holy Spirit is working in us through the spiritual battleground within us. The Lord wants to see us holy, pure and incorruptible, raised to the fullness of life in Him, with all that is not of Him cast behind us — a desolation to this day.
‘Meditate on these things…’
LEVITICUS 26:1-4
'You shall not make idols for yourselves;
neither a carved image nor a sacred pillar shall you rear up for yourselves;
nor shall you set up an engraved stone in your land, to bow down to it;
for I am the LORD your God.
You shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary:
I am the LORD.
If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments, and perform them,
then I will give you rain in its season, the land shall yield its produce, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.
LEVITICUS 26:14-15
'But if you do not obey Me, and do not observe all these commandments,
and if you despise My statutes, or if your soul abhors My judgments, so that you do not perform all My commandments, but break My covenant,
LEVITICUS 26:31
I will lay your cities waste and bring your sanctuaries to desolation, and I will not smell the fragrance of your sweet aromas.
'You shall not make idols for yourselves;
neither a carved image nor a sacred pillar shall you rear up for yourselves;
nor shall you set up an engraved stone in your land, to bow down to it;
for I am the LORD your God.
You shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary:
I am the LORD.
If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments, and perform them,
then I will give you rain in its season, the land shall yield its produce, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.
LEVITICUS 26:14-15
'But if you do not obey Me, and do not observe all these commandments,
and if you despise My statutes, or if your soul abhors My judgments, so that you do not perform all My commandments, but break My covenant,
LEVITICUS 26:31
I will lay your cities waste and bring your sanctuaries to desolation, and I will not smell the fragrance of your sweet aromas.
“Nearer My God To Thee” — Rosemary Siemens
A HOLY OCCUPATION: Oswald Chambers on PRAYER
— requires CHILDLIKENESS --
Are you longing for sanctification? Have you such confidence in Jesus that you can pray this prayer, the prayer of a child — “Father, in the Name of Jesus, baptise me with the Holy Spirit and fire until sanctification is made real in my life”?
[from ‘Our Brilliant Heritage’]
[from ‘Our Brilliant Heritage’]
This meditation is available to listen on the download below …
- Published on
Joshua 8:14-15
Now it happened, when the king of Ai saw it, that the men of the city hurried and rose early and went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at an appointed place before the plain. But he did not know that there was an ambush against him behind the city.
And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.
And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.
I had an important appointment on Tuesday, and drove 76 miles to be there only to discover that I was an hour late and missed the entire event. The appointed place was right, but the time was not.
Both these elements — time and place — are essential to our natural lives, but in our spiritual lives, it is The Lord, dwelling outside the restrictions of time, Who creates the appointed place. All we need do is recognise His presence.
In Joshua, chapter 8 there is a lot for us to consider, but when we come to the mention of ‘the appointed place’ we discover that it represents the pivotal moment in the conflict with the people of Ai (heap of ruins). God has proclaimed the defeat of Ai, not in a straightforward face-to-face conflict, but by the subterfuge of setting up an ambush - drawing the people of Ai out of their city into the wilderness, allowing the Israelites to enter the city unchallenged and destroy it.
The message from this is clear. We must seek the Lord’s guidance in our battles with the enemy. Satan and his minions will always come out of a ruinous place to directly attack and try to destroy Israel (prince of God/God prevails). God will always outsmart satan. We know this to be true. And He will set the appointed place where the battle turns and victory is assured.
Both these elements — time and place — are essential to our natural lives, but in our spiritual lives, it is The Lord, dwelling outside the restrictions of time, Who creates the appointed place. All we need do is recognise His presence.
In Joshua, chapter 8 there is a lot for us to consider, but when we come to the mention of ‘the appointed place’ we discover that it represents the pivotal moment in the conflict with the people of Ai (heap of ruins). God has proclaimed the defeat of Ai, not in a straightforward face-to-face conflict, but by the subterfuge of setting up an ambush - drawing the people of Ai out of their city into the wilderness, allowing the Israelites to enter the city unchallenged and destroy it.
The message from this is clear. We must seek the Lord’s guidance in our battles with the enemy. Satan and his minions will always come out of a ruinous place to directly attack and try to destroy Israel (prince of God/God prevails). God will always outsmart satan. We know this to be true. And He will set the appointed place where the battle turns and victory is assured.
‘Meditate On These Things’
LUKE 10:1-3
After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into His harvest.
Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves.
After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into His harvest.
Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves.
‘This Is A Holy Place’ — sung by Steph Macleod
A HOLY OCCUPATION: Oswald Chambers on PRAYER
— requires CHILDLIKENESS --
If we are asking God to give us experiences, we hurt the Lord.
The very questions we ask hurt Jesus because they are not the questions of a child.
[from ‘My Utmost For His Highest’]
The very questions we ask hurt Jesus because they are not the questions of a child.
[from ‘My Utmost For His Highest’]
Listen to this meditation by clicking on the download file below …
- Published on
ISAIAH 12
And in that day you will say: “O LORD, I will praise You;
Though You were angry with me,
Your anger is turned away, and You comfort me.
Behold, God is my salvation,
I will trust and not be afraid;
‘For YAH, the LORD, is my strength and song;
He also has become my salvation.’ ”
Therefore with joy you will draw water
From the wells of salvation.
And in that day you will say:
“Praise the LORD, call upon His name;
Declare His deeds among the peoples,
Make mention that His name is exalted.
Sing to the LORD,
For He has done excellent things;
This is known in all the earth.
Cry out and shout, O inhabitant of Zion,
For great is the Holy One of Israel in your midst!”
And in that day you will say: “O LORD, I will praise You;
Though You were angry with me,
Your anger is turned away, and You comfort me.
Behold, God is my salvation,
I will trust and not be afraid;
‘For YAH, the LORD, is my strength and song;
He also has become my salvation.’ ”
Therefore with joy you will draw water
From the wells of salvation.
And in that day you will say:
“Praise the LORD, call upon His name;
Declare His deeds among the peoples,
Make mention that His name is exalted.
Sing to the LORD,
For He has done excellent things;
This is known in all the earth.
Cry out and shout, O inhabitant of Zion,
For great is the Holy One of Israel in your midst!”
This meditation comes from David Wilkerson, whose book ‘The Cross and The Switchblade’ told his early story and how The Lord took him to New York to work in a street ministry to desperate and troubled young people
David Wilkerson is one who is able to reach right to the heart of Scripture and (very much like Oswald Chambers), uncover the deeper truth of God’s Word. Wilkerson died in 2011, as a result of a car accident. On the morning of his death, he posted on his daily devotional blog, ‘To those going through the valley and shadow of death, hear this word: Weeping will last through some dark, awful nights, and in the darkness you will soon hear the Father whisper, “I am with you. I cannot tell you why right now, but one day it will make sense. You will see that it is all part of My plan. It was no accident.”’
David Wilkerson is one who is able to reach right to the heart of Scripture and (very much like Oswald Chambers), uncover the deeper truth of God’s Word. Wilkerson died in 2011, as a result of a car accident. On the morning of his death, he posted on his daily devotional blog, ‘To those going through the valley and shadow of death, hear this word: Weeping will last through some dark, awful nights, and in the darkness you will soon hear the Father whisper, “I am with you. I cannot tell you why right now, but one day it will make sense. You will see that it is all part of My plan. It was no accident.”’
The Holy Spirit yearns to bring God’s people back to serving the Lord with joy and gladness. How grieved heaven must be to witness the wet blanket of despair and sadness that has fallen upon multitudes of believers.
The psalmist declared, “Happy are the people whose God is the Lord” (Psalm 144:15).
Isaiah said, “Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation” (Isaiah 12:3).
When the Holy Spirit began to deal with me on the matter of serving Him with joy, I had a difficult time facing the seriousness of the subject. I did not fully understand God’s attitude and joy’s importance compared to all the heartbreaking problems present in the world today.
Few Christians have the knowledge of the truth about liberty and the life-freeing sacrifice at Calvary. They have never allowed the cross to set them free from all fear and bondage. We cannot rejoice and be exceedingly glad in our relationship with the Lord when we have a poor or limited knowledge of what happened at the cross.
It is not necessary to understand everything in order to live joyfully unto the Lord. But you do need to know this one foundational truth: God was completely satisfied with Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. It was all that was needed! God now willingly, joyfully forgives all who repent.
Let the Spirit give you an understanding of the truth that we are called to liberty. God wants us to have an abundance of a full and complete joy—pressed down and running over!
God’s Word makes it perfectly clear that He yearns to be enjoyed by His saints: “that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves” (John 17:13). “And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing, with everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away” (Isaiah 35:10).
DAVID WILKERSON ‘God Is Faithful’
‘Meditate on these things’
PSALM 144:11-15 AMPC
Rescue me and deliver me out of the power of [hostile] alien [tribes] whose mouths speak deceit and whose right hands are right hands [raised in taking] fraudulent oaths.
When our sons shall be as plants grown large in their youth and our daughters as sculptured corner pillars hewn like those of a palace;
When our garners are full, affording all manner of store, and our sheep bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our pastures;
When our oxen are well loaded; when there is no invasion [of hostile armies] and no going forth [against besiegers—when there is no murder or manslaughter] and no outcry in our streets;
Happy and blessed are the people who are in such a case; yes, happy (blessed, fortunate, prosperous, to be envied) are the people whose God is the Lord!
Rescue me and deliver me out of the power of [hostile] alien [tribes] whose mouths speak deceit and whose right hands are right hands [raised in taking] fraudulent oaths.
When our sons shall be as plants grown large in their youth and our daughters as sculptured corner pillars hewn like those of a palace;
When our garners are full, affording all manner of store, and our sheep bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our pastures;
When our oxen are well loaded; when there is no invasion [of hostile armies] and no going forth [against besiegers—when there is no murder or manslaughter] and no outcry in our streets;
Happy and blessed are the people who are in such a case; yes, happy (blessed, fortunate, prosperous, to be envied) are the people whose God is the Lord!
‘Give Me Joy In My Heart’ — David Parkes
A HOLY OCCUPATION: Oswald Chambers on PRAYER
— requires CHILDLIKENESS--
When we pray in the Holy Spirit, we bring to God the things that come quite naturally to our minds, and the Holy Spirit, Who intercedes for the saints according to the Will of God, enables God to answer the prayer He Himelf prays in your bodily temple and mine — that we may be the children of our Father which is in heaven. The Holy Spirit cannot delight in our wisdom; it is the wisdom of God He delights in.
[from ‘If Ye Shall Ask’]
[from ‘If Ye Shall Ask’]
Listen to this meditation by clicking on the download file below …
- Published on
HEBREWS 3:7-11
Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says:
"Today, if you will hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion,
In the day of trial in the wilderness,
Where your fathers tested Me, tried Me,
And saw My works forty years.
Therefore I was angry with that generation,
And said, 'They always go astray in their heart,
And they have not known My ways.'
So I swore in My wrath,
'They shall not enter My rest.'"
[NKJV]
"Today, if you will hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion,
In the day of trial in the wilderness,
Where your fathers tested Me, tried Me,
And saw My works forty years.
Therefore I was angry with that generation,
And said, 'They always go astray in their heart,
And they have not known My ways.'
So I swore in My wrath,
'They shall not enter My rest.'"
[NKJV]
My grandmother used to say that our lives on this earth is a time of trial and testing, a time of preparation for the life everlasting. As a boy and then a young man, I felt that I understood, but really only in part. I didn’t have the life experience to know the deeper truth.
Our lives are filled with tests and trials, there is no doubt of that, and we can ask “for what purpose?” The answer is always, if we have fully given ourselves to Him in faith, that we are being honed and shaped to be as He needs us to be. It is a father teaching His child about His ways that the child may become a man — or in our walk in the Spirit — the man, Jesus Christ.
Father God allows the trials and tests so that we lean on His arm, as we read in Song of Songs 8:5-6 …
Our lives are filled with tests and trials, there is no doubt of that, and we can ask “for what purpose?” The answer is always, if we have fully given ourselves to Him in faith, that we are being honed and shaped to be as He needs us to be. It is a father teaching His child about His ways that the child may become a man — or in our walk in the Spirit — the man, Jesus Christ.
Father God allows the trials and tests so that we lean on His arm, as we read in Song of Songs 8:5-6 …
Who is this coming up from the wilderness,
Leaning upon her beloved?
I awakened you under the apple tree.
There your mother brought you forth;
There she who bore you brought you forth.
[The Shulamite to Her Beloved]
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.
Leaning upon her beloved?
I awakened you under the apple tree.
There your mother brought you forth;
There she who bore you brought you forth.
[The Shulamite to Her Beloved]
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.
Today, let us set Him as a seal, upon our hearts, upon our arms, as we already are for Him; that our passion for Him is A most vehement flame.
Gill wrote this on her love_dove_studio Instagram page a few days ago …
Gill wrote this on her love_dove_studio Instagram page a few days ago …
One thing in life is certain…it is uncertain. And that is part of the beauty, the sadnesses, the joy, the surprises. It all depends what you do with it all…how we respond to any given day, whatever it may bring. We can stand strong, or we can fall apart. We can be shaken.
I had a bit of a quake at the end of last week. Indeed, I was in a bit of shock at news received. But once settled, and digging deep, I am set on the path once more. I have peace. The sad news has not changed, but my reaction to it has.
For me, my digging deep is my faith, for you it may be the same or something different. It is my anchor in all things, the thing that makes sense of all things, that sheds light and understanding abroad in my heart.
Just like the lighthouse [in the photograph]…a symbol of warning and a guide to safer waters.
GILL STEWART
‘MEDITATE ON THESE THINGS’
1 SAMUEL 17:38-39 NKJV
So Saul clothed David with his armour, and he put a bronze helmet on his head; he also clothed him with a coat of mail. David fastened his sword to his armour and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. And David said to Saul, "I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them." So David took them off.
So Saul clothed David with his armour, and he put a bronze helmet on his head; he also clothed him with a coat of mail. David fastened his sword to his armour and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. And David said to Saul, "I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them." So David took them off.
This video, while not a hymn or song of praise, nonetheless less captures a bit of the message today.
Hope you enjoy it. Lean on Jesus as a guide to safer, more peaceful waters …
Hope you enjoy it. Lean on Jesus as a guide to safer, more peaceful waters …
“Lean On Me” — Bill Withers
A HOLY OCCUPATION: Oswald Chambers on PRAYER
— requires CHILDLIKENESS --
— requires CHILDLIKENESS --
We pray pious blather; our will is not in it. And then we say God does not answer. We never asked for anything. “You will ask what you desire,” said Jesus. Asking means our will is in it.
Whenever Jesus talked about prayer, He put it with the grand simplicity of a child; we bring in our critical temper and say — Yes, but … Jesus said, “Ask.” But remember that we have to ask of God things that are in keeping with the God whom Christ revealed.
[from ‘My Utmost For His Highest’]
Whenever Jesus talked about prayer, He put it with the grand simplicity of a child; we bring in our critical temper and say — Yes, but … Jesus said, “Ask.” But remember that we have to ask of God things that are in keeping with the God whom Christ revealed.
[from ‘My Utmost For His Highest’]
Listen to this meditation by clicking below ...