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1 John 2:20-21+24-27
But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things.
I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth.
…
Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.
And this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life.
These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you.
But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.
I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth.
…
Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.
And this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life.
These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you.
But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.
Before I became a Christian, I used to muddle along quite well. Folk generally seemed to think that I was a fairly gentle soul — a little diffident perhaps — but someone who kept himself to himself. Even the words I use to describe myself are equivocal. People would express surprise when, occasionally, I ‘stuck my head above the parapet’. Many of us are like that — non-confrontational — not making waves.
However, this attitude — while it seeks to avoid making enemies (which it doesn’t, by the way) — is very much ‘sitting on the fence’. I realised that, once The Lord had got hold of me, I was not being true to my faith, that I was walking in a spirit of compromise with the world — and that is not far off siding with the enemy. I needed to please God instead of man, or myself. And when we come to know Jesus in truth, we find we have discovered the key to change.
You do not stop making enemies in this process — quite the reverse in fact — your change upsets people, disturbs their own outlook, even if they are believers in Jesus also. I would say that The Lord’s Truth and the separation it involves, increases the number of your enemies. It doesn’t make you a friend of The World.
But John encourages us to walk that road nonetheless, for we have a promise and this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life. Our path takes us beyond this earthly life, and into the promised land. … and let us not forget that the Truth is with us by His Holy Spirit. The Way, The Truth and The Life.
Now if the LORD your God enlarges your territory, as He swore to your fathers, and gives you the land which He promised to give to your fathers, [Deuteronomy 19:8]
However, this attitude — while it seeks to avoid making enemies (which it doesn’t, by the way) — is very much ‘sitting on the fence’. I realised that, once The Lord had got hold of me, I was not being true to my faith, that I was walking in a spirit of compromise with the world — and that is not far off siding with the enemy. I needed to please God instead of man, or myself. And when we come to know Jesus in truth, we find we have discovered the key to change.
You do not stop making enemies in this process — quite the reverse in fact — your change upsets people, disturbs their own outlook, even if they are believers in Jesus also. I would say that The Lord’s Truth and the separation it involves, increases the number of your enemies. It doesn’t make you a friend of The World.
But John encourages us to walk that road nonetheless, for we have a promise and this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life. Our path takes us beyond this earthly life, and into the promised land. … and let us not forget that the Truth is with us by His Holy Spirit. The Way, The Truth and The Life.
Now if the LORD your God enlarges your territory, as He swore to your fathers, and gives you the land which He promised to give to your fathers, [Deuteronomy 19:8]
Meditate On These Things
PSALM 15
LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle?
Who may dwell in Your holy hill?
He who walks uprightly,
And works righteousness,
And speaks the truth in his heart;
He who does not backbite with his tongue,
Nor does evil to his neighbour,
Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend;
In whose eyes a vile person is despised,
But he honours those who fear the LORD;
He who swears to his own hurt and does not change;
He who does not put out his money at usury,
Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things shall never be moved.
LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle?
Who may dwell in Your holy hill?
He who walks uprightly,
And works righteousness,
And speaks the truth in his heart;
He who does not backbite with his tongue,
Nor does evil to his neighbour,
Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend;
In whose eyes a vile person is despised,
But he honours those who fear the LORD;
He who swears to his own hurt and does not change;
He who does not put out his money at usury,
Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things shall never be moved.
A LOVE FOR TRUTH — Dylan Woodward
A HOLY CONDITION: Oswald Chambers on JOY and PEACE
— JOY: Strength in the LORD --
HAPPINESS IS THE portion of a child. Children ought to be thoughtless and happy, and woe to the people who upset their happiness. But if you take happiness as the end and aim for men and women you have to make its basis a determined ignorance of God.
The seventy-third Psalm is the description of the man who has made happiness his aim. He is not in trouble as other men, neither is he plagued like other men; he has more than heart could wish. But once let his moral equilibrium be upset by conviction of sin and all his happiness is destroyed.
The end and aim of human life is not happiness, but “to glorify God and enjoy Him forever." Holiness of character, chastity of life, living communion with God -- that is the end of a man's life, whether he is happy or not. Happiness is no standard because happiness depends on being determinedly ignorant of God and His demands.
Anything that relieves us from the individual responsibility of being personally related to God is corrupt.
The seventy-third Psalm is the description of the man who has made happiness his aim. He is not in trouble as other men, neither is he plagued like other men; he has more than heart could wish. But once let his moral equilibrium be upset by conviction of sin and all his happiness is destroyed.
The end and aim of human life is not happiness, but “to glorify God and enjoy Him forever." Holiness of character, chastity of life, living communion with God -- that is the end of a man's life, whether he is happy or not. Happiness is no standard because happiness depends on being determinedly ignorant of God and His demands.
Anything that relieves us from the individual responsibility of being personally related to God is corrupt.
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Joel 2:21-23
Fear not, O land;
Be glad and rejoice,
For the LORD has done marvelous things!
Do not be afraid, you beasts of the field;
For the open pastures are springing up,
And the tree bears its fruit;
The fig tree and the vine yield their strength.
Be glad then, you children of Zion,
And rejoice in the LORD your God;
For He has given you the former rain faithfully,
And He will cause the rain to come down for you--
The former rain,
And the latter rain in the first month.
Be glad and rejoice,
For the LORD has done marvelous things!
Do not be afraid, you beasts of the field;
For the open pastures are springing up,
And the tree bears its fruit;
The fig tree and the vine yield their strength.
Be glad then, you children of Zion,
And rejoice in the LORD your God;
For He has given you the former rain faithfully,
And He will cause the rain to come down for you--
The former rain,
And the latter rain in the first month.
KILMARTIN SERIES 8
Joel 2 came up in last Tuesday’s gathering as we shared about the perilous nature of these present times, when the forces of the Evil One walk in our midst without let or hindrance — or so it would appear.
As has been mentioned before in these pages, our village of Kilmartin (the name means ‘Martainn’s cell, or church’) is at the heart of an area with more pre-Christian rock carvings, burial cists, standing stones and cup and ring markings than anywhere else in Scotland. Kilmartin is one of many spiritually significant places around the globe that The Lord has chosen as His battleground.
The prevalence of the current focus on ancient spiritual practices acts like a magnet to those swallowed up by New Age mysticism, witchcraft and a host of other unGodly beliefs. It is our belief — and that of many others before us in Kilmartin, stretching back to Martainn himself — that Kilmartin and the Glen needs the constant presence of God’s people, however small in number we may be, as watchmen on the walls.
None of us are immune to the spirits of the age in which we find ourselves, which is why it behoves those of us who seek The Lord’s Countenance, to press in to His Word and His Voice, following Paul’s exhortation in 2 Corinthians 6:17, where he quotes* Therefore, Come out from among them
And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you." "I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the LORD Almighty."
The results of this spiritual separation — looking to The Lord and not to man and the world — can be seen in Joel 2:21-23. As well as being a wonderful picture of God’s provision for His people, it presents us with the beauty and joy of The Holy Spirit’s outworking.
As has been mentioned before in these pages, our village of Kilmartin (the name means ‘Martainn’s cell, or church’) is at the heart of an area with more pre-Christian rock carvings, burial cists, standing stones and cup and ring markings than anywhere else in Scotland. Kilmartin is one of many spiritually significant places around the globe that The Lord has chosen as His battleground.
The prevalence of the current focus on ancient spiritual practices acts like a magnet to those swallowed up by New Age mysticism, witchcraft and a host of other unGodly beliefs. It is our belief — and that of many others before us in Kilmartin, stretching back to Martainn himself — that Kilmartin and the Glen needs the constant presence of God’s people, however small in number we may be, as watchmen on the walls.
None of us are immune to the spirits of the age in which we find ourselves, which is why it behoves those of us who seek The Lord’s Countenance, to press in to His Word and His Voice, following Paul’s exhortation in 2 Corinthians 6:17, where he quotes* Therefore, Come out from among them
And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you." "I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the LORD Almighty."
The results of this spiritual separation — looking to The Lord and not to man and the world — can be seen in Joel 2:21-23. As well as being a wonderful picture of God’s provision for His people, it presents us with the beauty and joy of The Holy Spirit’s outworking.
* See Numbers 33:51–56; Isaiah 52:11; Revelation 18:4
Meditate On These Things
JEREMIAH 51:11-12
Make the arrows bright!
Gather the shields!
The LORD has raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes.
For His plan is against Babylon to destroy it,
Because it is the vengeance of the LORD,
The vengeance for His temple.
Set up the standard on the walls of Babylon;
Make the guard strong,
Set up the watchmen,
Prepare the ambushes.
For the LORD has both devised and done
What He spoke against the inhabitants of Babylon.
Make the arrows bright!
Gather the shields!
The LORD has raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes.
For His plan is against Babylon to destroy it,
Because it is the vengeance of the LORD,
The vengeance for His temple.
Set up the standard on the walls of Babylon;
Make the guard strong,
Set up the watchmen,
Prepare the ambushes.
For the LORD has both devised and done
What He spoke against the inhabitants of Babylon.
FOR YOU ARE HIGH AND LIFTED UP — LaMar Boschman and Integrity’s Hosanna
A HOLY CONDITION: Oswald Chambers on JOY and PEACE
— JOY - Strength in the Spirit --
GOD DID NOT create Adam holy. He created him innocent, that is, without self-consciousness before God. Adam was conscious of himself only in relation to the Being whom he was to glorify and enjoy.
Consciousness of self was an impossibility in the Garden until the introduction of sin. Sin kills the child in us and creates in us the bitter sinner. That is why our Lord says we have to become children all over again. In other words, God's right to me is killed by the incoming of my self-conscious right to myself.
Sin is not a creation; it is a relationship set up between the devil (who is independent of God) and the being God made to have communion with Himself. Disobey God, separate yourself from Him, and you will be "as God, knowing good and evil" (Genesis 3:5 AV: see Genesis 3:22). The entrance of sin meant that the connection with God was gone and the disposition of self-realization had come in its place.
[from ‘Biblical Ethics’]
Consciousness of self was an impossibility in the Garden until the introduction of sin. Sin kills the child in us and creates in us the bitter sinner. That is why our Lord says we have to become children all over again. In other words, God's right to me is killed by the incoming of my self-conscious right to myself.
Sin is not a creation; it is a relationship set up between the devil (who is independent of God) and the being God made to have communion with Himself. Disobey God, separate yourself from Him, and you will be "as God, knowing good and evil" (Genesis 3:5 AV: see Genesis 3:22). The entrance of sin meant that the connection with God was gone and the disposition of self-realization had come in its place.
[from ‘Biblical Ethics’]
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Proverbs 22:24-25
Make no friendship with an angry man,
And with a furious man do not go,
Lest you learn his ways
And set a snare for your soul.
And with a furious man do not go,
Lest you learn his ways
And set a snare for your soul.
At our weekly gathering on Tuesday afternoon, we were led into a time of spirit-filled sharing based on Proverbs 22:24. We have not shared reports of our Tuesday meetings for some months now, but feel to remedy that omission, but more in the form of ‘inspired by’, rather than ‘this is what was said’.
We have had personal experience of an ‘angry man’ recently, and reflecting on this fact, it occurred to me at least, that many conflicts in my life have been the result of coming up against the will of an angry person. Why that person is angry, and ‘venting their spleen’, is rarely clear; but The Lord reveals that the root cause is likely to be arrogance and pride. An angry man stirs up strife, and a furious man abounds in transgression. A man's pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honour. [Proverbs 29: 22-23]
I have been that ‘angry man’ on occasions, and I know that it deeply affects those around you, and never allows you to feel better afterwards. That violent spirit is the antithesis of the spirit of Christ, but once it takes hold it does indeed become a snare for your soul, chaining and imprisoning without mercy. Furthermore, that spirit of anger spreads like a contagion, either gripping others or instilling fear.
Only the Holy Spirit can release you and bring peace, and the counsel that Proverbs gives us is in verse 28 … Do not remove the ancient landmark which your fathers have set. This seems a strange thing to say, but when you know that a landmark is a boundary, a protective wall, then we realise that the ancient landmark is the Holy Spirit — bringing salvation — gifted to our forbears by God and eternally established in the hearts of believers.
Our God — in His mercy — has granted us the free will to choose or deny Him, and so Solomon’s Proverbs tells us Do not remove the ancient landmark which your fathers have set; don’t lay yourself open to the spirits of fear or anger; hold on to what The Lord has given you.
Thus says the LORD: "Keep justice, and do righteousness, for My salvation is about to come, and My righteousness to be revealed. Blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who lays hold on it. [Isaiah 56:1-2a]
Hold on to Him — He will then take care of the rest, for He has promised it
We have had personal experience of an ‘angry man’ recently, and reflecting on this fact, it occurred to me at least, that many conflicts in my life have been the result of coming up against the will of an angry person. Why that person is angry, and ‘venting their spleen’, is rarely clear; but The Lord reveals that the root cause is likely to be arrogance and pride. An angry man stirs up strife, and a furious man abounds in transgression. A man's pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honour. [Proverbs 29: 22-23]
I have been that ‘angry man’ on occasions, and I know that it deeply affects those around you, and never allows you to feel better afterwards. That violent spirit is the antithesis of the spirit of Christ, but once it takes hold it does indeed become a snare for your soul, chaining and imprisoning without mercy. Furthermore, that spirit of anger spreads like a contagion, either gripping others or instilling fear.
Only the Holy Spirit can release you and bring peace, and the counsel that Proverbs gives us is in verse 28 … Do not remove the ancient landmark which your fathers have set. This seems a strange thing to say, but when you know that a landmark is a boundary, a protective wall, then we realise that the ancient landmark is the Holy Spirit — bringing salvation — gifted to our forbears by God and eternally established in the hearts of believers.
Our God — in His mercy — has granted us the free will to choose or deny Him, and so Solomon’s Proverbs tells us Do not remove the ancient landmark which your fathers have set; don’t lay yourself open to the spirits of fear or anger; hold on to what The Lord has given you.
Thus says the LORD: "Keep justice, and do righteousness, for My salvation is about to come, and My righteousness to be revealed. Blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who lays hold on it. [Isaiah 56:1-2a]
Hold on to Him — He will then take care of the rest, for He has promised it
Meditate On These Things
DEUTERONOMY 26:17-19
Today you have proclaimed the LORD to be your God, and that you will walk in His ways and keep His statutes, His commandments, and His judgments, and that you will obey His voice.
Also today the LORD has proclaimed you to be His special people, just as He promised you, that you should keep all His commandments,
and that He will set you high above all nations which He has made, in praise, in name, and in honour, and that you may be a holy people to the LORD your God, just as He has spoken."
Today you have proclaimed the LORD to be your God, and that you will walk in His ways and keep His statutes, His commandments, and His judgments, and that you will obey His voice.
Also today the LORD has proclaimed you to be His special people, just as He promised you, that you should keep all His commandments,
and that He will set you high above all nations which He has made, in praise, in name, and in honour, and that you may be a holy people to the LORD your God, just as He has spoken."
BY YOUR SPIRIT — Influence Music and Kim Walker-Smith
A HOLY CONDITION: Oswald Chambers on JOY AND PEACE
— PEACE: Life in the Spirit --
WE MUST BE like a plague of mosquitoes to the Almighty with our fussy little worries and anxieties, and the perplexities we imagine, all because we won't get into the elemental life with God which Jesus came to give. "His love in times past" should enable us to rest confidentially in Him. There is security from yesterday, security for tomorrow, and security for today. It was this knowledge that gave our Lord the imperturbable peace He always had.
[from ‘Biblical Ethics’]
[from ‘Biblical Ethics’]
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2 Samuel 22:1-4
Then David spoke to the LORD the words of this song, on the day when the LORD had delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul.
And he said: "The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
The God of my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, My stronghold and my refuge; My Saviour, You save me from violence.
I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies.
And he said: "The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
The God of my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, My stronghold and my refuge; My Saviour, You save me from violence.
I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies.
On Sunday morning, while tackling the breakfast dishes I found myself singing … 🎶I will call upon the Lord, Who is worthy to be praised. So shall I be saved by my enemies …🎶 It was only later that the thought occurred that The Lord was speaking to me through praise. I am a bit slow on the uptake on occasions.
Some of you may know of recent difficulties we have had with a neighbour, as well as issues with careless work done in the house. All of us experience such things from time to time, and we try to put them behind us and look forward. However, these — at root — are spiritual attacks whether purposed or innocent, and the evil one uses these troubling moments to draw us away from God. To take the attitude that ‘worse things happen at sea’, or ‘look at what is happening in Ukraine or Afghanistan’, while commendable, is not going to remedy the situation. The prophet Samuel points us in the only direction with the happiest outcome — ‘Call upon The Lord’!
The word ‘so’ could be translated as ‘in this way’. In this way I shall be saved from my enemies, by simply calling upon The Lord, by naming Him in spirit — He already know of the situation — but He delights to know that we turn to Him in our time of trouble. He is worthy of honour and praise, and the only way of escape. This we know, but the human connection with Our Lord can be tenuous at times in that our attention wants to focus on the problem — to deal with it — instead of seeking His help. At least I find it is often so. But Praise Him, He is looking out for us even when we are not looking to Him .
Did we find these situations easy, even believing that The Lord was with us? No, we did not. It was difficult, because menace, when it confronts you, is disorientating. Only afterwards, do we see that the Spirit of The Lord has moved and delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me. [v 18]. He is with us in the fire, just as He is with us in times of rest. He delivered me because He delighted in me [v 20].
Some of you may know of recent difficulties we have had with a neighbour, as well as issues with careless work done in the house. All of us experience such things from time to time, and we try to put them behind us and look forward. However, these — at root — are spiritual attacks whether purposed or innocent, and the evil one uses these troubling moments to draw us away from God. To take the attitude that ‘worse things happen at sea’, or ‘look at what is happening in Ukraine or Afghanistan’, while commendable, is not going to remedy the situation. The prophet Samuel points us in the only direction with the happiest outcome — ‘Call upon The Lord’!
The word ‘so’ could be translated as ‘in this way’. In this way I shall be saved from my enemies, by simply calling upon The Lord, by naming Him in spirit — He already know of the situation — but He delights to know that we turn to Him in our time of trouble. He is worthy of honour and praise, and the only way of escape. This we know, but the human connection with Our Lord can be tenuous at times in that our attention wants to focus on the problem — to deal with it — instead of seeking His help. At least I find it is often so. But Praise Him, He is looking out for us even when we are not looking to Him .
Did we find these situations easy, even believing that The Lord was with us? No, we did not. It was difficult, because menace, when it confronts you, is disorientating. Only afterwards, do we see that the Spirit of The Lord has moved and delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me. [v 18]. He is with us in the fire, just as He is with us in times of rest. He delivered me because He delighted in me [v 20].
Meditate On These Things
2 SAMUEL 22:14-20
"The LORD thundered from heaven,
And the Most High uttered His voice.
He sent out arrows and scattered them;
Lightning bolts, and He vanquished them.
Then the channels of the sea were seen,
The foundations of the world were uncovered,
At the rebuke of the LORD,
At the blast of the breath of His nostrils.
"He sent from above, He took me,
He drew me out of many waters.
He delivered me from my strong enemy,
From those who hated me;
For they were too strong for me.
They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
But the LORD was my support.
He also brought me out into a broad place;
He delivered me because He delighted in me.
"The LORD thundered from heaven,
And the Most High uttered His voice.
He sent out arrows and scattered them;
Lightning bolts, and He vanquished them.
Then the channels of the sea were seen,
The foundations of the world were uncovered,
At the rebuke of the LORD,
At the blast of the breath of His nostrils.
"He sent from above, He took me,
He drew me out of many waters.
He delivered me from my strong enemy,
From those who hated me;
For they were too strong for me.
They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
But the LORD was my support.
He also brought me out into a broad place;
He delivered me because He delighted in me.
I WILL CALL UPON THE LORD — Cedarmont Kids
A HOLY CONDITION: Oswald Chambers on JOY and PEACE
— PEACE: Life in the Spirit --
IF WE ARE to be sanctified, it must be by the God of peace Himself. The power that makes the life of the saint does not come from our efforts at all, it comes from the heart of the God of peace.
[from ‘If Ye Shall Ask’]
[from ‘If Ye Shall Ask’]
Listen to this meditation by clicking on download link below…
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Malachi 3:6-7
"For I am the LORD, I do not change;
Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.
Yet from the days of your fathers
You have gone away from My ordinances
And have not kept them.
Return to Me, and I will return to you,"
Says the LORD of hosts.
"But you said,
'In what way shall we return?'
Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.
Yet from the days of your fathers
You have gone away from My ordinances
And have not kept them.
Return to Me, and I will return to you,"
Says the LORD of hosts.
"But you said,
'In what way shall we return?'
We had a short 4-day break last week — an invitation to join family on the Isle of Mull. The weather was forecast to be uniformly wet, but The Lord blessed us with sun and a joyful time; with the occasional shower to keep us cool. And apart from a brief interlude, the ‘feersum’ midges were held at bay.
During this visit, we revisited the wonderful Sgriob-Ruadh Farm, home of Isle of Mull Cheeses, and while there met Chris Reade, who started the business alongside her late husband. In our conversation, she asked what we thought of the changes at Calgary Farm where we were staying, run by her son Matthew and his wife Julia. Gill observed that change is something we have to accept, and Chris replied that her husband had often said that it was one thing of which we could be sure.
This lovely lady had seen many many changes in her lifetime — and no doubt many a heartache too — yet maintained a determination to carry on and appreciate what she had. It occurred to Gill and myself that she was a great example, and that change is inevitable in every life, and especially so in these fevered times.
Malachi shows us that our Lord never changes; He is consistent and steadfast; having no beginning nor end, and yet His creation is an ever-changing one, as He raises sons to glory. This for us is the conundrum — our God desires us to accept radical and overwhelming change to become unchanging and the image of Himself. He orchestrates this in us with His love and compassion and with never-ending unchanging mercy, which manages to be — in the words of the song — new every morning.
His constant refreshing and revitalising, His creative re-creation and restoration, His amazing re-imagining and re-forming embraces perpetual change that is eternally unchanging, and in this way grants us a security, stability and comfort to be found nowhere else. Only God can do that. We must return to Him in this way, just by turning to seek His face.
During this visit, we revisited the wonderful Sgriob-Ruadh Farm, home of Isle of Mull Cheeses, and while there met Chris Reade, who started the business alongside her late husband. In our conversation, she asked what we thought of the changes at Calgary Farm where we were staying, run by her son Matthew and his wife Julia. Gill observed that change is something we have to accept, and Chris replied that her husband had often said that it was one thing of which we could be sure.
This lovely lady had seen many many changes in her lifetime — and no doubt many a heartache too — yet maintained a determination to carry on and appreciate what she had. It occurred to Gill and myself that she was a great example, and that change is inevitable in every life, and especially so in these fevered times.
Malachi shows us that our Lord never changes; He is consistent and steadfast; having no beginning nor end, and yet His creation is an ever-changing one, as He raises sons to glory. This for us is the conundrum — our God desires us to accept radical and overwhelming change to become unchanging and the image of Himself. He orchestrates this in us with His love and compassion and with never-ending unchanging mercy, which manages to be — in the words of the song — new every morning.
His constant refreshing and revitalising, His creative re-creation and restoration, His amazing re-imagining and re-forming embraces perpetual change that is eternally unchanging, and in this way grants us a security, stability and comfort to be found nowhere else. Only God can do that. We must return to Him in this way, just by turning to seek His face.
Meditate On These Things
LAMENTATIONS 3:22-24
Through the LORD's mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
"The LORD is my portion," says my soul,
"Therefore I hope in Him!"
Through the LORD's mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
"The LORD is my portion," says my soul,
"Therefore I hope in Him!"
THE STEADFAST LOVE OF THE LORD NEVER CEASES — Maranatha Singers
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases.
Your mercies never come to an end;
They are new every morning,
New every morning:
Great is your faithfulness, O Lord,
Great is your faithfulness!
A HOLY PROMISE: Oswald Chambers on HOPE
— In Doubt: Hope in GOD --
EVERY TIME GOD presents us with a problem, He gives us something to match it in our own heart, and if we will let His power work there, we shall go forth with unshakeable confidence in what He can do. Once we know that God can do what Jesus Christ said He could, we can never be put in the place where we will be discouraged.
[from ‘So Send I You’]
[from ‘So Send I You’]
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Ephesians 1:7-14
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace
which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence,
having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself,
that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him.
In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,
that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.
In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,
who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence,
having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself,
that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him.
In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,
that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.
In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,
who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
‘All things in Christ’. ‘All’ means ‘fully’, ‘completely’, ‘entirely’, ‘whatsoever’, ‘whosoever’ and ‘without exception’. A whole lot on the shoulders of one small three-letter word; but then so has the word ‘God’, come to that. In a sense they are synonymous.
‘All Things’ in Scriptural terms means just that. There is no equivocation. But it seems to me that to receive the ‘all things’ that Jesus Christ offers, there must be a reciprocal offering of ‘all things’ from us. We must both be attuned to one another, or rather, we are completely at one with Him. This is not an easy task, unequipped as we are for such a transformation, and so there is a growing together over time, a growing which He is working in us if we choose to allow it.
But as He ‘knows the end from the beginning’, He provides us with a foretaste of His promised outcome for each of us — something we can have now, which reveals how it will be — something which He knows already is. Along the way, our commitment and understanding of His compassion and lifegiving love are tested and retested in what the apostle Peter calls ‘the fiery trial of our faith’.
I began writing this meditation immediately following completion of our final post on John 18, pausing for a day or so to hear what The Lord was saying. What He was saying — or better, showing, is the reality of that fiery trial. I do not wish to dramatise a situation, but a distressing event occurred which has left Gill and I feeling threatened and uncomfortable. Compared to what many suffer on a daily basis, it is as nothing — only something out of the ordinary in our experience. A trial nonetheless, but one in which we see Our Lord’s hand of covering and protection. It could have been so much worse.
Three days later, The Lord answered the cry of our hearts in a family matter. His grace and restoring power brings such immense joy in its wake. Proof to me that [He planned] for the maturity of the times and the climax of the ages to unify all things and head them up and consummate them in Christ, [both] things in heaven and things on the earth. AMPC
‘All Things’ in Scriptural terms means just that. There is no equivocation. But it seems to me that to receive the ‘all things’ that Jesus Christ offers, there must be a reciprocal offering of ‘all things’ from us. We must both be attuned to one another, or rather, we are completely at one with Him. This is not an easy task, unequipped as we are for such a transformation, and so there is a growing together over time, a growing which He is working in us if we choose to allow it.
But as He ‘knows the end from the beginning’, He provides us with a foretaste of His promised outcome for each of us — something we can have now, which reveals how it will be — something which He knows already is. Along the way, our commitment and understanding of His compassion and lifegiving love are tested and retested in what the apostle Peter calls ‘the fiery trial of our faith’.
I began writing this meditation immediately following completion of our final post on John 18, pausing for a day or so to hear what The Lord was saying. What He was saying — or better, showing, is the reality of that fiery trial. I do not wish to dramatise a situation, but a distressing event occurred which has left Gill and I feeling threatened and uncomfortable. Compared to what many suffer on a daily basis, it is as nothing — only something out of the ordinary in our experience. A trial nonetheless, but one in which we see Our Lord’s hand of covering and protection. It could have been so much worse.
Three days later, The Lord answered the cry of our hearts in a family matter. His grace and restoring power brings such immense joy in its wake. Proof to me that [He planned] for the maturity of the times and the climax of the ages to unify all things and head them up and consummate them in Christ, [both] things in heaven and things on the earth. AMPC
Meditate On These Things
1 PETER 4:12-16
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.
If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.
But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people's matters.
Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.
_________________
MATTHEW 19:18-26
Then Jesus said to His disciples, "Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?"
But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
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.
If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.
But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people's matters.
Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.
_________________
MATTHEW 19:18-26
Then Jesus said to His disciples, "Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?"
But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
ALL TO JESUS I SURRENDER — Robin Mark
A HOLY PROMISE: Oswald Chambers on HOPE
— In Doubt: Hope in GOD --
IF I LET the sorrow of a bereaved home weigh on me, instantly my faith in God is gone; I am so overcome with sympathy that my prayer is nothing more than a wail of sympathy before God.
The influence of my mind on another, whether I speak or not, is so subtle that the prince of this world will use it to prevent my getting hold of God; whereas if I remain confident in God I lift the weight off lives in a way I shall never realise till I stand before Him.
We have to pray that the enemy shall not make God's children slander Him by worry and anxiety. We are to hold off the exactings of Satan, not add to them.
[from ‘God’s Workmanship’]
The influence of my mind on another, whether I speak or not, is so subtle that the prince of this world will use it to prevent my getting hold of God; whereas if I remain confident in God I lift the weight off lives in a way I shall never realise till I stand before Him.
We have to pray that the enemy shall not make God's children slander Him by worry and anxiety. We are to hold off the exactings of Satan, not add to them.
[from ‘God’s Workmanship’]
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John 18:36-40
Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here."
Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are You a king then?" Jesus answered, "You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice."
Pilate said to Him, "What is truth?" And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, "I find no fault in Him at all.
"But you have a custom that I should release someone to you at the Passover. Do you therefore want me to release to you the King of the Jews?"
Then they all cried again, saying, "Not this Man, but Barabbas!" Now Barabbas was a robber.
Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are You a king then?" Jesus answered, "You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice."
Pilate said to Him, "What is truth?" And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, "I find no fault in Him at all.
"But you have a custom that I should release someone to you at the Passover. Do you therefore want me to release to you the King of the Jews?"
Then they all cried again, saying, "Not this Man, but Barabbas!" Now Barabbas was a robber.
It took me a long time to realise that Barabbas [meaning ‘son of a father’] represented myself before I was saved; that Barabbas — not just a thief, but a robber — is a fundamental essential in the Gospel story. If the Jews had said, “We are not choosing Barabbas. He’s a criminal. Jesus will have to go free despite our reservations”, where would we be? God’s plan of redemption would have ground to a halt right there, surely? Well, no it wouldn’t, because God would have had a Plan B, but this is yet another example of how God’s ways are not our ways
"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.
ISAIAH 55:8-9
Barabbas is the son of a father — in other words, he is like you and me, and while we may not be robbers — a robber might use violence, or the threat of it, a thief does not — the capacity is in each one of us to be so, whether we like it or not. It is in our nature.
Jesus was — is — a man of peace, love and compassion, and so the choice before the assembly was someone like Jesus, or someone like us, that we know and comprehend. The wrong choice for sure, but an understandable and indeed forgivable one. Forgive them, for they know not what they do.
Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice, says Jesus. Pilate’s response of ‘what is truth?’ reveals a man of no conviction or philosophy, someone who can allow much for the sake of expediency and ‘getting the job done’. Jesus was now in his ‘out tray’ and a problem solved. Pilate passed the problem back to those who had the problem, allowing them to decide. In this way — by the condemning of Jesus to death on the cross — the sinner Barabbas was saved by grace.
Jesus was — is — a man of peace, love and compassion, and so the choice before the assembly was someone like Jesus, or someone like us, that we know and comprehend. The wrong choice for sure, but an understandable and indeed forgivable one. Forgive them, for they know not what they do.
Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice, says Jesus. Pilate’s response of ‘what is truth?’ reveals a man of no conviction or philosophy, someone who can allow much for the sake of expediency and ‘getting the job done’. Jesus was now in his ‘out tray’ and a problem solved. Pilate passed the problem back to those who had the problem, allowing them to decide. In this way — by the condemning of Jesus to death on the cross — the sinner Barabbas was saved by grace.
Meditate On These Things
EPHESIANS 2:4-10
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
not of works, lest anyone should boast.
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
not of works, lest anyone should boast.
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
BARABBAS — Greenbrier
A HOLY PROMISE: Oswald Chambers on HOPE
— In Doubt: Hope in GOD --
THERE ARE THINGS God tells us to do without any light or illumination other than just the word of His command, and if we do not obey, it is because we are independently strong enough to wriggle out of obeying. All God's commands are enablings; therefore, it is a crime to be weak in His strength.
[from ‘Not Knowing Whither’]
[from ‘Not Knowing Whither’]
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John 18:28-36
Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early morning. But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover. Pilate then went out to them and said, "What accusation do you bring against this Man?"
They answered and said to him, "If He were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you."
Then Pilate said to them, "You take Him and judge Him according to your law."
Therefore the Jews said to him, "It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death," that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, signifying by what death He would die.
Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?"
Jesus answered him, "Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?"
Pilate answered, "Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?"
Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here."
They answered and said to him, "If He were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you."
Then Pilate said to them, "You take Him and judge Him according to your law."
Therefore the Jews said to him, "It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death," that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, signifying by what death He would die.
Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?"
Jesus answered him, "Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?"
Pilate answered, "Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?"
Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here."
The ‘Praetorium’ is sometimes translated as ‘judgement hall’, although it was the residence of the local Procurator or governor of a Roman province. John lays out for us clearly, the religiosity and legalism which has bound the players in this tragedy; a tragedy which is also a glorious outworking of God’s plan.
Everything is according to the Law. But whose law? Roman law? Jewish law? What is on trial here is God’s law, and no one but Jesus seems to know what that is — despite what should be great learning and consideration by others involved. But then, they did not have the tools to judge correctly, or rather chose to go with tradition and religious form, blinding themselves to truth and life.
What is hard to accept for us with faith today, is that we too can be drawn to form and tradition — we like the comfort of the familiar and the tried and tested. This is a barrier to hearing the Holy Spirit’s guidance with clarity — His kingdom is not of this world — and each who knows Him has been chosen to enter; but it is a process, a learning requiring an abandonment to Jesus Christ. Giving up our right to ourselves is difficult to deal with, even although we have no such right — we have been bought at a price.
Jesus shows us the way, and it requires taking a stand against forces that do not understand Him. We are not from around here either. The question I must ask myself is, will I remain sitting, or will I stand?
Everything is according to the Law. But whose law? Roman law? Jewish law? What is on trial here is God’s law, and no one but Jesus seems to know what that is — despite what should be great learning and consideration by others involved. But then, they did not have the tools to judge correctly, or rather chose to go with tradition and religious form, blinding themselves to truth and life.
What is hard to accept for us with faith today, is that we too can be drawn to form and tradition — we like the comfort of the familiar and the tried and tested. This is a barrier to hearing the Holy Spirit’s guidance with clarity — His kingdom is not of this world — and each who knows Him has been chosen to enter; but it is a process, a learning requiring an abandonment to Jesus Christ. Giving up our right to ourselves is difficult to deal with, even although we have no such right — we have been bought at a price.
Jesus shows us the way, and it requires taking a stand against forces that do not understand Him. We are not from around here either. The question I must ask myself is, will I remain sitting, or will I stand?
Meditate On These Things
1 PETER 2:9-12
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul,
having your conduct honourable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul,
having your conduct honourable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.
NOT OF THIS WORLD — Petra
A HOLY PROMISE: Oswald Chambers on HOPE
— In Doubt: Hope in GOD --
IF A MAN will resign himself in implicit trust to the Lord Jesus. he will find that He leads the wayfaring soul into the green pastures and beside the still waters, so that even when he goes through the dark valley of the shadow of some staggering episode, he will fear no evil. Nothing in life or death, time or eternity, can stagger that soul from the certainty of the Way for one moment
[from ‘The Place Of Help’]
[from ‘The Place Of Help’]
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John 18:25-27
Now Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. Therefore they said to him, "You are not also one of His disciples, are you?" He denied it and said, "I am not!"
One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of him whose ear Peter cut off, said, "Did I not see you in the garden with Him?"
Peter then denied again; and immediately a rooster crowed.
One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of him whose ear Peter cut off, said, "Did I not see you in the garden with Him?"
Peter then denied again; and immediately a rooster crowed.
We already know that the other Gospel writers tell of Peter’s denials in differing ways. Matthew has Peter cursing and swearing in his third denial. Mark simply tells the story, but with the additional information that Peter wept. Luke (see below), has The Lord there with Peter to hear the denial. John merely reports the fact of Jesus’ word being fulfilled — immediately a rooster crowed.
The way in which John tells of this event draws us to see Peter’s denials at the same moment as Jesus entered His final hours, but whereas the other Gospels record that Peter wept bitterly, John does not mention anything of Peter’s feelings. The plain fact is that Jesus predicted the denials and that was shown to be the case. Move onwards.
What we can see in these writings is that John’s approach is to focus on the spiritual and not on the natural, unless the spiritual is revealed thereby. What we are shown here is a comparison between Jesus and Peter in how each behaves in the face of a stressful event. Later events both in John, The Acts of The Apostles and in Peter’s epistles, show us that Peter became the rock on which Jesus would build His church.
I believe that in these three short verses, we see the turning point for Peter. Immediately the rooster crowed galvanised him out of his fearfulness into seeing again the truth that Jesus had spoken — the realisation of a new day heralded, the fulfilment of something immense and eternally significant.
For us it is a powerful reminder, that despite a complete denial of Christ, in word or deed, the Lord’s promise of salvation, forgiveness and redemption is as everlasting as the life He gives, and His life in each of us is what transforms us into overcomers, taking us on to perfection. Our Lord is with us!
The way in which John tells of this event draws us to see Peter’s denials at the same moment as Jesus entered His final hours, but whereas the other Gospels record that Peter wept bitterly, John does not mention anything of Peter’s feelings. The plain fact is that Jesus predicted the denials and that was shown to be the case. Move onwards.
What we can see in these writings is that John’s approach is to focus on the spiritual and not on the natural, unless the spiritual is revealed thereby. What we are shown here is a comparison between Jesus and Peter in how each behaves in the face of a stressful event. Later events both in John, The Acts of The Apostles and in Peter’s epistles, show us that Peter became the rock on which Jesus would build His church.
I believe that in these three short verses, we see the turning point for Peter. Immediately the rooster crowed galvanised him out of his fearfulness into seeing again the truth that Jesus had spoken — the realisation of a new day heralded, the fulfilment of something immense and eternally significant.
For us it is a powerful reminder, that despite a complete denial of Christ, in word or deed, the Lord’s promise of salvation, forgiveness and redemption is as everlasting as the life He gives, and His life in each of us is what transforms us into overcomers, taking us on to perfection. Our Lord is with us!
Meditate On These Things
LUKE 22:60-62
But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are saying!" Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.
And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times."
So Peter went out and wept bitterly.
But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are saying!" Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.
And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times."
So Peter went out and wept bitterly.
YET NOT I BUT THROUGH CHRIST IN ME — CityAlight
A HOLY WALK: Oswald Chambers on FAITH
— What God says about THE WORLD --
WHENEVER YOU MEET with difficulties, whether they are intellectual, circumstantial, or physical, remain loyal to God. Don't compromise. If you do, everyone around you will suffer from your faithlessness, because you are disloyal to Jesus Christ and His way of looking at things.
[from ‘The Place of Help’]
[from ‘The Place of Help’]
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John 18:19-24
The high priest then asked Jesus about His disciples and His doctrine.
Jesus answered him, "I spoke openly to the world. I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where the Jews always meet, and in secret I have said nothing. Why do you ask Me? Ask those who have heard Me what I said to them. Indeed they know what I said."
And when He had said these things, one of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, "Do You answer the high priest like that?"
Jesus answered him, "If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why do you strike Me?"
Then Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.
Jesus answered him, "I spoke openly to the world. I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where the Jews always meet, and in secret I have said nothing. Why do you ask Me? Ask those who have heard Me what I said to them. Indeed they know what I said."
And when He had said these things, one of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, "Do You answer the high priest like that?"
Jesus answered him, "If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why do you strike Me?"
Then Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.
In verse 15, we learn that another disciple went into the courtyard of the High Priest with Jesus, while Peter wished to remain outside. However, this other disciple — who it is reasonable to assume was John himself — encouraged Peter to come into the courtyard, but on entering, Peter denied Jesus to the servant girl at the door. John was a believing witness to the cross-examination in the High Priest’s house to which Jesus was subjected. Indeed, only John tells the story in this way, and it has the feel of an eye-witness account that the other Gospel writers do not have.
John intercuts between Peter in the courtyard and Jesus before the High Priest Annas in a most dramatic way — giving us a simultaneous presentation of the fulfilment of Jesus’ prophecy of Peter’s denial, as Jesus was being struck by one of the officers. A double blow indeed. Even today when someone betrays us in some way, we say “Well, that was a slap in the face!”
But all through this trial, Jesus remains level, reasoned and calm. Indeed it is His confidence in the face of questioning, which appears to provoke the officer’s attack. “I spoke openly to the world.” “Why do you ask me?” “Why do you strike me?” These are the responses of someone with authority.
While the other Gospel writers tell this story as a show trial before the Sanhedrin — with Caiaphas rending his clothes in fury, which may be seen as a prefiguring of the veil in the temple tearing in two at the crucifixion — John’s telling seems low key in comparison, but all the more telling for that. It may be that in sending Jesus bound to Caiaphas, there would be a gathering of the Sanhedrin as we read elsewhere, but John tells us nothing of that. The point has been made; the religious order will have none of what they consider to be Jesus’ blasphemy.
The disciples knew exactly what Jesus had said to them, signifying by what death He would die.
John intercuts between Peter in the courtyard and Jesus before the High Priest Annas in a most dramatic way — giving us a simultaneous presentation of the fulfilment of Jesus’ prophecy of Peter’s denial, as Jesus was being struck by one of the officers. A double blow indeed. Even today when someone betrays us in some way, we say “Well, that was a slap in the face!”
But all through this trial, Jesus remains level, reasoned and calm. Indeed it is His confidence in the face of questioning, which appears to provoke the officer’s attack. “I spoke openly to the world.” “Why do you ask me?” “Why do you strike me?” These are the responses of someone with authority.
While the other Gospel writers tell this story as a show trial before the Sanhedrin — with Caiaphas rending his clothes in fury, which may be seen as a prefiguring of the veil in the temple tearing in two at the crucifixion — John’s telling seems low key in comparison, but all the more telling for that. It may be that in sending Jesus bound to Caiaphas, there would be a gathering of the Sanhedrin as we read elsewhere, but John tells us nothing of that. The point has been made; the religious order will have none of what they consider to be Jesus’ blasphemy.
The disciples knew exactly what Jesus had said to them, signifying by what death He would die.
Meditate On These Things
JOHN 12:27-33
"Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save Me from this hour'? But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name."
Then a voice came from heaven, saying, "I have both glorified it and will glorify it again."
Therefore the people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, "An angel has spoken to Him."
Jesus answered and said, "This voice did not come because of Me, but for your sake.
Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.
And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself."
This He said, signifying by what death He would die.
"Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save Me from this hour'? But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name."
Then a voice came from heaven, saying, "I have both glorified it and will glorify it again."
Therefore the people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, "An angel has spoken to Him."
Jesus answered and said, "This voice did not come because of Me, but for your sake.
Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.
And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself."
This He said, signifying by what death He would die.
I HEARD THE VOICE OF JESUS SAY — Hymns of Grace
A HOLY WALK: Oswald Chambers on FAITH
— What God says about THE WORLD --
EVERY TIME YOU venture out in the life of faith, you will find something in your common-sense circumstances that flatly contradicts your faith. Common sense is not faith, and faith is not common sense; they stand in the relation of the natural and the spiritual. Can you trust Jesus Christ where your common sense contradicts Him?
[from ‘My Utmost For His Highest’]
[from ‘My Utmost For His Highest’]