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Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, "My daughter, shall I not seek security for you, that it may be well with you?
Now Boaz, whose young women you were with, is he not our relative? In fact, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor.
Therefore wash yourself and anoint yourself, put on your best garment and go down to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking.
Then it shall be, when he lies down, that you shall notice the place where he lies; and you shall go in, uncover his feet, and lie down; and he will tell you what you should do."
[Ruth 3:1-4 NKJV]
Now Boaz, whose young women you were with, is he not our relative? In fact, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor.
Therefore wash yourself and anoint yourself, put on your best garment and go down to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking.
Then it shall be, when he lies down, that you shall notice the place where he lies; and you shall go in, uncover his feet, and lie down; and he will tell you what you should do."
[Ruth 3:1-4 NKJV]
When we lay down - submit ourselves - at the feet of Father God, we are acknowledging with everything in us that He is our Creator and Lord, and that we cannot do any thing without Him.
Therefore wash yourself and anoint yourself, put on your best garment and go down to the threshing floor; Naomi instructs Ruth precisely the way to come before her Lord. She must cleanse and anoint herself, put on her best clothing and wait until he is ready. This is how we must be to approach Father God in prayer. Preparing mind, body and spirit to approach Him, and make our petitions so that He will hear. By washing (ridding our minds of worldly distractions), anointing ourselves (moving in the Spirit) and putting on our best garment (clothing ourselves under God’s covering wings), we are becoming ‘as He is’ and thus best able to speak to Him.
Then it shall be, when he lies down, that you shall notice the place where he lies; As before, our understanding of The Lord is a part of the process. When should we approach Him? When He lies down. Where is God? He is where He lies. Here is the crucial question. How do we know when God is ready for us? We will know at the moment when we are ready for Him, because both will be in tune - our walk closely in step with the Father.
The reality is that He will listen and He will tell you what you should do when we are in the right position - lying down, submitting - and in the right place - at His feet.
Therefore wash yourself and anoint yourself, put on your best garment and go down to the threshing floor; Naomi instructs Ruth precisely the way to come before her Lord. She must cleanse and anoint herself, put on her best clothing and wait until he is ready. This is how we must be to approach Father God in prayer. Preparing mind, body and spirit to approach Him, and make our petitions so that He will hear. By washing (ridding our minds of worldly distractions), anointing ourselves (moving in the Spirit) and putting on our best garment (clothing ourselves under God’s covering wings), we are becoming ‘as He is’ and thus best able to speak to Him.
Then it shall be, when he lies down, that you shall notice the place where he lies; As before, our understanding of The Lord is a part of the process. When should we approach Him? When He lies down. Where is God? He is where He lies. Here is the crucial question. How do we know when God is ready for us? We will know at the moment when we are ready for Him, because both will be in tune - our walk closely in step with the Father.
The reality is that He will listen and He will tell you what you should do when we are in the right position - lying down, submitting - and in the right place - at His feet.
“At Your Feet We Fall”
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Friday 5th June 2020
Be carefully careless about everything saving your relationship to God. Refuse to be swamped by the cares of this life.
Friday 5th June 2020
Be carefully careless about everything saving your relationship to God. Refuse to be swamped by the cares of this life.
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Then Boaz said to Ruth, “You will listen, my daughter, will you not? Do not go to glean in another field, nor go from here, but stay close by my young women.
Let your eyes be on the field which they reap, and go after them. Have I not commanded the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the young men have drawn.”
So she fell on her face, bowed down to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favour in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?”
[Ruth 2:8-10 NKJV]
Let your eyes be on the field which they reap, and go after them. Have I not commanded the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the young men have drawn.”
So she fell on her face, bowed down to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favour in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?”
[Ruth 2:8-10 NKJV]
This is a crucial part in Ruth’s story. She was ‘a stranger in a strange land’, but was prepared to do what was necessary to play her part and be accepted. Boaz encourages her to concentrate on one particular field for her work, but she cannot understand why he should help her so.
These verses are an illustration of our coming to faith and how the Lord responds to our willingness to follow where He leads. Boaz represents the Lord and wants us to see His field, the spiritual place in which He can guide and protect us. If we choose another way, or field, we will not come to know Him. This field we are shown, often feels unfamiliar, threatening even, and we wonder why we are being offered such favour. He is looking for us to trust Him so that we may obtain our reward for our work. We see this in the next verses ...
And Boaz answered and said to her, “It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know before. The LORD repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.” [Ruth 2:11-12]
When we find ourselves drawn to The Lord, the eyes of our understanding are opened to a new ‘field of vision’. He wants to bring us closer, creating a thirst for more of Him, so that we will ‘not go to glean in another field’.
These verses are an illustration of our coming to faith and how the Lord responds to our willingness to follow where He leads. Boaz represents the Lord and wants us to see His field, the spiritual place in which He can guide and protect us. If we choose another way, or field, we will not come to know Him. This field we are shown, often feels unfamiliar, threatening even, and we wonder why we are being offered such favour. He is looking for us to trust Him so that we may obtain our reward for our work. We see this in the next verses ...
And Boaz answered and said to her, “It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know before. The LORD repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.” [Ruth 2:11-12]
When we find ourselves drawn to The Lord, the eyes of our understanding are opened to a new ‘field of vision’. He wants to bring us closer, creating a thirst for more of Him, so that we will ‘not go to glean in another field’.
“More of You” - Marty Nystrom
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Thursday 4th June 2020
The Holy Ghost destroys my personal private life and turns it into a thoroughfare for God
Thursday 4th June 2020
The Holy Ghost destroys my personal private life and turns it into a thoroughfare for God
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And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?"
[Revelation 6:15-17 NKJV]
[Revelation 6:15-17 NKJV]
In the last few weeks - months even - the use of the word ‘unprecedented’ is itself unprecedented. Of course, each day is unprecedented in that it has never happened before, but we have the wonderful comfort of knowing that Jesus is new every morning, washing away the fears of the night hours.
However, there are times when situations occur which can so easily fill us with fear because of what is happening in the world around us. In the last year, we have experienced fierce fires across the globe, devastating huge swathes of forest and taking many lives; the spectre of worldwide pollution in the oceans; the pandemic of the coronavirus, and now civil unrest erupting across America, further fuelled by it’s weak, self-serving monarch. One could be forgiven for thinking that the Four Horsemen from Revelation now stalk the Earth.
All of which brings us to the question in Revelation 6:17, “Who is able to stand?” The answer is immediately given in the opening verses of chapter 7, when “the Sealed of Israel” are shown to be those able to stand. Those who have the mind of Christ ‘sealed on their foreheads’.
I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. [Revelation 7:2-3 NKJV]
Hold fast to Jesus Christ in these turbulent times. He will enable us to stand firm and withstand the evil day.
However, there are times when situations occur which can so easily fill us with fear because of what is happening in the world around us. In the last year, we have experienced fierce fires across the globe, devastating huge swathes of forest and taking many lives; the spectre of worldwide pollution in the oceans; the pandemic of the coronavirus, and now civil unrest erupting across America, further fuelled by it’s weak, self-serving monarch. One could be forgiven for thinking that the Four Horsemen from Revelation now stalk the Earth.
All of which brings us to the question in Revelation 6:17, “Who is able to stand?” The answer is immediately given in the opening verses of chapter 7, when “the Sealed of Israel” are shown to be those able to stand. Those who have the mind of Christ ‘sealed on their foreheads’.
I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. [Revelation 7:2-3 NKJV]
Hold fast to Jesus Christ in these turbulent times. He will enable us to stand firm and withstand the evil day.
“Put On The Whole Armour of God” - Love The Holy Trinity
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Wednesday 3rd June 2020
Beware of paddling in the ocean of God’s truth, when you should be out in it, swimming.
Wednesday 3rd June 2020
Beware of paddling in the ocean of God’s truth, when you should be out in it, swimming.
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Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the LORD.
But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
No more shall every man teach his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”
Thus says the LORD, Who gives the sun for a light by day, The ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night, Who disturbs the sea, And its waves roar (The LORD of hosts is His name):
“If those ordinances depart From before Me, says the LORD, Then the seed of Israel shall also cease from being a nation before Me forever.”
Thus says the LORD: “If heaven above can be measured, And the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel For all that they have done, says the LORD.
[Jeremiah 31:33-37 NKJV]
But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
No more shall every man teach his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”
Thus says the LORD, Who gives the sun for a light by day, The ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night, Who disturbs the sea, And its waves roar (The LORD of hosts is His name):
“If those ordinances depart From before Me, says the LORD, Then the seed of Israel shall also cease from being a nation before Me forever.”
Thus says the LORD: “If heaven above can be measured, And the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel For all that they have done, says the LORD.
[Jeremiah 31:33-37 NKJV]
What a wonderful run of verses from Jeremiah that Stan has shown us last week. An amazing promise, and a compassionate comfort.
I was struck by this line “no more shall every man teach his neighbour”, and what caught my attention was that in this day there is still the need for Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers [Ephesians 4:11 NKJV]. So why would there be no need to ‘teach (your) neighbour’? The straightforward answer is because The Lord says so, but I do not believe that it is as simple as that.
I checked a number of different translations, but all use the word ‘teach’. I certainly understand that a time will come when each one will be so in tune with the Holy Spirit so that all will hear and comprehend perfectly what His purpose is. But ...
The word translated as ‘teach’ primarily means ‘to goad’, with the sense of instruction. To me, this now makes the matter clear. With the coming of the Holy Spirit, each man will hear what the Spirit is saying to each man. It will be God’s teaching to an individual for his or her particular circumstances. It does not eliminate the need for teaching, but instead that no man can impose his idea of doctrine or dogma on his neighbour. What God is eliminating in the equation is religiosity.
As always, God’s way triumphs. Only His truthful teaching will reach home. Hallelujah!
I was struck by this line “no more shall every man teach his neighbour”, and what caught my attention was that in this day there is still the need for Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers [Ephesians 4:11 NKJV]. So why would there be no need to ‘teach (your) neighbour’? The straightforward answer is because The Lord says so, but I do not believe that it is as simple as that.
I checked a number of different translations, but all use the word ‘teach’. I certainly understand that a time will come when each one will be so in tune with the Holy Spirit so that all will hear and comprehend perfectly what His purpose is. But ...
The word translated as ‘teach’ primarily means ‘to goad’, with the sense of instruction. To me, this now makes the matter clear. With the coming of the Holy Spirit, each man will hear what the Spirit is saying to each man. It will be God’s teaching to an individual for his or her particular circumstances. It does not eliminate the need for teaching, but instead that no man can impose his idea of doctrine or dogma on his neighbour. What God is eliminating in the equation is religiosity.
As always, God’s way triumphs. Only His truthful teaching will reach home. Hallelujah!
“Knowing You, Jesus” - Robin Mark
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Tuesday 2nd June 2020
The more complete our sense of need, the more satisfactory is our dependence on God.
Tuesday 2nd June 2020
The more complete our sense of need, the more satisfactory is our dependence on God.
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Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.
Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
[James 4:7-10 NKJV]
Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
[James 4:7-10 NKJV]
In encouraging us to “purify our hearts”, the apostle James reveals for us the condition we are in that requires the purifying. He tells us that it is double-mindedness that causes us to be distanced from God.
What then is double-minded? We talk of ‘being in two minds’ about something when we cannot decide which way to turn, but this is more than indecision, it is about refusing to choose and trying to accommodate two opposing beliefs. My way or God’s way. So often, though we are committed to God, we mentally adjust His word to fit with our own agendas.
Jeremiah warns us the heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” [Jeremiah 17:9]. That deceit is another way of saying double-minded.
The answer, we can see, is to be single-minded in hearing from the Holy Spirit so that our minds are bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
[Philippians 2:5-8 NKJV]
What then is double-minded? We talk of ‘being in two minds’ about something when we cannot decide which way to turn, but this is more than indecision, it is about refusing to choose and trying to accommodate two opposing beliefs. My way or God’s way. So often, though we are committed to God, we mentally adjust His word to fit with our own agendas.
Jeremiah warns us the heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” [Jeremiah 17:9]. That deceit is another way of saying double-minded.
The answer, we can see, is to be single-minded in hearing from the Holy Spirit so that our minds are bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
[Philippians 2:5-8 NKJV]
“Purify My Heart” - Jeremy Riddle
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Monday 1st June 2020
We must strenuously cast our ways and our burdens on Him and wait for Him in all haphazard and topsy-turvy moments
Monday 1st June 2020
We must strenuously cast our ways and our burdens on Him and wait for Him in all haphazard and topsy-turvy moments
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“The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me, and His word was on my tongue. The God of Israel said, The Rock of Israel spoke to me:
‘He who rules over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. And he shall be like the light of the morning when the sun rises, a morning without clouds, like the tender grass springing out of the earth, by clear shining after rain.’
[2 Samuel 23:2-4]
‘He who rules over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. And he shall be like the light of the morning when the sun rises, a morning without clouds, like the tender grass springing out of the earth, by clear shining after rain.’
[2 Samuel 23:2-4]
The first mention of a shining light seems to be in 2 Samuel as above (at least according to the New King James Bible). The word refers to Jesus Christ, who is like the light of the morning and as clear shining after rain.
Those words are a wonderful expression of the outpouring compassion of Jesus to His called-out ones. How glorious it is to awaken to a new day and see the light; it brings hope, even in the darkest times ...
“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.” [Revelation 22:16 NKJV]
The freshness once the rain has ceased always inspires - the ground has been watered and life is revived. We love these long sun filled days of recent times, but the rain clears the air with new promise.
Jesus said this: “No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light.
The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness. Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness.
If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light.” [Luke 11:33-36 NKJV]
Within each of us is a shard of the light of Christ, and we should let it shine out. How interesting that Jesus should say take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness. How can a light be darkness? The answer lies in what fuels your lamp.
For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.
[2 Corinthians 11:13-14 NKJV]
There is always a need to stay spiritually alert, so that we are not drawn astray. Hold fast to the light of the morning and the clear shining after the rain. These things we know; they are the reality of Christ within us the hope of glory.
Those words are a wonderful expression of the outpouring compassion of Jesus to His called-out ones. How glorious it is to awaken to a new day and see the light; it brings hope, even in the darkest times ...
“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.” [Revelation 22:16 NKJV]
The freshness once the rain has ceased always inspires - the ground has been watered and life is revived. We love these long sun filled days of recent times, but the rain clears the air with new promise.
Jesus said this: “No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light.
The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness. Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness.
If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light.” [Luke 11:33-36 NKJV]
Within each of us is a shard of the light of Christ, and we should let it shine out. How interesting that Jesus should say take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness. How can a light be darkness? The answer lies in what fuels your lamp.
For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.
[2 Corinthians 11:13-14 NKJV]
There is always a need to stay spiritually alert, so that we are not drawn astray. Hold fast to the light of the morning and the clear shining after the rain. These things we know; they are the reality of Christ within us the hope of glory.
Oslo Gospel Choir - “There’s A Light Shining”
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Sunday 31st May 2020
Bible facts are either revelation facts or nonsense.
It depends on me which they are to me.
Sunday 31st May 2020
Bible facts are either revelation facts or nonsense.
It depends on me which they are to me.
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Which Was In Ophrah
Now the Angel of the LORD came and sat under the terebinth tree which was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon threshed wheat in the winepress, in order to hide it from the Midianites.
[Judges 6:11 NKJV]
And went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak: and he said unto him, Art thou the man of God that camest from Judah? And he said, I am
[1Kings 13:14 KJV]
[Judges 6:11 NKJV]
And went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak: and he said unto him, Art thou the man of God that camest from Judah? And he said, I am
[1Kings 13:14 KJV]
Tree near Dervaig, Isle of Mull
There are many references to the Terebinth tree, or the oak , or indeed other tree types. The fact is that they all come from the same word meaning a strong or mighty tree; a strong or mighty man.
And when any messenger of God appears it is usually under the covering of a strong tree. Trees have many connotations in Scripture but always refer to persons; and thus we find Jesus entering Jerusalem ...
The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out: “Hosanna! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’ The King of Israel!”
[John 12:12-13 NKJV]
In this case it is a Palm tree, because palm trees in the middle east represented kingship, so we can see that trees represent character - and a strong tree shows a strong man - strength of character.
To console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.”
[Isaiah 61:3 NKJV]
The terebinth tree is the Lord’s strength; His righteousness and power even. Let us rejoice in His steady and unwavering hand that can be relied upon no matter what. He is the tree that can never be shaken. So when God speaks to one who is to be called into His purpose, it is only right the His message should come from the protective shade of a strong tree ... or a burning bush.
For a parting thought, It is perhaps worth noting that in our quote from Judges 6, that the Terebinth tree was in Ophrah, which means a female fawn, an animal sure-footed and living in the high places.
Lord, give us the attributes of the deer. Let us seek to live on the higher ground, knowing our way in Your kingdom and desiring to keep our minds in that better place; the place where Your Spirit rules. Let us indeed be ‘trees of righteousness’.
And when any messenger of God appears it is usually under the covering of a strong tree. Trees have many connotations in Scripture but always refer to persons; and thus we find Jesus entering Jerusalem ...
The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out: “Hosanna! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’ The King of Israel!”
[John 12:12-13 NKJV]
In this case it is a Palm tree, because palm trees in the middle east represented kingship, so we can see that trees represent character - and a strong tree shows a strong man - strength of character.
To console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.”
[Isaiah 61:3 NKJV]
The terebinth tree is the Lord’s strength; His righteousness and power even. Let us rejoice in His steady and unwavering hand that can be relied upon no matter what. He is the tree that can never be shaken. So when God speaks to one who is to be called into His purpose, it is only right the His message should come from the protective shade of a strong tree ... or a burning bush.
For a parting thought, It is perhaps worth noting that in our quote from Judges 6, that the Terebinth tree was in Ophrah, which means a female fawn, an animal sure-footed and living in the high places.
Lord, give us the attributes of the deer. Let us seek to live on the higher ground, knowing our way in Your kingdom and desiring to keep our minds in that better place; the place where Your Spirit rules. Let us indeed be ‘trees of righteousness’.
“Tree” - Justin Rizzo
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Saturday 30th May 2020
Beware of interpreting scripture in order to make it suit a pretty-arranged doctrine of your own.
Saturday 30th May 2020
Beware of interpreting scripture in order to make it suit a pretty-arranged doctrine of your own.
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Have I Not Sent You?
Now the Angel of the LORD came and sat under the terebinth tree which was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon threshed wheat in the winepress, in order to hide it from the Midianites.
And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him, and said to him, “The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valour!”
Then the LORD turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?
So he said to Him, “O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.”
And the LORD said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man.”
Now Gideon perceived that He was the Angel of the LORD. So Gideon said, “Alas, O Lord GOD! For I have seen the Angel of the LORD face to face.”
[Judges 6:11-12,14-16,22 - NKJV]
And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him, and said to him, “The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valour!”
Then the LORD turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?
So he said to Him, “O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.”
And the LORD said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man.”
Now Gideon perceived that He was the Angel of the LORD. So Gideon said, “Alas, O Lord GOD! For I have seen the Angel of the LORD face to face.”
[Judges 6:11-12,14-16,22 - NKJV]
We listened to Teresa Conlon of Times Square Church in New York yesterday. It was a short 20 minute talk based on Judges chapter 6 (some verses of which are shown above).
She identified that Gideon was very unconvinced that he was this ‘mighty man of valour’ of which the Angel of the Lord’ spoke. In modern terms, the conversation went like this:
“The Lord is with you,” said the Angel.
“I’m not sure I believe you,” replied Gideon. “Look at all the disasters we have suffered. Why would I think The Lord is with me?”
“Have I not sent you?” is the Lord’s response, to which Gideon says he is not up to the task ahead.
The Angel of The Lord then says, “Then surely I will be with you.”
The Lord is with you - Have I not sent you? - Then surely I will be with you. Gideon never questions whether the Lord sent him or not; he only doubted if the Lord was with him.
Gideon then asks The Angel to prove Himself by performing two miracles. Only when these miracles show it is The Lord who speaks does Gideon move.
This story reveals two points to consider. Firstly, that we often doubt that it is God speaking and that He seems to respond to our doubts in a tautological way; as when asked who He was by Moses, God responds with “I am who I am.” God does not have to justify Himself, but - and this is the second point - He expects us to test Him. He knows who He is and wants us to know who He is. John says this “ Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” [1John 4:1 NKJV]
Test the Spirits; there are many out there and the Lord wants us all to reject all but Him and know that He is with us; He has sent us; so He is with us.
She identified that Gideon was very unconvinced that he was this ‘mighty man of valour’ of which the Angel of the Lord’ spoke. In modern terms, the conversation went like this:
“The Lord is with you,” said the Angel.
“I’m not sure I believe you,” replied Gideon. “Look at all the disasters we have suffered. Why would I think The Lord is with me?”
“Have I not sent you?” is the Lord’s response, to which Gideon says he is not up to the task ahead.
The Angel of The Lord then says, “Then surely I will be with you.”
The Lord is with you - Have I not sent you? - Then surely I will be with you. Gideon never questions whether the Lord sent him or not; he only doubted if the Lord was with him.
Gideon then asks The Angel to prove Himself by performing two miracles. Only when these miracles show it is The Lord who speaks does Gideon move.
This story reveals two points to consider. Firstly, that we often doubt that it is God speaking and that He seems to respond to our doubts in a tautological way; as when asked who He was by Moses, God responds with “I am who I am.” God does not have to justify Himself, but - and this is the second point - He expects us to test Him. He knows who He is and wants us to know who He is. John says this “ Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” [1John 4:1 NKJV]
Test the Spirits; there are many out there and the Lord wants us all to reject all but Him and know that He is with us; He has sent us; so He is with us.
“If The Lord Is With Us”
(Bit of a strange one this, but see what you think)
(Bit of a strange one this, but see what you think)
OSWALD CHAMBERS - RUN TODAY’S RACE
Friday 29th May 2020
One man or woman called of God is worth a hundred who have elected to work for God
Friday 29th May 2020
One man or woman called of God is worth a hundred who have elected to work for God
- Published on
What A Joy Divine
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.
[Song of Songs 8:5 NKJV]
I awakened you under the apple tree. There your mother brought you forth; there she who bore you brought you forth.
[Song of Songs 8:5 NKJV]
Yesterday we saw that leaning on the arm of the Beloved is an important part of our growing faith - a submission to Jesus Christ with our whole heart. This is a fine thought, but difficult to realise in practise. We tend to want a ‘How to ...’ manual, but in this case there isn’t one.
With our current lockdown, and Gill’s broken ankle, I have been trying to do more of the cooking. Even as I write this I can hear Gill saying “More of the cooking? Let’s say ‘trying to cook’.”
Despite having a mother who was a marvellous cook, and a wife who seems to be able to create amazing meals when to my eye there is nothing in the fridge, I become immobilised when faced with preparing anything beyond cheese on toast or a marmalade sandwich. I need a recipe - a list of ingredients, a method and have everything pre-prepared to hand - and even then it feels like I am painting the Forth Bridge. Failing this, I need to rely on Gill’s expertise.
It is the same when it comes to so many other aspects of life. You may know that Gill and I went to a retreat at Ellel Scotland near Huntly in Aberdeenshire, where I learnt that I rely too much on my own strength instead of giving it to the Lord. The result for me was anxiety.
Knowing this and believing for my deliverance in this area, has been a feeling of closer relationship with The Lord. I still have to ‘walk it out’ daily until it becomes ingrained, but He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it. [1 Thessalonians 5:24 NKJV]
Obviously, today’s song has to be ‘Leaning on the Everlasting Arms’. My favourite version is by Kenny Rogers, sung in a meditative way, but I could not find a video of that. This version, at one of Bill and Gloria Gaither’s Gatherings, is a fine traditional interpretation. May it bless you as much as it does me.
With our current lockdown, and Gill’s broken ankle, I have been trying to do more of the cooking. Even as I write this I can hear Gill saying “More of the cooking? Let’s say ‘trying to cook’.”
Despite having a mother who was a marvellous cook, and a wife who seems to be able to create amazing meals when to my eye there is nothing in the fridge, I become immobilised when faced with preparing anything beyond cheese on toast or a marmalade sandwich. I need a recipe - a list of ingredients, a method and have everything pre-prepared to hand - and even then it feels like I am painting the Forth Bridge. Failing this, I need to rely on Gill’s expertise.
It is the same when it comes to so many other aspects of life. You may know that Gill and I went to a retreat at Ellel Scotland near Huntly in Aberdeenshire, where I learnt that I rely too much on my own strength instead of giving it to the Lord. The result for me was anxiety.
Knowing this and believing for my deliverance in this area, has been a feeling of closer relationship with The Lord. I still have to ‘walk it out’ daily until it becomes ingrained, but He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it. [1 Thessalonians 5:24 NKJV]
Obviously, today’s song has to be ‘Leaning on the Everlasting Arms’. My favourite version is by Kenny Rogers, sung in a meditative way, but I could not find a video of that. This version, at one of Bill and Gloria Gaither’s Gatherings, is a fine traditional interpretation. May it bless you as much as it does me.
“Leaning On The Everlasting Arms” - Buddy Greene and the Gaither Gathering
OSWALD CHAMBERS - RUN TODAY’S RACE
Wednesday 27th May 2020
ChrIstianity means staking ourselves on the honour of Jesus. His honour means that He will see us through time, death and eternity.
Wednesday 27th May 2020
ChrIstianity means staking ourselves on the honour of Jesus. His honour means that He will see us through time, death and eternity.
... thanks to Stan for finding what I could not. Here is the Kenny Rogers version of 'Leaning On The Everlasting Arms' ...
LEANING ON THE EVERLASTING ARMS
What a fellowship, what a joy divine
Leaning on the everlasting arms
What a blessedness, what a peace is mine
Leaning on the everlasting arms
Leaning, leaning
Safe and secure from all alarms
Leaning, leaning
Leaning on the everlasting arms
What have I to dread, what have I to fear
Leaning on the everlasting arms?
I have blessed peace with my Lord so near
Leaning on the everlasting arms
Leaning, leaning
Safe and secure from all alarms
Leaning, leaning
Leaning on the everlasting arms
What a fellowship, what a joy divine
Leaning on the everlasting arms
What a blessedness, what a peace is mine
Leaning on the everlasting arms
Leaning, leaning
Safe and secure from all alarms
Leaning, leaning
Leaning on the everlasting arms
What have I to dread, what have I to fear
Leaning on the everlasting arms?
I have blessed peace with my Lord so near
Leaning on the everlasting arms
Leaning, leaning
Safe and secure from all alarms
Leaning, leaning
Leaning on the everlasting arms
Traditional
- Published on
... Is To Worship You
But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.
[John 4:23 NKJV]
[John 4:23 NKJV]
The song which gives the title to this meditation begins “when I look into Your Holiness". Holiness, purity, is the background to God’s love, and it is His holiness which inspires our worship of Him.
The apostle John says that true worship is done in spirit and in truth. Without those two conditions, worship can only be performance and cannot reach the Father’s heart.
In verse 2 of chapter 1 of Song of Solomon, we read, Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth, for your love is better than wine. These words are an expression of the desire for close relationship with The Lord, but it is only towards the end of the book, after much searching and dark times, that The Shulamite maiden comes out of the wilderness, leaning on the arm of the Beloved.
At first, her desire, her need even, is for The Lord to come to her, and He does so to draw her up to a higher place. After a time He appears to leave her, but the reality is that He is ever near, ready to step in if she stumbles or falls. Finally, she comes to the full realisation that it is not about what she wants; instead her only desire is to please Him - and the relationship is sealed in Spirit and in Truth. His love for her is fully realised when she focusses on Him instead of herself.
That is true worship, and if I am in that place, then the life of my saviour is my life also. But I can see that I can only get to that place with His hand leading me there and He becomes the reason I live.
The apostle John says that true worship is done in spirit and in truth. Without those two conditions, worship can only be performance and cannot reach the Father’s heart.
In verse 2 of chapter 1 of Song of Solomon, we read, Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth, for your love is better than wine. These words are an expression of the desire for close relationship with The Lord, but it is only towards the end of the book, after much searching and dark times, that The Shulamite maiden comes out of the wilderness, leaning on the arm of the Beloved.
At first, her desire, her need even, is for The Lord to come to her, and He does so to draw her up to a higher place. After a time He appears to leave her, but the reality is that He is ever near, ready to step in if she stumbles or falls. Finally, she comes to the full realisation that it is not about what she wants; instead her only desire is to please Him - and the relationship is sealed in Spirit and in Truth. His love for her is fully realised when she focusses on Him instead of herself.
That is true worship, and if I am in that place, then the life of my saviour is my life also. But I can see that I can only get to that place with His hand leading me there and He becomes the reason I live.
“When I Look Into Your Holiness”
OSWALD CHAMBERS - RUN TODAY’S RACE
Tuesday 26th May 2020
The thing that preserves a man from panic is his relationship to God; if he is only related to himself and to his own courage, there may come a moment when his courage gives out.
Tuesday 26th May 2020
The thing that preserves a man from panic is his relationship to God; if he is only related to himself and to his own courage, there may come a moment when his courage gives out.