Faithful Followers

Posted on by korgrocker

“Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord? Who may enter your presence on your holy hill? … Those who despise flagrant sinners, and honour the faithful followers of the Lord, and keep their promises even when it hurts.”
Psalm 15:1, 4 NLT

We continue to explore the attributes necessary for a believer to worship the Lord and enter into His sanctuary. We despise the “flagrant sinners” and now we turn to honouring the “faithful followers of the Lord”. It must be easy, one would think. After all there are many people who call themselves Christians and we only have to walk into a church on a Sunday morning to find them. There they are, seated in the pews, looking towards the minister speaking from an elevated platform called a pulpit. Or they might all be standing singing a song or hymn, accompanied by the sounds of a pipe organ, or in more modern times, a small band of musicians complete with guitars and drums. Surely we won’t have any problems honouring them. But if only it was that simple. There are many people who call themselves Christians but Jesus said, “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter” (Matthew 7:21). 

So how do we discern who the “faithful followers of the Lord” really are? In fact, are we ourselves counted in their number? And do we really know and understand what God’s will is for each one of us? Jesus continued in Matthew 7:22-23, “On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’” I know a successful pastor who said to me once that this Scripture worries him personally. Surely this bar is far too high for believers in God to reach, let alone jump over. But doing the will of God is to believe in Jesus, to receive the gift of the forgiveness of sin made possible by His death on the cross and to be declared righteous before God. Our standing before God is not about us but it is all about Jesus. Those who do tremendous things for God, even in His name, but who don’t know Him personally, are in danger of rejection on judgement day.

But we’ll consider the question again. How do we discern who the “faithful followers of the Lord” are? I would say we pray for that discernment and, if in any doubt, treat other Christians as though they were indeed “faithful followers of the Lord.” Not all members of a denomination other that the one we follow will be true Christians. Some “Christian” fellowships may not be following the same “Lord” that we do. And there are sects around like the JW’s who consider themselves to be Christian, but are they really, in the true sense? They think so, but does the Lord? 

We don’t want to get tied up with this, and instead we follow what Paul wrote in Romans 12;10, “Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honouring each other“. We start with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ in the fellowship where we worship. Paul wrote in Philippians 2:3-4, “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too“. The body of Christ where God has put us will have many different people. Different ages, backgrounds, skin colours, professions and so on, but before the cross we are all equal. And before Jesus we honour them, whether or not they are faithful. How faithful they are in following the Lord is between them and God, but regardless, we pilgrims honour our brothers and sisters in Christ. And we will be blessed through doing it.

Dear Father God. There are those around us who profess to be Your followers and we remember that they too are Your blood-bought children. Help us to concern ourselves with them, praying for them and loving them. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Human Nature

Posted on by korgrocker

“Because of the miraculous signs Jesus did in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration, many began to trust in him. But Jesus didn’t trust them, because he knew all about people. No one needed to tell him about human nature, for he knew what was in each person’s heart.”
John 2:23-25 NLT

In Genesis 1:27 we read, “So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them“. Now, God is perfect in all His Being, and the implication of this verse is that His design for mankind was also perfection. Of course, we know that mankind cannot access or claim anything of God, but by being created in His image, we are wired with an understanding of who God is and show at least some representation of His ways. There is nothing bad or sinful in God. But sin came along, as we know, for our enemy, satan, destroyed what God intended. Human nature had become corrupted and is still corrupted today.

So against this backdrop Jesus declared His message of God’s Kingdom. And to support what He said He did many “miraculous signs”, and we read that “many began to trust in Him”. But the account in John continues, “But Jesus didn’t trust them, because he knew all about people.” Jesus knew who He could trust and who He couldn’t. There was no-one better than Him who knew what was in a person’s heart. As God He knew the end from the beginning. But that didn’t stop Jesus preach the news of the Kingdom of God – He knew that some would believe though most wouldn’t.

We pilgrims have heard the message that Jesus preached, brought to us by faithful men and women who themselves were Kingdom people. And we became part of Jesus’ Church, one of the living stones we read about in 1 Peter 2. But have any of us ever noticed that sometimes a new member of our church or fellowship, after a few weeks or months, disappears and we never see them again? They hear something that they are not sure about, or disagree with, and as a result decide that they will find another church or decide that Christianity is not for them. There are many who would want to follow Jesus for the good bits, but turn their backs when they hear something that might mean they have to change their ways. Human nature kicks into self-preservation mode, taking the person back into the kingdom of the world with all its ways.

Dear Father God, through Jesus’ sacrifice at Calvary, we can come to You with all our baggage and all our sinful ways. And we pray that Jesus’ redeeming blood will cleanse our hearts. You promised to put a new heart within us, a new nature restored to Your image. And we thank God that through Jesus’ righteousness You see hearts that can be trusted. Amen.

Our Legacy

Posted on by korgrocker

“For our Lord Jesus Christ has shown me that I must soon leave this earthly life, so I will work hard to make sure you always remember these things after I am gone.”
2 Peter 1:14-15 NLT

Peter included in his letter to his friends in Asia Minor the sobering and sad news that his death wasn’t far away. Not a death due to an incurable disease, but a violent death at the hands of the Romans. And Peter knew this because Jesus had told him. He wasn’t sure of the exact day and hour, but he did know that it was to be soon. However, this knowledge spurred Peter on to make sure his legacy would be remembered. 

It is sometimes fascinating to walk around a graveyard in the grounds of an old church and read the inscriptions marked on the ancient gravestones. Names and a few words are all that is left, in most cases, of the memory of the person buried beneath the crumbling headstone. The letters might be difficult to read, as the weathering of wind and rain have gradually taken their toll over the years, but the writing remains. Within the church building itself there may be a few plaques embedded in the walls or floors that describe a person of note in the parish. Perhaps a benefactor or public servant. But little remains of details about who the person really was. There is a tendency to write a few words about what a person did, or how they were a much loved member of a family, but it is rarely the case that we learn much about their legacy.

Peter’s legacy is clear – he left behind him two letters that have had a significant impact on generations of believers ever since. But what about ordinary people who just continue with their life, bringing up their children, working for a living, being good neighbours, and plodding along quietly in their pilgrimage through life towards the promised land? True believers are mainly faithful people who don’t leave a high-profile legacy for others to read, but instead, by their influence at the time, make their communities, families and society in general a better place. These are believers who work out their lives as members of God’s family, in His Kingdom. Jesus said, as recorded in Luke 17:20b-21, “ … The Kingdom of God can’t be detected by visible signs. You won’t be able to say, ‘Here it is!’ or ‘It’s over there!’ For the Kingdom of God is already among you“. God’s Kingdom isn’t noticed by our secular politicians. It isn’t recognised with a passport or some other record of citizenship. Instead it is a spiritual Kingdom, and our legacy is bound up within it. 

One day we will leave behind us the earthly kingdom in which we live, and our opportunities for leaving an earthly legacy will cease. At the end of our lives we may even doubt we have left any lasting impact. But we may be surprised one day to find out that, in fact, we did leave a legacy after all, as we find other believers in Heaven who are there because of us. We were faithful in living our natural lives God’s way and because of our witness and testimony they too became believers. 

How we pilgrims live our lives on Planet Earth is important. Jesus told a parable of three servants, to whom he entrusted a sum of money. The sums that each received were different (Matthew 25:15, “He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip“), but the money in itself wasn’t important. What mattered was that each servant had an opportunity to invest what they had been given. We each have different capabilities, gifts (talents) given by God, but the important thing is that we are faithful and obedient in doing with our lives what God intends. In the parable, the master returns and finds that two servants have faithfully invested their money but one just buried it and did nothing with it. The first two servants heard those wonderful words from Jesus – “ … ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together‘” (Matthew 25:23). The third servant heard words that he didn’t want to hear, because he had wasted what God hd given him..

A life full of faithful investment, sharing God’s gifts with those around us, in our families, communities, workplaces and all, is the legacy we need to leave behind us. And as we do that, these gifts are multiplied in the lives of others. All our legacies will be different – in Jesus’ parable no sum of money was the same. There is no right and wrong in the way we live our lives. But we pilgrims are faithful people who shine with our faith, illuminating the dark corners in other people’s lives.

Dear Father God. Please help us not to waste what You have invested within us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Falling Away

Posted on by korgrocker

“So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away. Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”
2 Peter 1:10-11 NLT

So we must start in asking what these “things” are, that Peter is recommending. Again we go back to earlier in the chapter where we are told that God has “given us everything we need for living a godly life”. This will happen as we get to know God more and respond positively and proactively to His promises. But Peter includes a warning, that if we fail to do what he advises, then we are in danger of falling away. In other words, if we stop pursuing God, then we will become side-tracked into doing other things.

I know of several believers who became casualties of the Covid lockdowns here in the UK. Churches stopped holding Sunday in-person meetings and went on-line using video conferencing facilities such as Zoom. This was too big an ask for some people and they stopped participating in a techno-church. But, worse, when the churches I have in mind restarted their Sunday services, these people remained at home. Of course, a Christian doesn’t have to attend a church, but it helps if they do. Hebrews 10:25, “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near“. Without meeting with other Christians we will miss out on mutual encouragement and much more. A lone Christian becomes an easy target for the devil. Those enticing whispers, that sound so right, saying things like it doesn’t matter if you don’t attend a church service. After all, God will still love you, the devil says. 

I have met people in the past who neglect to read the Bible, because, they say, they don’t understand what it says. In Peter’s day, the people lacked a Bible such as we have, relying instead on Jewish Scriptures, someone to expound them, and the teaching of the Apostles and others who knew Jesus. It was only much later that the Canon of Scripture was put together in the form that we have. But Peter’s encouragement to the believers in the Five Provinces in Asia Minor also applies today. In 2 Peter 1:5a he wrote, “In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. … “. 2 Peter 1:10a, “So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove … “. Understanding what the Bible says and applying it to our lives will take personal effort. It will do us no good to place a Bible under our pillows at night, and hope the truths and promises contained therein will somehow leap into our minds.

The New Testament contains several warnings about “falling away” from the faith. Revelation 2:4-5, “But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches“. This warning, in a vision through the Apostle John, came directly from Jesus and was intended for the Ephesian believers. In 1 Timothy 4:1a, Paul wrote, “Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith … “. And then we have the ominous warning in Hebrews 6:4-6, “For it is impossible to bring back to repentance those who were once enlightened—those who have experienced the good things of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the power of the age to come— and who then turn away from God. It is impossible to bring such people back to repentance; by rejecting the Son of God, they themselves are nailing him to the cross once again and holding him up to public shame“. 

In Genesis 11 we find the story of Terah, Abraham’s father. Just a few verses but Terah heard God’s call to move to Canaan, but he never arrived there because he settled in a place called Haran, about half way to his destination, and he eventually died there. Perhaps in this brief episode we can read a warning about failing to reach the goal towards which God has called us. There is no half way house in God’s Kingdom. We pilgrim believers must be diligent and make every effort to stay faithful to God. If we find ourselves slipping away from the faith, then we must get on our knees once again and pray for forgiveness and the strength to stay on track.

Heavenly Father. Please help us to stay the course, and remain faithful to You. For Jesus’ sake. Amen.

Elders Are Male?

Posted on by korgrocker

“And now, a word to you who are elders in the churches. I, too, am an elder and a witness to the sufferings of Christ. And I, too, will share in his glory when he is revealed to the whole world. As a fellow elder, I appeal to you: Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. Don’t Lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example. And when the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honour.”
1 Peter 5:1-4 NLT

Peter’s main concern for the “elders in the churches” was that they cared for the people within them, that they weren’t being overbearing leaders, “lording” it over people, and that they led the church by their own good example. They were then eligible for a reward of a “crown of never-ending glory and honour”. But the Apostle Paul provided more details of the qualities required by an elder. We can read what he wrote in his letters to Timothy and Titus in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. And the question for all elders in the Christian church today, regardless of their denomination, is how they measure up against the criteria Paul set out. There are those who take a liberal, “what was written in the Bible doesn’t always apply today”, attitude, and those who believe fundamentally that the Scriptures are the inspired Words of God through His Spirit and are to be followed to the letter. 

But whatever we believe, the first requirement of an elder, according to Paul, is that he is a man, married, and someone who manages his family well. We read in 1 Timothy 3:2a, 4-5, “So a church leader must be a man whose life is above reproach. He must be faithful to his wife. … He must manage his own family well, having children who respect and obey him. For if a man cannot manage his own household, how can he take care of God’s church?” The in-your-face issue here is the fact that the Bible only talks about male elders, who are married and have a family. So, where does that put the women ministers and elders who populate established denominations such as Anglicans or Presbyterians? Or the Methodists who, as I read this morning, have a transgender minister? There will be many responses I’m sure, but in the end this is a matter of personal conscience and belief, and the denominations concerned.

Some years ago I grappled with this problem, and concluded that if God can’t find a man to be a leader, He would appoint a woman. This happened in the Old Testament, and we can read about a woman called Deborah. Her story appears in Judges 4 and 5. She was Israel’s only female judge, and was a prophetess who “judged” Israel during those turbulent times when God’s people constantly flip-flopped between doing good and doing evil. Deborah emerged in a time when the Israelites were doing “evil in the Lord’s sight” (Judges 4:1). But through her leadership and willingness to hear the Spirit’s Word, she led the people to a victory over their Canaanite oppressors. And it was another woman, called Jael, who courageously stepped up to the mark and killed the Canaanite commander, Sisera. 

Why did Deborah become a judge in Israel? Some say it was to shame the men who refused to step up and take responsibility for the dire situation that the Israelites were in. Others are kinder in their opinion, and wonder if, perhaps, this was a picture of God’s gentle and compassionate care for His people, as a mother cares for her children. We should also be aware that God will use both men and women to be instruments of His power. But God’s preferred model, as communicated through Paul, was that elders should be male. Why is that, do you think? Perhaps a question for God one day.

Dear Father. It appears the You appointed men to be leaders in the Church. We pray for more Godly men with Your anointing upon them. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Leadership (1)

Posted on by korgrocker

“In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.”
Romans 12:6-8 NLT

We all know what qualities we like to see in a leader. We look for integrity, charisma, fairness, enthusiasm, competence, and so on. We also know that some people are born to be leaders, but most are followers. Another fact is that there are many leaders out there who shouldn’t be in such a role, because they lack the necessary abilities and qualities. Paul wrote to his son in the faith, Timothy, and pointed out to him the sort of qualities a church leader should have. We read them in 1 Timothy 3:2, “So a church leader must be a man whose life is above reproach. He must be faithful to his wife. He must exercise self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must be able to teach“. 

Paul starts by making a statement that is contentious in mainstream Christian organisations, that a church leader must be male. David Pawson, the controversial Bible teacher, who sadly died recently, wrote a book “Leadership is Male” that reflected a view that was totally based on his understanding of the Scriptures. In his autobiography “Not So Bad As The Truth” he wrote, ”My second ‘reactionary’ belief is of male leadership, in the church and the home. I believe it is a God-given role and responsibility, not a question of superiority at all. God made us male and female, with distinct and complementary functions. The current trend to blur and even obliterate the distinction, both inside and outside the church, owes more to the spirit of the secular age than the Holy Spirit”. Pawson’s belief was founded on a fundamental interpretation of Scripture, not only shared by him, but we won’t dwell on this point – we each have to make up our own minds.

A church leader must have the quality of being “above reproach”. In other words, the person must not live a life that lacks integrity or honesty. He (or she) must behave in a way that is an example to their followers. So it would not do their reputation much good, if they are caught shoplifting or even speeding. Such behaviour would disqualify them from leadership. In the 1990’s, the Assemblies of God evangelist, Jimmy Swaggart, was found to have visited prostitutes. His high profile confession and subsequent events were well reported at the time, and the incident led to his withdrawal from ministry. Such behaviour fails to meet the quality of being “above reproach”. But before we take the moral high ground, we must remember that we are all sinners. It’s just that some people are more vulnerable to media scrutiny.

The next quality of a church leader, as listed by Paul, is that he must be faithful to his wife. Obvious really, because much of a church leader’s ministry is about relationships. How can a leader preach or teach about the family, if his own is in ruins? A pastor who cannot manage his own family must have a question mark hanging over him. Some years ago, I heard of a pastor whose wife left him to form a relationship with another man. As far as I am aware, he did what he could to rescue the situation, but without success. So he left the ministry, traumatised and sad. There was always the possibility that some of the blame for the situation would rest with him regardless of the circumstances. 

Dear Father. We pray for our leaders, that You will be with them day by day, guiding them in all truth. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Frustrated Plans

Posted on by korgrocker

“I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to visit you, but I was prevented until now. I want to work among you and see spiritual fruit, just as I have seen among other Gentiles.”
Romans‬ ‭1‬:‭13‬ ‭NLT
“I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that many times I have planned to come to you, (and have been prevented so far) so that I may have some fruit [of my labours] among you, even as I have among the rest of the Gentiles.”
Romans‬ ‭1‬:‭13‬ ‭AMP

Paul seemed desperate to get to Rome to visit the Christians there. But he “was prevented until now”. The Amplified version implies that his efforts in planning his visit were still active, but he lacked the opportunity. And the New Living Translation mentions Paul’s desire to see spiritual fruit in the lives of the Roman Christians, as he has observed in others who weren’t Jews.

Do we find the reference to “Gentiles”  mildly offensive, because that is who most of us are in our societies? The use of the word has connotations, perhaps, of a second class of person, the Jews being the first class. And certainly, that was how the Jews of that time viewed those who were not Jewish. But nothing could be further from the truth, as can be seen in the early church that was established and growing throughout the Middle East at that time. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 12:13, “Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptised into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit”. Through the sacrificial death of Jesus at Calvary, when He died for our sins, God’s grace and forgiveness was extended to all of mankind, should they choose to accept it. As some have said, there is level ground in front of the Cross. God treats everyone equally.

But moving on to Paul’s dilemma about his plans. Do we pilgrims have plans to do some work for God but have been prevented from doing so? Has God said to us that He wants us to do something but we don’t know how to make it happen? Then we are in good company. With Paul, he found a way around the problem by writing a letter. Everything he wanted to do in person was poured out though his pen, extending the reach of his God-given influence beyond what he could have achieved by making the long journey to Rome. But to Paul that was second best. He really wanted to be in Rome, right there with his Christian brothers and sisters.

Sadly, some people with God-given plans, have found themselves unable to fulfil them. and they end up living a life of frustration. Perhaps they have been held up by family pressures, or ill-health, or laziness. Perhaps they have taken a wrong turn in their lives and have become distracted by a relationship or career choice. But God never asks us to do something that we are unable to fulfil. He is not a stern taskmaster treating us as slaves, there to do His bidding. When we receive God’s call, we must submit to Him with the faith and knowledge that he holds all the resources we need to fulfil the task or tasks He has set for us. Paul couldn’t wait to do things for God. His encounter with Jesus was so real that it transformed his life, and he couldn’t wait to complete the plans God had set for him. And neither must we.

What do we do if God asks us to do something, but we’re not sure if it really is a request from God? We pray about it, asking God for confirmation. We seek counsel from other respected and wise Christians, and, if we are still unsure, we put what we feel God has asked us to do on the “back burner”. letting it simmer away in our prayers and meditations, before we take any steps that we would later regret. Remember too, that God is unlikely to ask us to do something outside our natural and spiritual giftings.

Perhaps we feel that God has not asked us to do anything for Him. If that is the case, we open the Bible. A good place to start might be Colossians 3:23-24, “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ“. Another useful Scripture is Matthew 28:19, “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit“. Such Godly plans might seem a bit uninspiring but often God won’t entrust big plans to us until we can be found faithful in smaller tasks. Luke 16:10, “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. We remember that Moses spent forty years herding sheep for his father-in-law before God found him ready for a bigger assignment.

We pilgrims use every opportunity to reach those who need us. If personal contact is not an option, we have social media and even emails or letter writing to keep in touch. And we remember that one day, there will be no restrictions. All of God’s plans will be fulfilled.

Dear Father God. You have tasks for us to do and we pray that You will lead and guide us in the right paths. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

More Terrors to Come

Posted on by korgrocker

“The first terror is past, but look, two more terrors are coming!”
‭‭Revelation‬ ‭9:12‬ ‭NLT

There is a pause implied after the five months had elapsed. Our verse today records that the first of the terrors, that corresponded to the sounding of the fifth trumpet, is past. Can you imaging the relief flooding over the earth’s inhabitants as the locusts started to die off. Were there piles of dead locusts with their strange appearances lying in heaps around the nations? Or if the locusts were symbols of a terrible and fearsome army, did they withdraw back to where they came from? We don’t know, but in his vision John was told that this was not a time for complacency because there were more “terrors”, or “woes” as translated in other Bible versions, coming. We also don’t know how much time was to elapse before the next trumpet blew.

This might be an opportunity to float the question, particularly in the context of the End Times as portrayed in John’s vision, “Why does God allow disasters to happen?” A difficult question to answer, but the reality is that since history started to be recorded there have been accounts of many events similar to those recorded in the Apostle John’s Revelation. There have been earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, famines, wars, diseases and so on. Why didn’t God intervene to stop them? One question often asked is where God is when times of distress and devastation happen. One memorable event still in living memory was the Holocaust that saw the murder of millions of God’s own people, the Jews. And the cry for God to intervene must have reverberated around the heavens on countless occasions during those dark and evil times. The Covid virus has inflicted much in the way of death and distress on mankind during the past two or three years, and I’m sure many prayers were offered up for God to intervene, but He apparently hasn’t, and it is still wreaking havoc on mankind as I write.

The reality that we observe is that God has occasionally intervened in the affairs of mankind and the natural events in the world around us, but most of the time He doesn’t. The Old Testament recorded occasions when His intervention brought about victories in battle (for example we read in 2 Chronicles 20:22, “At the very moment they began to sing and give praise, the Lord caused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to start fighting among themselves.”) And there was the occasion recorded in Joshua 10:13-14, “So the sun stood still and the moon stayed in place until the nation of Israel had defeated its enemies. Is this event not recorded in The Book of Jashar? The sun stayed in the middle of the sky, and it did not set as on a normal day. There has never been a day like this one before or since, when the Lord answered such a prayer. Surely the Lord fought for Israel that day!” But on other occasions, the prayers of the Israelites went unheeded. There is an answer to God’s apparent intransigence in the face of disasters is puzzling but in the meantime we’ll leave the question hanging.

We pilgrims keep praying regardless of the circumstances, because prayer changes things. We might not see a result straight away, but God always answers prayers, should we choose to listen. He has three answers – “Yes”, “No”, and “Not Yet”. Often we say that God doesn’t answer prayers because His response is not what we wanted to hear. But over the years God, by His grace and mercy, has answered my prayers. For example, in answer to my prayers and the prayers of many of His people, He miraculously healed my daughter of a viral attack on her brain. And there have been many other times when an answer to my prayers popped up, often in a way I didn’t expect. Many people over the years have prayed for me as well, and I am so grateful for their faithfulness. 

We pilgrims will come up many obstacles on our journeys through life. We may not have encountered the terrors described in John’s vision, but we may have come up against sickness, disease, financial hardship, accidents, and other occasions when God’s intervention didn’t happen. Regardless of what is going on around us, we trust Him and put our hope in Him anyway, because he is our loving Heavenly Father. We only have to read His Book, the Bible, to tap into His amazing grace. How about these Scriptures?

Psalm 147:11, “… the Lord’s delight is in those who fear him, those who put their hope in his unfailing love“. 
Jeremiah 17:7, “But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence“. 
Romans 15:13, “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit“. 
Psalms 62:5-6, “Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken“. 

Father God. We thank You for Your loving kindness, and proclaim today the prayer recorded by Your prophet, Habakuk. “Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord ! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!” Amen and Amen!

Final Blessings

Posted on by korgrocker

“Peace be with you, dear brothers and sisters, and may God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you love with faithfulness. May God’s grace be eternally upon all who love our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Ephesians 6:23-24 NLT

Paul finished his letter to the Ephesian church with a blessing. There is something powerful about speaking out a blessing. A God-focused blessing does something profound in Heavenly realms. As it is uttered, angels pause in their duties, enjoying the moment. Demons in other places cringe as the words echo around their spiritual realms. The devil moves away to find an easier place to undertake his nefarious works. 

Paul’s blessing included three fundamental God-principles. Firstly His peace. In this war-torn world, Russia and Ukraine are, as I write, fighting a war I thought I would never see in my lifetime; peace is a precious commodity and one I pray for daily. A lack of peace destroys us. There is so much strife in our relationships, our families, our communities. Sometimes it is despairing to see so many people who seem to prefer a lack of peace in their lives. A God-peace is precious. It soothes our troubled souls. It brings relief to our mental conflicts and distress. So at every opportunity, we must, as peace-loving pilgrims, speak out God’s peace, avoiding conflict wherever possible.

Paul’s second blessing was to ask God, our Heavenly Father, to give us ”love with faithfulness”. And Paul reminded us that God is also the Father of Jesus, making Him our elder brother. How amazing is that! And we open up our spiritual receptors to receive God’s love, which we can then faithfully pass onto others. We feel God’s love penetrating deep within our spirits, melting away the tensions, softening any hard bits that are calloused by contact with the unloving world around us. Our neighbours, friends, and family members, may not be feeling God’s love for themselves, so we have the opportunity to share our messages of hope and love with them. It’s amazing to watch a hardened God-denier soften when told that God loves them regardless of their rejection of Him. 

Paul finishes with his third blessing. Grace. Eternal grace. God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense is a great way of remembering what He has done for us. God’s grace covers us. It manifests in love regardless of how we behave. Grace sees Christ’s righteousness when we deserve judgement. Grace pours from God’s throne without limit. And it is there for us whenever we are feeling a bit wobbly. When we are unsure and feeling a bit insecure. And it never ends – Paul prays that it will be eternally with us. 

I love the blessing that we find in Numbers 6:24-26. Let’s finish with it today.

May the Lord bless you and protect you
May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you
May the Lord show you His favour
And give you His peace.

Old 100th

Posted on by korgrocker

“Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth! 
Worship the Lord with gladness. 
Come before Him, singing with joy. 
Acknowledge that the Lord is God! 
He made us, and we are His. 
We are His people, the sheep of His pasture. 
Enter His gates with thanksgiving; 
go into His courts with praise. 
Give thanks to Him and praise His name. 
For the Lord is good. 
His unfailing love continues forever, 
and His faithfulness continues to each generation.”
Psalms‬ ‭100:1-5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The 100th Psalm. An icon in the Book of Psalms. A pillar of praising poetry that has passed the passage of time. Enriched by words such as “joy”, “gladness”, “praise”, “thanks”, “faithfulness” and “love”. All words expressing God’s character and our response. And the whole Psalm describes a relationship between our wonderful God and His people, you and me. So before Him we shout, we worship, we sing, we give thanks, we praise, and we bask in His love and faithfulness. There’s not much else to say about this Psalm. It is an essential part of the pilgrim’s library. A place to go to on the journey through life. A place where our souls can be refreshed in this topsy-turvy world. Let us all read it again this morning, eating and drinking soul-food beyond anything that the secular world around us can provide.