The Great Assembly

Posted on by korgrocker

“I will praise you in the great assembly. I will fulfil my vows in the presence of those who worship you. The poor will eat and be satisfied. All who seek the Lord will praise him. Their hearts will rejoice with everlasting joy. The whole earth will acknowledge the Lord and return to him. All the families of the nations will bow down before him. For royal power belongs to the Lord. He rules all the nations.”
Psalm 22:25-28 NLT

Psalm 22 has always been considered Messianic, a prophetic declaration of that poignant end to the life of Jesus, an ignominious end to the Son of God on a Roman cross, but, to those who believe, a door opened into Heaven with salvation accessible to all people. But in verse 25, David wrote about being in the midst of a “great assembly” where he will “fulfil [his] vows”. Is that also prophetic or was it something about to happen in his lifetime? It all depends on what was meant by the word “great” because “great” implies a large number of people. But if we consider this to be a prophetic statement, then the “great assembly” is yet to happen. We get a few hints of this in the Bible. Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 4:14, 17, “For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. … Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever”. Imagine the scale of that meeting, with the numbers of souls so vast that there will be no stadium large enough on earth to even hold a fraction of those present. It will only be a three-dimensional space “in the clouds” that will be large enough to hold this “great assembly”. Imagine the excitement! But I don’t think our minds are capable of truly grasping the impact of that occasion, and the fact that we pilgrims will be there as well. There will be no disappointed people, unable to see Jesus because of all the others getting in the way. By some miracle He will be accessible to all and we will enjoy His presence forever.

What will we do in that “great assembly”? If we turn to Revelation 7:9-10 we read, “After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands. And they were shouting with a great roar, “Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb!”” That’s what we will be doing. Again, by some miracle, we will know that we will be standing in front of Jesus, enthroned in His rightful position as the One who brought salvation to mankind. We will be clothed in white and holding palm branches, reminding us of a previous time when the people waved them as He passed. John 12:12-13, “The next day, the news that Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem swept through the city. A large crowd of Passover visitors took palm branches and went down the road to meet him. They shouted, “Praise God! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hail to the King of Israel!”” In that “great assembly”, the air will be full of “Hosannas” and “Hallelujahs” as the praises of all reverberate around the Heavens.

But who will be there with us? I’m sure that we will know the great saints of old, like Moses or Paul. David will be there I’m sure. But I think it was Martin Luther who said that he will be surprised who we will find in Heaven, but also surprised that some who he thought should be there are missing. And he finished by saying that if he gets there it will be a miracle. However, in that “great assembly” we won’t really care who is, and isn’t, there because it will be all about Jesus.

David wrote that he will fulfil his vows “in the presence of those who worship” the Lord. We all will fulfil our vows, in a sense, because we have all vowed, promised even, to follow Jesus, believing that only He has the words of eternal life. All those years of the struggles between our fleshly natures and the spirit within us will all be gone. All the doubts and fears, the accusations and ridicule emanating from the unbelievers, all gone, because they will be gone. For many living in oppressive and restrictive anti-God regimes where they are persecuted, they will be free at last and able to worship Jesus as they have always wanted to. For our time on earth, the vows we have made will have been hard to keep, but as Jesus said, “But the one who endures to the end will be saved” (Matthew 24:13).

We pilgrims need to hone up our worship skills in the university of life in God’s Kingdom here on earth. we need to get into practice for that great and wonderful day when the worship of the One who deserves all the glory and all the power goes on for eternity. Perhaps we think the we can’t hold a tune or sing a note. Perhaps we think we will never remember all the words. But the reality will be a “great roar” from the “great assembly“. If we listen hard enough we might hear the praise band already tuning up, with the angels humming the tunes. As the lyrics of the old hymn say,

“What a day that will be
When my Jesus I shall see
When I look upon His face
The One who saved me by His grace
When He takes me by the hand
And leads me to the Promised Land
What a day, glorious day that will be
What a day, glorious day that will be.”

Dear Father God. We look into the future, glimpsing that great assembly in Heaven. We pilgrims will be part of it I’m sure, and we will see You at last. Forever and ever. Amen.

The Hour Has Come

Posted on by korgrocker

“After saying all these things, Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so he can give glory back to you. For you have given him authority over everyone. He gives eternal life to each one you have given him.””
John 17:1-2 NLT

John 17 is often referred to as Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer. He started off by touching base with His Heavenly Father, by saying that “The hour has come …” Jesus was saying our loud something that both He and His Father knew, that very soon He would be arrested and the final events of His earthly life unfurled. This chapter records Jesus’ longest prayer and it starts with the request for His Father to glorify Him. What does that mean, other than Jesus returning glory back to His Father by His submission and humility, His willingness to see through His mission, His sinless life and the defeat of the forces of darkness for ever through the cross? Jesus said to Philip earlier that whoever has seen Him has seen the Father (John 14:9), and so in a way, albeit limited by their humanity, God’s glory was to be seen to all who met Jesus. Then Jesus prayed about the authority given to Him by His Father. We of course remember what Jesus said to Thomas in John 14:6, “Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me“. That profound statement is a decisive and eternal statement that focuses all faiths and beliefs down to one single point that is the gateway to eternal life, Jesus Himself. So when Jesus said that He grants eternal life to all those given to Him by His Father, He clearly stated that this was not just a one off, but an eternal ministry, started during His time here on earth, and continuing right up to today and beyond by the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. Some of Jesus’ last post-resurrection words can be found in Matthew 28:18, the Great Commission, “Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth“. 

We pilgrims obey the command, “Go and make …” continuing the work Jesus started, honoured to be included in His mission of salvation through grace, and reassured by, ” … I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20b). Jesus’ time as a human being on Planet Earth was just about up but for us pilgrims the “end of the age” is still before us. Thankfully, through His Spirit, Jesus is indeed still with us. 

But there will come a time too when we pilgrims can say our hour has come. This may be the end of a ministry, or the end of our lives, but we too can in our individual ways give glory to God. I was privileged to be able to share the last hours with a dear Christian friend, who was facing into a death blighted by cancer. But He never complained and he faced his last hours in a way that gave glory to God.

Jesus, through His life, gave glory to His Heavenly Father, and through it to Himself also.

Father God. We too give You all the glory today, through our lives submitted and committed to Jesus. Amen.

Extraordinary Faith

Posted on by korgrocker

“Bethany was only a few miles down the road from Jerusalem, and many of the people had come to console Martha and Mary in their loss. When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him. But Mary stayed in the house. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask.””
John 11:18-22 NLT

The scene couldn’t have been clearer. Lazarus had died and was in his grave. In those days a doctor wasn’t needed to certify his death because the people in Bethany just knew that he was dead. They had dealt with the rituals necessary before interment. The body had been washed and wrapped in scented cloths. There was no doubt and it was so real and certain that we read in John’s account that many people from Jerusalem, just a few miles up the road, had come to Bethany to offer their condolences to Lazarus’ two surviving sisters. Not even the Pharisees could have had any doubts about Lazarus’ demise. Lazarus and his two sisters must have been well known in the area and had many friends.

While Jesus was still on the road approaching Bethany, “Martha got word that Jesus was coming”. So she went out to meet Him, and gently rebuked Him for not coming earlier, when He could have perhaps saved Lazarus from death. But then Martha made an extraordinary statement – “But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask”. That is faith. Martha had no doubts about Jesus and His identity and powers.

Do we pilgrims have faith like Martha’s? Faith that expects miracles to happen when God shows up in our human situations? Of course, we mustn’t expect to see dead people rise up out of their graves just for the sake of it. Jesus had the power to raise Lazarus and return him to life, but He wouldn’t have done that without a reason, and that was because He wanted to bring glory to God and prove to the Pharisees once and for all that he was who He said He was. John 11:4, “But when Jesus heard about it he said, “Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this.”” 

Reading on in John’s Gospel, we find that Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!” (John 14:12-14). We pilgrims apparently have tremendous power at our fingertips, but Jesus introduced a caveat by saying such miracles performed in His name will bring glory through Him to the Father. That certainly happened in the case of Lazarus. 

God is loving, merciful and compassionate, and He will often bring about miraculous events in answer to prayers. I can personally testify to His healing power, and I give God all the glory for what he has done for me, and on more than one occasion. And what was about to happen in response to Martha’s faith and Jesus’s desire to bring glory to His father, turned Judea upside down.

Dear God. We pray for more faith like Martha’s, faith that will see amazing works and will give You all the glory. Amen.

Truth and Glory

Posted on by korgrocker

“So for the second time they called in the man who had been blind and told him, “God should get the glory for this, because we know this man Jesus is a sinner.””
John 9:24 NLT

The Pharisees made two erroneous assumptions when they called Mr Blind-no-more into their forum for a second time. They first of all suggested that he hadn’t told everything about what had happened, implying that he was a liar, and secondly, they accused Jesus of being a sinner. They were wrong on both counts. Saying that “God should get the glory for this” does not mean that God should be glorified because of the miraculous healing that had taken place, but it was the equivalent of promising before God to ”tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth”, as is said in British courts of law. 

The Pharisees couldn’t accept something as simple as what in fact happened. Jesus made mud from His saliva, spread it onto the man’s eyes, and told him to go and wash in a particular pool. When he had done that his sight was restored. A correct and truthful statement of facts. But for something as miraculous as that to happen so simply was too much for the Pharisees. They would at least have expected a visitation of angels, a public demonstration of some kind, and all authorised by the religious leaders with much prayer and incantations. To be blind-sided by this by someone who made what was to them blasphemous claims about Himself was an insult to their positions as religious leaders in the Jewish society. So the Pharisees assumed that the healing couldn’t have happened in the way Mr Blind-no-more described. What followed was a second attempt to extract the “truth” from the man before them.

The Pharisees went on to say that Jesus was a sinner. Nothing could have been further from the truth. As we pilgrims know, Jesus, who was without sin, became sin on our behalf, taking our punishment of death, all so that we could put on His righteousness before God. The divine exchange. What a Saviour! But the Pharisees were having none of His claims. They disputed the truth of Jesus’ statements that he was the Son of God, even in the face of miracles and signs that could not have come from someone of purely human origins. Every miracle committed by Jesus over and over again confronted their unbelief and animosity. To believe in Him was in effect abdicating their religious authority, handing it over to where it should have been all along, in the hands of God. 

Mr Blind-no-more told the truth and Jesus was the only sinless Man who has ever walked this planet. By their own admission the Pharisees made claims that, unless repented of beforehand, ensured their judgement in the fullness of time. We give God the glory for Jesus and all He did for us during His time here in this world. And we take heart from the example of Mr Blind-no-more who stayed faithful to the truth even in the face of aggressive questioning. 

Dear Father God. We praise You today and give You the glory for all Your works here in this world. We thank You that even today Your healings continue because of Your love and grace. We praise You today. Amen. 

Divine Promises

Posted on by korgrocker

“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.”
2 Peter 1:3-4 ESV

In the previous verse in 2 Peter 1, Peter wrote about how God’s power can help us live a Godly life. He now moves on to considering God’s promises. We read what Peter wrote about God’s divine power, accessed through our knowledge of Him, and leading to His divine promises. 2 Peter 1:4 includes an awe-inspiring revelation – that we are “partakers of the divine nature.” This is a staggering concept that calls us to recognize our profound connection with God. It suggests that as believers, we are not merely recipients of God’s blessings; we are invited to share in who He is. This divine participation transforms the identity and purpose of us pilgrims, calling us to live in a way that is reflective of our life to come In Heaven. And we note that this is not a future event – it is available to us in the here and now.

But there is a significant benefit coming from God’s power and promises – to “escape the corruption that is in the world caused by evil desires.” In a world marked by decay and moral decline, God’s promises offer a way of escape. This escape is not an evasion but a transformative journey. It implies a departure from the corrosive influences of the world and an entry into the transformative power of God’s promises.

So what are these “precious and very great promises”? If we read the end of the previous verse, we see that they are connected with God’s “glory and excellence”. God has made promises to His people in His Word because He is glorious and because He is excellent. Peter was writing to those early Christians in Asia Minor, but his words apply just as much today, to us pilgrims. We can’t just gloss over these promises, though. We have to understand that they are of considerable value, coming as they do from God’s divine nature. And to find out what they are we have to read the Bible. God’s promises are all contained within this precious Book, and we will have to read it. And as we do, we will find out more and more about our wonderful heavenly Father. We will find too that the Bible is full of surprises, that will transform the way we think and behave. 

Let’s just pluck from the Bible some promises; each of these will give us a glimpse of what life with God is like now and what it will be like in the future. 
Psalm 23:6, “Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever“.
Isaiah 1:18, ““Come now, let’s settle this,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool“.
Ezekiel 36:26, “And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart“. ‭‭
Matthew 11:28-30, “Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light“.

These are just four God-promises and there are many more. But they are not just warm, fuzzy words on a page in a dusty tome. Applying these in our lives will lead to the abundant life that Jesus spoke about. “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). But we have to take these Scriptures on board and chew them over in our minds and spirits. And apply them to every aspect of our lives. There is no other way.

Dear Heavenly Father. Your ways are the only ways to find the abundant life You have promised to us. We thank You for each and every Word that is contained in Your Book. Amen.

Something for Nothing

Posted on by korgrocker

“So the promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift. And we are all certain to receive it, whether or not we live according to the law of Moses, if we have faith like Abraham’s. For Abraham is the father of all who believe. That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, “I have made you the father of many nations.” This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing.”
Romans 4:16-17 NLT

Paul mentioned two qualities of God in Romans 4:17. He said that God “brings the dead back to life” and He “creates new things out of nothing”. We considered the first yesterday, and now we will consider our creator God. We are familiar, of course, with the Genesis account. Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth“. Just a few words but breath-taking in their implication. Hebrews 11:3, “By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen“. ‭‭But there is that word “faith” again. By faith in a limitless God, we believe He is able to create matter from nothing.

One of my problems with the non-creation theories, such as the theory of evolution, that are prevalent in today’s secular societies, is that they fail to address a basic question – where did all the matter that forms the universe, and everything within it, come from. The paradigms adopted by our non-religious scientists and academics all assume, or take for granted, the presence of matter. But God was able to take nothing and form something from it, through no more than His Word. The writer to the Hebrews said this very clearly, “what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen”. Everything around me, my computer desk, my office walls, the hills in the distance. They are all derived from matter that God spoke into being. Abraham believed in the fact that God was able to do miraculous things, and God credited that faith to him as righteousness (Genesis 15:6).

In our secular societies, the arrogance of mankind is, at times, breathtaking. There is no doubt that in recent times there has been an explosion of advances in medical science, and the way we treat illnesses. Operations are carried out to provide people with new knees or hips, greatly improving their qualities of life. Vaccines have been developed, that reduce the risks associated with nasty viruses. And then, of course, there are the advances in technology, with the internet, computers, and smart phones. All happening within just a few short years. But rather than give the glory for such advances to God, the medics and technologists claim the glory for themselves. God created us in His own image, as we read in Genesis 1:26-27, “Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.” So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them”. So when our brilliant scientists create a new vaccine, or discover some physical property that is put to good use, they are just doing what God created them to do. And the glory is all His.

As a side issue, the UK at the moment is embroiled in a battle about gender. But that wouldn’t be the case if our politicians read Genesis 1:27. There are only two genders – male and female. And that takes place at the point of creation, conception in the womb. It is so sad to hear about those who feel that they were born the wrong gender, but rather than help them in a Godly and compassionate way, the medics and psychiatrists abandon them to the consequences of their confusion. In Romans 1:24, we read, “So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies”. When Paul wrote this, I’m sure he was referring to the sexual sins being committed in his times, but perhaps the Holy Spirit could see the gender debate coming up nearly two thousand years later.

We pilgrims worship an amazing God. His depths are unfathomable and unmeasurable. His capabilities are limitless. His love and grace know no bounds. His patience with sinners like us is constant. His willingness to hear and answer our prayers indisputable. He is truly awesome, and truly deserves all the glory for His awesome creation. And so through faith we reach out to Him, day by day, for all we need for life on this outpost of His Kingdom in the hostile environment of Planet Earth. The ruler of this world, the devil, hates it. But God strengthens and protects us and one day He will call us home, to be with Him forever.

Dear Father God. All we can do is express our thanks and worship You. We give You all the glory. Amen.

Glory and Honour and Peace

Posted on by korgrocker

“There will be trouble and calamity for everyone who keeps on doing what is evil—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. But there will be glory and honour and peace from God for all who do good—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. For God does not show favouritism.”
Romans‬ ‭2‬:‭9‬-‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

There is a dichotomy between evil and good, as Paul explained in these verses from his letter to the Roman Christians, that we are considering today. Considering a person’s behaviour, there is “trouble and calamity” for doing evil, and “glory and honour and peace” for doing good. Black and white. No shades of grey. But what does “for all who do good” actually mean. What was in Paul’s thinking?

There are plenty of verses in the Bible about doing good. In Galatians 6:9-10 we read, “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith“. Doing good to everyone is not a difficult concept to understand. We look out for our elderly neighbour, helping them with shopping or a task in their house. We use our resources to perhaps take someone to hospital when they visit the out-patients. We provide a meal for someone in need. we help our children with their homework. The list of possibilities for doing good is endless. Doing good within our societies, communities and families holds them together, as otherwise they would fall apart.

But these are all ways in which we do good to others. But what about doing good to ourselves? We read in Philippians 1:6, “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns“. We must also consider doing good to ourselves. Now, this is far more contentious because it means we should perhaps be considering our inner persons, body, soul and spirit. Take our bodies, for instance. I think we will all agree that some foods are good for us, and others are not. Should we be considering doing good to ourselves by eating the right foods in the correct quantities? And are we engaged in practices that are harmful to our bodies? Enough said on that one! And then we have our spirits. They need feeding as well. A daily diet of Scripture and prayer can only do us good.

Paul said we will receive “glory and honour and peace” by doing good. Honour may happen in our lifetimes, recognised perhaps by an award of one kind or another. But most people who are doing good will not be recognised in this life. It’s the same with glory. Something that we are banking for the next life. However, we can experience peace in our lives today. That comfort we achieve in knowing that the life of someone around us has been made a bit easier. Peace, because we don’t have on our consciences something we should have done for someone else, but didn’t do it. Peace, in these troubling and challenging times is something that is invaluable.

We pilgrims are the glue that holds our societies and communities together. And we achieve that by doing good. Being examples to those around us. Doing good enables us to enjoy “glory and honour and peace from God” both is this life and in the life to come. 

Dear Father God. You have blessed us so much. We thank You and worship You today. Amen.

 

Glory and Honour and Thanks

Posted on by korgrocker

“Whenever the living beings give glory and honour and thanks to the One sitting on the throne (the One who lives forever and ever), the twenty-four elders fall down and worship the One sitting on the throne (the One who lives forever and ever). And they lay their crowns before the throne and say, “You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honour and power. For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased.””
Revelation‬ ‭4:9-11‬ NLT

Glory, honour and thanks. Three important factors bound up and interwoven into our worship of our wonderful Heavenly Father. So what do these three words mean and how do they connect with God? 

If we take the word “glory”, we immediately relate it to something worldly. We say a warm and sunny day is glorious. The British national anthem, referring to the Queen, has the lines, “Send her victorious, happy and glorious”. A dictionary definition defines glory as being of great beauty or worthy of honour. But God’s glory, though incorporating these thoughts, is a lot more than anything we can define in human terms. The glory of God is who He is, the Creator of the Universe, emanating His beauty, His worth, His Name. And much of our human lives can convey a hint of what the glory of God is all about, in the things that we behold as being of beauty, precious and lovely. These hints of glory can also encompass less tangible thoughts and feelings. Our emotions will perhaps be moved by a piece of music, or a scene in nature. God’s glory is unlimited and, like Him, omnipresent. Ancient Jewish traditions talk about the shekinah glory of God, meaning that His presence is so intense that it is living with us. The pillars of fire and smoke in the Israelites exodus from Egypt are perhaps examples of this. Or the smoke filling the temple in Isaiah 6.

God is worthy of honour. How else can we think of, or consider, our wonderful Heavenly Father? Jesus, in the prayer we call the Lord’s prayer, taught His disciples to hallow or honour His name. We speak of Him reverentially. In fact, the Jews so revered God they wouldn’t even mention His name. We honour God in all that we are, and do. And those around us will perhaps gain a glimpse of God through us, as we speak or behave in ways that honour Him. 

And we thank God for all He has done. For the creation of our world and all that is in it. For ourselves and His presence with us. For being a Father to us, listening to, and answering, our prayers. For His Son, Jesus, who died for us, so that we would be able to enter His presence. The list is endless. Perhaps we can see why it has taken eternity for the living beings to worship God. And they haven’t finished yet!

Such was the Apostle John’s reverence of God that he wouldn’t even mention His name, instead referring to Him as “the One sitting on the throne” and “the One who lives forever and ever”. This description of God was echoed by the twenty four elders, as they too joined in the song of worship and praise.

Dear Heavenly Father. We pilgrims enter into the Heavenly worship, desperate to be included, as we earnestly model a piece of Heaven here on earth. On our knees we too express our glory and honour and thanks. Amen.

Power and Imagination

Posted on by korgrocker

“Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”
Ephesians‬ ‭3:20-21‬ ‭NIVUK‬‬

Ephesians 3:20 is a verse that has impressed me, intrigued me, and challenged me over the years I have been a Christian pilgrim. Many times I have tried to get my mind around what Paul was saying, and what it means for me today. I keep coming back to this verse in my regular visits to this Epistle to the Ephesians. Straight away there is a temptation to look at this verse from a worldly point of view, imagining physics-defying feats of strength and courage. Although the power Paul mentioned can sometimes encroach into our physical world, such an interpretation was not what he had in mind when he wrote about God’s power. But was Paul really saying that this power, God’s power, is available and is to be applied in our own lives and the lives of the people, our family and friends and neighbours, around us? I think it does because God has one mission – the propagation of His love throughout mankind for His “glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever”. Every resource He supplies, His unlimited power, is designed with that in mind. This verse, I believe, is pivotal to Christian discipleship today. 

But it doesn’t stop there because God wants His servants to think outside the box. He wants people with the faith to use the power given to us to do tremendous works to further His kingdom. People with the faith of Jackie Pullinger, about whom I was reading recently. She embarked on a ship at the age of 21 praying as it reached each port about whether God wanted her to minister and serve Him there. She ended up in Hong Kong, working amongst so many needy people. Where drug addiction was rife. And through the power of the Holy Spirit she saw lives changed. The enemy’s frontiers were pushed back. Of course, we’re not all people like Jackie but we each have our own sphere of potential ministry and service.

But there are three things about this verse that get to me. The first is that God wants me to ask Him what He wants to do through me. Paul said that of course God is able to do far more than we ask – he used the word “immeasurably” – but God still wants us to ask. That’s the way we engage with Him and His Spirit. It is our openness to Him, and desire to serve, that allows His power to be used in whatever situation He requires. It’s our willingness to say, “Yes, Lord” when He prompts us to take the next step in our service to Him. A man called Ananias was in such a place when the Holy Spirit asked him to find a guy called Paul who was praying, blinded by an encounter with Jesus on the Damascus Road, and to pray for him, that his sight would be restored. That wasn’t just a light bulb moment in Ananias’s life – he was ready and prepared, open for his next God-assignment. He had already asked God to use him for the furtherance of His kingdom. We can read the full story in Acts 9. 

The second thing is that God wants us to use our imaginations. So often in our churches and congregations we are bounded by walls and stained glass, by a liturgy more suitable to a Victorian era, out of touch with the real world outside the walls. We’re cut off in splendid isolation, perhaps feeling holy but nevertheless totally ineffective in dispensing His power. A god-breathed imagination will open doors and windows into the very souls of our communities and families. It is only as we use our imaginations that opportunities will start to emerge from the fog of our pre-conceived ideas and conditions. To just sit in a pew, week after week, requires no imagination at all.

The third thing is that we have all the power we need – it is right there within us. But where and how should it be used? There is an answer to this question in Acts 1:8. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth”. Note that the receipt of the power is followed by an action – being witnesses of Jesus. I believe this verse is highly significant, because it contains the last recorded spoken words of Jesus before He ascended into Heaven. And this didn’t mean just talking about Him, or doing Bible studies on the parables. Or sitting in our pews listening to eloquent sermons about His birth at Christmas, or His death and resurrection at Easter. Jesus was a real action man. He didn’t spend His time in pastoring the people in His local synagogue. He was out and about using His power to invite people into His kingdom. What Jesus said in Luke 5:31-32 is interesting. “Jesus answered them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.””. 

But back to our verse, Ephesians 3:20. God’s chosen method of reaching humanity is through pilgrims like you and me. Through willing people who dare to ask God what their next assignment is. Through open people with an active, God-breathed, imagination; who dare to think outside the box, who dare to break the mould, who dare to use their faith to leverage the power that is within them. People like Isaiah – we read about his encounter with God in the Temple in Isaiah 6:8 – “Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me.””. Let us be asking and imagining pilgrims in our service for God.

Just one more thing – “to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations”. All we do is to, and for, His glory. With deeply thankful hearts for all He has done for us.