The Olive Grove

Posted on by korgrocker

“After saying these things, Jesus crossed the Kidron Valley with his disciples and entered a grove of olive trees. Judas, the betrayer, knew this place, because Jesus had often gone there with his disciples.”
John 18:1-2 NLT

In Luke’s Gospel, we read, “Then, accompanied by the disciples, Jesus left the upstairs room and went as usual to the Mount of Olives” (Luke 22:39). The Mount of Olives was close to Jerusalem, and it was there that Jesus and His disciples spent time together, enjoying the cool of the evening after what was probably a hot day. It was a sanctuary of peace for them, peace in turbulent times where they faced into the antagonism of the Jewish religious leaders. A place of prayer and sharing, a place where the disciples could relax with their Teacher and their Lord. A place where spiritual batteries were recharged for anything to be faced the next day. A grove of olive trees became a place of sanctuary.

The word “sanctuary” first appeared in the Old Testament and it was a place where God dwelt with His people. Exodus 25:8, “Have the people of Israel build me a holy sanctuary so I can live among them”. A sanctuary in Old Testament times became the Tabernacle and later the Temple. Moving into New Testament times, church buildings emerged and here in the UK the landscape is scattered with hundreds, if not thousands, of beautiful, but mostly totally impractical, buildings, sanctuaries that have become monuments to past moves of God. But even today, there is something special about sitting in a pew in a church building, surrounded with light streaming through stained glass windows, looking at an altar where we hope that God will reveal His presence and grant us peace in our time of need.

We pilgrims need a sanctuary, where we too can sit at the Master’s feet in our own personal Olive Grove. Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-29, “ … 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“.  The Psalmist David found his sanctuary in God. He wrote these verses from Psalm 62, “Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I shall never be shaken“. 

Personally, I find my sanctuary amongst the natural world around me, where I can see and hear God’s creation, splendid and unique. Every bird that sings and every flower that has burst into life provides a backdrop to where I find God’s peace and presence, “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard [my] heart and [my] mind in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7). And from my spiritual olive grove I find once again the place of rest, a sanctuary for my soul. Where, dear fellow pilgrim, is your “Olive Grove”? Somewhere where the heavy burdens of life in this mad and bad world can be left at the Master’s feet? God always wants to meet with us. He is always accessible. And there is a place where Heaven touches earth, right where we can find it. It may be an “Olive Grove” or it may be somewhere else, but there we will find rest for our souls.

Dear Father God. It is mind-boggling to realise that the Creator of this Universe wants to meet with us, within the sanctuary in our hearts. Please help us to remain open and willing to commune with You and find the peace that our souls yearn for. Amen.

Judas, the Betrayer

Posted on by korgrocker

“After saying these things, Jesus crossed the Kidron Valley with his disciples and entered a grove of olive trees. Judas, the betrayer, knew this place, because Jesus had often gone there with his disciples.”
John 18:1-2 NLT

Why did Judas Iscariot spend three years with Jesus and then decide that he wanted to turn Him over to the Jewish authorities? He shared the fellowship with eleven other men and their Teacher and friend. He saw the miracles. He heard the messages and parables, and even embarked on a missionary trip himself where he healed the sick and preached the message about the Kingdom of God. Why would he then want to see Jesus arrested and, presumably, executed?

In Luke’s account of the time when Jesus chose His disciples, there were two men named Judas. “Judas (son of James), Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him)” (Luke 6:16). In other passages, Judas, the Son of James, was also referred to as Thaddeus, thus avoiding any confusion. So there is no doubt about who Judas was. David prophesied about the Judas to come, as we read in Psalm 41:9, “Even my best friend, the one I trusted completely, the one who shared my food, has turned against me”. And Jesus referred to this verse when He said, “I am not saying these things to all of you; I know the ones I have chosen. But this fulfils the Scripture that says, ‘The one who eats my food has turned against me.’” We all know the story of Judas’ betrayal of his friend and Master, a story so well known that even today, a betrayer is referred to as a “judas”. 

What motivated Judas to do what he did? Come to that, what would motivate anyone to act in the way Judas did? In Judas’ case, personal gain might have been a factor. He was the Twelve’s treasurer and had a reputation of dipping into the shared funds for his own purpose. In John 12:4-6 we read, “But Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would soon betray him, said, “That perfume was worth a year’s wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.” Not that he cared for the poor—he was a thief, and since he was in charge of the disciples’ money, he often stole some for himself“. So, to acquire thirty pieces of silver, about 30 days wages, would have appealed to his avaricious nature. Another motivation might have been disappointment. Did Judas lose patience with Jesus because he wanted to see a political, not spiritual, solution to Israel’s woes? But regardless, Judas never realised that he was a pawn in the devil’s hands and was being set up for his own destruction. And in the process he became part of God’s plan for the salvation of many.

Father God. With sadness we remember the man who betrayed Your Son, Jesus. But he was all part of Your plan for our salvation, for which we are very grateful. Amen.

God Revealed

Posted on by korgrocker

“Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began! O righteous Father, the world doesn’t know you, but I do; and these disciples know you sent me. I have revealed you to them, and I will continue to do so. Then your love for me will be in them, and I will be in them.”
John 17:24-26 NLT

Jesus said in His prayer that He had revealed God, His Father, to His disciples, and was going to continue to do so.  But how could they see the magnificence of all that God is in a human being, even though this was Jesus, God’s Son? To get our mind around all of this we have to look at Jesus’ mission and ministry in its entirety. Miracle after miracle, people healed, teaching about the Kingdom of God, demonstrations of love and compassion, the impact of Jesus’ ministry was huge, not just to the people He met, His native countrymen the Jews, but also to countless people ever since. But there was one factor underpinning all that Jesus did, and we find that in John 5:30. He said, “I can do nothing on my own. I judge as God tells me. Therefore, my judgment is just, because I carry out the will of the one who sent me, not my own will“. All that Jesus did on Planet Earth was in accordance with His Father’s will. It was God’s plan for Jesus to be executed, for Him to be a willing sacrifice that defeated the devil and provided salvation for all who believed in Him. The challenge for the disciples was to see the will of God manifested in Jesus. Jesus said, and as recorded in John 10:37-38, “Don’t believe me unless I carry out my Father’s work. But if I do his work, believe in the evidence of the miraculous works I have done, even if you don’t believe me. Then you will know and understand that the Father is in me, and I am in the Father”. Jesus’ mission was obvious to those with open eyes. Even a Jewish religious leader, Nicodemus, could see a glimmer of the truth, as recorded in John 3:2. “After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you””.

There was nothing special about Jesus’ appearance to set Him apart from His peers. He was an ordinary man, who grew up in a Jewish home just as any other boy of His times did. Schooled and then apprenticed to His natural father’s profession as a carpenter. A good worker who reached the age of thirty and then who laid it all down to become an itinerant rabbi. In His home town of Nazareth He preached in the local synagogue one Sabbath, and the people were happy with what He said. We read in Luke 4:22, “Everyone spoke well of him and was amazed by the gracious words that came from his lips. “How can this be?” they asked. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son””? But as soon as He said something they didn’t like, they wanted to kill Him – the account is in Luke 4. There is no record of Jesus speaking there again, and soon after this event He went to live for a time in Capernaum, a town near Nazareth. Jesus, an ordinary Man but with an extraordinary mission.

 Sadly today, most people in our Western societies fail to make the connection between Father and Son. In fact, they reject the Bible and its Godly content, consigning it to a corner of their bookcases with other books they never read. They may know about Jesus, but the only connection they have with Him is through making His name an expletive. And even more sadly, there are those who claim to be followers of Christ, but who reject some of His teachings because they are inconvenient or are at odds with their own particular ideologies. There was even a senior clergyman, who claimed to be a Christian in the Church of England who said that Jesus’ resurrection was a “conjuring trick with bones”.  He didn’t believe in much of the Bible at all! 

So, have we pilgrims had a revelation of God? There is only one place where we can find Him and that is in His Word and as revealed by the Holy Spirit. The books of Genesis and Revelation and all between, are a rich mine of spiritual nuggets exposing the character of God and revealing Himself to all who search after the truth. But just as a man and woman will get to know each other by spending time together, so the only way we can find out anything about our Heavenly Father is by reading about Him in His Word. There are no short cuts. No instant solutions. But through His love and grace, God will meet us in the pages of our Bibles. He loves it when we come to Him, like a small child bringing a book and sitting on His knee. And as He turns the pages with Him, we will find our God revealed.

Heavenly Father. All that we need for life we will find in Your Word. Please open the Scriptures before us, to reveal who You are in all Your glory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Perfect Unity

Posted on by korgrocker

“I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me. Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began!”
John 17:22-24 NLT

We continue the theme of the unity that is supposed to be seen between believers. Jesus spent some time in His High Priestly prayer focussing on the importance of “perfect unity” because it is only then that the world around us will sit up and take notice. Jesus referred to the love that existed between Him and His Father, and that indicates something that should also be seen between believers. Paul wrote in Colossians 3:14, “Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony“. There is a special bond of love that exists between believers, but too often the relationship deteriorates into arguments about the differences between them. Differences in Biblical interpretations, differences in liturgies. There is even arguments going on within the same denomination with, for example, the Church of England having its liberal and traditional wings, with resulting divisions removing all semblances of unity.

There is an account of a miracle performed by Jesus in Matthew 12. A demon-possessed man was healed, but the Pharisees suggested that Jesus received the power to do that from satan himself. We read in Matthew 12:25, “Jesus knew their thoughts and replied, “Any kingdom divided by civil war is doomed. A town or family splintered by feuding will fall apart“. That same principle applies to any corporate body, a church or denomination included. Infighting and disunity will eventually see the fruit of such behaviour, but that is probably why over the years so many different denominations have sprung up. It is why so many churches, even at a local level, split apart. 

In Matthew 5, Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavour? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father” (Matthew 5:13-16). Christians obedient to their calling will stand out, unified in a world of conflict.

How is unity between believers achieved? It all starts at the cross, where there is level ground and all repentant sinners will find forgiveness. Very early on in His ministry, Jesus said that those who want to be present in God’s Kingdom must be “born again”. To many Christians this is a contentious topic and it associates those of the new birth with fundamental and traditional interpretations of the Bible. But where else can unity between believers ever start? The writer of the Hebrews Epistle put his finger on the issue when he wrote, “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires” (Hebrews 4:12). In that verse he took as read the importance of the Word of God, and went on to emphasise its importance in the lives of believers everywhere. There can be no mutual acceptance of believers, in love and trust, unless there is mutual acceptance of the truth of God’s Word.

In many ways, the label “Christian” has fallen into disrepute. A friend of mine claims to be a “Christian” just because he considers himself to be a good person and does “Christian” things. But a true Christian is a person who believes in Jesus and who follows His ways and teachings, and in whom a glimpse of Jesus can be found. One of the scariest Scriptures can be found in Matthew 7. We read what 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. 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’” (Matthew 7:21-23).

 Jesus defined what being a true Christian was all about, with all the implications of being one in the faith, when He said, “ Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter“. But we pilgrims cannot take a judgemental position, because we do not see as God sees, and in any case Jesus said “Do not judge lest you be judged”. Rather we should remember what Paul wrote in Philippians 2:12, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;” (emphasis mine). 

Unity between believers won’t come easy. Our enemy the devil will do his utmost to prevent it, instead causing strife and division whenever the opportunity arises. But we persevere and try and look at our fellow believers with God’s eyes. He loves them, as He loves us. And so we can love each other, completing the triangle.

Dear Father God. Thank You for Your love and grace, which know no bounds. We worship You, our amazing God, today. Amen.

All Who Believe

Posted on by korgrocker

“I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.”
John 17:20-21 NLT

We shout out this morning with a heart-cry of thanks, that Jesus slipped these two verses into His High Priestly prayer. No-one can ever make the claim that Jesus was only concerned about His immediate circle of friends, His disciples. This morning let the reality of the truth that Jesus prayed for you and me personally sink deep into our souls. Too big a leap of faith to think that? We already know that God knows our names – Isaiah 49:16a, “See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands. … “. So, I am convinced that Jesus knows my name, and He could see me down the corridors of time right to my desk this morning, and that He prayed for me. But what did He pray for? My life and ministry as a disciple? My health and wealth? Plans for a “future and a hope”? None of these – Jesus prayed “that [all believers] will be one”.  He prayed for unity in the faith of believers everywhere, including me.

But how can Christian unity ever be achieved? We look around at all the various denominations with their liturgical differences and varying interpretations of what the Bible really says. Some so called Christians even deny bits of the Bible, especially when it comes to their sexuality or their acceptance of the miracles of Jesus. Then you have the Calvinists, and the Armenians, the Roman Catholics and the Baptists. How can church unity ever be a possibility? But that was not what Jesus was praying for. He was praying for all believers, that they would be one, and that through their unity “the world will believe You sent Me”. Jesus added the picture that those who believed the disciples’ message, handed down through the times since, and who believed in Jesus, would be one with the Father and the Son. 

But what does unity between believers look like? We may not worship in the same church or even denomination. Our liturgies may be different. We may be pre-millennialists, a-millennialists, or even post-millennialists in our end times views, but being one starts with a belief in Jesus. A belief that He was, and is, who He claimed to be. A shared belief that he died for our sins at Calvary. And through our one-ness with each other, and with the Father and Son, “the world will believe You sent Me“. Sadly, too many Christians focus on their differences rather than their common belief in Jesus. But we pilgrims can see beyond that, can’t we?

Father God, the Creator of true unity between Your children. We pray together as one for each other and for our mission to demonstrate our one-ness to those around us, bringing glory to You. Amen.

Holy Sacrifice

Posted on by korgrocker

“Now I am coming to you. I told them many things while I was with them in this world so they would be filled with my joy. I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They do not belong to this world any more than I do. Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth.”
John 17:13-19 NLT

That was the thing about Jesus’ death – He made Himself a holy sacrifice. He allowed His death to take place, even though He had every option at His Father’s disposal to stop it. And His sacrifice involved the death of a sinless Person so it was the ultimate miscarriage of justice. So why did Jesus go through with one of the most painful deaths mankind has ever so cruelly invented?

Right at the beginning of His ministry Jesus told Nicodemus how His life would end. John 3:14-15, “And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life“. Throughout Jesus’ three years or so in His ministry to His people, the spectre of the Cross was hanging over Him. To a human person with that knowledge, that would immediately initiate a mode of life focussed on self-preservation, and if Jesus adopted the attitude, then that would have fatally skewed the impact of His ministry years. And we of course remember the Old Testament prophetic ministries that didn’t end well – we can read about some of them in Hebrews 11. These were prophets and men of God who cared little for their lives, in the light of their focus and dedication to speaking out God’s message. But how was Jesus’ death a “holy sacrifice”?  

Jesus’ ministry was to His own people, the Jews. They were a people who were well used to blood sacrifices as part of their religion. To them, blood had a special significance. In Leviticus 5:5-6, 9 we read, “When you become aware of your guilt in any of these ways, you must confess your sin. Then you must bring to the Lord as the penalty for your sin a female from the flock, either a sheep or a goat. This is a sin offering with which the priest will purify you from your sin, making you right with the Lord … Then he will sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering against the sides of the altar, and the rest of the blood will be drained out at the base of the altar. This is an offering for sin“. But we can find out Jesus’ mission in Hebrews 10:8-10, “First, Christ said, “You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings or burnt offerings or other offerings for sin, nor were you pleased with them” (though they are required by the law of Moses). Then he said, “Look, I have come to do your will.” He cancels the first covenant in order to put the second into effect. For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time“. Accepting the sacrifice of Jesus would be of seismic proportions to the Jews. To do away with the old covenant of blood sacrifices with a once and for all sacrifice by the sinless God-Man Jesus was too big a leap for most of them, even though there had been so many Old Testament prophecies about the coming Messiah. 

The writer of the Hebrews epistle put his finger on the truth and purpose of Jesus’ sacrifice when he wrote, “For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time”. The blood of Jesus was and is sufficient to fulfil the demands of a sacrifice to appease God’s judgement for sin. And it is for that reason that when people come to stand before God it will not be their good works that will save them. There is only one remedy for sin and that is through Jesus’ “holy sacrifice”. There are heart-wrenching stories of good people who have gone to extraordinary lengths to help their friends and relatives, even putting their own lives in danger in the process. There are also many stories of people who sit at the bedside of a dying relative comforting themselves in their grief with the thought that they will see them again one day, thinking that their grandmother will soon be comforted in Heaven by their husband/mother/father who died before them. Such feelings also emerge in the crematorium as the coffin disappears behind the curtain, fuelled by thoughts that there must be something good the other side of the Great Divide. And I’m sure that God’s mercy will be present in the case of all human beings who die and leave this life. But His love has to be tempered by His holiness and righteousness. Nothing sinful can ever enter into heaven to be in the presence of God. If God allows everyone into Heaven, regardless of whether or not the person believed in Him, regardless of whether or not they have confessed their sins, then what was the point of Jesus’ “holy sacrifice”? Hmmm….  

Dear Father God. You are holy and righteous, and perfect in all Your ways. We worship You today. Amen.

World Identity

Posted on by korgrocker

“Now I am coming to you. I told them many things while I was with them in this world so they would be filled with my joy. I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They do not belong to this world any more than I do. Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth.”
John 17:13-19 NLT

Who do we pilgrims identify with – those unbelieving people in the world around us, or the believers in our Christian communities and fellowships? Unfortunately there is no grey area in the middle. Jesus said that functioning believers, disciples and pilgrims like us, will be hated by the people in the societies around us, people who are soaked in their sins and heading for a lost eternity. And Jesus prayed that His disciples, and pilgrims everywhere by extension, would be kept safe from the enemy, the “evil one”. He made the statement that such people as us “do not belong to this world”. 

But how do we pilgrims reconcile the Great Commission, to “go into all the world to make disciples”, with the need to keep ourselves separate from the world and, by implication, all of its ways? This was always a challenge to me in an office environment, where the behaviour of those around me was unacceptable for a Kingdom man, with the gossip, the blasphemous language, the flirting, the invitations to attend parties and join the team at the local pub after work, and so on. Sometimes I felt like an outcast, shunned by the people in my team, and assigned work that was less collaborative as a result. But how could a child of the King ever be involved in the ways of the world, a different kingdom, where their “king” was the devil? 

Jesus said in Matthew 5, “You are the salt of the earth” and “You are the light of the world”. And He finished this section  with “In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father” (Matthew 5:16). In a dark world we are beacons of hope but, as such, vulnerable to attacks from the enemy. Our behaviour is of course influenced by our relationship with God. As an example, in Daniel 1:8 we read, “But Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief of staff for permission not to eat these unacceptable foods”. The Jewish exiles and Daniel behaved in a way conducive with the Law of Moses. On the other hand, we read in Matthew 9:10-11, “Later, Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with such scum?”” It is possible for believers to enter the border territory between the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of the world, but with fear and trembling, and with much care. But after all, how else can we reach the lost with the Good news of eternal life?

Peter wrote, “ … for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9). ‭‭We are a people sanctified by the blood of Jesus, and because of that the devil can’t touch us – unless we let him!

Dear Heavenly Father. Thank You for Your protection and care. Please lead us to those people in the world who You have chosen, and keep us safe in the process. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Filled With Joy

Posted on by korgrocker

“Now I am coming to you. I told them many things while I was with them in this world so they would be filled with my joy. I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They do not belong to this world any more than I do. Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth.”
John 17:13-19 NLT

There is something about the Words of Jesus that fills us with joy. But as we look around us in our societies and see issues such as drug abuse, alcoholism, mental ill-health, physical problems, despair and more, all symptoms of a people without hope, we see a people who are looking for a remedy to their pain. These are all people who have a lack of joy, because they have either never heard the words of Jesus, or have heard them and discarded them as being irrelevant to them in their miserable lives, lives without joy, hope, and any definitive sense of purpose. Of course, in Jesus’ day there was no social budget to support a section of the population who fall into the hopeless and joyless category, but the pain was still there, and people flocked to hear Jesus’ Words, because they contained the message of hope and life eternal. 

Two disciples were walking to a place called Emmaus, and we can pick up the account in Luke 24. A Man, who the disciples later realised was Jesus, came up to them and asked them, “ … What are you discussing so intently as you walk along?” They stopped short, sadness written across their faces” (Luke 24:17). Graphic details of two men in pain and grief, hope destroyed, joy taken away. They said, “We had hoped he was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel. This all happened three days ago” (Luke 24:21). As they journeyed on towards Emmaus we then read what happened next. “Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:27). But the Words of Jesus had an amazing impact on them. We read, “They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?”” (Luke 24:32). His Words restored their hope and joy.

Today, regardless of the pressures of living in democratic and capitalistic societies, we can still access the Words of Jesus and live a life of joy. Jesus’ Words are timeless and unaffected by circumstances because they sit high above any worldly and humanistic environment. But sometimes we may experience periods of a lack of joy, as our circumstances overpower us. Sometimes like David we cry out, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove; then I would fly away and rest! I would fly far away to the quiet of the wilderness” (Psalm 55:6-7). We take our eyes off our Creator God and instead focus on what is causing us so much pain. Sadly, joy and hope become lost in a sea of self-pity and misery. 

In John 15:10-11, we read Jesus’ Words, “When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!”‭‭ As we soak ourselves in the Words of Jesus, joy will become more resilient within us, as the Holy Spirit works in our hearts. A series of circumstances will help the fruit of joy to grow within us. The Apostle Paul, suffering and languishing in a Roman prison, wrote, “Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4). When Paul and Silas were in Philippi they antagonised a certain section of the population and we read, “A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods. They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn’t escape. So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks. Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening” (Acts 16:22-25). That’s joy in action. There is a Christian man alive today called Nick Vujicic, who lacks arms and legs, a condition he has had since birth. One of his strap lines is, “I’ve got no arms and legs, what’s your problem“. He has no lack of joy in spite of his circumstances. And he is an inspiration to many people throughout the world.

Whatever we are facing into today we have a loving Heavenly Father who has a remedy that starts with the Words of Jesus. Those words will point us to a life of joy, but there is a problem. We have to read them first. 

Dear God. We need to read Your Word more so that we can benefit from all Your truths. Please open the Scriptures before us so that we can know and understand, and live a life of joy. Amen.

Protect Them

Posted on by korgrocker

“Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I am coming to you. Holy Father, you have given me your name; now protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as we are. During my time here, I protected them by the power of the name you gave me. I guarded them so that not one was lost, except the one headed for destruction, as the Scriptures foretold.”
John 17:11-12 NLT

Jesus continues His High Priestly Prayer with a focus on His disciples. He prayed for their protection by the power of His name. But there were many in the religious society of their day that hated them, and we can see through the early chapters of Acts the abuse they suffered for sharing the Good News about Jesus and His death and resurrection. In Acts 12 we read about how Herod Agrippa had one of the Apostles, James, the brother of John, killed, and he then arrested and imprisoned Peter, presumably with the intention of killing him too. So what was the protection Jesus was referring to, if not the life of His disciples?

Under the Old Covenant, we see how God protected His people from physical harm. There is an amazing story in Daniel 3 about the three Jewish exiles, Shadrach, Meshach, and Adebnego were saved from a very hot furnace. We read in Daniel 3:27, “Then the high officers, officials, governors, and advisers crowded around them and saw that the fire had not touched them. Not a hair on their heads was singed, and their clothing was not scorched. They didn’t even smell of smoke!” In Daniel 6 we read about how God saved Daniel from becoming supper for a pride of lions. He said, “My God sent his angel to shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight. And I have not wronged you, Your Majesty” (Daniel 6:22).

In the New Covenant, God’s protection is for our spirits from any attack of the enemy. Jesus said, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). 2 Timothy 3:12, “Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution“. Paul wrote about our spiritual resources in Ephesians 6. In this, his last epistle, Paul was facing death, and yet he could write, “Yes, and the Lord will deliver me from every evil attack and will bring me safely into his heavenly Kingdom. All glory to God forever and ever! Amen” (2 Timothy 4:18).

We pilgrims have no need to be anxious about our future. Jesus said, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand” (John 10:28-29). Jesus prayed for His disciples’ protection and I have no doubts that, with the exception of Judas Iscariot, they are all in His presence today.

Dear Father God. Thank You that once we are in Your hands we are there forever. Please continue to lead and guide us in Your truth. Amen.


The Message

Posted on by korgrocker

“I have revealed you to the ones you gave me from this world. They were always yours. You gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything I have is a gift from you, for I have passed on to them the message you gave me. They accepted it and know that I came from you, and they believe you sent me.”
John 17:6-8 NLT

In these last hours Jesus had the assurance that all His hard work and loving commitment during the preceding three years had not been wasted. His disciples knew who He was and what His mission was about. But the disciples didn’t just know about Jesus, they believed in Him. There is an important distinction. Many people in this world know a lot about God, but they don’t believe in Him. As a young Christian, I used to work next to an atheistic humanist who had been brought up as a Roman Catholic. He knew a lot of Scriptures, and he used to torment me with difficult verses that he perceived as a contradiction to the Christian message. But even the devil knows Scripture, as Jesus found out during His temptation in the wilderness. Our minds can be full of useful information about God but until we believe it and it infuses our very souls, it is a wasted resource.

Jesus came to this world with a message, a message rich in God’s love and grace, a message that would provide a “way back to God from the dark paths of sin”, quoting lyrics written by an old hymn writer. The Gospel message is truly good news for all mankind, but it is not enough to know it. It has to be believed and applied in people’s lives. Romans 10:9-10, “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved“. Peter’s Acts 2 sermon included these verses, “ … Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise is to you, to your children, and to those far away—all who have been called by the Lord our God” (Acts 2:38-39). Both these passages of Scripture cannot be read and forgotten because they articulate the message that Jesus brought. But neither can they just  be recited as an assurance that the person is now a believer. The key is “believing in your heart”. Jesus’ message is a call to action, to a life of repentance and sanctification. 

Jesus passed on His message to His disciples, but not with the expectation that it would stay there, a private information source for their own benefit. It was always about passing on the message to others, and for them to then do the same. Jesus’ message is for all mankind. Mark’s Gospel records Jesus’ words about His message, “And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:15-16). In Matthew 28 Jesus said, “Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). He indicated that there will be an “end” one day. Earlier Jesus said, “And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14). 

We pilgrims have a message to proclaim, the Good News about Jesus and bearing in mind the profound statement we find 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”. There is no other message by which we can be saved. There will be many who claim otherwise, but we pilgrims continue with Jesus’ message of salvation, interlaced with our own personal testimonies of what Jesus has done for us. What else can we do? As Jesus said on His Palm Sunday ride into Jerusalem,  “ … If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!” (Luke 19:40). God chose to use ordinary men and women to do His work in spreading the Gospel. A risky strategy? Yes, humanly speaking. But God is patient – he has all the time in the world. 

Dear Father God. You entrusted Your precious message of salvation to us pilgrims and as we reach out proclaiming this message to those around us we pray that You bring in the fruit of new Kingdom life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.