Signs From Heaven (2)

Posted on by korgrocker

“Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom. So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense. But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength.”
1 Corinthians 1:21-25 NLT

Paul wrote that the message of the Cross was foolishness to the Jews because they “ask for signs from heaven” instead. But such a request for Heavenly signs is more common than perhaps we first think. We have an inbuilt desire to try and detect what is going to happen in the future, by what we observe today. Take for instance the weather. Jesus Himself referred to this in Matthew 16:2-3, “He replied, “You know the saying, ‘Red sky at night means fair weather tomorrow; red sky in the morning means foul weather all day.’ You know how to interpret the weather signs in the sky, but you don’t know how to interpret the signs of the times!” This is something we still do today, and more often than not we find that a wonderful sunset precedes good weather in the following day. There is also a tendency to try and anticipate a thunderstorm by the humidity level at the time. Farmers apparently can sense a change in the weather by observing cows lying down in a field but what that has to do with anything is a mystery to me. Then we have of course the eco-doom-mongers who predict major changes in the weather in years ahead based on the levels of greenhouse gases, facts that have spawned a cohort of activists and extremists who try and disrupt normal life in society to further their own ideological aims. To them carbon dioxide levels are an indicator of what is to come, and they may of course be right, but with much angst, humanity seems to be hurtling towards a much warmer planet in the years ahead, apparently powerless to do much about it. The UK is painfully heading for “net zero” while countries like China and India are building more power stations burning coal, a major greenhouse contributor. So the debate continues, but in the “signs of the times” that Jesus spoke about, He was referring to something else.

The message of the Cross, shared through our “foolish preaching”, is, however, timeless. Regardless of weather patterns there is something far more significant about the spiritual realms that Jews have always been aware of. They knew that the great events and miracles in their heritage and history had a spiritual basis, something that was timeless and would never be forgotten. God had performed mighty wonders for them at various stages in their history, and memories of these were meditated upon, as encouraged by Psalm 145:4-5, “Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts; let them proclaim your power. I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendour and your wonderful miracles“. These “mighty acts” were remembered, and more were anticipated by the Jews, none more significant than the coming of the Messiah. In Isaiah 7:10-11 we read, “Later, the Lord sent this message to King Ahaz: “Ask the Lord your God for a sign of confirmation, Ahaz. Make it as difficult as you want—as high as heaven or as deep as the place of the dead””. Unfortunately Ahaz refused to test the Lord, but Isaiah told of a sign anyway, “All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’)” (Isaiah 7:14). There were other prophecies of signs of the coming Messiah in the Old Testament as well. Isaiah 9:6, “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace“. Then we have Micah 5:2, “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel, whose origins are in the distant past, will come from you on my behalf“. So not only was there an expectancy in Israel about the coming Messiah, the prophets of old provided details of the signs that would precede the event, signs that would reshape history as we know it. How did Jesus’ listeners in Matthew 16, the Pharisees and Sadducees, get it so wrong? Signs were provided and if they had bothered to check them out they would have found the evidence they required.

That thought brings us on to other things Jesus said, this time about His second coming. Jesus will indeed return to this planet and we know exactly how. Acts 1:11, ““Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!”” We also know where He will return from the next verse, which records that His ascension took place from the Mount of Olives just outside Jerusalem. But it’s the “when” that is the problem for mankind. In Matthew 24, Jesus gave us a few indicators, signs, of what will precede His return. Matthew 24:5-8, “for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come“. ‭‭Another sign was given by Daniel and repeated by Jesus in Matthew 24:15, “”The day is coming when you will see what Daniel the prophet spoke about—the sacrilegious object that causes desecration standing in the Holy Place.” (Reader, pay attention!)”. We’re not totally sure what this is, but I think we will know all about it when it happens. And then if we read on we find that natural events will be impacted, “Immediately after the anguish of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will give no light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken” (Matthew 24:29). Finally the thing that we have been waiting for occurs, “For as the lightning flashes in the east and shines to the west, so it will be when the Son of Man comes” (Matthew 24:27). All these are signs of the End of the Age, and Jesus’ return to this planet. 

The Jews “ask for signs from Heaven” but we pilgrims should also be expecting signs as well. There are two parallel series of events taking place over the times since the creation of the world, one taking place in the physical realm and the other in the spiritual. One day the two will converge with the glorious return of Jesus, but this happened once before. The Cross was a cataclysmic event in which Heaven and earth collided in a moment that set the scene for the final phase of the history of Planet Earth. With excitement bubbling up within us, we find ourselves empowered to spread the Message of the Cross because it is the believers in this Good News that will find a door open before them, allowing them to gain entry to the Kingdom of Heaven before the old disappears. Consider that this Message is like a lifeboat rescuing the survivors from a shipwreck, moments before the ship plunges into the depths of the sea, never to be seen again. Only those who grasp the Message of the Cross with both hands, believing it without any doubts, with body, soul and spirit, will find their way to Heaven and the New Earth, yet to come. Are we ready? Don’t miss the boat, Folks, and don’t forget to spread the message so that our loved ones will be with us when the time comes.

Dear Father God. You sent Your Son Jesus to this world to rescue mankind from the consequences of their sins. For this wonderful yet poignant event we are so grateful, and we pray that we will never waver from our life living under the shadow of the Cross. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Request For a Sign

Posted on by korgrocker

“Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” Therefore they said to Him, “What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do? Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ””
John 6:28-31 NKJV

At first sight, this seems to be a disgraceful response to Jesus. ”Give us some proof about Your credentials, and seeing as You claim to be the Son of God, make sure it is a miraculous sign”, was their demand. Those people on the Galilean shore even had the audacity to specify the miraculous sign they were looking for. They suggested that Jesus provided manna, the food that sustained the Israelite slaves through forty years of wandering in the desert between Egypt and the Promised Land. In other words, they enjoyed the meal of bread and fish on the other side of the lake but they suggested to Jesus that He kept feeding them, just as their ancestors were in the wilderness. But all Jesus was requesting was that the people believed who He was, a simple response surely, but they knew then, as people know today, that believing in Jesus will require a change in beliefs, behaviour and a different approach to their otherwise sinful lives. Jesus called that change “the work of God”. 

It is doubtful that any number of “signs” would have convinced the people of His day that a belief in Jesus was necessary for their spiritual health and well-being. Seeing the sick healed would have been an entertaining spectacle, especially to those who were not personally involved. Perhaps they thought that miracles had been performed before by the great prophets. Their heritage was steeped in miracles. Manna in the desert. Water from a rock face. Walls tumbling down. Giants slain. Their scriptures contained accounts of many such miracles. So what’s new here might have been their thoughts. But none of those prophets claimed to be divine, as Jesus did.

Jesus was offering the people a relationship with Him. Not a detached gratitude for the miracles, but a pathway through miraculous signs to believing in Him. In another scripture we read, “When the crowds heard him say this, some of them declared, “Surely this man is the Prophet we’ve been expecting.” Others said, “He is the Messiah.” Still others said, “But he can’t be! Will the Messiah come from Galilee?“ (John 7:40-41). Some of the people were convinced about Jesus, acknowledging that He was the Messiah. But did they go on to believe in Him?

There are people today who will engage in a one to one conversation in which they will profess a belief in Jesus. But back in the office, with others around, they lapse back into the ways of those around them. James wrote, “But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do” (James 1:6-8). This is a warning to people who say that they believe in Jesus but have yet to make a transition into being a true believer. Miraculous signs may help some to believe in Jesus, but it is the Holy Spirit today who brings a new believer into a relationship with God.

Dear Lord Jesus. Thank You that You cared enough to come to this world at just the right time. We worship You today. Amen.

More On The Crowd

Posted on by korgrocker

“The next day the crowd that had stayed on the far shore saw that the disciples had taken the only boat, and they realized Jesus had not gone with them. Several boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the Lord had blessed the bread and the people had eaten. So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went across to Capernaum to look for him.”
John 6:22-24 NLT

The crowd were still hanging around the next day. They must have camped out all night, because John recorded that they “stayed on the far shore”. But with the new dawn, they realised that the only boat there had headed off with the disciples, and that Jesus hadn’t gone with them. Why did they stay there and not head back home? What about their work? Perhaps there was business they needed to attend to. But in their minds they had had an encounter with Jesus, and that was worth hanging around for. How many times have we wished that we could have stayed longer in a meeting, but knowing, reluctantly, that we have to get up for work the next day? When in the middle of an encounter with Jesus time seems to stand still and we want to camp in His presence. But the cynic observing the behaviour of the people staying overnight would say that they only waited around to get another free meal. 

So where was Jesus, they wondered? Then several boats arrived from Tiberias, a town on the west side of the Sea of Galilee but further south from Capernaum. John mentioned in his account that the boats landed at the shore where Jesus had fed the crowd, so perhaps he too was wondering if it was free food that was drawing people to this remote place. 

What was this crowd of people like? Well, there would have been old and young people. Men, women and children. Rich and poor (but probably mainly the poor). Amongst them would have been some religious leaders. All in all, a good cross section of the Jewish Galilean society. Why did they come to see Jesus? John 6:2 gives us a clue, “A huge crowd kept following him wherever he went, because they saw his miraculous signs as he healed the sick“. These people in the crowd were drawn by the supernatural events that were beyond any natural explanation. In those days, sick people generally died of their illness, unless it was a mild attack of something. There were no antibiotics capable of fighting infections. In fact, someone has researched life expectancy in those days, and come up with a figure of thirty five years. So to find a miracle healer who could heal a sick person was worth going to see, especially if you weren’t feeling very well. But it wasn’t just a sickness that Jesus healed. He also cast out demons. This is a contentious subject because we don’t generally talk about demon possession today. But if it was a problem in the Holy Land two thousand years ago, then it probably still is today. We just call a “demon” something else. Is it some form of mental illness? People often refer to dealing with their “demons”, referring to some form of oppression, or behaviour, perhaps with historical or family roots. Behavioural problems, challenging societal norms, can perhaps be due to some form of demonic influence. And certainly we can look at many practices (current gender ideologies?) that could be attributed to the devil and his minions.

Another consideration that we have with the “crowd” is that the great majority of them were not following God’s ways but instead marching along the broad way that leads to destruction. Matthew 7:13, “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way“. God in His grace gave them the opportunity to hear what Jesus was saying and teaching about the Kingdom of God. Nothing has changed today, however. Most of the people that we pilgrims know have also chosen to go with the flow, the broad way that Jesus warned about.

So we pilgrims, journeying along the narrow path, fighting our way against the tides of public and family pressures and opinions, must never give up. The society around us will persecute us, ostracise us, treat us as though we are different to them and therefore try and force us to turn back. But we stand firm. Jesus said in Matthew 24:13, “But the one who endures to the end will be saved”. Jesus taught the people in His day to focus on spiritual food that will lead to eternal life. So must we pilgrims, because there is no other way.

Father God. Thank You for Your grace and love, available without limit to anyone who comes to You. and thank You for Your Son Jesus, who so willingly came to earth to show us how much You care for us. We worship You today. Amen.

Search the Scriptures

Posted on by korgrocker

“You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life.”
John 5:39-40 NLT

In a message I heard one day, the speaker said that the Bible was a story of God’s love for mankind. And it is true, because as we read the Old Testament scriptures we find time and time again that God loved His people and went to extraordinary lengths to look after them, provide for them and even promise them that one day they will spend eternity with Him. And then we have over three hundred prophecies about Jesus, the Messiah, God’s very own Son, sprinkled through the Old Testament pages, and all pointing to a time when He would come to earth to save His people. Here’s one of them. Isaiah wrote, “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). So far, Jesus, in His conversation with the Jewish leaders, had already told them that there was proof available about who He was. There was John the Baptist’s testimony. There was the witness of Father God, working miracles through Jesus. And now Jesus pointed out the witness from Scripture. 

Jesus said to His listeners that they read their Bibles, and feel good about it, because by doing so they think that is enough for assuring their life will be eternal. These men would have read the Scriptures about the Messiah. They probably could recite huge chunks of the Torah from memory. But the sad thing is that in all of this, and as Jesus pointed out, they missed the opportunity to have a relationship with God and embrace His Son. As we pilgrims know, there is a big gulf between head knowledge and heart knowledge.

There is the story of a young Christian, recently saved, who heard a sermon about the Christian life, probably from the Sermon on the Mount. But it was some weeks before the young Christian returned to church. When asked where they had been, the answer was that there was no point in hearing more until they had put into practice what they had heard previously. It takes time and effort to turn our lives round away from the sin, which so easily entraps us, to living life God’s way, a life of purity and holiness.

The Jewish leaders wanted proof that Jesus was indeed the expected Messiah. But Jesus was effectively asking them, what more proof do you need? Man’s witness, God’s witness with signs and wonders, the Bible’s witness with its prophecies about Him. More than sufficient I’m sure. But isn’t it strange – you can present people with loads of proof about something, but if the outcome doesn’t fit in with their world view or ideology, then they will not accept the evidence. So, we end up with evolution being taught as fact in our schools even though so much evidence for God and His creation exists. To take another example, we know that a person is born either male or female, but the gender ideologists, who say there are other options, get offended if their warped point of view is challenged. They are now going to extraordinary lengths to try and transition a man to being a woman and vice versa, with operations and drugs to try and make it happen. Before God’s throne I wonder what the evolutionists and multi-gender ideologists will have to say about their beliefs and rejection of God’s creative order?

We pilgrims have read the Bible and have concluded that Jesus is who He said He was – the Son of God. We have repented of our sins and now believe in Him. To the best of our abilities, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, we follow Him and try to live our lives God’s way. The Jews had the opportunity to observe at first hand who Jesus was, and yet they still asked for some sort of sign. This was in spite of the proof, the miracles, and all the evidence. We read in Matthew 12:38, “One day some teachers of religious law and Pharisees came to Jesus and said, “Teacher, we want you to show us a miraculous sign to prove your authority“”. We can read Jesus’ reply in the remaining verses in Matthew 12. 

In John 20:25, we read what “doubting” Thomas had to say when told about Jesus’ resurrection. “They told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.”” But Jesus’ response when Thomas did achieve what he desired was interesting – “Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me”” (John 20:29).

Regardless of the evidence to the contrary, some people will never accept the proof before them. But, concerning the things of God, one day all will be revealed. No proof will be required!

Dear Father God. We proclaim our belief in You. We cry out the name of Jesus over this dark and sinful world, knowing that only You can make a difference in the lives of men and women on this planet. We know that Your Spirit has brought Your Word to life, presenting through us a beacon of hope to a lost generation. Please help us, we pray, to life the life You have provided so that others will come to know You as well. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Signs and Wonders

Posted on by korgrocker

“Jesus asked, “Will you never believe in me unless you see miraculous signs and wonders?””
John 4:48 NLT

The civil servant from Capernaum came to Jesus and begged Him to heal his sick son. He was desperate and probably sick himself with worry over his son’s threatened demise. But Jesus’ response was to ask a question about how people can come to believe in Him. Did they believe in Him because of His message or because He healed them and did other miracles in their society? Did the “miraculous signs and wonders” convince people that He was who He said He was, or was it because of His message about the Kingdom of God? Here was a people who were anticipating the imminent appearance of their Messiah. But they were suffering under the Roman occupation, in poverty (apart from a select few, the landowners and others) and desperate for a solution to their suffering. The Messiah they were expecting would set them free from all this, or so they thought, and transform Israel into an utopian state.  

Jesus’ message was about the Kingdom of God and was about a world that differed from that of His fellow Jews. And he came to give them the opportunity to join their Heavenly Father there. It was not going to happen totally during their earthly lives but happen it would one day. Jesus’ message was simple – repent of your sins, believe in Me, and follow Me. He taught about a relationship that would blossom into eternal life and He showed the compassion God had for His people by doing “miraculous signs and wonders” in their society. In those days, Heaven touched earth, and crowds of people came to hear Him and be healed of their ailments. On two occasions, when they were hungry, He even fed them. To be near Jesus was an incredible and life changing experience, and yet most people rejected Him. 

In John 1:10-13, we read, “He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God“. Sadly, many of the people on His day failed to recognise their Messiah and instead of believing in Him they rejected Him, even though He did some amazing “signs and wonders” amongst them. But it wasn’t all bad news and a wasted opportunity. In spite of all of this, there were many people who did believe in Him and were born again into His Kingdom. The Church was birthed and has been growing ever since. The early believers, fronted by the disciples, turned their world upside down with their message of hope.

The Apostle Thomas wasn’t present with the other disciples when Jesus appeared to them after His resurrection. He had to wait for Jesus’ next appearance and his response to Jesus, after he had the opportunity to examine His wounds, was “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28). But Jesus’ reply was significant – “Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me” (John 20:29). We pilgrims heard the Good News about Jesus and believed in Him, but we have never seen Him bodily. However we will one day and in the meantime we share that message today with anyone who will listen. We perhaps think we don’t see many “signs and wonders” today, but we should pause and think. Many good things happen today and we do God a disservice by not giving Him the glory for them. The amazing strides made in science and medicine, for example. These would have been “signs and wonders” to the people of Jesus’ day. Perhaps we should thank God for His gifts, even though arrogant people claim the credit for themselves. God’s compassion for humanity, and His “signs and wonders”, didn’t end on a cross at a place called Calvary.

Dear God. We thank You for doing so much for us, even when we don’t ask or recognise Your hand in the answers to our prayers. We worship You today. Amen.

Miraculous Signs

Posted on by korgrocker

“We no longer see your miraculous signs. 
All the prophets are gone, 
and no one can tell us when it will end.”
Psalms‬ ‭74:9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This Psalm sadly describes a catastrophic attack on the Temple in Jerusalem, and God’s people in the process. And Asaph, the writer, cries out to God: “How long?” and “Why do You hold back?” He prays for God to suddenly emerge and “Unleash [His] powerful fist and destroy them”, referring to the enemies who are wreaking such destruction.  But as we read this Psalm, do we feel a bit detached and view it as a historical account, or do we have a premonition of an equally disastrous event coming our way? We read about the invading hordes who take their battle-axes and destroy that very bastion of Jewish-ness, their temple. But do we observe today the lobby groups and secular politicians who cock a snoot at God and His people, and instead take their “progressive” battle-axes, hacking away at the very bastions of God’s ways and precepts, Scriptural principles held so dear by Godly people. History reveals that God’s people, the Jews, had a habit of turning away from God in the good times. And God, in His grace and mercy, allowed them to go their own way, for a while. Perhaps that is happening in these 21st Century days. In our Western societies, the rejection of God and His ways is becoming increasingly commonplace. Perhaps we are already a long way down the slippery slope. God, through His grace and mercy, has allowed this to happen, but for how long will God’s patience last? 

One thing Asaph highlighted in our Psalm today, was the lack of “miraculous signs” and prophetic words. I remember the excitement of the early days of the Charismatic renewal, with miraculous signs in abundance. Prophetic words were common place. God’s people expected Him to move in power. It was a time of great excitement. But where is it all today? 

But in my spirit I have felt for a while now that there is a new move of God coming. A time of renewal, a time when God’s presence will once again bring leadership and direction to our societies. A new awakening. A revival in His church. A God-visitation. I pray that it will take place in my lifetime. And that is what we must do – pray. Pray that God will visit us again in power and love. Pray that His people will rise up and fill our emptying churches once again. Pray that the miraculous and prophetic signs will once again encourage and motivate us. Pray that once again this country will listen to the voice of God and act accordingly. Did I hear someone say that this will never happen? The God I know can make anything happen, if we pray and petition Him, rattling the very doors of His throne room. He is a God who loves to answer our prayers and He will never turn us away, empty-handed.