Acknowledge Him...

‘…acknowledge Him…’ [Proverbs 3: 6]

‘His beloved Son – all things have been created by Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.’ [Colossians 1: 13, 16 – 17]

'“Now gird up your loins like a man, and I will ask you, and you instruct Me!

Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?

Who set its measurements?...who stretched the line on it? On what were its bases sunk?...who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?...who enclosed the sea with doors, when, bursting forth, it went out from the womb; when I made a cloud its garment, and thick darkness its swaddling band, and I placed boundaries on it, and I set a bolt and doors, and I said, ‘Thus far you shall come, but no farther; and here shall your proud waves stop’?

Have you ever in your life commanded the morning, and caused the dawn to know its place…?... Have you entered into the springs of the sea?...have you walked in the recesses of the deep? Have the gates of death been revealed to you?...have you seen the gates of deep darkness? Have you understood the expanse of the earth? Tell Me, if you know all this?

Where is the way to the dwelling of light? And darkness, where is its place?...

You know, for you were born then, and the number of your days is great!

Have you entered the storehouses of the snow…have you seen the storehouses of the hail…? Where is way that the light divided, or the east wind scattered on the earth?

Who has cleft a channel for the flood, or a way for the thunderbolt;

to bring rain on a land without people, on a desert without a man in it, to satisfy the waste and desolate land, and to make the seeds of grass to sprout? Has the rain a father? Or who has begotten the drops of dew? From whose womb has come the ice? And the frost from heaven, who has given it birth?

Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades, or loose the cords of Orion?

Can you lead forth a constellation in its season, and guide the Bear with her satellites? Do you know the ordinances of the heavens, or fix their rule over the earth?

Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, so that the abundance of water may cover you? Can you send forth lightnings that they may go and say to you, ‘Here we are’? Who has put wisdom in the innermost being, or has given understanding to the mind? Who can count the clouds by wisdom or tip the jars of the heavens, when the dust hardens into a mass, and the clods stick together?

Can you hunt the prey for the lion, or satisfy the appetite of the young lions…? Who prepares for the raven its nourishment…?

Do you know the time the mountain goats give birth? Do you observe the calving of the deer? Can you count the time they give birth?...Who sent out the wild donkey free? And who loosed the bonds of the swift donkey…Will the wild ox consent to serve you? Or will he spend the night at your manger? Can you bind the wild ox in a furrow with ropes? Or will he harrow the valley after you? Will you trust him…and leave your labour to him? Will you have faith in him that he will return your grain and gather it from your threshing floor?...Do you give the horse his might? Do you clothe his neck with a mane? Do you make him leap like a locust?...Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars, stretching its wings towards the south? Is it by your command that the eagle mounts us, and makes his nest on high?...”

Then Job answered the Lord and said, “Behold, I am insignificant; what can I reply…?”

Then the Lord answered,…“Now gird up your loins like a man; I will ask you, and you may instruct Me.

Will you really annul My judgement? Will you condemn Me that you may be justified? Or do you have an arm like God? And can you thunder with a voice like His?

Adorn yourself with eminence and dignity; and clothe yourself with honour and majesty. Pour out the overflowings of your anger; and look on everyone who is proud and make him low…

Behold now, Behemoth, which I made as well as you…

Can you draw out Leviathan with a fish hook?...Can you put a rope in his jaw?...Will he make supplications to you?...Will he make a covenant with you?...Will you play with him as with a bird?...Can you fill his skin with harpoons?...Lay your hand on him; remember the battle; you will not do it again! Behold your expectation is false; will you be laid low even at the sight of Him? No one is so fierce that he dares to arouse him…

WHO THEN IS HE THAT CAN STAND BEFORE ME?

WHO HAS GIVEN TO ME THAT I SHOULD REPAY HIM?

WHATEVER IS UNDER THE WHOLE HEAVEN IS MINE.

I will not keep silence…”

Then Job answered the Lord, and said, “I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted. ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. ‘Hear now, and I will speak; I will ask You, and You instruct me.’

I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; BUT NOW MY EYE SEES YOU…”

And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job…and the Lord increased all that Job had twofold…And Job died, an old man and full of days.’ 

A note to the world...

Yesterday I stumbled on a YouTube video of a Jewish academic speaking at a university somewhere in the USA. Question time came and a young woman of obvious Middle Eastern origin stood to challenge the Jewish academic and his response was to ask her to condemn Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation. She refused to do so and, in fact, she agreed that it was a good thing that the Jewish people were gathering in Israel because then it will be easy to track them down for annihilation. The irony was not lost on me that this young woman was living in America, and obviously enjoyed the freedom and benefits of the 'land of plenty'. But that's not what this is about.

This week we have heard of more beheadings by ISIS and a Jordanian pilot who has been burned alive, and I could talk much about the horror of this horrendous movement, organisation, whatever it is, and I could make the observation that these people aren't people at all and are, in fact, less than animals because even animals do not treat their own kind in such a fashion but that's not what this is about either. (Oh, by the way, no one has put their bat out for these slaughtered people...just an observation!)

Last night I had a dream. I don't often dream but in my dream a member of the New Zealand armed forces (not sure why he was from New Zealand, but there you go!) was shot down behind enemy lines somewhere in the Middle East. This pilot was a Jew but he was safe but could not return to his family. He was isolated, alone, but safe. I have no idea what this means but the enemy wanted him and used a word like 'wellard' about him but his response was to give an English turn on what was a foreign word by saying that by the time he gets home he will be 'well hard' because they were unable to get to him.

I have no idea what this all means but my dreaming then went to what the academics refer to as the Arab-Israeli conflict. My daughter has been studying it at school. There is no subject that results in more posturing and opinion-sharing than this conflict but while I have a very simple response to it I have nothing to add to it here because that is not what this is about either.

But as I dreamed God spoke into my dreaming over the whole thing.

What He said to me in my dreaming is the only thing to say. God has already spoken and it has been recorded in His word. No, I speak not of anything but God's word, the Bible. Despite what you may think and despite what other writings may have been written there is only one authority on this subject and that is Yahweh, God Almighty, the One true God, maker of heaven and earth, upholder and sustainer of all things. GOD.
He made a promise to a people that He would be their God and they would be His people. This isn't what this is about but I have been to Israel, and I have known some Jewish people, and I have to stand and say that these are a remarkable people. I know a lot of people don't like them, and many have tried throughout history to bring about their destruction, but these people are the Jews, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - Israel and God does not go back on His promises.

To the Jewish people this promise was made to you and to those that seek the destruction of the Jewish people there is nothing you can do about it. You can send as many bombs and terrorists and even young female university students living in the USA and you can posture all you like but you will never even make a dent in the unassailable spoken word of Yahweh. He has spoken and nothing you can do will change it.

As I dreamed the Lord showed me a second thing. Israel is surrounded. The armies of the world are gathered to bring annihilation to these people once and for all. God's word has been ignored and the armies are gathered under the leadership of Gog and Magog to bring final and complete annihilation to the people of Israel. Destruction looks inevitable. All the remarkable features of this race finally count for nothing and they are at an end with the whole world surrounding them. Then from the sky comes glory itself. No matter how I try I cannot describe that view. The people are surrounded, the enemy bay for blood. They are gathered in the valley of Armageddon.
Glory touches down on earth.
How can I describe the scene?
As Glory descends everything stops. It is impossible to describe the calm, like the calm before the storm. The calamity of the gathering armies stops; the grief of the surrounded people ceases. Everything stops, mouths drop open as realisation in every individual comes with the descending indescribable glory.

Then Glory touches down on earth...that's all. He does nothing but touch down on earth.

Faithful and True comes.
His eyes are like a flame of fire.
He rides a white horse.
Out of His mouth comes a sword.
He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, glowing brighter than the noon day sun,and is followed by the armies of heaven, clothed in white, riding white horses.
His name is called the Word of God.
Written on His thigh are the words, 'KING OF KINGS, LORD OF LORDS.'
His glory is beyond the capacity of language to describe.
I cannot describe it.
He touches down on earth and Jerusalem becomes a sea port. The armies of the world have gathered to make war and their destruction is complete. The blood of the world's armies flows to the horse's bridles. Nothing stands in the way of this One. The sharp sword from His mouth strikes down the nations.

The people of Israel look and see their King.

But they know Him already. He hung on a cross outside their city. He comes to gather them again to Himself. He is the fulfillment of promise that so many had sought to destroy but they could not. In Him victory is complete. They see Him and know Him and He knows them.

His name?

LORD JESUS CHRIST

To the Jewish people, despite your rejection of Him; He's the One.
To those that seek the annihilation of Israel, you can't do it and besides He is for you to.
That's Grace - for everyone.
Nothing else to say.

Thankfulness - seminar with WTL Cambodia Church - 17th/18th January

Following are my notes from the recent seminar held in Cambodia with WTL Cambodia Church, entitled 'Thankfulness.'

I trust you will be blessed.

LESSON ONE

‘…the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.’ [John 1: 18]

‘Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. Jesus then took the loaves, and having given thanks, He distributed to those who were seated; likewise also of the fish as much as they wanted. When they were filled…’ [John 6: 10 – 12]

This story is one of my favourites and one which has so much to say to us who are seeking God’s heart. If you are a Christian then I am sure that one great thing you are seeking to know God, to have Him explained. We can see so clearly from the verse I quoted above that Jesus, ‘the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father,’ He is the explanation of God. He is God visible to us. So if we look at Jesus we see God explained to us. And the explanation is glory we behold and full of grace and truth. [John 1: 14]

The story of the feeding of the 5000 so vividly declares God to us. It is important to know that the Bible is the word of God and there are no careless or inadvertent words in the Bible and I rejoice in that. Please see with me a few little things.

Jesus had the people sit down. Sitting down is required to receive God’s heart for you. It doesn’t come through your work or activity. There is nothing you need to do to receive the Father’s heart for you except to sit down at the feet of Jesus. Sitting down at the word of Jesus is receiving Him and this is all required of you that you believe in the One who was sent of God. ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.’ [John 6: 29] That’s all, nothing more.

It was a grassy place. A grassy place is a place of fertility and growth, a place of abundance. Sitting in the presence of God, resting there, is a place of abundance. ‘…my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.’ [Philippians 4: 19]

Jesus took the loaves and He gave thanks. There is so much to consider here. Yes, I believe, thankfulness is a key and it is this that I want to share in these few simple lessons. The fact is though that Jesus took the loaves. Bread in the making endures the beating as the grain is prepared and then goes into the fire. Can you see it? ‘But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed.’ [Isaiah 53: 5] Jesus did all that is necessary for you to sit in His presence and to behold His glory, bathing in His grace and truth.

Jesus distributed to those who were seated. He is our distributor and He brings it to us when we are seated, when we are resting in His finished and complete work. Yes, another place tells us that He gave to His disciples who distributed to the people and isn’t that the case? The Lord reveals to His people who bring His truth to us but Jesus, He is our distributor bringing God’s heart to us. ‘All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.’ [John 16: 15]

The people had as much as they wanted and all were filled. You know I believe that this was the first time many of the people seated there had as much as they wanted. This was the first time they had ever experienced being filled. What a blessing! Do you want a filling? Then seat yourself at Jesus feet and there you will receive the heart of God. God loves you. This is His heart for you.

LESSON TWO

‘Jesus then took the loaves, and having given thanks, He distributed to those who were seated; likewise also of the fish as much as they wanted.’ [John 6: 11]

In Philippians 4: 6 we are encouraged to ‘be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made know to God.’ This has always confused me. When we have a request it is often because we have a need and, frankly, when the need is great there doesn’t seem to be much to give thanks for! And then we often ask God to multiply what we have and we ‘tell’ God that He is a god of multiplication, as if He needs to be reminded.

I have always loved the story of the feeding of the 5000 men plus women and children. Imagine all the people sitting down, it is a grassy place, the Bible says. Imagine the boy putting the packed lunch his Mum made for him into the hands of this man. I think the boy had an amazing expectation and I would have loved to be him. And then what does Jesus do? He gives thanks. He gives thanks and then the miracle of the multiplication occurs as all who are seated (please note, no active input from them!) are fed ‘as much as they wanted!’ You know I believe that very few of the people there had ever had a meal where they ate as much as they wanted!

Question: What did Jesus give thanks for? As I consider all the stuff that I need and, believe me, at this moment the stuff that is bearing in on me and my family is immense it is very easy to be anxious. But will anxious help? No, I don’t think it will. (This may be speaking to you also.)

What did Jesus give thanks for? I believe He gave thanks for what He had. What did He have? Firstly, He had a Father who heard Him – remember how He did that when standing outside the tomb of Lazarus? And that was a miracle of epic proportions, was it not? And secondly He had five barley loaves and two fish. He gave thanks and multiplication occurred, the miraculous miracle of the multiplying God who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Today, we have a Father who loves us and hears us because a good father always hears his child. He heard our cry of desperation of our own making and sent His best, Jesus. Today we have a name of infinite authority that we can declare and as we declare that name we are bringing great glory to the Father and His love. We say to the enemy, “You can do your worst but my Father still loves me and nothing you can do can overcome that!” And today we are blessed. I have the comfort of a home, I had a good meal last night, I have a family who loves me, I have a little in the bank…I have… I have much to give thanks for! What about you?

Give thanks for what you have and it will be multiplied…rather than bemoaning what I don’t have, seeing the lack, maybe I should give thanks for what I have and sit and watch 5000 plus people eating as much as they want from my little packed lunch that my Mum made for me! By the way, my Mum is Grace, but that’s a lesson for another day.

  

LESSON THREE

‘Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made know to God.’ [Philippians 4: 6]

When I was back in Australia I was thinking and meditating on thankfulness. One day I walked into my messy office and there was a book lying open on my desk and out of a whole page of words my eyes just happened to fall on thirteen words. They said…‘The more you thank Him, the more His peace reigns in your heart.’

Immediately I thought of a conversation I had just had with two dear friends where one spoke of losing their peace and how it appears that we so often lose our peace. I then thought of the counsel of my dear brother, Samnang, in Cambodia who said to me, ‘Make sure nothing steals your peace.’ How do we not allow anything to steal our peace?

Philippians 4: 6 goes on, there is a verse 7 which says this, ‘And the peace of God which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.’ When we lose our peace our hearts and minds become unguarded and the result is anxiety. How then do we retain our peace and avoid anxiety? By thankfulness!

Let me tell you a great story. It is found in the Bible. There was a king, his name was Jehoshaphat. He was king of Judah. Two big armies were approaching with the single purpose of destroying Judah and Jehoshaphat with it. Jehoshaphat was afraid and very anxious and went to the Lord. The Lord sent a messenger who said to Jehoshaphat, ‘Go out and meet the enemy, you will not need to fight, just stand still and see the might of My salvation.’ So Jehoshaphat and Judah went out to meet the enemy. Jehoshaphat decided upon a strange strategy and put those that sang at the front and as they went out they sang, ‘Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, His hesed, His lovingkindness, endures forever.’ This is what they sang. This was their victory call, their song of the Overcomer. The enemy turned on each other and destroyed themselves and it took three days for the people of Judah to collect up the spoils. Question…can you see Jesus?

Thankfulness. As we bring our prayer and supplication let’s bring thankfulness for what we have. Once God said to Moses, ‘What do you have in your hand?’ Moses had a staff. Only a simple thing but what a mighty deliverance did God bring to pass as Moses lifted up the staff! Lift up our Staff, JESUS, and give thanks to the Lord for He is good, His love, His mercy, His grace, His peace endures forever.

LESSON FOUR

‘Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered.’ [Luke 12: 7]

Sometimes when I am speaking in Cambodia I ask if there are any who are parents in the audience. There are always many. So I ask, “Do you love your children?” The answer is “Yes.” So I ask, “How many hairs are there on your children’s head?” No one ever knows. And I joke with them, “But I thought you loved your children so much!” It is a wonder to me that the hairs of our heads are all numbered. It is even more amazing to me that God knows when one hair falls (this happens all too often to me!) and when another grows (not so often for me sadly!) I love the little new growth hair on our children but God He knows and counts every one of those wispy little hairs that spring up on our beautiful children.

What about sparrows? The verse I quoted also speaks of sparrows. There used to be so many but you don’t see so many these days. Not sure why. The Bible says you can get two for a cent [Matthew 10: 29], that’s half a cent per bird. Then in Luke 12: 6 you can get five for two cents! These are discounted! For two cents you get one sparrow thrown in for free! What is Gods point? A sparrow is not worth a lot but there are many of them and you are worth more than them all. ‘Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows [Luke 12: 7].

In Matthew 6 Jesus speaks of birds. He says they don’t sow or reap or gather but God feeds them. And He speaks about clothing and points to the lilies in the field who don’t toil or spin but are clothed in a finery that shouts of the glory of God. He then points out that if our Father feeds the birds and clothes the grass and that you are far more valuable than either then why would we not expect that He will care for us? I hear you. I don’t see it in my life. Jesus says the barrier is worry, anxiety.

We have been thinking together of the antidote to anxiety, the remedy for worry, the catalyst for receiving the multiplying grace of our Father - thankfulness for what we have from Philippians 4: 6 - 7. One thing - please don’t think our blessing is based in our ability to be thankful, that’s not it. Our blessing is based in the One who loves us with a Father’s love, who values us more than all the sparrows of the world and based in the Name who He has emblazoned over our lives and written on our hearts – JESUS, our Way, our Truth and our Life.

‘Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.’ [Philippians 4: 8]

Lately we have been thinking about thankfulness. God asked Moses what he had in his hand and while Moses could see a staff God saw more. God looked at Abram and saw more and called him Abraham, the ‘father of many nations.’ God looked at Jacob and saw Israel. Peter’s name was Simon, which means ‘reed’ but Jesus saw more and called him Peter which means ‘rock.’ God looked at Saul a firebrand of zeal for law and saw Paul the apostle of grace. God looks at you and me and He doesn’t see what you see in the mirror each morning but sees differently because ‘God…gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did’ [Romans 4: 17].

I find it is often the case that I look at myself or my circumstances and call it less than honourable, less than right, less than pure, less than lovely, less than good repute, less than excellent, less than praise worthy. But what does God see? What does God see when He looks at you? If you believe in Jesus, and my fervent prayer is that all will know Him, then as God looks at you He sees honour, right, pure, lovely, good repute, excellence and He sees worthy of praise. How? Because He sees as they will be not as they are. He calls life and life is what is created. Jesus called Peter, the rock, but He didn’t immediately get Peter but still had lots of Simon, the reed, but did that make Jesus wrong. No way! Jesus called life, He called that which did not exist as though it did and it did when Peter stood up and unloaded the gospel on the day of Pentecost and 3000 people got saved. Moses looked at Moses and saw all sorts of reasons why it couldn’t be but God saw different and called life and a Moses that didn’t exist as though it did and Moses lifted up what he had in his hand and the sea rolled back! The Bible is full of people called by God who became so much more than what appeared to exist. We have a lot to be thankful for!

Today don’t dwell on what may appear to be but dwell on, greatly rejoice in, what God sees. Receive promise and give thanks, dwell on it, rejoice in it and step into the life giving realm of God where things which do not exist are called as though they do. Breathe God words over your life and circumstance and LIFE will be. It was in creation and it is in my life. We have much to be thankful for so I give thanks to the Lord for He is good, His lovingkindness endures forever.

Think of Abraham.

‘…yet, with respect to the promises of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God…’ [Romans 4: 20]

First of all God gave him a massive promise and then He changed his name. You see God said Abram would the father of many nations and then He called him ‘father of many nations’ which is the meaning of Abraham. (Interestingly, God did the same for Sarah, Abraham’s wife, so the promise was for Abraham and his family.) So, whenever anyone said to Abraham, “Excuse me sir, what is your name?” Abraham would answer, “Father of many nations.’ And when Sarah called him in for a cup of coffee she would call, “Father of many nations; coffee!” Every time Abraham said his name or heard it spoken the promise was declared.

But then we read Romans 4. It says that Abraham contemplated himself and saw ‘good as dead’ and he looked at his wife, beautiful as she was, and saw a womb characterised by deadness. Human eyes saw lack. What did God see? He saw the father and mother of many nations and He made sure Abraham declared it.

Many times a lack of faith has been held up as the reason why people don’t see the blessing. This is entirely contrary to scripture which amply declares that the size of faith isn’t an issue because a mustard seed amount can move a mountain, so put that thought aside. Gather up this with me instead. The verse I quoted says that the faith of Abraham grew. Would you like a growing faith? Yes! I certainly would! So, how was it that Abraham grew his faith? I asked the Lord and He said, “Read the verse!”Aaah! Abraham grew his faith by considering the promise (even though it was not yet fulfilled) and by giving ‘glory to God.’ We have the promise, His name is Jesus; do we really believe that God, our Father, would give His best and then withhold His promised blessing? No way! I can’t believe it. I won’t believe it. Speak your blessing name (you don’t have a blessing name? I have one but that’s another post) and give God the glory and watch your faith grow. Give thanks for what you have. Abraham thanked God he and his wife were alive and were immensely blessed and he believed the promise and he glorified God; he gave thanks. He did that for a long time and his faith grew and grew and when Abraham was one hundred years old Isaac was born!

Give thanks; give God the glory, for He is good. His lovingkindness endures forever.

 Blessings,

Graeme Shephard

www.cambodiawtl.org.au

+61 417 297798