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

The Law...

[Following are a series of posts I placed on my Facebook page over a few days in November 2014. I pray that you will be blessed by these few thoughts]

10th November

‘This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.’ [Joshua 1: 8]

‘And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us; for after saying, “THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THEM AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD: I WILL PUT MY LAWS UPON THEIR HEART, AND ON THEIR MIND I WILL WRITE THEM,” He then says, “AND THEIR SINS AND THEIR LAWLESS DEEDS I WILL REMEMBER NO MORE.” Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin. Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus…’ [Hebrews 10: 16 – 19]

I recently quoted this great passage from Hebrews 10 in one of my Facebook posts. I like to call this the terms of the New Covenant of Grace. If you want to draw a comparison you can read Exodus 20 where we see the terms of the Covenant of Law and you will see that the terms of the Law covenant are about what we will do, or not do; Law equals demand. 

But the terms of the New Covenant are all about what God will do; ‘I will put My law upon their heart, and on their mind I will write them.’

One thing that I often say to people is this; when you read your Bible you must make sure you read it with eyes of Grace. You must view scripture, this side of the cross, through the cross. Grace eyes are cross-shaped. Especially when reading the Old Testament you cannot read it without cross-shaped eyes, like the verse I quoted from Joshua 1, or it may confuse you. There are many, many verses that read entirely differently depending on the eyes we read them with. 

These verses are a good example primarily because they mention the word ‘law.’ Many people read them and believe that the law they refer to are the laws of the Covenant of Law and with them written on our hearts and minds that we are to apply our energy to keeping them. 

Not so. Law demands, Grace supplies.

So what laws are referred to here? 

Let me share something wonderful with you. The law God will put on your heart and mind are the law of Righteousness, the law of Liberty, the law of Faith and the law of Love. And then we are to meditate on them. In many of the religious systems they have a practice of chanting scripture. This may come from the fact that in the Jewish religion the Torah, the word of God, is spoken or muttered, not just ‘thought’ about and the word translated meditate in Joshua 1 : 8 actually means to speak or mutter. So we are to speak out the laws that God is writing on our hearts and on our minds. It is good to meditate in silence but better to speak out His word. Power is released, life comes, creation happens, the enemy trembles at the mention of His word. If you don’t know a verse to speak then just speak the name of Jesus, every knee bows to that name; His name is above every name [Philippians 2: 9 – 11]

I don’t have space to share my thoughts on the laws God is writing on our hearts and minds here so perhaps I will share on these over a few days as you rest in Jesus, your mediator of a new and better covenant.

To close today let me share something from the Passion translation of the Psalms.

‘But let them all be glad, those who turn aside to hide themselves in You. May they keep shouting for joy forever! Overshadow them in Your presence as they sing and rejoice, then every lover of Your name will burst forth with endless joy. Lord, how wonderfully you bless the righteous. Your favour wraps around each one and covers them under Your canopy of kindness and joy.’ [Psalms 5: 11 – 12]

It is the truth…’Your Word is Truth.’ [John 17: 17]

Have a great day.

11^th November

'...I WILL PUT MY LAWS UPON THEIR HEART, AND ON THEIR MINDS I WILL WRITE THEM...' [Hebrews 10: 16]

What laws?

Firstly, they cannot be the law of the covenant of Law. The Bible identifies this Law as the 'tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor’ [Galatians 3: 24 - 25]. The Bible also says that this covenant of Law is 'obsolete' [Hebrews 8: 13] and the requirement of it has been fulfilled to the letter in us because God sent 'His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh as an offering for sin' [Romans 8: 3 - 4]. Jesus Himself said that He 'did not come to abolish but to fulfill' [Matthew 5: 17]. He did not abolish it but, rather, He fulfilled every jot of its requirement on our behalf and as we accept Him in faith then we are released into the newness of the Spirit-life having 'died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter' [Romans 7: 6]

So it can't be that Law! So, then, what laws will God 'write' on our hearts and minds?

The first, I believe, is the law of righteousness. I have spoken much on this in recent days. It is important to receive as it is the bottom-line, the foundation stone of the covenant of Grace. The New Covenant of Grace in Christ has its basis in the 'term' that God, righteous, holy God, declares that 'AND THEIR SINS AND THEIR LAWLESS DEEDS I WILL REMEMBER NO MORE' [Hebrews 10: 17].

The 'law' God wants to write on your heart and mind is the truth that ALL that separated you from Him has been dealt with in full in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ. It is by believing and receiving this truth in your heart that you can speak with authority the declaration of freedom and blessing, "I am the righteousness of God in Christ" [2 Corinthians 5: 21]. Declare it now!

'What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith; but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone...' [Romans 9: 30 - 32].

Today, don't stumble, walk in the sunshine of the blessing of the covenant that Jesus established on your behalf. Receive by faith, just believe, His righteousness and be free in the newness of Life, Holy Spirit Life found only in JESUS. God wants this written indelibly on your heart and mind. He will do it. Will you receive it?

It is the truth…’Your Word is Truth.’ [John 17: 17]

Have a great day.

12^th November

'This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night...for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.' [Joshua 1: 8]

'Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him.' [Mark 11: 23]

God is good. You know I am proof that if we position ourselves to listen He will speak to anyone, even me! I want to encourage you with that!

We are considering the laws God writes on our hearts and minds under the New Covenant of Grace [Hebrews 10: 16]. I will return to the laws of Grace, I promise and yesterday we briefly considered the 'Law of Righteousness.'

This morning I just 'feel' to share this with you.

Yesterday I spent the day considering why God would put His laws on our hearts AND write them on our minds and He showed me something. We already saw a few days ago that the word 'meditate' in Joshua 1: 8 means to mutter or speak and then God shows me another verse I have read many times in Mark 11: 23 where Jesus is encouraging us to believe and to speak to the mountains and they will be cast into the sea. Notice 'believing' is a one-time thing but 'saying' it is more than once. And then the Lord reminds me of another verse that I love from Romans (take out your Bible and read that great gospel verse, Romans 10: 9) but my thoughts went to the following verse 10 where it says that 'with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.' What are we to confess resulting in salvation? Well, according to verse 9, that 'JESUS IS LORD!'

What does it all mean, Lord?

He writes His laws of Grace on our hearts and minds because He wants us not only to believe in our heart but to speak out His word with our mouth, constantly! We believe once, we speak more and the mountains move! We believe that Jesus is alive, that He is our righteousness and this results in our righteousness (We are the righteousness of God in Christ [2 Corinthians 5: 21]) and we confess that He is Lord (JESUS IS LORD) resulting in salvation, every day, every time, in every circumstance. As I shared yesterday if you shout your own name (as wonderful and as important as your name is) the earth does not tremble nor the enemy bow down but if you shout the name JESUS every knee bows, in heaven, on earth, under the earth and God is glorified! [Philippians 2: 9 - 11]

Wow! So much to say, so little space!

I trust you understand what I am trying to say. God writes His laws of Grace on our hearts and minds because He wants us to believe (our hearts) and confess His truth (our minds) and then the mountains tumble, and our way is prosperous and we have good success. Awesome, hey?

Next time, the law of liberty.

It is the truth…’Your Word is Truth.’ [John 17: 17]

Have a great day.

13^th November

'...I WILL PUT MY LAWS UPON THEIR HEART, AND ON THEIR MINDS I WILL WRITE THEM...' [Hebrews 10: 16]

God says He will put His laws upon our hearts and He will write them on our minds…laws to believe, receive and declare. As we have seen these are laws that are to be believed, received and declared as they are put in our hearts and written on our minds. It follows then that the laws of Grace are for believing, receiving and declaring…not doing!

 But what laws? These cannot be the laws of the old covenant of law as we have already discussed so what laws are they?

Two days ago we talked of the ‘Law of Righteousness.’  I won’t repeat what I shared but perhaps just summarise this law in this way – ‘Jesus says, I am your Righteousness; in Me you declare ‘I am the righteousness of God in Christ’ and ‘blessings are on the head of the righteous’ [Proverbs 10: 6].’

This morning we consider the Law of Liberty.

‘But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.’ [James 1: 25]

The book of James is probably one of the most misunderstood of all the New Testament but that’s a post for another day. Many read it with law eyes and misinterpret it, believing it speaks of doing, doing, doing.

What is the perfect law of liberty?

The Bible says this in 2 Corinthians 3: 17 that ‘the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.’ We have shared at length in the past thoughts on the purpose and work of the Holy Spirit. In John 16 Jesus Himself declares the ‘job description’ of the Holy Spirit sent to indwell us when we believe with the purpose to ‘guide you into all the truth’ by taking of Jesus, who receives all from the Father, and disclosing it to you [John 16: 13 – 15]. The Law of Liberty is to receive the Spirit. Having received Him, there is liberty. In Galatians 2 we see believers being compelled to be circumcised, to re-embrace law, but Paul says it was ‘because of false brethren secretly brought in, who had sneaked in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to bring us into bondage [Galatians 2: 4].’ As Paul says, ‘…we did not yield.’ Neither should we!

Beloved, the doing of James is to look intently and abide by the perfect law of liberty. Do not be drawn in to doing in our own strength but rather believe, receive and declare the Law of Liberty, the truth of the indwelling Christ. Can you grasp the wonder of this truth? The believer is indwelt with the Spirit of Christ and as Colossians 1: 27 says it is ‘Christ in you’ that is your ‘hope of glory.’ If we receive this truth how can our lives not step into the realm of glory? When we believe and receive the Law of Liberty then we believe and receive the revelation that He freely discloses to us of the wonder and beauty and majesty and glory of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, and we declare His wonders, declare His beauty, declare His majesty and declare His glory. This is the supreme place of our purpose, to glorify His name.

The Laws of Grace.

Law of Righteousness – you are righteous in Christ, not in your own works, but in His finished work alone. Declare it; the enemy hates it when you do but God loves to hear it because by it He is glorified, which is His rightful place!

Law of Liberty – you are indwelt with the filling to overflowing Holy Spirit, Jesus freely sent Him to you so that you might receive revelation of Himself. Declare His wonder; the enemy hates it when you do but God loves to hear it because by it He is glorified, which is His rightful place!

Next time, the law of faith.

It is the truth…’Your Word is Truth.’ [John 17: 17]

Have a great day.

14^th November

'...I WILL PUT MY LAWS UPON THEIR HEART, AND ON THEIR MINDS I WILL WRITE THEM...' [Hebrews 10: 16]

We are sharing about the laws God wants to put on our hearts and write on our minds. We have discussed the Law of Righteousness and the Law of Liberty; perhaps if you would like you can look back on my Facebook page to see my thoughts on these. (Can I just say that I only have space to share a little; my hope is that these will encourage you to look and seek and receive for yourself and that my thoughts will be an encouragement for you to do that. God is good; He speaks to us all.)

We have considered very briefly the Laws of Righteousness and Liberty and this morning we think on the Law of Faith.

‘Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith.’ [Romans 3: 27]

Romans 3 speaks of our justification. It establishes early that our justification is ‘apart from the Law’ [Romans 3: 21] and so it has nothing to do with our works. It then clearly declares that we who believe are ‘justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith’ [Romans 3: 24 – 25].

Then it asks, ‘Where then is boasting? In works? No way! By the law of faith.’

What then does this law require? The Grace Law of Faith, put on our hearts and written on our minds, requires that we believe and receive the completeness, the finished work of Jesus and abandon completely any notion that we contribute by our law keeping. The Law of the Old Testament Covenant of Law are not nullified by faith, rather, in Jesus every letter of the Law was established, on our behalf, perfectly and completely in the person of Jesus [Romans 3: 31].

What then are we to declare? In what are we to boast? In the truth that we are what we are completely because of Jesus, no input from us, and that He, our Lord, is EVERYTHING!

(Are you relishing in the freedom of the Laws of Grace? Can you declare of a truth that ‘it was for freedom that Christ set us free’ and never, never, never again will we be ‘subject again to a yoke of slavery?’ [Galatians 5: 1] I pray that you are!)

Next time, the mountain top, the law of love.

It is the truth…’Your Word is Truth.’ [John 17: 17]

Have a great day.

15^th November

'...I WILL PUT MY LAWS UPON THEIR HEART, AND ON THEIR MINDS I WILL WRITE THEM...' [Hebrews 10: 16]
For a few days we have been sharing on the laws God wants to put on our hearts and write on our minds. We have discussed the Law of Righteousness, the Law of Liberty and the Law of Faith; perhaps if you would like you can look back on my Facebook page to see my thoughts on these.
This morning we think on the Law of Love.
‘And He (that is, Jesus) said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’” [Matthew 22: 37 – 39]
In my posts and blog I have shared many times that this Law, which comes directly from Torah, a direct quote from the Ten Commandments, no longer applies to us this side of the cross of Jesus. I stand completely by that statement on the basis that of all scripture these verses are read and misinterpreted by precious people when read with law eyes…you MUST read this commandment with grace eyes, looking perfectly through the cross of Jesus. If you don’t you risk missing the mountain top of the Grace Laws God is putting on your heart and writing on your mind. You must…please ask now that the Holy Spirit, the discloser of Jesus, will open grace eyes in you to see the most wonderful, beautiful truth on which rests all the wonder and glory of God.
Many people when reading these verses burden themselves with the perception that it is commanding us to love God more. When people say that to me I cannot help but ask them, “How is that going for you?” If we have a desire to love God more there is only one way, receive more of His love. If we have a desire to love others more there is only one way, receive more of His love. We cannot generate love ourselves, that is the requirement of law. It isn’t wrong, just unattainable. But what is attainable is to receive His love because He has already declared it and it is freely given in the person of Jesus, and then we can love, because He first loved us. It is the only way, because He is the only Way! You see, I believe, that these words from the mouth of Jesus must be seasoned with all that HE is; He is Grace, and we need to see not a requirement on us but we must see His blessing upon us. I trust the Holy Spirit will show this to you.
This may be the most important post I ever write…maybe having written it I will stop and release you from my daily journal…but, seriously, this is the single most important truth we will ever receive; this is the mountain top of truth.
Where do I start?
‘God is Love’ [1 John 4: 8]. Not just God loves; He IS Love!
‘For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life’ [John 3: 16}…You want proof of God’s love? Look at Jesus. He is the ‘radiance of God’s glory’ [Hebrews 1: 3].
What does this mean for you and me? 
I am the favoured child of God; God Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, supreme being, majesty of all majesty, wonder of all wonder, the great, complete, King of all kings and Lord of all lords He, GOD, is my Father! Did you get it?
HE IS OUR FATHER! Abba Father. Dad. Daddy. Your Father! I am His favoured child! You are too! 
(I could write forever!)
What does this Law of Grace require of you? Believe and receive His love for you. Believe and receive JESUS.
What is your declaration? I am His favoured child!
‘What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? (Please read on in Romans 8: 33 – 34) Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?...But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ [Romans 8: 31 – 39]
Ephesians 3: 14 – 21
It is the truth…’Your Word is Truth.’ [John 17: 17]
Have a great day

16^th November

‘…God raised up His Servant and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways.’ [Acts 3: 26]

This is amazing! This is grace defined. God raised up Jesus and sent Him to bless you. When you turn you turn to blessing. We know the truth of the return of Jesus for His church but we sometimes wonder when that will be.  In this preaching by Peter in Acts 3 we see a wonderful indication. In verse 19 Peter says that we are to ‘repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away…’ This speaks of our worth…we are the righteousness of God in Christ. But Peter goes on, ‘…in order that the times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.’ This is the blessing that comes from believing. This is the receiving of grace. But there is more yet. Peter goes on to say, ‘Jesus, the appointed One…whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things…[Acts 3: 21]. Many will say that Jesus must come soon. They base this on prophecy surrounding the state of the world in the last days. But there is a better indication of the return of Jesus than this, one we can embrace by stepping into grace, discarding law and its requirement, and embracing Jesus our Grace.

Beloved, the enemy has stolen from us and we have the right to expect the restoration of all things. It is certain in the person and work of Jesus Christ…God sent Him to bless you! And what a blessing! In Zechariah 9: 12, the prophet declares, ‘Return to the stronghold, O prisoners who have the hope; This very day I am declaring that I will restore double to you’ [Zechariah 9: 12]. We have the HOPE, His name is JESUS!

Oh what a blessing! In Jesus we have the right to claim the restoration of all things but not just restoration. His work, finished at Calvary, restores double to us. Will we claim our right?  And then we read the story of Job and in Job 42 we read ‘The Lord restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and the Lord increased all that Job had twofold.' [Job 42: 10] Consider this; if the restoration of Job under the covenant of Law was twofold how much more is our restoration under the new covenant of Grace in the finished work of Jesus?

‘Never doubt God’s mighty power to work in you and accomplish all this. (You need to read Ephesians 3: 16 – 19 to see the ‘this’.) He will achieve infinitely more than your greatest request, your most unbelievable dream, and exceed your wildest imagination! He will outdo them all, for His miraculous power constantly energises you.’ [Ephesians 3: 20 – Passion translation]

Embrace the truth.

Jesus is Grace.

Law can’t help because we can’t do it.

The Way is a way of grace, we must believe and receive.

 It is the truth…’Your Word is Truth.’ [John 17: 17]

Have a great day.

17^th November

‘But we have this treasure in earthen vessels…’ [2 Corinthians 4: 7]

Restoration, transformation, change, breakthrough; we all desire it.

Often people say to me, “I need to love God more.” Or they look at a verse like John 14: 15, Jesus speaking, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” but they look with law eyes and they see commandment but don’t see the Love. The Love is what we need to see. I often say to people when you read your Bible you must look for one thing, Jesus, it’s all about Him, there is nothing else, He is everything. I talk about much about the great conundrum of law and grace and people get frustrated with me. It is the subject of much of the epistles of Paul. It is the great challenge that the Jesus people, those that believe in Jesus, face. Law is not wrong but when it becomes the means of restoration, transformation and breakthrough then it becomes bondage. This is truth. The enemy wants you to stay in that place of applying Law because he knows that is a place of bondage and he is ‘in’ to your bondage. He likes to steal, kill and destroy [John 10: 10].  He doesn’t want you to know freedom because freedom is in Christ. You may believe in Jesus and there is nothing he can do about that but he can still keep you from receiving Jesus and so you remain without the freedom of Christ. What, then, is the key?

A few days ago I was talking about the great mountain top law of the New Covenant of Grace – the Law of Love. I said that if you feel that you need to love God more then there is only one Way, you must receive more of God’s love for you. It is eminently simple – who is the expression of God’s love? It is Jesus! There is no other way. You can’t work your way into loving God more – that is the Law way. Transformation from the outside in; it will not work. You may see temporary short-term change but it will not last. I know, I’ve tried.

We are all earthen by nature. The fall-out of this is we do ‘earthen’ things. When we do earthen things we get disappointed. Our earthen reaction is to apply more Law. We say to God, “Lord, help me with this…” On the face of it that isn’t a bad prayer but it is a self, law based prayer. Today, we can look with grace eyes and see the most wonderful thing!

GRACE. JESUS.

He is treasure; He is THE TREASURE and He is in earthen vessels – You and Me. He is the ‘Christ in you, the hope of glory’ of Colossians 1: 27. This is the most wonderful key. It is glorious beyond description. I said we all want restoration, transformation and breakthrough. This is it. See Jesus in you.  When we do an earthen thing then our prayer becomes, “Thank You Lord, You are in me, and you are my …love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control – put in what you need to put in, put in Jesus, He is EVERYTHING – and wonder of all wonders He is in you.

See Him. This is having an unveiled face, seeing not law but seeing the glory of the Lord, JESUS, and seeing Him the Bible declares you will be transformed into the same image from glory to glory, from the Lord, the Spirit [2 Corinthians 3: 18]. The Spirit, He is ‘Christ in you, the hope of glory.’ The Spirit’s job is to disclose Jesus and the disclosing brings Jesus, and Jesus is restoration, transformation and breakthrough. Treasure in earthen vessels; Christ in you, the hope of glory. This is immense. This is wonderful.

It is the truth…’Your Word is Truth.’ [John 17: 17]

Have a great day.

What is God looking at?...

" And you shall make two cherubim of gold, make them of hammered work at the two ends of the mercy seat. And make one cherub at one end and one cherub at the other end; you shall make the cherubim of one piece with the mercy seat at its two ends. And the cherubim shall have their wings spread upward, covering the mercy seat with their wings and facing one another; the faces of the cherubim are to be turned toward the mercy seat. And you shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony which I shall give you. And there I will meet with you..." [Exodus 25: 18 - 22]

 'But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; and she beheld two angels in white sitting, one at the head, and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying.' [John 20: 11 - 12]

The Ark of the Covenant was a golden box. 

It had three things inside; a golden jar containing manna, Aaron's rod that budded and the tablets of stone on which God had written the Law [Hebrews 9: 4 - 5]. These three things represent man's rejection of God; the manna representing man's rejection of God's provision, Aaron's rod representing man's rejection of God's leadership and the stone tablets representing man's rejection of God's standard. Man's sin was in the box. 

Over the box was the mercy seat and looking down on the mercy seat, two cherubim. The Ark and the Mercy Seat sat in the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle of the Old Testament. Once a year the high priest would enter with the blood of the sacrifice and sprinkle the blood on the mercy seat, seven times.

Please take the time to read Hebrews 9.

It all points to Jesus. The number seven represents the perfection of the sacrifice of Jesus. Jesus has gone in, once for all, to the tabernacle not made with hands, into the Holy of Holies not without blood, He took His own shed blood and His offering was accepted in full for our right standing before a holy God.

So the question is this...when God looks at you, the believer in Jesus, what does He see? The answer lies in the cherubim. What did the cherubim see?

They see the blood! The cherubim symbolise the eyes of God. 

What does God see? He sees THE BLOOD!

Beloved, this is most important. 

God looks on you and He does not see your lack of worth He sees the infinite value of the blood of Jesus, His Son, shed for you. He sees you righteous in Christ. To believe anything less is de-valuing the blood of Jesus. And more than that the Bible says that 'blessings are on the head of the righteous' [Proverbs 10: 6].

My breakthrough is not based in me; it is based in my Saviour.

'I will sing my song of joy to you, the Most High...My enemies say that I have no Saviour, but I know that I have one in You!' [Psalms 13: 6 - Passion translation]

His blood covers my exclusion and God looks on me and sees the blood and says, "Righteous, Loved, Blessed, Whole, Perfect, Well, Healthy, Prosperous, Saved."

The 'D' Word...

Disappointment!

We bury stuff in ourselves. We bury it so deep no-one and nothing can get to it; not even God.

We often make a big deal out of the fact that we have choice. God has given us choice, that's essentially what separates us from the animals, I guess, it is true to say. We have a choice. The ultimate choice we have is what we do with God Himself. Because God is God and because our common father made a choice to reject God the result is we are unable to approach and so God, because He loves us, made a way of approach. Jesus. He is our way of approach to God. He is also our ultimate choice. The greatest decision of choice you will ever make will be what you decide to do about Jesus. You cannot be passive in your decision on Jesus. To ignore is to reject. I'm sorry to tell you but you all will make a decision, a choice.

I believe in Jesus. It is my choice. I do not force it on you. That's your choice.

Disappointment. With regard to disappointment our gift of choice means we can bury it deep. I have buried my disappointment deep. My disappointment is closely aligned with my worth. My worth lies deep in my receiving of the truth of God's love...for me. I preach about it, I describe it as the mountain top of Grace and I encourage you, the reader, to receive it. I preach to myself. Isn't that often the way? The very thing God puts on us is the very thing we need to hear. I guess that is the nature of the personal father love He has for us.

But sometimes it is brought to the surface.

I used to drink. A lot. I am an alcoholic. Not one of those sleeping in a bus shelter alcoholics but a far more sinister type. One that sits in the comfort of a respectable life and veils their disappointment with excessive quantities of alcohol. I used alcohol to veil my disappointment.

What am I disappointed in? Myself.

As I said sometimes these things come from the deep place we hide them and rise to the surface and bang! They slap you in the face.
Why am I telling you this? Because I need to talk to someone today about Jesus. Only an hour ago I said that to my wife. I need to tell someone and if you're reading this then you are the one.
A few years ago I attended a family do. There were cousins there who I hadn't seen forever and, as is normal, we were discussing our lives and all that had happened since forever. I was asked about me and, frankly, I didn't have much to say. You see there are two parts to my life and they struggle to cross over in any way. There is my life of earthly accomplishment and there is my life of what God has done. I said a little of the latter when in fact there is a lot to say but I didn't feel that I could give lots of detail as the audience maybe could not understand, and I said a little of the former, mainly because there isn't anything to say. Anyway I was struggling a little to say a lot when, from across the table, a member of my immediate family pipes up and says, "What Graeme is trying to say is that he has amounted to absolutely nothing."

BANG!

I can sense you are shocked but put that aside. That's what I need to do anyway!

Disappointment. I am hoping this might be helping someone and I am hoping, and trusting, that God is going to do a miraculous thing in me. Breakthrough.

I could go into a great analysis into what has contributed to my disappointment. No point! I could tell you about how I, in the natural, have achieved nothing. It is true. I have achieved nothing. My family member was correct. But I do have a choice about whether I allow that big 'D' to be a millstone that hangs around my neck. It affects my whole life. I could recount how but again, no point!

I could go on and then try and paint a new picture of the other part of my life and show you what God has done but, while that is wonderful, here, right now, there is no point in that either.
The fact is the two sides of my life have to come together. They have to align. Having brought the disappointment to the surface I have to allow God to deal with it.
My great, vast and deep disappointment has to be swallowed up into the truth of God's grace. His favour has to swallow it up. His favour says I am His favoured child. His favour says that He has a plan for me. His favour says that He will be gloried in me. His favour says that the yoke will be broken because of fatness.

These are truths that have been spoken over me. Why do I not see the fruit of these words? What stops me receiving? The 'D' word. My life breeds disappointment and it brings death to my worth. I don't believe I'm worth it.

I've said it.

It's now time to speak truth. This isn't a post to tell you that breakthrough has come. I wish it was but it isn't. At least it doesn't feel like that sitting here right now although maybe, just maybe, this is a step. I was reading a devotion, only a day ago, and one little phrase stuck out. Truth.

'God...called me through His grace...' [Galatians 1: 15]

My calling, that is my purpose, my life has nothing to do with my qualifications, my abilities, my achievements, or my lack of these things.
My calling is 'through His grace.'
What does His grace say?
I am highly favoured.
The Lord is with you, you are a successful man.
The temporal is not your reality, the spiritual is your reality. That is, what they say in the earthly doesn't count; the only thing that counts is what I say, God says.

My life is not shrouded in the veil of disappointment, my life is illuminated by His grace.

His grace says I am worthy. His grace says I am loved.
Disappointment says you deserve nothing...HIS LOVE SAYS I DESERVE EVERYTHING!
And He died to give it to me.

Choice. I can choose to bury my disappointment or I can choose to shine the light of His grace on it. His light is shining. Jesus is the Light of the world.
His light says I am worthy of His blessing. I have NOT amounted to absolutely nothing...I have amounted to HIS GRACE. My worth in His grace is valuable, precious, worthy, righteous, loved, blessed.

You too.

Good?...Really?...

This is my blog so I guess I can say what I want! In a way I guess this is a bit like a journal, a journal that I subject you to...but then again you don't have to read it I guess! Anyway this week has been a difficult but important week...

Thursday 16th October.

Last night a friend of mine told me he had been reading about the experience of Peter in Acts 10. You remember how Peter was on the housetop and he was hungry and he falls into a trance and he sees a sheet coming down from heaven, full of animals, and God says to him, "Get up, kill, eat" and he responds that he can't because the animals are unclean to which God responds that what He has cleaned is not to be considered unclean. You know the story?
Anyway my friend asks me a question.
This is the question...
"Why didn't God just tell Peter what He wanted him to do? Why not just tell him?"
Great question!
My answer was a stumbling, bumbling one...
"Because God wanted Peter to receive a revelation of who God is."
Hmmm! Totally unsatisfactory answer!
Then we sit down to pray and someone thanks God for His goodness...and I think...'God is good...really?' Now before you jump up and run off and report me to the Heretic Council please let me tell you that I definitely believe that God is good, and that it is perfectly acceptable and desirable to pray thanking Him for His goodness!

I have a problem. It is big. I need breakthrough. The Lord has said through more people than I can enumerate that the breakthrough is coming. Dates have been given and those dates have come and gone. The fact is this; I can't deal with this problem. This problem is totally beyond me...and I mean, TOTALLY beyond me. Only this morning I have said to God that I can't do this. There is only one avenue of relief open to me, I need a miracle. That's all!

This problem has been before me for a long time but lately it is all coming to a head. It is immense. The provision of God has also been before me for a long time through words of scripture, words of knowledge, pictures, visions, prophecies that have been delivered to me from almost all points of the globe.
And then my friend asks his question.

Let me tell you of my last few days...

Its start was actually some years ago. I make a decision to receive grace...Grace. This may sound strange to you, stupid, in fact, but the fact is until you are presented with truth, and truth is grace, then you will think me stupid. Plenty of people know Jesus but many don't know Grace. Sorry! It's a fact.
But I made a decision to receive Grace. Not just grace but Grace, Radical Grace. That's where this began.

Since that time God has blessed me with all the words of encouragement that I alluded to above and strangely, in a way, these have all added to my problem. The bottom line of all these things is that I believe that God is good and He is my God of breakthrough, and that He has broken through over me...the problem being that this breakthrough hasn't materialised (yet) in the physical.
I believe it is finished in the spiritual in the finished work of Jesus (that is Grace) but it has yet to be fulfilled physically.

Now I need the breakthrough. I'm not planning to tell you the details. If you want to know, or if you feel that God is speaking to you that you are the answer, or an answer, to that breakthrough then you ask Him. The Holy Spirit will tell you and then it is up to you what you do with that!

So I have been waiting. Word upon word has come to me. Even dates have been given to me as the day of breakthrough, dates that are described as new beginning days and still nothing. This has been going on and on for a long time.

Now I'm not superman. I don't have a big 'S' on the front of my shirt and I don't wear my underpants on the outside of my trousers! Faced with a mounting problem, faced with a mountain of prophetic word and faced with a conviction that my God is good and is my breakthrough that seems to have no result I get to a point where I think that I must have got it all wrong and the thought trickles into my mind, 'GIVE UP.'

So that's where I got to a few days ago. Give up.

I'm just going to then share with you, the reader, what has happened since. You can think about it and if you have any revelation then please share it with me. You can share that privately if you want, it's up to you. I'm not looking for wise words, I don't need to be told that my strategy is wrong or that I need some planning or that without these things my call is illegitimate. I am looking for revelation. Revelation is the domain of the Holy Spirit. That is all that interests me.

You know one of the things that you may know about me, particularly if you follow me on Facebook is that I like to write. Every morning I get up early, I spend some time meditating and praying, I think about the Word and I write down my thoughts. My meditation might be prompted by a devotion, or by a scripture I have been thinking about, or by something I saw or heard and I write about it. My writing is mainly for me because I like doing it and if you are blessed in some way by it then I am thankful for that bonus blessing for you. One thing that has been shared with me in the past was that God will use what I say and what I write as a means of my breakthrough...so I suppose I am just exercising that word. (While I think of that I am immediately reminded that God also said that, 'the Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want...'...just a thought!)
Anyway the thought is 'give up' so I decide not to write anymore. I stop...at least for a few days.

This is a storm. The waves are monstrous, the wind is howling...my little boat is being tossed too and fro. I'm like the disciples...I'm standing over Jesus who appears to be sleeping and I'm saying, "Jesus! Don't you care that I'm perishing? DON'T YOU CARE THAT I'M PERISHING, JESUS?"

My brother writes to me saying that he 'needs to hear from me.' I hadn't spoken with him for a few days. I say to him, 'My brother, I do not know what to say. No breakthrough comes...(I have deleted a bit here)...I am sorry my brother but I do not know what to say. He answers me, 'I know you go though a big storm. I receive His love for you.'
Then, later, he says, 'I feel so sad for you. How much more our heavenly Father feeling, thinking, passioning for you my brother!'
And, still later, he asks me a question, 'Do you see this is the way of your breakthrough?'
Do I see? Not quite.
Then my brother says, 'All people want to get their breakthrough but they do not believe this is the road (wilderness) of their breakthrough. God is leading WTL through fire because He loves us very much, so He patient (hurts) to see us go through the hard time, but He wants us to get to the fountain of water!'
I'm slow. I answer, 'Yes, my brother. It is so hard. I speak Grace and I write Grace but I see no breakthrough just trial and difficulty. I am sorry my brother. I don't know what to say to you.'
He answers, 'You write and speak Grace but you need to experience Grace. Why Mary from Bethany did not go to the tomb to anoint His body?  Because she experience about her brother raised from the dead. I believe Jesus believe for your financial freedom breakthrough that He come and die for you. When will it happen? It is when you get revelation about Him on financial freedom breakthrough. This is what I believe.'

I had also shared with my brother about a problem I have been having for months with my right shoulder. Finally I had been to the doctor to reveal a tear in the tendon and inflammation. My brother asks me how my shoulder is and I say, 'My arm cannot do as it used to do. I need my Right Arm.' To which my brother replies, 'I remember Jesus healed a man that his right arm withered. It means God wants to heal our prosperity because we use our right arm to earn money. The enemy does not want you to prosper, but God will turn bad to good for you because He loves you. I believe your miracle going to take place soon. Do you get His revelation about it yet?'

So this is the conversation that has followed my decision of last weekend to write no more, which is a response to the thought, 'give up.'

Now the title of this blog is 'Good?...Really?...'

Sometime, maybe Monday, I say to God I need to hear something. 'Don't you know that I'm perishing here? Don't you care? Jesus! Why are you sleeping? JESUS!'
I have a little devotion I use. I use more than one but this particular one I open it up and this is what it says...

This is Monday.
Christ is our mercy seat and this is the meeting place with God...the mercy seat.. I have been banging on for months about entering the Holy Place, the meeting place with God, as typified by the tabernacle of the Old Testament. It is here we find the mercy seat. I don't want to turn this into a great teaching session, you can read my thoughts about this by looking at my Facebook page, or reading previous posts on this blog. The point is having asked God for something the first thing He gives me is the mercy seat. I probably don't need to remind you that Hebrews 4: 16 encourages us to 'draw near, approach boldly, the throne of grace where we will receive mercy and find grace in time of need.' I think there is a lot in the fact that we 'receive mercy' and 'find grace.' We approach and mercy is ours...everyone who approaches gets mercy, praise God for that! But we have to find grace. Oh, it is just as freely available as mercy but we have to 'find' it. Maybe that's a thought for another post!
So God's first response is to direct me back to where He has brought me already but in my haziness I had missed the point. Do I still miss the point? Probably.

Tuesday.
The scripture today is this. 'The Lord will command the blessing on you in your storehouses...' [Deuteronomy 28: 8] Remember my right shoulder? I agree with my brother that the enemy does not want our prosperity and this problem shows that the Lord will breakthrough with His good. I also believe the Lord is saying to my dull revelation that my breakthrough isn't based in my right arm...it is based in my Right Arm! It is based in the Lord's commandment. And not only that the blessing will be commanded by the Lord in my storehouses...existing storehouses. I'm not required to pull down my barns and build greater, in fact that is discouraged,  He will command blessings on my storehouses...my bank account might look bleak but His command will change all that! Why will He do this? Why will He command this? Because we obey His commandment! What is His commandment to me? To believe. To believe in what? To believe in Jesus, the expression of the love of God. 'God SO LOVED the world that He gave His only begotten Son...[John 3: 16]

Wednesday.
Today it says this. 'A present is a precious stone in the eyes of its possessor; wherever he turns, he prospers.' [Proverbs 17: 8] This one perplexed me and even now I'm still thinking about it. The devotion is saying that we all have 'gifts' and when we combine our gift with His wisdom then 'wherever (we) turn, (we) prosper.' The problem is I don't see much gift when I look at me! The other thing that stumbled me was this; another version puts this verse like this, 'A bribe is a charm in the sight of its owner; when he turns, he prospers.' Seems a bit different to me! A bribe is something that is illegal and that gets us something we perhaps don't deserve. But I guess that is the point isn't it? I look at me and I see no real gift. I don't deserve it but does that mean I don't have it. In Christ everything I have and am I didn't deserve. I deserved what He got, so I really can't say I don't deserve it because He gave His unassailable life to give it to me. His love did that. I need to receive the fact that He loves me. (Am I making sense?)...I hear my brother's question...'Do you see this is the way of your breakthrough?'

Thursday. This is today.
'He is able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.' Jesus is alive. The mercy seat of the Old Testament tabernacle with its glorious golden purity, and its position over the ark of the covenant which contained the testimony, and its cherubim points to the burial place of Jesus. But the fact is that when we get to see the burial place, with its cherubim, one at the head and the other at the foot they aren't there to watch over His body, they are there to herald His Life. That doesn't mean this is no longer the mercy seat, it still is, but it has taken on a infinitely greater significance in that Jesus has risen. He is alive!!!!!!!! And His living is for a purpose...to make intercession. and His intercession is for a purpose...to save to the uttermost!!! He wants to save me to the uttermost! Why? Because He is alive. Why is He alive? Because He died. Why did He die? To bring me to restoration. What is my restoration? Double what sin gave away. Why? Because He loves me.
HE LOVES ME.

This isn't finished yet. Can't wait to see what tomorrow says. (Written 16th October, 2104)

Friday.
So I wake at 4.45 AM anticipating what the Lord may say to me today. I asked for His encouragement and He does not disappoint. He is a good God.
The devotional this morning gives the scripture from 2 Corinthians 3: 18. This is an oft quoted scripture but, sadly, when quoted it is taken in isolation and so its interpretation, sometimes, does not fit with its context. The passage is about Law and Grace, it is so clear, and so the veil is undoubtedly the veil of the Law. The devotion speaks of us beholding not ourselves, which is what we see if we look in a mirror, but rather Christ in us. The point made is that is we 'see' Him then we will see He is not sick, which we may be, and not poor, which we may be and as we look if we see Him then transformation will take place. It is impossible that it will not. As we behold His glory we will be transformed by the revelatory work of the Holy Spirit. The truth is Colossians 1: 27, '...Christ in us, the hope of glory.'
But as I meditate on these things the Lord takes me to Zechariah 4. It is important that I quote it.

'Then the angel who was speaking with me returned and roused me, as a man who is awakened from his sleep. He said to me, "What do you see?" And I said, "I see, and behold, a lampstand all of gold with its bowl on the top of it, and its seven lamps on it with seven spouts belonging to each of the lamps which are on the top of it; also with two olive trees by it, one on the right side of the bowl and the other on its left side." Then I said to the angel who was speaking with me saying, "What are these, my lord?" So the angel who was speaking with me answered and said to me, "Do you not know what these are?" And I said, "No, my lord." Then He said to me, "This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel saying, 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the Lord of hosts. 'What are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain; and he will bring forth the top stone with shouts of "Grace, grace to it!"" Also the word of the Lord came to me, saying, "The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house, and his hands will finish it. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. For who has despised the day of small things? But these seven will be glad when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel -- these are the eyes of the Lord which range to and fro throughout the earth." Then I said to him, "What are these two olive trees on the right of the lampstand and on its left?" And I answered the second time and said to him, "What are the two olive branches which are beside the two golden pipes, which empty the golden oil from themselves?" So he answered me, saying, "Do you not know what these are?" And I said, "These are the two anointed ones who are standing by the Lord of the whole earth."' [Zechariah 4: 1 - 14]

Its a long passage I know, making this a long post...but I don't really care! The Lord speaks and He says to me, "I have called you to be Zerubbabel, You will speak 'Grace, grace to it' and the the top stone, the keystone will come forth. With the top stone removed the mountain that stands before you will become a plain. The foundation you have laid you will complete. The beginning may appear to be small but do not despise it. I am glad when I see the plumb line of My Word in your hand. My eyes are on on you.I am in your midst."

Then the Lord shows me the logo of WTL, two logos, two trees and He says to me, "These are my olive trees, one on either side of my lampstand, near to the the golden pipes that empty the golden oil. You are right near to My Spirit who is releasing His golden oil of anointing upon you, to guide you and lead you; not by your might or power, but by MY Spirit. The anointed ones are your brother, Samnang, and you, set apart by me to stand by the Lord of the whole earth." These are His words to me this day! Hallelujah! What can I say? I have nothing to say to this!
And then I open Facebook and there is a post...I share it with you.

The post said this, 

'If you've been feeling short-changed in life, investing more than you get back, sowing more than you reap, faithful to people who are not faithful to you. Don't worry, God has not forgotten you, He's going to restore everything you didn't get. This is your season of restoration! The Lord will restore to you the years that the locusts, cankerworms and palmerworms have eaten. [Joel 2: 25]

If you know me these are the first words I heard from the Lord in April 2000.

"then I will make up to you for the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the creeping locust, the stripping locust and the gnawing locust,...[Joel 2: 25] 

These words turned my life upside-down.
Do you think God has His eye on me?
Is God good?
We need then to see the rest of God's word that surrounds His promise to me fulfilled in His provision of the finished work of Jesus...read with me...

'Then the Lord will be zealous...The Lord will answer and say to His people, "Behold, I am going to send you grain, new wine and oil, and you will be satisfied in full with them...Do not fear,...rejoice and be glad, for the Lord has done great things...the pastures of the wilderness have turned green, for the tree has born its fruit, the fig tree and the vine have yielded in full. So rejoice, O sons of Zion, and be glad in the Lord your God; For He has given you the early rain for your vindication. And He has poured down for you the rain, the early and latter rain as before. The threshing floor will be full with grain, and the vats will overflow with new wine and oil. Then I will make up to you for the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the creeping locust, the stripping locust and the gnawing locust, My great army which I sent among you. You will have plenty to eat and be satisfied and praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you; then My people will never be put to shame. Thus you will know that I am in the midst of Israel, and I am the Lord your God, and there is no other; and My people will never be put to shame."'

Yes and Amen.
I will say no more now. Maybe I will add more later but can I ask you...if you were me, would you be encouraged?

Thank You Lord, You are good, Your lovingkindness endures forever and ever.

Graeme Shephard
17th October, 2015