I have felt to share, that for us to see our journey of genuine transformation to been emotionally healthy and spiritually connected it begins with a commitment to allowing yourself to feel. God The Father who made you in His image and likeness wants you to understand that it is an essential part of our humanity and unique person-hood as men and women made in His image. The enemy will do all he can to attack and distort our emotions with his lies. Scripture reveals God as an emotional being who feels - a Person. Having been created in His image, we too have the gift of experiencing emotions. Search the Bible for yourself to see how God ‘feels’ and expresses His emotions. You are a human being made in God’s likeness. Part of that likeness is to feel. At the very least, the call of discipleship includes experiencing our feelings, reflecting on our feelings, and then thoughtfully responding to our feelings under the Lordship of Jesus. Guess what! You Feel — Even If You Are Unaware of It The problem, however, is that we can’t reflect and respond thoughtfully to our feelings if we don’t know what they are. So much of our true selves is buried alive — sadness, rage, anger, tenderness, joy, happiness, fear, depression becomes the result of misunderstood, neglected or mishandled emotions. Yet God designed our bodies to respond physiologically to those in the world around us. God speaks to us through a knot in the stomach, muscle tension, trembling and shaking, the release of adrenaline into our bloodstream, headaches, and a suddenly elevated heart rate. God may be screaming at us through our physical body while we look for (and prefer) a more “spiritual” signal. Like, just before I spoke on Sunday I knew God was present and He had a message to share with us, my leg was shaking and I had a knot in my stomach – so guess what? I was listening up and respond to He was saying to me. The reality is that often our bodies know our feelings before our minds. So many of us have tried to play down our emotions because of our past experiences, or examples we have had. We become very good at explaining away or flobbing off our current response to our feelings and emotions. The problem for many of us comes when we have a “difficult” feeling such as anger or sadness. Unconsciously, we have a “rule” against those feelings. We feel defective because we ought not to be feeling the “wrong” things. We then lie to ourselves, sometimes convincing ourselves that we aren’t feeling anything because we don’t think we should be feeling it. We shut down our humanity. So it was with me. I never really explored what I was feeling. I was not prepared to be honest about my emotions with God or myself. As a result I often said one thing with my words, but my tone of voice, facial expressions, and body posture said another. The problem is that when we neglect our most intense emotions, we are false to ourselves and we close off an open door through which to know God. As I shared on Sunday “we become really good mask wearers” I remember the awkwardness when I began to be honest about my feelings. But praise God that He has set me free to be me, and He has helped me to recognise how He has created me to experience Him and the world around me through a developing a healthy use of His given emotions. It means I can experience Him as my Father in an authentic and intimate way because it is now based on more than a theological and knowledge based understanding of Him. Now it is an experiential relationship. Now I can ‘cry out’ “ABBA Father!” "…I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness…” Jeremiah 31:3 (NLT) To have the right emotions, we need to understand that there are laws governing our relationship with God and with our neighbours. By following God's revealed way of living, we can demonstrate an emotional intelligence that heightens being alive and allows us to connect with God and others more effectively and fully and deeply. “If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right.” James 2:8 (NLT) Father God wants to bring healing to your soul today through His precious Son. Will you let Him? Will you respond to Him as some did on Sunday. Don't empower the liar by believing his lies Embrace the Absolute manifestation and presence of God who is here to defend you, comfort you and help you in every situation. "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear..." 1 John 4:18 From your brother and fellow Heir of the Father together in and with God's precious Son Jesus Christ - JD
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May God's love and kindness wash over you afresh.
Greetings - I apologise for all those unable to make Sunday as I forgot to record the message. We have just embarked on a series 'God's Father Heart' I also want to remind you all we have our fellowship shared lunch this Sunday so please come with some kai to share. Can I encourage you to stay for a chance to catch up with folk and have some fellowship together. God has called us to build a godly community together and this is one of the opportunities to enhance this so please join us. Grab a cuppa and take a few minutes to read through my Muse for this week - I pray that it will stir something up in you. Have you ever wondered what God thinks of you? Is it hard for you to believe He loves you as much as the Bible says He does? God is so big and He sometimes seems so distant - but what is He really like? Do you really know Him? You've heard His instructions, but do you know anything about His emotions or His character? One of the most wonderful revelations of the Bible is that God is our Father. What do you think of when you hear the word "father"? Do you automatically think of protection, provision, warmth, and tenderness? Or does the word "father" paint different kinds of pictures for you? God reveals Himself in the Bible as a gentle, forgiving Father, intimately involved with each and every detail of our lives. It is not only a beautiful picture, but a true one. However, every person seems to have a different idea of what God is like, because they unconsciously tend to attach the feelings and impressions that they have of their own earthly father to their concept of their Heavenly Father. Each person's own experience with human authority is usually transferred over to how they relate to God. Good experiences bring us closer to knowing and understanding God, just as bad experiences create distorted pictures of our Father's love for us. What did God have in mind when He created the family? The Bible says, "God makes a home for the lonely (Psalm 68:6 NASB) A family involves a circle of relationship including an adult male and female, into which tiny, dependent human beings are born and raised. Why do we enter the world as a baby, as such helpless, inadequate persons, and then slowly grow up physically, mentally, and emotionally into self-sufficient adults? Have you ever wondered why God didn't come up with some sort of reproduction system that would produce a physically completed person such as His original creation of Adam and Eve? I believe God wanted us to come into this world totally dependent and helpless, because He intends the family unit to be a place where His love is demonstrated to both parent and child. As parents we begin to really understand God's heart towards us as His children. And as children, it is God's will for us to see His love revealed through parental tenderness, mercy, and discipline. But what if the ideal did not happen? What if you have been failed in some way by parental authority? So many have suffered hurt and rejection by their families that it is hard for them to see God as He really is. Understanding the character of God is essential if we are to love Him, serve Him, and be like Him. I want to say a full revelation of God's parental love is incomplete without the presence of the male and female attributes of parental affection. "And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." (Genesis 1:27NASB) Take a moment and look back into your personal past and see if your relationship with God has been hindered in any way because of a failure or absence of tender loving care from one or both of your parents. Did you grow up with harsh, critical or vindictive parental authority? God gave this command to parents in Ephesians 6:4: "Parents don't keep on scolding and nagging your children, making them angry and resentful. Rather, bring them up with the loving discipline the Lord Himself approves."(LB) As a child you may have experienced the complete absence of a father because of death or divorce. Maybe you were orphaned by the demands of your parents' career? Or is it just the childhood memory of broken promises or neglect that haunts you? Some of you screamed for hours as babies but nobody came to relieve you of your discomfort and hunger. Some of you whimpered behind locked doors, a small child, forgotten and alone. God said, "I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you... I am with you always even until the end of the age. "(Heb. 13:5; Matt.28:20 NASB) Our modern homes are stuffed with expensive and fragile furnishings and appliances that represent a minefield of potential rejection and rebuke for inquisitive toddlers. How many mothers or fathers have exploded in anger at a child who has damaged a treasured object of great expense or sentimental value. Children are constantly reminded of the importance of things - their value, and how to care for them. Very few times do they hear the simple words, "I love you." A repetitious and destructive chant is working its way into the subconscious minds of our children, "Things are more important than me. Things are more important than me!" Our testimony is that in providing for us, God goes far beyond our basic needs of food, clothing, and shelter. We serve a truly generous God! The Psalmist said, "Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He will do it." (Psalm 37:3-5 NASB) Do you have any idea how attractive you are to God? Many children, particularly boys, have had no physical display of affection from their fathers, or no real compassion when they are hurt. Because of our false concept of masculinity, we are told, "Don't cry son, boys don't cry." Jesus is not like that. His compassion and understanding are measureless. He feels our hurts more deeply than we do because His sensitivity to suffering is so much greater, "I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love." (Hosea 11:4 NIV) There is one attribute of God that not even the best parent can hope to imitate - that is God's ability to be with you all the time. As parents we just cannot give constant attention 24 hours a day. We are finite beings who can only focus on one thing at a time. Not only is God with you all the time, but He gives you His whole attention. "Let Him have all your worries and cares, for He is always thinking about you and watching everything that concerns you." (I Peter5:7 LB) We live in a performance-oriented society. Acceptance is always conditional - if you make the football team, if you bring home a good report card, if you look pretty, if you have money, if you win. The kingdom of this world is a kingdom of rejection. The Kingdom of God is a kingdom of unconditional love. God's promises are conditional, we must obey Him to see blessing, but His love is unconditional. You don't have to wait to experience the love of God. Come as you are. Just be honest with Him about your sin - He delights to forgive you. Even in the depths of your past rebellion He still loved you. Even God's judgments are motivated by love. The prophet Zephaniah described a similar emotion in the heart of God. "He will save, He will rejoice over thee with joy, He will rest in His love, He will joy over thee with singing." (Zeph. 3:17 KJV) If you see that you have been hindered in your relationship with God due to some kind of failure of parental love, then take these things to ABBA Father. It is my prayer that you will realise His love for you and respond to the Father heart of God. May you find wholeness in ABBA Father today https://youtu.be/WCnYC3l3ddk Enjoy this worship song as you reflect on your Heavenly Father With much love JD May you live for heaven!
“If they had wanted to, they could have gone back to the good things of this world. But they didn’t want to. They were living for heaven. And now God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has made a heavenly city for them”(Hebrews 11:15-16TLB). Heaven changes everything about how you live today. If you’re headed to Heaven (and I hope you are), then that reality should impact how you live here on earth today. Your value system changes. Instead of living for the here and now, you’ll live for eternity. You can also live knowing your future is secure. No matter what happens on earth, you’ll spend an eternity with God in the most amazing place you’ve ever been - in His presence. So how do you live in the now if you know your eternal destination is Heaven? Don’t be distracted by temptation. “Dear brothers, you are only visitors here. Since your real home is in heaven, I beg you to keep away from the evil pleasures of this world; they are not for you, for they fight against your very souls”(1 Peter 2:11 TLB). You can be distracted by lots of things — both good and bad. Stay focused on what’s of eternal significance. Delay gratification, even though everything in society tries to get you to do just the opposite. Stay focused on what’s ahead. Don’t be discouraged by trouble. The Bible says, “So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever” (2 Corinthians 4:18 NLT). When you live in light of eternity, trouble just doesn’t bother you as much anymore. You know troubles won’t last forever, so you simply don’t give up. Focus your energy on what will last. “Let heaven fill your thoughts; don’t spend your time worrying about things down here” (Colossians 3:2 TLB). Fulfill the purposes of God in your life. Live a life of worship. Build relationships with God’s people. Invest your time in becoming more like Jesus through discipleship. Serve others without restriant or indifference. Tell people about Jesus. Those activities last forever. It's time to learn how to truly live for heaven and not for ourselves. May Christ rule in your heart and that you'd be open to living out of freedom not obligation. Enjoy this song as you reflect on whats been shared https://youtu.be/So97pmyDbVw As it is in Heaven - Hillsong Much love and care WOW! What a lovely time in God's presence yesterday, thank you to the music team for hosting us through what was a Holy Spirit encouraging time.
I am attaching two links for the last two weeks of messages. Please when you have time to listen, they are the last two I AM's of Jesus which we have been covering and well worth a listen. PLEASE NOTE: Our Easter Service is one of our special reflective - interactive services so if you are home over Easter please join us and bring a friend or family member. Starts smack on 10am I AM The Bread of Life - JD - 9th April 2017.m4a I AM The Light of The World Steve Goodwin 2 Apr... . I pray my Muse will encourage you today. If you could see me right now you’d laugh. I broke my glasses early this morning and I have had to use an old pair until I can get some more. My reading distance from close up to 2-3 feet away is blurry with my old glasses and hard to focus – the distance for driving is still ok, so I’m whipping my glasses of and on, peering down to the keyboard keys then back on again to lean away from computer to try and focus – all the while getting a headache while I do this. Although it has been a bit to manage especially as much of my work happens within 2-3 feet of my vision it has had me thinking about our eyes and how we see God at work in our lives. How quickly we forget! God does something good in our lives - He answers a prayer, He bails us out, He helps us with a miracle - then the next time a problem comes along, we act as if God’s miracles never happened. We have short-term memory. And when we can’t remember past blessings, we start fearing the future. We stop thinking God will do it again, because we forgot He did it the first time, so we worry and get anxious and even fearful. When we have short-term memory, we start worrying unnecessarily about tomorrow. Learning to have spiritual eyes is absolutely essential to your success, your stress level, your stability, and your strength. The Bible says in Proverbs 29:18, “When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild.” (NLT). Without clear vision of God, you lose hope. When you don’t have a Christ focused vision for your family, you lose hope. When you don’t have a Christ given vision for your career, you lose hope. When you don’t have a Christ-Centred vision for your health, you lose hope. When you can’t see your way clearly, it means you’ve lost your vision of Jesus Christ, which means you’re going to lose your hope. Jesus said I AM; your deliverance, your power, your peace, your freedom, your joy, your wisdom, your comfort, your rest, your love, and so on…When we loose focus we tend to stop praying and also seeking the help and guidance of others. Lose of hope and vision cause us to disconnect. The key to making it through the struggle in your life, no matter how long it lasts, is hope. And you don’t just pull it out of the sky; you get it from fixing your eyes on Jesus daily. Ephesians 1:18 says, “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in His holy people” (NIV). He’s talking about seeing with spiritual eyes and having spiritual vision. You get hope from seeing your life from God’s eternal perspective. When you understand the vision for your life, focus is not difficult. When vision is not present, we tend to become mediocre at a lot of things. If you’re looking for God to do a miracle in your life, ask Him to open the eyes of your heart and give you His vision for your life. Ask Him to speak to you and reveal Himself to you through His Word and through His Holy Spirit's voice in your heart. May you be in focus today May you ask God to correct your vision if you've lost focus May you find eyes to see through God's Word and His Spirit. Worship Him today through this lovely song of Matt Redman Come and See https://youtu.be/kOmLvpAZcmY Lots of Love From your friend - JD Shalom to you all - not just peace for all the goodness and blessing of God be on you all.
Here are some thoughts that for me flowed out of our discussions at Wednesday Morning Study Group this morning, where we have been doing the 40days journey reflection booklet that I hope and pray you have all been doing too. I want to tease out a little about Grace. I’m a hugger. I like to hug. Growing up, hugs were few and far between so I’ve allowed myself to be embraced by others and now I am an embracer. I’ve noticed as a hugger that some people are not good huggers. It’s not their fault - they like me obviously never learned how to hug back. You try to give them a warm bear hug, and they turn sideways and bounce you off their hip. Or they hug on the same side you do and you almost kiss. Or they get all tense and rigid, and you feel like you are hugging a an ironing. Those are awkward hugs. Grace is hard for most people to define, let alone embrace. The word is found throughout the Bible. In fact, it is arguably the most important concept and term in the Bible. Grace is the foundation of Christianity and the essence of salvation. John, who was one of Jesus’s disciples and closest friends, wrote this about Jesus: “We have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth . . . For from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:14–17 ESV). Jesus was full of grace and truth. That means that grace and truth aren’t enemies. They are on the same side. We don’t need to balance grace with truth or truth with grace, because they are both embodied in Jesus. If we just get more of Jesus, we will have both grace and truth. Second, this passage says that the grace Jesus brought replaces the grace Moses gave through the law. Jesus is saying rules are good and the law had its place. But ultimately, the law isn’t how we get to God. Grace is. Most important, these verses say that Jesus was “full of grace and truth,” and that from His fullness we have received “grace upon grace.” In other words, He embodied grace. He oozed grace. He was grace. After people met Jesus, they probably said things like, “That man is different. That man has grace all over Him.” Jesus gave people a picture of grace. They watched Him and listened to Him, and for the rest of their lives, they didn’t have to wonder what grace looked like. They knew. What will people say about you after they have meet you? My favorite definition of grace is from Jack Hayford, a great pastor and author: “Grace is God meeting us at our point of need in the Person of Jesus Christ.” In other words, we need help, so God gives us grace. And His name is Jesus. May you embrace Jesus today for He is Grace May you be a living example of Grace to others May your heart embrace the grace and love God has for you Why don't you flick to this link and let it wash you https://youtu.be/fiyYoe678yI (Broken Vessels - Amazing Grace) Much Love JD My Muse in line with 'B's message.
I have felt to reinforce the message from Sunday as this is vital for your journey with Jesus and your relationship with the Father. If you have time can I encourage you to have a read and reflect on what God has revealed and confirmed from Sunday. So as we think about and apply the teaching of Jesus which ‘B’ bought to us Sunday, it’s important to understand that this is not about how you become a Christian, it’s about how you live as a Christian, it’s about your life lived as a true believer in and follower of Jesus Christ Himself – the I AM. The purpose of the passage, I think, is to show us how dependent on the vine the branches are. And I think that we can hear it and see it as we read this passage: the branch, which is us as believers, are completely dependent upon the vine, which is Christ. The vine and branches have a life giving and life receiving connection. What we’re seeing here is the relationship that true believers in and followers of Christ, have with Christ. He gives life and believers grow. But something else is also clear – believers have no power in and of themselves to do what’s required of them by God. Verse 5 makes that clear when Jesus says, for apart from Me you can do nothing. We can't live this life in isolation. Think of it. What’s a branch without a vine? Dead stick. ‘B’ bought out a key word in our passage that helps us see this life giving connection between vine and branches. Note the word abide. Jesus says in verse 4, Abide in me, and I in you. We see the word abide 5 times in these 6 verses, and 6 more times through verse 16. Note that abiding is all about the believer in Christ. It’s about something only believers have with Christ. So when you hear abide in these verses think fellowship. The true believer abides in Christ, or has fellowship with, Christ. And we must abide with Christ because we are completely dependent on the vine, Jesus Christ. And we must abide with Christ because our purpose is to glorify God now, while we are living here on earth. And note this abiding is a spiritual connection. The disciples would see Jesus Christ ascend to heaven, physically leaving them. But He would not be disconnecting them from the vine. They would still be connected – they would still be in Christ. All true believers in Jesus Christ have the helper, the Holy Spirit, the indwelling presence of God Himself. But also note that Jesus is also telling the disciples that they are to stay connected to Christ. And that’s the fellowship that we’re to seek in Christ. And that abiding with Christ, in one word is obedience, and that obedient walk with Christ, which is empowered by the Holy Spirit is where fruit in the believer’s life is produced. But know that there’s no fruit without the vine. We don’t produce the fruit, but by the work of the Spirit and the Word as we remain faithful to Christ and abide with Him, God produces the fruit of the Spirit in us, if we are His children. Our abiding in, or staying connected to the vine is our primary aim. Not producing fruit. Fruit in the believers life is an identifying characteristic of the one who is a follower of Christ. Fruit is how other believers know when they are seeing a true brother or sister in Christ. Fruit is how the world knows that our faith is real and not just talk. And just as healthy plants produce healthy fruit. So healthy Christians produce healthy fruit. But an unhealthy plant means little fruit and a poor quality of fruit, if signs of fruit exist at all. So here’s the point of what Jesus is teaching and what ‘B’ bought out on Sunday. Those who abide in Christ, those who seek fellowship with Christ, will bear fruit. And what that fruit looks like will vary and will likely be of many different sorts. Because I think God’s Word makes clear that, in the life of a believer there will be several kinds of fruit. Like in Galatians 5:22-23 where we see the fruit of the Spirit. So for example, a Godly and Christ-like character is fruit. Faithful and cheerful serving is fruit. Leading others to Christ is fruit. Faithful and cheerful Christian giving is fruit. Doing your work for God’s glory, even work done for a secular employer, is fruit. And there are others. But in all that, it is a fundamental truth that those who stay connected to the vine will grow, and flourish, and produce healthy, obvious fruit. And that fruit in a believer’s life points to the health of the relationship with Christ. On the other hand, the branch that doesn’t stay connected to the vine, the believer that does not abide in Christ, the one that does not stay in close fellowship with Christ, does not produce good fruit, and withers spiritual. If we are in Christ we are branches connected to the vine, which is Christ, and our priority is not to do more for Christ, it’s stay connected to Christ, and it’s obvious from the text that when we stay connected to Christ, He does more with us. The priority for us is not production, it is by God’s grace, fellowship with Christ. And when we nurture a healthy abiding with and fellowship with Christ, fruit will be abundant. We don’t make fruit, God does – it’s Christ at work in us that produces fruit. That’s what we hear in verse 5. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. Know this that God is at work, growing the faithful, pruning the faithful, producing fruit in the faithful, fruit that’s for our good and fruit that brings Him glory. May you rest in and remain in Christ May we see the fruit of your abiding relationship with Christ Jesus After reading open up this link and reflect, pray and worship the one whom we are to remain in. Christ is enough - Hillsong https://youtu.be/0fZ-tBR7LJ0 Aroha from your friend and fellow branch JD My Muse Today
“I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish .... My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand” (John 10:28-29 NIV). About 30 years ago when I was a plumber, I was with a plumbing mate and we were staying at a pub in Levin as we had a week’s work down there connecting up 3 transportable homes from Waipukurau where Trish and I were living. One evening in Levin I was sitting in the TV lounge bar about to watch the Kiwi league team take on the Ozzies when Colin (Pinetree) Meads came and sat right down beside me – we exchanged some pleasantries which for a young guy was pretty exciting. He was a big man, not much taller than me but just a ‘big rig’, what I couldn’t get over was his big hands, they would have enveloped two of mine in one of his. I have a bit big hands now, but his hands were huge! He would carry a rugby ball easily palmed in one hand which you often would see him do. Mine and your heavenly Father has really big hands. He’s got the whole world in His hands! How big are God’s hands? God’s hands are big enough to bless you. Jesus often touched people in order to bless them. He would lay His hands on people and bless them. He does the same for you. Isaiah 62:3 says, “The Lord will hold you in His hand for all to see - a splendid crown in the hand of God” (NLT). God’s hands are scarred to never forget you. In Heaven, the only scars will be on Jesus. Do you think God can forget you? He has a constant reminder in His nail-scarred hands. The Bible says, “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion for the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of My hands” (Isaiah 49:15-16a NIV). God’s hands are strong enough to keep you eternally secure. John 10:28-29 says, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish .... My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand” (NIV). Once you put your life in God’s hands, nobody can snatch you out. You may wonder, “Can’t you just jump out?” How big do you think God’s hands are? You’re never going to get to the edge of His hands. Every aspect of your life is in His hands. When my kids were little, I used to stand at the edge of the trampoline and say, “Trust me. Jump to me.” They were always afraid. Is he strong enough to catch me? Are his hands slippery? What happens if he doesn’t catch me? Is the gap too big? But finally they would get up enough faith to jump into my arms, and of course I would catch them. Then they’d want to do it a hundred more times, to the horror of Trish LOL! Your Father is waiting for you to jump today. He’s saying, “Trust me. I can be trusted. I’m working behind the scenes. And I can handle anything you give Me.” Don’t you want God’s hand to be on your life? Don’t you want your life to be in God’s hands? You can trust Him with your life and your future. What big problem or circumstance in your life have you been reluctant to hand over to God? God wants to shine His light into your life today, He wants you to know you can trust Him with everything. He wants you to know He loves you so much! I pray that this will be your hearts cry and action today. May I encourage you to open two links to the Hillsong songs 'Let There Be Light' and 'As It Is In Heaven' and spend time reflecting on God's Hands around you - worship our King and let Him in and know He holds you. https://youtu.be/Q7JsK50NGaA https://youtu.be/So97pmyDbVw Much love from your friend JD God's rich Blessing on you all ...
My Muse Walking up the Peak early this morning – then running down, I discovered afresh how life sustaining oxygen truly is. It's my body's life and breath. This is the way God wants us to relate to Jesus, our true life and breath. Acts chapter 17, verse 28 says, "For in Him we live and move and have our being." And although we are supposed to live, move, and have our being in Jesus, we tend to so easily take His life-sustaining grace for granted. We forget that apart from Him we can't do a thing, just like Jesus says in John 15:5 "Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in Me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing.” We forget that when we put our Christian life on automatic pilot which is so easy to do, it’s the same thing as what we call “walking in the flesh” not “walking in the Spirit.” When we forget that we live, move, and have our being in Christ, our prayers become dull, witnessing becomes non-existent, our jobs become routine, worship becomes colourless, and relationships begin to sag without us fully realising it under the weight of our own selfishness. What's worse, our relationship to the Lord turns into a chore and we become more focused on form than relationship. The Lord seems to lose vitality, becoming a wooden image in our hearts, and a mere measuring rod for our behavior, even worse we end up living for us than in Him! It all happens when we forget to inhale His life-giving Spirit on a moment-to-moment basis. It happens when we sing “I need You, Oh I need You, every hour I need You,” but only recognise our need of Him when a problem crops up. It happens when we fail to see the God of grace as our very life and breath. It happens when we take Jesus for granted. Jesus is The Resurrection and Life, He is The Way The Truth and The Life and He is the Door into this abundant life God is offering us to live in every day. Nothing is more mechanical than when we attempt to live a supernatural life apart from God. I think that is one of the biggest spiritual barriers to our growth in Christ. As the day begins, we kind of say to ourselves, ‘You know Jesus, I accepted you many years ago, and I’ve been to enough Bible studies now; I’ve studied enough scripture that I kind of understand right from wrong, I've been to enough church services, so as I head into this day, I may check in with you now and then – maybe – but I pretty much have this Christian thing figured out. I know the lay of the land. I can take it from here.’Sadly then drift happens. If you live your Christian life that way, you’re not inhaling the strength of God; you’re running on your own steam, not God's; you’re running on pride. This is why the apostle tells us in Romans chapter 6, verse 11 to "Count yourselves (every day; it’s an everyday sort of thing) count yourselves alive to God in Christ Jesus." To "count" means to take a daily inventory, to consciously consider you “alive to God in Christ Jesus." So do what I do so many, many times during the day – stop and pause often and ask God for moment-by-moment grace. Take a minute to reflect on His Lordship, His supremacy in your life. Inhale His graciousness. Remind yourself, that is, to count yourself alive to God and then move forward into the next hour fully aware of the life-giving strength of the Spirit. Can I encourage you to got to this song link and reflect on what has been shared in the Muse and the lyrics of this song. https://youtu.be/5dUsbE5de4w May you move and live and have your being in Jesus Christ May your life in Him lead you to an intimate relationship with The Father God's peace and presence be on you Aroha JD Today's reflections have been inspired from the last 3-4 weeks of messages about Christ Jesus and who He is and what we can receive because of Him - from a loving Father.
I think there is a troubling truth in Christianity today that many believers don’t know about or aren’t experiencing continual encounter with the real, manifest presence of God our Heavenly Father. The Bible contains story after story of life-changing, world-altering encounters with the reality of God’s presence. From Moses and the tent of meeting to the disciples at Pentecost, we continually read about God supernaturally encountering His people in real, transformative ways. Jesus died so that we might walk in communion with our Heavenly Father not only in heaven, but here on this earth - now! Biblical characters modeled what it was to experience God consistently in both the New and Old Testaments. God, in His desire to have restored relationship with you and me, has made the reality of His presence fully available to us. Through the death of Christ there is nothing separating you from Him. Open your heart and mind to the truth about God’s nearness and allow your faith to be stirred for all the ways your loving Heavenly Father would transform your life through consistent encounter with Him. 26 From one man He made every nation of humanity to live all over the earth, fixing the seasons of the year and the national boundaries within which they live, 27 so that they might look for God, somehow reach for Him, and find Him. Of course, He is never far from any one of us. 28 For we live, move, and exist because of Him, as some of your own poets have said: ‘…Since we are His children, too.” Acts 17:26-28 There is no doubt in looking at Scripture that God’s presence is real, good, and available to us. Rest in the truth of that for a moment. You can consistently enter into the tangible presence of your heavenly Father anywhere and anytime and in whatever you are facing, managing and dealing with. Have faith today that God created you to experience Him. Encountering His presence is made possible entirely by His grace, so it is available apart from any good or bad thing you do. But, know that God will never force His presence on you. He only fills up what is open and ready to receive. He sweetly calls you to meet with Him and waits for you to make space in your life to receive what He longs to give. There is no more life-giving pursuit you can embark on than the pursuit of God’s presence. Spending time resting in Him is meant to be the satisfaction that lays a foundation for you to live the life of abundance made available to you through Jesus who is the Resurrection and the Life, who is the Way the Truth and the Life and who is the only Door into God’s presence. Your role in encountering God is simply seeking Him. If you will make time to encounter Him, open your heart, and have faith in His word, then you will discover the wellspring of life, joy, love, and transformation that is the presence of our Heavenly Father all through your day as you choose to live life in His presence. What many of us tend to do is go in and out of the door depending on what we want to do or what we are needing or how we are feeling. Because we still tend to live a life pleasing ourselves first and foremost, and our time in God's presence become fleeting visits rather than "Dwelling in His presence all the days of our lives". Even when we pray it's like we crack open the door and throw a prayer in rather than realising, because of Christ we can be in God's presence without guilt or shame - but we have to step through the door - Christ. (Hebrew 10:19-22) In his book The Knowledge of the Holy, A.W. Tozer wrote, “With our loss of the sense of majesty has come the further loss of religious awe and consciousness of the divine Presence. We have lost our spirit of worship and our ability to withdraw inwardly to meet God in adoring silence.” Tozer points out that how we treat God presence will affect how God interacts with us in our everyday realities. Take a moment to contemplate what God has just spoken here and go to the link for the song Holy Spirit by Brian and Katie Torwalt https://youtu.be/4jZOu7oM7KQ May Tozer's statement not be true of you. May you discover or rediscover the majesty of your God. May you be a child of God who consistently spends time in the presence of the Father. May you be a believer who is empowered with the very presence of God Himself working in and through your life every moment of the day. May you grow in your pursuit of His presence this week. May you commit to earnestly seeking Him and allow this week to be transformational in the way you spend time with God, in God and through God. Much Aroha JD Greetings everyone - What a wonderful name it is, what a powerful name it is - the name of Jesus. "...and by believing in Him you will have life by the power of His name." John 20:31b
We are embarking on a 70day Journey to the Cross - 70 Days from Sunday just been to Easter Sunday - we will be looking at the seven things that Jesus says about Himself - who He is. Our prayer is that you intentionally go on this journey with us - but especially with Jesus. II missed the Muse last week so I'm making up for it in todays one LOL - I have felt to look at our passion for Christ Jesus. There is something for everyone in it so I pray for you that you'll take the time to read and reflect. Almost any Christian can tell you what the greatest commandment of all is to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind (Matt 22 36-40). We all know this is the greatest commandment. But are we really taking it seriously? It is so easy to think that we are loving Jesus when in reality we are loving something else. More than anything else, passion for the Son of God has to be guarded and cultivated or we will lose it. I find that almost every good thing in my life is all too ready to compete for my time and intimacy with the Son of God. Jesus prayed for us in John 17:26 saying “(Father) I have revealed you to them, and I will continue to do so. Then your love for me will be in them, and I will be in them.” (NLT) Jesus said that He has revealed the name of the Father to His disciples, that is, He showed them what the Father was like. He did this for one overriding purpose. Jesus wanted us His disciples to love Him like His heavenly Father loved Him. He wants the love that His Father has for Him to be in us as His disciples. How could I love Jesus like God the Father loves His very own Son? Of course no one can love anyone to the same degree or quality that God loves them. But on the other hand, neither can we be as holy as God, yet God says to us, "You shall be holy for I am holy." It is through the power of His Spirit in us that we can walk in holiness. By that same power, we can live our lives with a consuming passion for our Lord. The Father loves the Son more than anyone or anything else. He is devoted to the Son. His eyes never leave the Son. All that the Father does He does for the Son. Jesus prayed that we would be driven by that same single-eyed passion. Sadly some people minimise our need for passion for Jesus. They tell us that our feelings aren't really important as long as we walk in obedience. Obedience is wonderful, but the problem with this definition is that you can do the right thing without loving the Son of God very much at all. A son can obey his father for reward or for fear of punishment, and actually neither like nor love his father much at all. A husband can be a faithful and kind provider to his wife without having much love or passion for his wife. What wife would settle for a relationship like that? Why do we think God would be willing to settle for an obedience that is not accompanied by a consuming passion for His Son? After all, isn't the greatest commandment to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind and strength? All of who we are – including our feelings and emotions. The apostle Paul was so consumed by his affection for the Lord Jesus Christ that be came to the point in his life where living simply meant Christ to him - "For me, to live is Christ."(Philippians 1:21 NIV) This kind of complete devotion is meant not only for the apostles. How do you get the kind of passionate love for Jesus that He desires? There are three simple but indispensable things we must do: First, we can't love a person whom we don't know. Therefore, we must set aside time to get to know the Lord Jesus Christ. If we do not spend time meditating in His Word, talking with Him, and listening to Him, we will never progress very far in acquiring passion for Him. We must set aside a regular time for personal meditation in the scriptures and prayer. We must never allow this time to become mechanical or ritualistic. We must remember that it is possible to read the Bible like a Pharisee and never hear the voice of God (John 5:37). It is possible to let our prayer time degenerate into nothing more than taking a shopping list to God. In our regular times of personal meditation and prayer we must remind ourselves that the purpose is to meet with a real Person. This Person speaks, guides, encourages, reveals, convicts, rebukes, discloses himself, hides himself, gets angry, can be grieved, and can rejoice. In that meeting we are capable of making Him angry or making Him rejoice. These are the things that scripture teaches us about the God with whom we relate. We are taught from the beginning of our conversion about the importance of spending time with Him. The problem isn't that we don't know it, the problem is that we don't do it. The second thing that is absolutely essential is the removal of barriers between us and the Lord Jesus. Our sins create a barrier between us and Jesus so that we cannot come into His presence and grow in our love and knowledge of Him. These barriers are removed when we confess our sins and God forgives us. One of the most important teachings on forgiveness is found in I John 1:9: "If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." We all know this, but all too often we don't really believe it. It is sinful to live under condemnation and guilt. Too many of us confess sins and never feel forgiven because we are really not trusting in the power of His blood to forgive us of those sins. We will never be holy enough, disciplined enough, or anything else enough to get into His presence apart from the blood of His Son. Our good works, reformed lives, and best intentions will never take away the guilt of sin. The only thing that the Father has given us to take away sin and guilt is the blood of His Son. The third thing that we must do to acquire passion for the Son of God is to consistently ask for it, to labour for it in prayer. This is where John17:26 come in... You can pray it like this - paraphrasing it for yourself: "Father, grant me an impartation of the Holy Spirit to love Jesus Christ your Son like You love Him." If you pray this in the morning when you get up; and during the day when your mind slips into neutral; and when you go to sleep at night things will happen – set your heart and mind on it. You can change your mind but only the Holy Spirit can truly change your heart. It is the task of the Holy Spirit to "shed abroad the love of God in our hearts" (Romans 5:5). Divine love can only be divinely imparted. Most of my Christian life I've been making the same mistake over and over and over. I keep putting my confidence in my discipline, in my good intentions, in my knowledge of the Bible, in order to produce love for God. I always end up in legalism and self-righteousness when I do this. As I shared on Sunday that recently the Lord has interrupted all of this. He has shown me that I have lived my life out of knowledge about Christ Jesus but not fully knowing Him and loving Him passionately. That divine revelation pierced my heart. I realised why passion-robbing legalism and self-righteousness were able to consistently get such strongholds in my life. I'm not saying that we don't need discipline, or knowledge of the Bible, or godly behavior - we do. Nor am I saying that we're to be passive and simply let God do it all. I'm talking about our attitude and our confidence. We must do the right things but never put our confidence in our ability to do those things. Our hearts are incredibly prone to deception (Jeremiah 17:9) and our feet are equally prone to wander off the path of righteousness (Romans 3:10 ff.). And we easily beat ourselves up and therefore give up (Proverbs 3:5 & 6). In light of this, how could we trust in our ability to follow Jesus? I've come to realise that passion for the Son of God can't be earned. It comes because He gives it as His greatest and most gracious gift. And after all, isn't that how the greatest things come to us, as gifts? James says, "You have not because you ask not." (James 4:2) The greatest gifts that God has to give us are ours for the asking. I encourage you, from this day forward, to spend more time in your life of prayer asking God to grant you passion for the Son of God than you do asking Him for anything else. Our confidence must always be in His willingness and ability to impart to us passion for His Son. If you begin to pray this prayer on a regular basis, passion for the Son of God will begin to permeate your heart. It may take you months, even years, before you notice a significant difference. In fact, you will probably never be able to point to the day or the hour when you began to be consumed with passion for the Son of God, but others will notice. They'll say you've changed; you seem different. They'll say there is a kindness, and a gentleness in you they hadn't noticed before. There's an infectious quality in your love for the Son of God that didn't seem to be there before, and they'll want to know what you've been doing. Don't be passive about acquiring passion for the Son of God. Make it the focus of your life. Put your eyes on the Son of God and leave them there (Hebrews 12:1), and you will find yourself becoming like Him. You'll find yourself falling in love with Him as you ask God day after day to consume you with passion for His glorious Son. And that passion, as it begins to occupy your heart, will conquer a thousand sins in your life. You will overcome in Christ all your fears and disappointments. You will begin to love what He loves and hate what He hates. That's all I've got to say ... except "Why would you settle for anything less?" If you have extra time, while you're reflecting on the muse - listen to this song called Behold (then sings my soul) https://youtu.be/z9UB5U7kSec?list=RDz9UB5U7kSec JD your fellow sojourner |
AuthorPastor JD Drower Archives
May 2017
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