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
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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 |
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May 2017
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