The bold Christian

What we need is boldness of attack. Take your sword of the Spirit, brandish it at the enemy, and he will run away. He is a coward and cannot face the sight of the weakest Christian. You won’t have to do anything, he will just turn and run.

He remembers the sting of the resurrection. When his presumed victory over Christ on the cross was finally and forever put down never to have any credibility again. At that point he realised that his nagging doubts about ultimate victory were fantasy.

Every one of the children of God are as safe as if they were in heaven already. None can pluck them from the hand of their Saviour, Jesus, and though cast down and troubled, they will overcome through the blood of the Lamb, slain for the payment of their sins. They are more secure than any high security prison or the most sophisticated system protecting priceless object made by people. The open doors of their salvation can never be closed and the stains of sin they once knew are forever gone. The likelihood of their falling from grace is absolute zero.
John 10:28-29 NIV “I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.”

Every word from Satan is a lie. He cannot help it. He has been lying since the beginning and now he can’t stop. Every discouragement he offers is untrue and every promise is fake. He is the antithesis of the Father so it is easy to spot his lies if we know the Word of God. He loves to annoy and blame is a primary weapon in his arsenal, but even that we can learn to see coming.
Hebrews 2:14-15 NIV “Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.”

For the Christian, fear really is over. Those who walk by faith are real time over-comers.
A word from you and he runs away…

The value of people

Leviticus 27:3-4 NIV “set the value of a male between the ages of twenty and sixty at fifty shekels of silver, according to the sanctuary shekel ; for a female, set her value at thirty shekels..”

This is the earthly physical value of humans as perceived in this world. Men are generally physically stronger as so in a work context might be regarded as more valuable. So the value of their dedication to the service of God is more in terms of money than the woman… The physical work of the woman is regarded as of less than the work of the men. This is the worldly view of the value of labour.
However there is more to us than physical force. We are built to worship God in Spirit and in truth, and can only do so in the power of His Spirit, which He gives to every human who comes in repentance and faith. This power is unlimited and unbounded. For a person to possess this power and belong to God, makes their worth beyond price. To buy His people back from the slavery of sin, it cost Jesus His own life and unspeakable suffering on a cruel cross.
There is no repayment for this debt. No money can buy the Christian back from their glorious position before and beside Christ. We are priceless. There is no difference in the kingdom of God between women and men. They are all utterly lost without His mercy and grace, and when redeemed, they are all rulers in the eternal kingdom. Any attempt to divide or construct hierarchical structures around that truth, is ungodly and shows we are still stuck in a worldly mindset.
God knows the value of women, and He knows how easily they give their devotion to Him. He looks for those who are fully dedicated to Him and will stick to and carry out their vows right to the end. God will honour those who honour Him.
If I make a rash vow, as Jepthah did concerning His daughter, with dreadful consequences, the price of dedication shown here in Leviticus, could have redeemed his daughter from the foolish promise he made. He did not accept the offer and so his daughter was lost. God knows we are frail dust, He knows we speak out of turn, and He provides for us so we can access mercy. Surely this characteristic about God is very wonderful. He gives freedom so liberally and understands our failures so well.
Women and men are God’s possession, and their value is beyond calculation to Him. Let us not judge as the world judges.
Acts 10:34+35 “Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right…”

Peter had prejudices which he kept from his knowledge of the Old Testament laws. In those early days of the New Testament church, many found it hard to break those old moulds and accept that God was doing a new thing. God had to teach the Apostles and the other Christian believers, that they had to lay aside those wrong attitudes and obey Him. Jesus has already laid the price for all His people, and our charter is to serve Him with a full heart, no matter who we are, what gifts we have, or what we possess. He will ask a report of each one of us regarding what we have done and how we have served.

Hurt

We can live life in a depressed state and not know or feel it. If you live with something long enough, you won’t notice it. If the pains get more and build up, your continued insensitivity to the feeling of hurt in yourself, will eventually have catastrophic consequences.

Proverbs 14:10 NIV
“Each heart knows its own bitterness,
and no one else can share its joy.”
It is a usual reality that a person would know how they feel and what they think is true and right. But our sense of judgment can be warped and our ability to allow ourselves to express feelings and make self-protective decisions, becomes dysfunctional. When we are sinned against, especially when we are young, there will be serious consequences that have to be faced at some time. There is no way to cope without the inner working of God’s Spirit in the life. There is no comfort apart from Him, and He can teach us incredible lessons that will lift us and make us strong in the strength of God. This can take a long time and so many other life events get tangled up in the pain, but to emerge out of the other side brings such joy. As the heart conceals its pain, so also, it can rejoice in its personal and eternal joy.

In trouble, there are certain features to look out for.
Our lack of care for ourselves is a serious problem. Desperate things can happen, especially when we are young, things that can start a chain of reactions as non-reaction. The pain is not felt or recognised, and so is subdued in the conscious and subconscious parts of our being, storing up a heap of trouble for later…
There is the issue of denial of our own suffering, and the acceptance of lies and devious thought processes, learned from people with vested interests in our slave-state.
There is the problem of not being able to share what is happening. A prison of silence, pretending and covering up. The boundary lines of the real life and a fantasy, yet also real-time scenarios, become smudged and the fantasy of the promised future brings strong emotions.
People who take everything that is precious about your person, and give nothing in return, seeking to cover their tracks, will weave a web of deceit. We must teach our children and warn them about predatorial people, and give them a true and robust view of themselves as people. No one should be alive simply to please other people.

Proverbs 14:13
“Even in laughter the heart may ache,
and rejoicing may end in grief.”
It can become second nature to live a seeming happy life, and yet also carry around a deep hurt that has coloured everything, but is unseen. No one can see the heart. We can live with great heartache, and yet not realise many things about what it is and why it surfaces. Because the one hurt has been ignored and left unidentified, the pain accumulates and the layers increase.
Often a life-changing event can trigger a deep and frightening crisis, and so all these other troubles suddenly start to appear. It can take a long time to sort out the conundrum of the mind and much courage to face real guilt and false guilt and confess it all to the Lord and cast it all on His deep love.
No matter how long it takes, God is always with His daughters and has promised victory and great joy. Rejoicing may end in grief for some, but for the child of God, grief will end in great joy.

ThePsalm 16:8-11 NIV
“I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay. You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”
What rejoicing this is.! Whatever griefs and suffering we have known, when we look at our precious Saviour and take into ourselves His promises, they will melt away. And more- we will have real strength and huge courage to face anything. We will loosen our fears and become as bold as lions and no one will put us down..

It is easy to see hurt as never ending and to have to face such difficult and deep troubles as impossible, but it is not. Nothing is impossible with the Father and all power is given to God’s people as they live in the Spirit and keep pace with Him.

Holy, holy, holy

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Leviticus 20:7-8 NIV “Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the Lord your God. Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the Lord, who makes you holy.”

Leviticus 20:26 NIV “You are to be holy to me because I, the Lord, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own.”

The delight of walking with the Lord Jesus along the pathways of this world fills the heart of the Christian. One glad day it will all be over and all the family of God will enter fully and forever into the eternal kingdom. What Christian does not long for that?

However, there is a special and delightful joy in knowing the keeping power of God, even as we live and work, in a sinful society. To be able to keep His ways through the power of the Spirit, brings a closeness to Christ, like nothing else can.

There are things for us to lay hold of. God has set each of His children apart for His glory. To enter into that reality, requires faith- given to us by God, forgiveness of sin- because of the work of God through Christ. There is a daily turning away from the wrong in our lives, by the work of the Holy Spirit, who dwells in God’s people. It is God who cleanses us and makes us fit for Himself. The life, death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ secures our holy position before God. We are made Holy by God, and not because of our own efforts. Salvation is of the Lord.

Our part, once we are made spiritually alive, is to walk the path of the life God purposes for us, and dedicate ourselves to a holy life. God is a holy person, high and lifted up, and so His children must display the same quality. The Christian is alive to God and has a life- a spiritual life- that can know God and actually walk in a holy fashion in His presence each day.

We are to be holy because our Father in heaven is holy and God’s light does not walk with darkness. We are commanded to “consecrate ourselves” and be set apart from sin, as the priests of old. To do that, we purpose to keep God’s commandments and walk in a way worthy of a perfect Saviour, who walked the same way for us. Our efforts in no way make us right with God. It is the saving work of God that makes us fit and worthy to belong in His family, and we contribute nothing to that, since we are lost and spiritually dead without Him. We are to be holy, because our Father in heaven is holy. We seek holiness because we should and need to be like Him.

The Christian is “set apart” to be a part of God’s holy nation, a nation that will rule in eternity with Christ. Only those who God has changed and made Holy in His sight, seek this holiness. A Christian hates the sin in their own lives and fights to subdue it for the sake of Christ.

The last few words in verse 26 are thrilling to the Christian… “to be my own..” why God should feel that or say that about us is truly astounding. He wants Human brings to belong to Him- His own people. He has sent His own son to redeem us from the curse that is surely ours, and that price has been paid for by Christ at Calvary. This is personal, warm and full of belonging… if you are a Christian, you are HIS OWN…

So we are to be holy, like our Father in heaven…

Reliable religion

Christians in some organisations and churches, regard other Christian initiatives as unworthy and unsupportable. Some outreach groups have Christians who are regarded as liberal, not evangelistic and there are unbelievers involved in it… How is that different from any church known to man..?!

Challenging situations are a great place to serve. We have to be clear about what we believe, and therefore know the Scriptures well to be able to speak the truth clearly with love, and freely accept others when they think differently. It is a great training ground for all other types of Christian service. In fact, every Christian should train up and do their active service for the sake of Christ, out there on the streets or their local town/city- out where the world and the church should meet.

We are too picky and too ready to elevate ourselves above other people who we judge as not knowing as much as we do..! We can learn huge spiritual lessons about godliness from surprising people, and often it is the least regarded that will be the ones who will teach us the path of love and peace. We elevate theological correctness above anything else and it becomes out of balance. We easily become puffed up in knowledge and the Spirit of God is shoved to the back of the mind. Correct doctrine is no good without love- it just clangs around and annoys people by its continual din…

Christian groups can easily become enclaves of some sort of exclusive and socially acceptable society. We have the whole religious system so worked out, that we don’t notice the absence of the Spirit of God. He is not needed any more because we have “church.” Our “set up” blinds us to our own need and there is no life or vitality in our “correctness”

The people do not exhibit the power and burning purity of the Spirit, denying His power and authority, so there is no fruit for eternity.

The outsider looking in sees rules and all sorts of judgment, and therefore stays away, because they know they can never live up to it. The outworking of this is wrath triumphs over mercy, and judgment over grace. People stay away from church. How are they to hear about a loving God, full and free forgiveness, and a living relationship with the eternal God?

Isaiah 29:13 “The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.”

A church once vibrant can quickly become dead- just following form to maintain a status quo…

Controversies rage. We judge, carp, quibble and disapprove of everyone but ourselves… we don’t rely on the teaching of the Spirit from the living truth of the Scriptures in our own lives, but rely on what we are “told.” We lack wisdom, discernment, proper judgment and the all-encompassing love of God. We believe that what we have always held to, is acceptable and reliable, and are grateful for the lack of challenge. The consequences for us is a lack of will to serve the Lord in a practical manner, and our once heartfelt service seems to melt away.

Our service is stagnant. We have no ideas, no drive and no care for the lost. Why?

Matthew 7:20-25 “Thus, by their fruit you will recognise them. Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers! Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.

Is not this one of the scariest scriptures of all?

“Lord, I was an evangelical. I revered your word. I spent lots of time serving you. I believe all the doctrines that my church taught. I was quiet and submissive. I did what I was told. I taught others about you. I even told people about Jesus.”

But did you know Him? Is He precious to you? Do you have a living, vibrant relationship with Jesus? Are you aware of the power of the Spirit in your daily life? Is your service the outworking of your faith?

Only those who do the will of God will be in heaven.

God’s will is that no one should perish…

God’s will is that every Christian should be like Christ…

Our prayers should centre around…. “Your kingdom come”

So these will be the manifestations of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life. The inward working of God that changes Christians and makes them like His son, their Saviour Jesus. Along with the outward graces shown in care, love and sharing the way to God with those who don’t know Him yet.

If I obey Christ and walk as He walked, I will have a solid foundation of safety when that great day of trial and testing comes.

May we ask those searching questions of ourselves, and have the courage to look into our hearts, and refuse to be satisfied with anything less than Christ Himself…

Is that it?

Too many walk with God in a second hand experience. There is very little evidence of a direct link between the earthly life and the spiritual life towards God. If pressed, we are actually unsure of what that spiritual life actually is. We know it is something to do with being forgiven, believing, Bible reading and prayer, but it’s not as real as other personal relationships. God is not a daily reality. Our speaking personally to God and listening to Him, is a process we are not able to have a clear knowledge of.

We can feel most in touch when we go to church on Sunday and join in the songs and prayers and listen to the sermon. In fact, the sermon is the main bit, because we feel God speak to and challenge us and we get a feeling of closeness..

This is fine, but often it has gone as we walk out the door, and certainly by Monday morning, as work starts for the week, It has mostly been forgotten. It is a short- lived hit which has dubiously little impact on our real lives, and soon will register as irrelevant. The effort into discovering what has been taught is nothing at all, so personal interest is very limited. Often what is heard doesn’t even apply to what we are going through. Passivity and just listening to second hand thoughts and ideas from someone else, has a very limited life span.
This is tragedy. This closes down churches and renders Christians ineffective. My life in the real world is real, but my Christian life does not impact upon it. Eventually my Christian life will not seem worth it and Christ as a person will fade into the background. I may still attend church, but the power has gone. I appear to live, but there are no vital signs.
Every day of our lives should be an encounter with God. Our walk and talk with Him is supposed to be real. When we realise our need to read, meditate and live out the reality of His Word moment by moment, we are dwelling in His presence. When we go wrong, the door of confession and restoration is always open and the fellowship is maintained continually as we recognise fault and face it.
Prayer is the constant breathing of a resurrected soul in the presence of God. Without this respiration we walk as dead people, and our words never get past the ceiling. We cannot walk with the holy one if we ourselves are impure. The Word of God in the Christian’s life, will continually point out the faults in my consciousness and the sins that infest the heart that I am unaware of. There is a constant facing up- a sifting in progressively fine gauges of mesh so that impurities are filtered out of the life.

Therefore, a Christian can progress in holiness and become increasingly like Christ.
The work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Christian is an awesome reality. No Christian can live or thrive without His gracious presence and deep spiritual work in every part of the person and every area of their lives. His work is for eternity and His love and power makes us fit for service here in our lives and for our lives in heaven, fully redeemed unto God. Problems arise when we don’t recognise this and become dependant on the objects of life rather than His grace…
Walking with God is in some ways straightforward- loving Him and keeping His commandments. On the other hand, it is beyond searching out. All we need to do is to trust God, know His ways and obey Him. I cannot trust someone I don’t know, and as I get to know a person, I also trust them more. This is the path of peace. It is not free of suffering, but there is real peace.

Ask God to give you right desires, true love for His person and to fill you with The Holy Spirit. Seek Him in the Word until you see Jesus and want to be like Him. All others are untrustworthy- we are all sinners, but Christ is our path to life and our great reward.

Safe ground

Who can understand the circumstances of their lives and explain to themselves the why’s and wherefore’s of events and seasons. Our lives are hid in God and He knows all things. For some, the way may be particularly rough and comforts few. In these circumstances of life, God can teach us much wisdom and give sufferers insight and thereby loosen their attachments to this world and its people.

Every one of His children has a story to tell and His will has total sway over all the ills that we may meet. To stay secure in Christ, we must know Him well, and know His Word better and better. This is walking with God. Second hand relationships are no good. We must know God face to face, heart to heart and spirit to Spirit.

We cannot see all the reasons, though we may understand some, and as we step out, it is always in faith. Fretting only leads to unbelief and looking for support in the wrong places. Knowing God is the foundation stone of all our other relationships and the strength we need to overcome all other difficulties.

God sees us coming and welcomed us. The mortal enemy sees us coming too and makes his plans to stop us in our tracks. He will seek to discourage the Christian and keep them quiet- quiet to God and quiet in prayer life. If we keep our eyes fixed on God and trust Him to take us to safe ground, we will overcome the temptations and weaknesses.

God will never leave the soul who is trusting in Him and will fortify them with His own strength. He lifts us to safe ground and will keep our feet steadfastly on the narrow road to eternity.

Who is it?

Ezekiel 1:25-28 “Then there came a voice from above the vault over their heads as they stood with lowered wings. Above the vault over their heads was what looked like a throne of lapis lazuli, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him. Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking.”

Ezekiel 2:1-10 “He said to me, “Son of man, stand up on your feet and I will speak to you.” As he spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet, and I heard him speaking to me. He said: “Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me; they and their ancestors have been in revolt against me to this very day. The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says.’ And whether they listen or fail to listen—for they are a rebellious people—they will know that a prophet has been among them. And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words. Do not be afraid, though briers and thorns are all around you and you live among scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say or be terrified by them, though they are a rebellious people. You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious. But you, son of man, listen to what I say to you. Do not rebel like that rebellious people; open your mouth and eat what I give you.” Then I looked, and I saw a hand stretched out to me. In it was a scroll, which he unrolled before me. On both sides of it were written words of lament and mourning and woe.

Can you see the sight?

A man, glowing, white hot metal. Brilliant light all around Him, impossible to look at with human eyes. Every colour imaginable was there – a radiance that emanated from His person.

The majesty speaks to Ezekiel. He gives Ezekiel dignity and a message to give to the Israelites. It is a difficult message, and Ezekiel has to tell it to a stubborn and rebellious people who always refuse to listen to God’s voice. Ezekiel is to speak, weather they listen or not. He is not to be intimidated or bowed down by the rejection. Ezekiel must listen and take into himself what God is giving to him.

The message is a hard and searching one. It is a lament, words of mourning and promises of woe…. How will Ezekiel speak this to these hardened people?

How are we to witness to a hardened world in these dark days? We can only do it if we have a clear view of Christ and His power and majesty. No strategy or management philosophy will do. It is Christ or nothing… We must walk in obedience and seek God Himself- taking His message to the people around us.

Ezekiel 3:1-9 “And he said to me, “Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the people of Israel.” So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat.

Then he said to me, “Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it.” So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.

He then said to me: “Son of man, go now to the people of Israel and speak my words to them. You are not being sent to a people of obscure speech and strange language, but to the people of Israel not to many peoples of obscure speech and strange language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely if I had sent you to them, they would have listened to you. But the people of Israel are not willing to listen to you because they are not willing to listen to me, for all the Israelites are hardened and obstinate. But I will make you as unyielding and hardened as they are. I will make your forehead like the hardest stone, harder than flint. Do not be afraid of them or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious people.”

God’s servant Ezekiel, must be able to stand against the ill- will and bad feeling of the people who God wants to receive this message. The people are very stubborn, but God still wants to speak to them, and so His servant, Ezekiel, must be emotionally and spiritually prepared to confront the stubbornness and speak the truth. If hearts are hard, then the prophet’s resolve must be harder. If the arguments are fierce, then his speaking of truth must be straight and firm. If they terrify him, he must strengthen himself in the power of the Lord. This is a wonderful lesson for us all in the difficult culture we live in. The message of God and the power of the Spirit are sufficient for all circumstances. The love of a Saviour who died, to rescue us from the hardness of our own hearts is the overwhelming truth that prevails. He can melt any heart and forgive and redeem any sinful situation.

The challenge is to be obedient like Ezekiel and remain steadfastly by the truth of God’s word, as He sees it, not as we see it. This spiritual conflict will cost us, and we will not enjoy popularity and earthly reward, but many suffer isolation and ridicule, but our Saviour went before us and we will not fear. To enjoy the understanding of God’s word and to have fellowship with God, is surely worth all the sufferings of this life.

As we look at this amazing picture of the Lord Jesus Christ, we realise that what we see with our physical eyes in this world, is not necessarily how it is. Those who look to Him with the eyes of faith, see the risen and glorified Lord who stands forever in power and authority over all situations. No one can touch Him. He alone is our motivation and source of what we say – nothing else, no one else. He can make the weak strong, and can correct the misconceptions we all have about His person. He alone plans the course of the life of the Christian, and He will bring all things to pass according to His perfect will.

We need not fear. We must be bold and strong, and stand in the strength of the Lord. We take to ourselves these revealed and obvious truths, and go forward in his strength, confident in His blessed purposes and seeking out His glory always.

He knows

Acts 1:24NIV“Lord, you know everyone’s heart”

Some run away from that, not wanting their badness to be seen.

Some embrace this fact as an opportunity to get right with God.

Some refuse to be shown what is in their hearts as they don’t want to change.

Some blot our God altogether and bury their heads in the sand.

Some explain away the idea of “heart” as an antiquated piece of religion.

Some believe they can keep Him out.

Some live in dread of that last day when they know all will be revealed.

Some fill their hearts with this world’s delights to stem the effect of conscience.

Some believe they can buy their way out of a tight spot.

Some will not have this LORD, to reign over their lives.

Some believe they have the right and ability to choose.

Some don’t believe in “knowing”

Some see it, believe it, act on it and His knowing becomes their knowing too…

Your life-work

In the family of God, none is more or less than another. God assigns tasks and life-work to every child, and we obey and carry out the assignments with our utmost strength.

Some are lifted publicly and have human acclaim. Others serve silently with little human encouragement, but with eyes fixed on Jesus, so that they do not loose their reward.
Every Christian has a life calling and God equips and trains us to carry that task to full fruition. The circumstances of your life are not mistakes but the training ground for what you will face for His sake. Our mind-set should not be fearful, but a confident trusting in the living and true God.
Let us seek His face and subdue ourselves under Him who loves us and has bought us with such a great price.

Daughters of the Kingdom

Women who glorify God