I remember a few years ago when we were out four wheel driving in the mountains and in some pretty rough terrain. The GPS system had all the latest map upgrades and were showing several tracks that were not on any printed maps we had. We saw one bush track on the GPS leading to the right of where we were and decided to explore it. But as we approached where the intersection was supposed to be, we couldn’t see any entry point…
I arrived home late tonight, had a late dinner with Anne, and then headed out the veggie gardens to inspect the tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchinis, snow peas, herbs and, of course, my beehives. I didn’t really want to go outside, preferring to get back to my desk and finish the things I couldn’t get to today. Anne encouraged me. I got the garden hose fired up and…
My eyes were suddenly glued to that one line … I clearly remember an urgent quickening in my spirit … and I remember asking the Lord about it. As I prayed I receive the most wonderful insight. In that moment God showed me (just a kid), in that verse, how everything Jesus ever did was repeatable – excepting the work of the cross and resurrection – everything else was repeatable.
What a week it has been! There have been many opportunities – that is, many challenges! It all depends on your focus, doesn’t it? When we view life and earthly realities from God’s perspective and decide to accept and go with God’s agenda, or God’s leading, that’s living by faith, and challenges become opportunities. For the believer, that is the proper, preferred and exciting way to live. What have been your “challenge opportunities” this week?
God is doing a new thing. Many of you have heard that Isaiah 43 scripture before, perhaps many times, and have even used it as a promise of God to look forward to a new season. And, in a sense, it is kind of like that – but it’s not a promise of God as such. It was a prophetic encouragement to Israel to look to the new future God was preparing for them.
The rising crescendo of voices has become a screaming match and all sorts of accusations and claims are being made by both sides of politics in the USA. Cries, of “without evidence” for some statements, and other cries of “censorship” at the hands of Facebook and Twitter by the other side are rife, too. Before that there was “fake news” and so on.
But, as I have kept saying these last few months, the church has a great responsibility in modelling to the rest of the community the kind of dignified poise and calm that would cause others to enquire as to the faith we have in an all-powerful God. We have an obligation, as citizens, to respect the laws of the day, and a crucial responsibility as citizens of the Kingdom of God to do so in a way that honours the Lord, a doesn’t bring the gospel or the church into disrepute.
In the middle of all this is the Christian music industry around the world. Christian worship music is proliferating with many artists and churches emerging at the moment. This proliferation has been astonishing – more than tripling in the last 12 years. And, of course, churches have accessed a lot of new music and songs for use in worship services, as has any Christian with a mobile phone, tablet or laptop computer. Our churches have done the same, too.
As I sat thinking about this incremental improvement on Sunday afternoon before writing this, I felt Holy Spirit alert me to the importance of the incremental improvement in our new lives as believers – as ones born again. The incremental renewal and transformation that takes place in the believer as we walk with God allowing Holy Spirit to sanctify us, is a really important thing.
So, what do I mean when I suggest that Gospel power is about to be let loose? For many years now I have been deeply concerned that the church, in general, is so willing to settle for a soft Gospel, or an easy Gospel – a “PC” Gospel – that doesn’t offend people with too much truth; a Gospel that doesn’t demand much of us.
In more recent times another phrase has arisen in our everyday language that just wasn’t there 15 years ago … “Yeah, no.” Yeah, no? What on earth is that supposed to mean? “Yeah, no.” This phrase is everywhere now. Recently, listening to a talk back radio program (on “Our ABC”) both radio announcer and interviewee used “Yeah, no”, 17 times in the space of barely 15 minutes – and these are educated people.
Hello everyone!
I saw a dove the other day – not a pigeon (I know what they look like). No, this was a dove, a white dove. You don’t often see them in our neighbourhood. I heard the unmistakable sound of its fluttering wings breaking its descent as it gently landed on the spouting of my shed. Then it just stared at me as I was unlocking the door, as if curious. It stayed quite still and I suddenly became aware that any sudden, or threatening movement from me and it would immediately fly off. So, I stayed still and stared back in what I hoped was a non-threatening demeanour.
The dove occasionally moved its head from side to side giving me a really good look over from both eyes separately … and after a while, with curiosity apparently satisfied, it launched into the air and disappeared over the wattle tree near the back fence.
I unlocked the shed, turned on the light and set up the tripod to take a video of the weekly pastor’s update, then sat for a bit with my steaming cup of coffee … and thought about the dove. How carefully it had watched me, assessing things, scanning for any sign of hostility. I reflected that it had probably sat there staring for a good five minutes, probably more.
I thought of one of the New Testament descriptors for Holy Spirit - the dove. The dove describes the gentleness of Holy Spirit, the sensitivity of Holy Spirit to environment and so on. I realised that any inappropriate action from me would end the encounter with the dove on my shed roof … and I realised, too, that any inappropriate movement or behaviour from me would disturb Holy Spirit, and probably end a hosting encounter ...
Holy Spirit is extremely sensitive to environment – not fragile, just sensitive; not intimidated, but very sensitive to the environment of my heart …
Awareness of the presence of Holy Spirit is awareness and experience of the manifest presence of God – a magnificent thing! The presence of God is what changes things … everything. It dramatically changes the fellowship I have with God. So much closer and real and so very much deeper. In His presence sickness bows its knee, demons run in terror, darkness flees … peace and safety become very, very real. The love of the Father becomes overpowering reality. Security.
If I want to ‘host’ the presence of God in my life, my home, or my ministry, I need to become very aware of any environment that would cause Holy Spirit distress, to grieve … and even writing this, I want to be so careful so as not to disturb the environment for him such that he would want to depart. This doesn’t mean I have to walk on eggshells in some silly, religiously superstitious way – Holy Spirit is not frightened of anything, or anyone. But He is very sensitive to environment and will not linger in a manifest way if the environment is unclean, defiled or soulish, or hostile because of sin … Of course, we don’t ever lose the indwelling presence of Holy Spirit as ones born again, but conducive, sweet environment is crucial if we want to host His manifest presence – his tangible, presence – and hear His voice clearly …
And so, this morning I made a decision … I clearly articulated it and wrote it down in my SOAP journal. Here it is …
“Everything I do, I now do with the dove in mind … because I want Him to linger long with me. I will prepare a table for Him, an environment for Him, in the presence of my busyness and learn to host the presence of the Lord each day. Welcome Holy Spirit!”
Ephesians 4:30 “And do not grieve Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”
You are dearly, dearly loved.
Ps Milton
Hello everyone!
Over the weekend, as I was preparing the message for Sunday, I experienced a very personal spiritual attack. It took me a few hours to figure out that it was, in fact, a spiritual attack and not something else. I was a bit late to the battle and had to gird up pretty quickly. So, in the midst of preparing for Sunday, I found myself doing battle in prayer, and putting on the armour of God.
It was hard work. The attack was quite strong, and nasty.
Doing battle when under this kind of attack is wearing, energy sapping and it is hard to focus on the task at hand at the same time. The battle continued all day Sunday, into Sunday night and then into the night hours of Monday morning – sleep was not good. I kept drawing near to the Father, dealing with any sinful attitudes, praying for protection, binding the enemy … and, of course, praising the Lord. That wasn’t easy, either … The attack was full on. I could feel it on my body.
Psalms 24:7-10 “Lift up your heads, you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. 8 Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. 9 Lift up your heads, you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. 10 Who is He, this King of glory? The LORD Almighty— He is the King of glory.”
In praise we start declaring truth about God and in the spiritual realm supernatural, awesome power is released and, as I was saying in last week’s Pastor Update video, we get our heads up above the circumstances, and get the gates open for the Lord. The Lord is looking for gates.
Just this afternoon today (Monday), an encouraging word came to me in the snail mail from a special friend who shares my love of a hot meat pie. A friend who is no stranger to spiritual attack. It was out of the blue (not really – it had God’s fingerprints on it – and it was postmarked 28.08.2020). I read the simple card from my sister in the Lord, and I thanked the Lord for the blessing it released to me in the moment ...
The attack was broken right there and then – I felt this weight lift off ... and the usual lightness of spirit return.
God did battle for me in the spiritual realm as I put on His armour and took my stand, and interceded. He then deployed another listening servant of His to send me a message of encouragement – 10 days before I needed it! - the timing was all His. The sheer power of that simple message and the encouragement it imparted to my spirit was a direct statement by God that the battle was done. I read it over and over hungry for the blessing.
As soon as I accepted the message, I was done, too. Peace …
God is good!
I had the sad duty of conducting the funeral of a Victoria Police officer three years ago next week on RUOK Day. This man was in the prime of his life, but injury whilst making an arrest had sidelined him for nearly a year and he faced many setbacks getting back to proper fitness levels. He struggled with depression over it all and, tragically in the end when he had become fragile, he took his own life. At the memorial service at Eltham Community Centre that day the sadness and grief and sense of apparently inexplicable loss was so overwhelming.
That hall was filled with family and several hundred police from the Chief Commissioner down to local stations.
In part of my message to those assembled, I said this …
“Life is precious. It is so incredibly sacred – and so, so fleeting. And we feel it so deeply when a loved one is wrenched away in death through circumstances that have overwhelmed them, and which took us all by surprise. It is devastating. ...
… I say to you all here today, and especially to the Victoria Police members present, to you who daily face extraordinary challenges and pressures for the sake of our community, you are so appreciated and enormously respected, and esteemed by us all. Before God, I honour you all today. But, as much as we all want you to be invincible for us, deep down we know that you’re not. You’re humans like the rest of us. … You are not unbreakable, invincible machines. You are human beings loved by others, held dear by others ... and none of us can afford to lose any one of you before your time.”
Your pastors aren’t invincible, either, though sometimes the church family tends to think we are or maybe want us to be with every loving and honouring intention ... We’re not unbreakable machines … we have feet of clay, hearts of flesh … just like you. We feel the pressures of life like anyone else, we have our moments of struggle and pain … and wonder at times how we’re going to do all that God is asking of us … because, sometimes, we just don’t know. We go on faith alone at times, trusting our heavenly Father, who holds us steady and keeps us focused in the eye of the storm and the heat of spiritual battle raging over our churches sometimes … He guides us. He makes us brave … He does battle for us. But there are yet moments of deep struggle and self-doubt in it all … we battle that, too.
And so, we pastors with feet of clay are incredibly, wonderfully touched, blessed and encouraged when even a small expression of encouragement is given us by another brother or sister in the Lord who was moved to do the Lord’s bidding in the moment. What may seem a simple small gesture has its blessing exponentially amplified by Holy Spirit.
Mark 9:41 [Jesus] “Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward.”
God so values the ministry of generous encouragement.
Thank you, Dawn. The next pie is on me.
You are deeply, richly loved.
Ps Milton
Hello everyone!
I was reading in Matthew 8 this morning about that moment in Jesus’ ministry here on earth where He stilled a storm – and it was a “furious storm” at that (σεισμος μεγας = “mega storm of seismic proportion”). It was a stunning demonstration of Jesus’ authority. As is my habit, I’ll read for a bit and then stop to meditate when I feel a prompting to do so. That is, at the prompting of Holy Spirit I sense in the course of reading, I go no further assuming God wants to speak to me about something.
And, He did …
Here is the text itself …
Matthew 8:24-27 (MRO) “Suddenly a mega storm of seismic proportion blew up on the lake, so that the waves were swamping the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke Him, saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!" 26 He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. 27 The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey Him!"
Guess where I was prompted to stop and meditate? “What kind of man is this?” What sort of human being is able to do such a thing? Jesus was asleep in the boat, apparently quite oblivious to, and unperturbed by, this massive storm. The disciples, amongst whom were are least five seasoned fishermen (no strangers to rough seas), are terrified and are convinced they’re about to meet their end. This was beyond their experience. Their last resort is to wake Jesus who doesn’t immediately respond to the storm, but to them. The literal translation is, “O, you of small faith, what are you scared of?” That’s before Jesus deals with the storm. In Luke’s gospel the recollection is slightly different but essentially nails the same issue. Jesus asks, “Where is your faith?” That is, “Hey guys, have you forgotten something here?” Mark’s gospel recollects the same incident in similar fashion but he notes that Jesus arose, rebuked the winds and the waves and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” Shhhh! Settle down …
The disciples are speechless. Jesus rebukes the wind and the waves … and the sea becomes calm. The disciples are stunned – they’d never seen a human being do such a thing. But Jesus had just done it right in front of them.
“What kind of man is this?” The answer is, “the man with confident faith”, which is clearly what Jesus was implying, as if to say, “Hey guys, you could have done this yourselves instead of caving in to fear.” Really? Is Jesus being just a bit harsh here? No. He isn’t. He is demonstrating what kind of human being can still a storm. It is the one who has cultivated such faith as to confidently command circumstances. I meditated on this incident in Mark 4:39 for a bit, too …
Here’s the thing that came to me as I was meditating on this last verse and what Jesus spoke: in stilling the storm Jesus rebukes the storm (“Not on! No! Stop it!” Etc.) and then He speaks peace to the circumstances. This is the critical bit. Jesus was, just moments ago, fast asleep. He, himself, is already at peace. He is woken. He quickly assesses the circumstances and then addresses the circumstances with what He has. What did He have? Peace!
Get this: what was in Him comes out in verbal declaration to the circumstances … and it subdues the circumstances so that He is in now charge. And He cannot work out why the disciples couldn’t have done the same. That’s the issue! What wasn’t in them … could not be declared in confident faith. Or, what was in them, they failed to declare.
They had nothing to say to the chaos.
Our internal reality becomes our external reality as we walk by faith more and more declaring it moment by moment. Our internal reality grows and develops as we intentionally exercise faith at all times declaring God’s promises as we go – and not just on special occasions - regardless of feelings and what we see. Regardless of how ferocious the winds and how big the waves.
What was in Jesus was declared by faith. Confident faith. Jesus was not hoping for the best, here, – no! - He knew who He was and what kind of man He was as he walked with the Father. He knew what was in Him to declare. This is confident living.
So … a question: “What is inside you?” Because whatever that is will be spoken into your life circumstances, your relationships, your children one way, or another. For better, or for worse … for victory, or defeat … life, or death.
2 Corinthians 5:5-7 “Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. 6 Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. 7 For we live by faith, not by sight.”
May I encourage you to intentionally, determinedly, courageously walk by faith so that what has been planted in you, deposited in you when you were born again, grows and develops until you know what kind of person you are. Really know! If you really, really know, you can really, really declare it. The Spirit of God is in us as a deposit, a first instalment, of what is coming as we walk by faith – the ability to command and overcome, as well as to be assured of our eternal destination.
The disciples actually didn’t need rescuing that day on the lake – according to Jesus. Neither does the Church need rescuing today. As we walk by faith we realise that more and more and we gain what I have long called “confident faith experience”. We declare that – what is inside us – and we overcome the world. Yes, I know. Let’s start where we are, and graduate to boats, storms, winds and waves later on. But let’s start speaking and declaring what know we do have … and make a start. Be faithful with a little, and learn to be faithful with more. So that people will say, “What kind of person are you?”
And we’ll get to tell them! Awesome!
You are deeply loved.
Ps Milton
Hello everyone!
I want to take the opportunity to strongly affirm the great attitude that everyone has adopted as we tough out this pandemic, and the restrictions upon everyday life that it has brought upon us. Person by person, as I speak with you, has such a great attitude – an attitude of faith and hope that God has got His hand on us, and will see us through all this.
I am so proud of our churches …
These last few weeks my mind has turned to what it means to be a worshipping church, a worshipping people of God in the current circumstances. I have wondered deeply about what God hears and sees from heaven as His people, being sorely tested, continue to offer up praise and worship. I have thought so much about that as I have read through the psalms and Job, the Book of Revelation, and the Book of Lamentations … so many thoughts, so many questions … that eventually give way to deep worship of my God …
I was sitting with these kind of thoughts just this morning (Monday) and I had one of those moments when everything around me in the physical environment suddenly went quiet … and I knew that the presence of the Lord was right by me. He wanted to show me something … These are the sweetest of sweet moments in communion and fellowship with the Father. My immediate response is always to stop what I am doing and, as the four living creatures did in Ezekiel’s vision (See, Ezekiel 1:23-24), “let down the wings of my spirit” to be still before the Lord. Body still. Mind still. Spirit resting … heart quietly at attention …
In the quietness I felt (not heard an audible voice, this time, it was very clear) the voice of the Lord …
“My son, … that you have set your mind to enquire into these things, I want to respond and share My heart with you …. (pause, I wait for His voice again …) There are many moments and seasons where My people are tested …. moments of loss, moments of pain and firey trial, even doubt … and when their faith is greatly tested … (another pause, and I wait ready and listening for what was coming) … even then … when My people praise and worship Me from their hearts that are fully devoted to Me, there comes up to Me a very special, richer fragrance that delights Me, and blesses Me … this potent fragrance can never be released in heaven … my angels marvel at how this can be. To them it is a mystery … but not to Me. They gather to see its colour and beauty ascending to my throne … and they all bow down in reverence at the spectacle …” [10:17 am, August 24, 2020]
Then His tangible presence withdrew … not that I was alone, of course … and the usual sounds of life returned – way too loud ... It was an overwhelming moment … I was so touched that my heavenly Father would share that with me, and I began to worship Him right then and there … to bless Him … to please Him, to enrich the moment for Him …
What we offer up to the Lord in deep worship especially in the testing, painful seasons of life friends, is far, far sweeter, far richer to Him than any other kind of worship – not even the angels in heaven can replicate it, let alone better it. And Satan? He has no idea how all that works. He thought he could kill worship in Job. But could not. In David. He could not. In Paul. He could not. I now see how potent was the worship of Paul and Silas in jail at Philippi, deep under the ground, locked in stocks and bleeding from the lashing they’d received that morning. Their choice in the midst of all that? Praise and worship!
And so, what is it about our passionate, honest worship in testing times, or painful seasons, that makes it so much more fragrant than at other times? (Not that God doesn’t value our other-season worship, He certainly does). I have been pondering all that since this morning, and I offer some thoughts here, but it is still a work in progress for me as I meditate on this word, search the Scriptures … and pray.
The core issue, I am coming to see, is that when we worship out of the painful place, when we worship out of the places of deep faith testing, we ruthlessly choose to honour Him with our love and faith, and we do so by faith (Heb. 11:6). We choose Him over wallowing in our suffering and self-pity. We choose Him over pain, over the sorrowful circumstances and over injustice, we choose Him over complaining just as Jesus demonstrated on the cross … In these moments we choose worship. It is never something we attend, or “go to”, it something we determine to do over anything else, because the Lord is worthy of the first things … the best of our choices – even in times of pain and sorrow ...
We choose to worship in spirit and in truth – not flesh, or with attitudes plagued or affected by flesh concerns. We put these aside for the moment, not in an act denial but out of devotional priority, and we choose to worship in spirit and in truth and delight the Lord. How God loves that choice … and, of course, these are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks according to Jesus in John 4:23.
Pain and suffering serve to refine our choices. These come into sharp focus during trials and testing times … we get real about what is very important and what is not … and we become much more intentional about worship. We even craft and shape worship as a personal gift to the Lord in a single-minded, highly focused pursuit … and this involves sacrifice. It is always a sacrifice to choose the Lord, over self – but it becomes a glorious one as He inhabits the praises of His people. Genuine worship will always cost us something, or else, it isn’t really worship, is it?
True worship out of the painful place is a deeply refined, more honest kind of worship. The martyrs knew this in heaven when they finally got there, but not before … and in heaven their worship is the richest of all worship, including that of angels. Selah!
You are dearly loved!
Ps Milton
Hello everyone!
You’ve all heard certain public figures referred to at various times as “living treasures”. These are special people who have made a wonderful contribution to the community in their particular sphere of endeavour or influence, and they are honoured whilst they are still with us. Often, we honour people after they have died for their wonderful contribution. The title “living treasure” is about much more than what these folk have done or achieved. It is just as much about who they are, as well. It’s about personal qualities and character which have endeared them to our hearts so much.
There is even an official National Living Treasure status that has been created and which is occasionally updated by the National Trust of Australia's New South Wales branch. This “Living Treasure” status is awarded to up to 100 living people at any one time. Recipients have to be living and are selected by popular vote for having made outstanding contributions to Australian society in any field of human endeavour. Current status recipients include academic, Barry Jones, singers, Kylie Minogue and Olivia Newton-John, Olympian, Raelene Boyle, and others whose names you would immediately recognise. Former living treasures (now deceased) include, surgeon and war hero, Colonel Sir Ernest Edward, “Weary” Dunlop, naturalist, Harry Butler and Formula 1 Racing Champion, Sir Jack Brabham. Now, a critical factor in all this is that the person awarded living treasure status has impressed themselves on the rest of the population as people worthy of honour and respect. They are cherished not only for what they have done but for who they are – and the names I have included here clearly illustrate these attributes. These living treasures are seen as men and women, whom the sum of them individually, is greater than their actual humanity. They are loved and even adored by us.
I recall some years ago, I think it was in 2012, the same year Olivia Newton-John was awarded Living Treasure status, that mining magnate, Clive Palmer, was also awarded this status – and there was uproar around the nation! I won’t comment further here (I don’t want to get sued!), but I can imagine some of the reasons for the uproar. The National Trust, at the time, even refused to endorse his selection.
I think you get the drift about what is a living treasure – and what’s not.
Christians are also living treasures according to the apostle Paul – or we are supposed to be! He writes that despite our humanity, the “clay jars” that we are, we carry this treasure around inside us … for a reason. Look at what he wrote way back in 54 AD …
2 Corinthians 4:7-10 “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.”
Paul says here that we are more than the sum total of our humanness because of this treasure that has been deposited in us. We are more because of Christ in us! We are more regardless of the circumstances, because of Christ in us. We are more even when hard pressed, perplexed, persecuted, struck down and so on, because we carry around in our bodies, in our humanity, that is, the death of Jesus (which destroys sin’s power over us), and his resurrection life (his eternal life that is at work in us non-stop) every day! We are more than our mere humanity because of the life of Christ bubbling away in us the excess of which overflows … so that people see this new life revealed, made manifest, in us …
So, we’re living treasures in a very real sense. That’s you. And me. And for a very important reason ultimately on this earth … that this new life we have in Christ in all its surpassing, indefatigable, all-conquering power; in all its richness and supernatural capacity – and undisappointable hope - might be recognised as something far beyond unborn-again humanity. That it is from God, who sent His Son … that we may have this new life in all its super abundance as ones born again.
This is eternal life. It is (for now) carried around in clay jars … but it is far, far brighter, stronger, richer and incredibly lively and unstoppable. It is more than the container … and the circumstances that cannot contain it … Awesome, eh?
Clay jars … with treasure inside … living treasures each one of us – even on a bad day.
And so, we have an obligation, dear friends, no matter the circumstances and difficulties, regardless of our trials and tribulations, and that is, that we so live as to endear ourselves to the hearts of the people of this world. We so live that the life of Christ shines brightly before others (Jesus in Matthew 5:16) and, in doing so, encourage them to turn to their heavenly Father who waits to deposit this treasure in them also.
2 Corinthians 4:17-18 “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
When we fix our eyes on what is unseen, the eternal in us is stirred up and made manifest. Not achieved. But nade visible by Holy Spirit within us. This is our light.
Living treasures … appointed by God. Forever.
John 17:3 [Jesus] “Now this is eternal life: that they know You in living experience, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.”
You are dearly, dearly loved.
Ps Milton
Hello everyone!
I was flipping through an old S.O.A.P. journal from 2010 yesterday. I was searching for a scrap of paper that I had written a note on for a sermon idea. I didn’t find it. But my eye caught my entry for 4th Sept. 2010 where Holy Spirit had caught my attention with 1 Thessalonians 3:12 …
1 Thessalonians 3:12 “May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.”
The historical context for Paul’s first letter to the church at Thessalonica is around 50 AD with more details found in The Book of Acts 16—18 and, especially, Acts 17:1-9. On their second mission trip Paul, Silas, (with Timothy tagging along) ministered in Philippi where Paul and Silas were jailed because they caused uproar in the city with their preaching of the gospel and, in particular, because Paul cast out a demon in a slave girl who earned her master a lot of money as a fortune teller. With the income suddenly gone and official complaints made, Paul and Silas were summarily punished by the authorities and thrown into a cell. After their release (a story in itself) they headed for Thessalonica where they proclaimed Jesus as Messiah in the local synagogue - for three weeks! The result was some Jews, many devout Greeks, and a leading woman believed in Christ. But this was not without opposition. Local Jewish leaders were incensed to the point where the new disciples were severely persecuted by the authorities (See Acts 17:1-9). This was the beginning of the church plant called Thessalonica – after Paul had argued with the Jews in their synagogue from the Old Testament about the Messiah, for three weeks. He was nothing if not persistent. He explained and proved from the Old Testament Scriptures the death, resurrection and Messiahship of Jesus 17:3ff.
Paul didn’t stay much longer in Thessalonica and was on his way again with Silas leaving a new church in their wake. But the persecution that came upon that fledgling group was horrendous. And so, Paul sent letters to the churches to encourage them in his absence. He was very concerned that they should be well established in their new faith in Messiah, and comforted amid the storm of persecution that swept over them.
And so, these lines in 3:12 … “May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.”
This sounds so contrary to what was happening to the Thessalonians who were harassed and bullied every day. May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other AND for everyone else … AND EVERYONE ELSE. In the midst of persecution.
It is one thing to know and experience the love of God for oneself – and that is marvellous beyond words. But Paul here reveals that this is the beginning of the ministry of God’s love. The love of God in us is supposed to increase and increase in us to the point of overflow - a cascading, continual overflow that touches and affects many others, and not just our fellow believers.
The nature of God’s love is that, given the right environment (a spirit-filled life) it simply must increase. The love of God in us is an inevitably centrifugal force expanding ever outwards. This is the power of God’s love, that in its ever-expanding quest, found each one of us. God’s love always increases. It is eternal. It is one of the three unshakable, eternal realities of the Christian life. In fact it is the greatest of the three – faith, hope and love.
Paul speak here of this truth – about love’s inevitable increase if it has the right environment. It becomes an overflow. God’s love is not restricted, cannot be contained. It demands continuous, ever increasing overflow. First throughout the church and then far beyond the church …
1Jn 4:19-21 (NIV) “We love because He first loved us. (20) Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. (21) And He has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister”.
Prayer: “Lord, I want to cultivate the best possible environment in my heart that allows Your love for me to increase and continually overflow to others. Holy Spirit, warn me, please, when blocks like unforgiveness, anger, jealousy or bitterness – anything at all – spoil the environment of my spirit that would choke the increase of the Father’s love. Help me to see these that I may eradicate them and so that the increase of Your love in me, indeed, becomes the overflow of You. Amen.”
You are so dearly loved.
Ps Milton
Hello everyone!
It seems that week by week now there is a new, more intense, level of anxiety in our State of Victoria as the COVID-19 pandemic refuses to cooperate with ever tighter restrictions placed on us. Week by week, it seems. There is no denying the collective disappointment we all feel at the latest measures announced yesterday, and the sense of gloom that hangs over our city. Week by week we have been praying for a turnaround of this terrible situation … it hasn’t happened yet. We run into yet another week, this time with tighter restrictions and this will last six weeks.
As I say, week by week … seems hard to do …
But my eyes fell upon Isaiah 50:4 this morning …
“The Sovereign LORD has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed.”
As a preacher I was immediately encouraged by that first sentence. I felt God was reassuring me personally about the ministry of preaching that He has entrusted to me. Every preacher worth their salt wants to be able to bring comfort and encouragement to their church family when everyone is feeling wearied by life and all its pressures. Every preacher worth their salt works diligently in the Word and listens to Holy Spirit and takes the ministry of preaching very seriously. Many hours go into just one message … it is a great and joyous privilege to minister week by week in this way.
But that week by week thing comes into a wonderfully different perspective when we remember that day by day, in fact, morning by morning the Lord awakens us, and alerts us with fresh instruction and understanding if we’re poised to carefully listen …
“He awakens me morning by morning …
The Lord is proactive about this.
“… wakens my ear to listen …”
He even helps me understand what He is saying!
So, though the weeks may seem to drag on and on, fresh each morning the Lord is speaking to us, and is helping us to understand His will. Something fresh and new every morning as the prophet Jeremiah once wrote more than 2600 years ago …
Lamentations 3:21-23 “Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: 22 Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. 23 They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.”
Jeremiah had one of the roughest ministries of any prophet in the Old Testament – years and years of hard opposition. It wasn’t week by week, but year by year. How he did not collapse under the pressure is simply amazing. But we get a good clue here in Lamentations 3 … “This I call to mind and therefore I have hope: because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed by all that is going on, as hard and as painful as this may be, for His compassion never fails to recognise us. His mercies are fresh and new every morning … O Lord, great is Your faithfulness, to me.”
This pandemic is becoming a grueling week by week impost … but this I call to mind: morning by morning, brand new every morning are God’s mercies to us! O, Lord, great is Your faithfulness, to me!
Joshua was about to engage in a pretty big battle. His first. Jericho. He was a bit perplexed about it, but he was a man of prayer. It is written in Joshua 5 that while the Israelites were encamped on the plains of Jericho and preparing to attack Jericho, Joshua went for a walk. I like to think to myself it was a prayer walk … Anyway, he came near the city and the Scriptures record that he suddenly came upon a man who was just standing there as if expecting him …
Joshua 5:13-15 Joshua looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, "Are you for us or for our enemies?" "Neither," he replied, "but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come." Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, "What message does my Lord have for His servant?" The commander of the LORD's army replied, "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy." And Joshua did so.
What an incredible moment for Joshua. Here he is on the eve of his first battle as leader of Israel, he is out walking and no doubt praying, and he suddenly sees an angel, the commander of the Lord’s army standing there, ready for battle. The angel states a very crucial thing to Joshua when asked whose side he is on: “Neither! But as commanded of the army of the Lord, I have now come.” He is on the Lord’s side, and if Joshua wants his help, he needs to be sure he is as well. Two things strike me here. Did Joshua need reminding? Probably! Many of us can think we are on the Lord’s side when we’re not, or not completely … and we just need to be nudged into a right place where we definitely are. And this, I believe, is why Joshua humbled himself and wanted to know what the Lord wanted to say and do – he believed in his God-given responsibility, and didn’t want to go outside that, but he also wanted to know the Lord’s heart in that moment.
The second thing is this: when our hearts are “perfect” toward God, we can with great confidence count on His presence and help – and it won’t delay in coming. To have a heart “perfect” toward the Lord on the Hebrew of the Old Testament is not about having achieved sinless perfection, but to have a heart fully devoted to the Lord – no compromise. It is said of one of the kings of Judah, Amaziah, who was 25 years old when he ascended the throne (and reigned for 29 years), that …
2 Chronicles 25:2 “… he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, but not with a perfect heart.”
He did all the right things … but out of a sense of duty, not out of a heart fully devoted to the Lord. Joshua did that which was right, and that evening when he reverenced the commander of the Lord’s army, he ensured his heart was fully devoted to the Lord, too. The heart perfect towards the Lord, the one who has set himself, or herself, apart as an obedient servant, is the one who receives a vision of Christ, or the confirmation of Christ, as ally and Captain. Here were three armies juxtaposed and ready for battle – the Canaanites of Jericho, the Israelites … and the heavenly armies, waiting to war against the evil spirits which ruled the darkness of the land.
Joshua’s heart was perfect towards the Lord. The Lord did battle form him. And gave him victory. Many believers do what is right out of a sense of religious duty or obligation, but their hearts are not perfect towards the Lord. When it comes to battle, the commander of the Lord’s army does not fight for them.
2 Chronicles 16:9 “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him ...”
To show Himself strong on behalf of the heart perfect towards the Lord.
Selah!
You are so dearly loved! (And I miss you so much!)
Ps Milton
