This morning I start with the song “He will Hold Me Fast”, ringing in my ears – I hear God’s voice from His heart: “You were right (when you spoke to Lilly last night), I am orchestrating my plan all the time – although I have given you a completely free will, yet my plan is as sure and secure as it can be. Your voice goes up with billions of others all over the world – in a huge symphonic choir – no voice is pitch-perfect when it leaves the person – but I adjust it so that they will all fit together so that when they reach Me it is a perfect harmony. That’s not all – I am busy with a video – the greatest story, the story of the world and mankind – My story – I am the director and the scriptwriter. I decide the cast and I direct the whole video so that it will reflect My story perfectly – now you only see and experience a small part of that – but one day, when I come again it will be complete and wrapped up – and it will play over and over to show Satan and all those who are on his side – who have rejected Me -so they will be forced to watch it over and over.
“So go out and continue to play your part – speak often to Me and hear My guidance – LISTEN TO ME. Listen to me with ALL your senses, sight, smell, taste, hearing, touch and ESP – that deep touch, that nudge – down in the bottom of your heart, hear Me in the music of every part of My creation – that is all Me directing your story to fill its part in My story. Above all worship Me and give Me glory because that is the central melody line of the story”.
So what has Jesus to say to me through Luke today? The reading is from Luke 9:51-62. Gooding makes the point that this is the beginning of the description of a journey. The journey commences with Jesus resolutely setting His face towards Jerusalem. The key to what s going to happen in Jerusalem is “As the time approaches for Him to be taken up to heaven. The villains of the story, in vv 52,53 , become the hero in 10:25ff.
To me, at this point in Luke’s gospel, the few vv from 57 – 62 reflect back to 8:23 where Jesus says – “if anyone would come after me he must deny himself and follow me, he must take up his cross daily and follow me …. etc” These few vv in ch 9 then show something of what that means practically and are extremely important. Maybe read them through and avoid the temptation to say to yourself “this doesn’t apply to me.”
What is your perception of Jesus’ statement “foxes have holes etc”? Is He calling you to examine where your security lies? Does your security lie in Him alone or are you clinging to other things to give you security? Remember no amount of money can buy your way into heaven. Then the excuse of the chap who says he wants to go and bury his father first. Does this resonate with you at all? Are you putting off some part of your true commitment because of some “unfinished business” you may have. And then the one who wants to say goodbye to his family first. Does your commitment to your family, prevent you from making a complete commitment to Jesus? Are you allowing your family or someone in your family to dictate to you where you should be going with your life?
For me personally this meant some severe self-examination. Have I truly taken up my cross and died to all my personal wants and priorities and bought into following Jesus, no matter what that may mean, in a practical sense? I know I have said the words before, but what was my heart saying? It is so easy to gloss over these things and presume you are ok without asking God to help you “search your heart and see if there are any wicked ways within”.
Come, join with me and lets listen to and follow Jesus fully with our whole hearts.
I am writing this in deepest gratitude and honor to the Holy Spirit of our Lord. He alone is my counselor. I know without His help and guidance I would not have survived the cruel attack on me and the time afterwards. When we give our live to the Lord Jesus Christ believe in Him and trust Him with our heart the Father seals us with His Holy Spirit. This indicates that we truly belong to the Lord. It is the most important promise for our life our guaranteed inheritance. …………………………He anointed us set His seal on us and gave us the Holy Spirit in our hesrts as a pledge 2 Corinthians 1 22……..In the Old Testament the inner sanctuary the Holy of Holies of the temple where only the high priest once a year could enter and commune with the Shekinah glory the visible manifestation of the Creator Himself. When Paul wrote of our body being a temple of the Holy Spirit this is the word he used. Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you whom you have from God and you are not your own. 1 Cor 6 19. Friends whenever there is a reason to feel upset my heart tells me you are the Father’s Holy of Holies you are forever safe and secure in His love nobody can take you out of His hand. ……….All power and glory be to our Holy Lord forever and ever.