Author: ianfrancoisdt

As I seek to become quiet and to listen to Jesus, I have this surprising word: “I enjoy your chatter – so please don’t stop – but be quiet now as I speak to you. I know your thoughts, I know every part of you – every strand of DNA I know your deepest innermost thoughts. I love to draw you closer to Me and give you a huge Spiritual hug – keep on seeking Me and My kingdom – make that your priority, and remember the purpose of the transfiguration was not only meant for the disciples – it was meant for every disciple since then – in the midst of this fallen world – having taken up your cross – and what follows after they come down off the mountain. I am still there in all my glory with you – and know that the glory the disciples saw was just a tiny foreshadow of My real glory still to be revealed in My coming again and in the presence of the Father in heaven. You are in a world which caused Jesus to suffer to save you and multitudes of others – remember every day it was His (MY) suffering that has brought you where you are now.”

So although my reading today is Luke 9:37-45, I feel I should share the melody line which I have picked up, since the confession of Peter in 9:20. Immediately after Peter’s confession, Jesus warns the disciples of His real mission – to suffer and die and be raised again to life. He repeats that in 9:44, which brackets this section. So what does that mean for the disciples? Remember they have come from a triumphalistic tour with Jesus and on their own, climaxing with the feeding of the multitude. The strange warning after Peter’s confession tells us that the whole story has yet to be revealed and that is what the rest of the gospel is about: Jesus’ death, the need for that and the effect.

So what should the disciples’ response be to this news? They should deny themselves and take up their crosses and follow Jesus. Get rid of their own life agendas and take up Jesus’ and be prepared to follow Him even to death. What a powerful and even frightening prospect! And what about all the disciples since then? That represents the true Christian life. But remember in several places another dimension of that life is shown like John 10 and 15, Psalm 37 etc It is not only a life of self-denial but of abundance as we move with Jesus and His Spirit and He offers us that we can ask anything we desire and He will give it to you. Of course as we deny our own agenda and take up His we will only ask for that which He wants for us anyway.

And so the next scene is the transfiguration. Surely this display had two effects. It was meant to restore and revive the disciples’ hopes as they saw this magnificent vision and heard God’s affirmation of Jesus as His beloved Son and secondly Luke emphasizes what they were speaking about – Jesus’ exodus (“departure” is actually exodus vs 31b). This underlines the theme of His death because it is not just about His death, but His death as it was prefigured in the original exodus rescue story of the people of Israel, as they were taken out under the yoke of slavery to freedom, under the rule of God. But the real Exodus was still to come. The real exodus was to be accomplished on the cross where true freedom from sin and slavery would be won for all time, for those who believe.

Then the last scene, as they descend the mountain. A scene of demonic domination where Jesus uses a quote from Deut 32:5 to describe the people who have deserted their God to worship other inanimate gods. “A perverse, (a crooked) and faithless nation”. (vs 41) This is a description of the world He has come to minister to and, dear friends, it still describes our world today.

So what did I hear Jesus say to me from all this. There was quite a lot because it was spread over three days. The first was a reminder of the importance of denying myself and focusing on Jesus so that I can follow Him. I spent some time thinking this through, what change in my thoughts did that call on me to make? Then the reassurance of Jesus’ mission with the transfiguration, which I believe I have probably underplayed in importance in my mind in he past, as an encouragement for me in my walk with Jesus. Finally a reminder of the importance of our (my) involvement in sharing in His mission in this perverse and faithless generation. ministering in a world still dominated by a demonic, although fatally wounded foe. Mark portrays the father as saying “I believe, help my unbelief”. How many times have I said that? How many times have you?

I wonder what Jesus is saying to you as you read his passage? Are you challenged? If so how?

“Communion, that is what I desire with you – Communion, which is the closest possible relationship – where My Spirit joins with your spirit, even closer than when you were at your closest, warm embrace with Emily. My communion with you is perfect – we are fused together. With Emily there was always some deep, hidden agenda, both with you and her. Now also remember, true communion is represented symbolically in the bread and wine – My body broken and My blood shed for you to make it possible.” That was God’s word to me yesterday.

Today the conversation continued: “So what is your motivation to have and continue your communion with Me? Do you seek some benefit from it – some sort of reward or kick-back? Will you still feel that close to Me if you did not have all I have given you here in your life in the Village? If things go horribly wrong in some way in your life? Don’t be afraid to focus on Me, remember the promise in Psalm 23, how I am preparing a table (feast) for you in the presence of your enemies – apart from my communion being like a love-feast with you, I want my relationship with you to be a shining example to Satan as part of my great victory. But this is just a shadow, looking forward to the great wedding feast of the Lamb. your place is prepared for you, you don’t have to earn it – I have already prepared that place – so enjoy My communion right now so that Satan can be jealous of that and we can defeat the doubts he is seeking to plant in your mind.

Another reminder from psalm 23 – there will be tribulation in this world as you go with Emily through the valley of the shadow of death – but I have promised to be with you right there all the time, that is part of My communion, I am there in he midst of all your trials and tribulations – giving you My continuous grace and practical help”

Now to our bible reading as we come to Luke ch 9. This is the pivotal chapter in Luke where Jesus’ identity is finally established and recognized, from now on the theme of the gospel will start to focus on the certainty and importance of His death, the true purpose for which He came. This pivotal chapter comes much earlier than the parallel chapters in Mark and Mathew, because in Luke it is followed by a number of juicy parables, which don’t occur in Matthew and Mark

My reading to day is Luke 9:10-17. Considering the brevity of many of his other reports, Luke gives considerable attention to the description of this miracle, which is mentioned in all the gospels. Coming just before Peter’s confession of who the disciples believe Jesus is, it seems that it is supposed to be the final exclamation mark as to His true identity. Why is it so decisive? Firstly it is the first miracle which focusses on a large number of people. Before this Jesus has dealt with individuals, healing and exorcising them and raising them from the dead. Then it is a miracle of creation as well as of multiplication. Two fish and five loaves distributed and multiplied to feed a crowd (5000 males alone) leaving 12 basketfuls of pieces behind. It is so easy to be used to this story to miss the incredibly, amazing message it brings. As Jesus looks up into heaven (vs 16) He is calling down none less than the powers of the Kingdom of God to invade our world, reminding us that His coming is not for a moral reformation but a spiritual revolution. The all-powerful kingdom of God is breaking into the world.

The symbolism includes a reminder of God’s provision of the manna in the desert to the people of Israel which was basic to the message of His total care for them in the most adverse conditions and a reminder to us that He will do the same for us, and then it looks forward to the great feast of the marriage supper of the Lamb at the close of history. As I read his passage I couldn’t help chuckling as I saw the link with the message He had given me earlier about the table in Psalm 23.

Of course there is another theme as He calls on the disciples to pass the food around, it is a prediction of the role they (and us) are to play in the future of the kingdom. They can take whatever small resources they have and Jesus will multiply that to bring the Kingdom purposes to bear. what an encouragement that is to each one of us. All we need to do is bring our resources, no matter how meager, to Him in our service of Him and He will multiply them to fit whatever the need is!

And look how Luke has bracketed this story: 9: 9b “…who is this I hear such things about?” and “….who do you say I am?” vs 20, just to emphasize the message between them it should bring and calling on us to answer the question for ourselves.

So I end once again with this all important question, at this moment in the middle of this virus pandemic: “Who do you say Jesus is?” Pause, think deeply then honestly deep inside your heart answer that question. I am not suggesting that you do not believe, I am suggesting that your view of Jesus determines your whole experience of Him and the faith you put in Him. You find it will determine how you will feel and what you will experience in your heart in the face of such and any other huge challenge you may be facing or will face in the future. And it will colour how much you enjoy Him even today

As the notes of the beautiful song New Wine slowly fade away its as if the Lord is saying to me, “Imagine you are a bunch of grapes – made and beautifully filled with juice – slowly the blush of the late summer shows you are ripening – Then I cut you loose from the vine and cast you into the wine-press where you are slowly crushed, spilling the precious juice, because as a whole grape you cannot become wine. So as you are crushed and the juice flows free – it has a natural tendency to ferment and form wine – yet here the Wine-maker’s skill comes into play as he guides the process to produce the best aroma and flavour as it is put together and matures. His skill turns the natural product into a beautiful, delicious wine which can give joy to those who drink it. But the wine gets better the more mature it becomes and gives more aroma and flavour – I am the Wine-maker and have been making you all your life for My table and although I want you to give flavour and aroma to all those around you, I am reserving the best for my table at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. So I am still busy removing all the impurities, so the end-product will be perfect”.

In my Bible reading; I have come to the last part of the section in Luke in chapters 7 and 8 with the common theme of Jesus’ salvation and revealing who He is, running through them. The problem with these stories is that we have heard and read them so often, it is easy to fall back on your previous recollection, rather than asking Jesus what He is saying to you today. It is clear that he brackets this section with two similar stories at either end. A healing for an important person – the centurion and then Jairus, the synagogue ruler. Alongside these two stories are two others involving women of no standing. There are two stories of rescue from the dead, with the widow in ch 7 and Jairus’s daughter in ch 8. Altogether this passage shows Jesus’ authority over sickness, death, the natural elements and the demonic world. He is truly the Messiah as prophesied in ch 4. The main lesson for us is the importance of responding in faith on the one hand and on the other to see that what He offers us is a free gift which we simply must receive to enjoy it. Jesus is portrayed again and again in different settings so that we can come to grips with this Man and get to know Him, so that we are drawn to put our faith in Him as we see him in a broader sense. You see Christian faith is not a leap in the dark. We cannot just sit and generate faith, we need to understand and be able to believe in a real figure as He is portrayed here for us. And as we get to know Him better, our faith will also grow..

So what did I feel Jesus was saying to me?

Firstly His willingness to touch the rejected and untouchable, bringing them into the warmth of His love. Then His insistence on the bleeding woman showing herself, showed He cannot be used in a superstitious way like people who go out of their way to touch relics. Healing must be accompanied by a personal meeting with Himself to fulfil His purpose. And thirdly the way He made Jairus wait may seem cruel, yet there is a sense in which time plays an important role in Jesus’ interaction with us. Like the wine-maker cannot hurry the maturing process and how the grapes are damaged beyond recognition before the best taste can come out, just so He needs and uses the crushing of pain and passage of time in the process of maturing us to the best possible aroma. Yes – His timing and His manipulation is always right.

So this is the main word I heard from Jesus – God is NEVER LATE, His timing is always right. We can – I can depend on Him completely, all I need is to learn to slow down and trust Him for as long as it takes.

As I was reading Luke 8, the parable of the soils, I was taken back to a night in 1974 when the darkness in my soul was as deep as the moonless darkness outside. I was alone at home and picked up a Helen Steiner Rice book that I had given Emily some time before, to seek consolation. Opening the book I read the following poem, a poem that had such an effect on me that it has stayed with me ever since then:

“The farmer ploughs through fields of green

and the blade of the plough is sharp and keen,

But seed must be sown to bring forth grain,

For nothing is born without suffering and pain –

And God never ploughs in the soul of man

Without intention and purpose and plan,

So whenever you feel the plough’s sharp blade

Let not your heart be sorely afraid

For, like the farmer, God chooses a field

From which He expects an excellent yield –

So rejoice though your heart is broken in two,

God seeks to bring forth a rich harvest in you.

Although I wasn’t converted yet, after I had dried the tears away, it was as if a shaft of light suddenly shone into my darkness. “How exciting, the pain I am feeling is a sign of the fact that God is preparing me for a specific task!” There are a few signposts in my life which stand out as pointers that God has always had a very special plan for me. Of course I now believe He has a special plan for each one of us, but this was part of a completely unexpected, highly personal directive.

So to Luke, the three stories from Luke 8:4-21 need to be read together as they have a common theme. It is a twofold theme and deals with God’s Word on the one hand and our response on the other. The three stories are held together by: “He who has ears to hear let him hear.” Luke 8:8; The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you (the disciples), but to others I speak in parables, so that though seeing, they may not see; though hearing they may not understand” Luke 8:10; Whoever has will be given more, whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. Luke 8:18; My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice Luke 8:21.

Can you see the link to the name of our blog lets LISTEN to Jesus. The premise is that there is “listening” and “LISTENING”. He who has ears let him hear. How do you know whether you are hearing Jesus Word? Well it shows in the response, doesn’t it. One who hears and understands produces fruit, there is a change, isn’t it. The story of the lamp is basically saying God isn’t really making a secret of the kingdom (as He says in vs 9b), His Word is as clear as a lamp on he hill. The problem of not understanding lies with the attitude of the listener (reader). So, as in the third story those who really listen and are truly part of the kingdom (iow saved) are those who not only hear the word but put it into practice. In other words they hear from the heart, they hear Jesus speaking to them personally. These stories reveal that the way we listen can bring a sort of judgement on those who don’t really want to hear, who don’t want to obey who are like the first three soils in the parable.

Don’t we see this in practice? The most intelligent and highly trained intellectuals often miss the point completely because they are just interested in analyzing the passage, not in hearing Jesus and having their lives changed. Others come to church for whatever reason, but have no real interest in meeting with Jesus and having a life-transforming experience. etc. To many others, this life-giving, all-powerful Word makes no sense at all, even when it is explained. On the other hand is it not so exciting that we all have access to Jesus and His words, they are as plain as a light on a hill-top, if we wish to hear and respond. And just as John the Baptist was “preparing the way for Jesus”, so our Father prepares our hearts and sometimes this means using a sharp plough to prepare our heart’s soil so that we can be receptive to His word. Seek and you shall find, knock and it will be opened unto you.

Lets then – really “listen to Jesus”, expectantly asking Him to open our hearts that we may truly change to love and obey Him more and more, from our hearts.

A song is playing: “Be still” (and know that I am God) – a song – a thought put into words by the song writer – such familiar words – but my desire is not only to know that “I am God” (ie about God) – but to know that God intimately, personally. My first thought is Romans 10:6 ff “who will ascend into heaven? (that is to bring God down) – what does it say? The Word is near you, it is in your mouth and in your heart”. While to know that Yahweh is God – I am overwhelmed with the vastness of His creation and power – Pictures of Suns crashing into each other and exploding 10 000 times the power of our sun, Tsunami’s, earthquakes, cyclones, massive thunderstorms tearing through the heavenly realms blasting off lightning like the sparks from a blacksmith’s forge, and waves towering into the air crashing onto the rocks that makes them quiver and so on go through my mind.

But I don’t have to fetch Him down from His throne – He is already near me, in Jesus. I can know God in Jesus without fetching Him – I can know Him as “the Word” that is as near as my mouth and my heart.

“Get to know Jesus better – let that reflect in your walk with Me – joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, purity, honesty, all put together in the package called love -walk in the Spirit and let My nearness provoke that sort of character in you”.

My reading is in Luke 7:41-50. But I need to see this passage as part of the whole message of Chapter 7. We said that salvation is one theme in ch 7. So the first two stories (the centurion and the widow)showed two sides of salvation: faith and the fact that it is a free gift (see my previous blog). The next story is about John and who he is, however it is really contributing to the third aspect of salvation which is mentioned in this chapter. I wonder if you can see it.

John came with a message which is billed as “preparing the way for Messiah”. How was he doing this? He was preaching about sin and the need for repentance and then ministering a baptism which symbolized that repentance. The Pharisees, however rejected that message as not applicable to them, their sin was minimal and dealt with through the law and sacrifices. One can deduce that the way to Jesus was NOT prepared in their hearts. So the last part of the chapter from vs 36 Luke shows a story and a parable which highlights what?

It highlights the seriousness of sin and the only way of having it dealt with, by forgiveness through Jesus. The Pharisees scorned the street woman who recognized her sinfulness and really appreciated Jesus’ forgiveness which opened a flood-gate of love for Him. The religious leaders did not even show common courtesy to Jesus, the King of the universe, because they had no appreciation for the fact that they too were sinners who desperately needed Him.

So this is the third aspect of salvation. First, receiving salvation by faith as a free gift and now the reality of what that gift entails, complete forgiveness of our sins, freely, we cannot earn it. That is the golden treasure of salvation. That opens vast vistas which are too much to talk about here. And notice in vs 50 what Jesus says, just to reinforce the importance of it – your faith has saved you. You must believe and trust Jesus for this forgiveness. Salvation, beginning and ending with faith in the very One who the whole chapter is about.

The other theme in this section is summarized in 7:49 “who is this who even forgives sins?”

John came preparing the way by making people conscious of their sinfulness, but only Messiah, God Himself can actually forgive sins. (Of course we understand that ultimately forgiveness would only be accomplished through the cross.) Fall in love again with this vastly exciting, mystical man-God.

There was plenty for me to meditate on, but here is where I felt Jesus was speaking to me. The very reason the world is in the mess it is in, can be summarized in the phrase: because of sin. That is what, after all, has caused God to place a curse on the world and that resulted in Him having to send His own Son to deal with the effects of that. Sin is extremely serious and the first step to recognizing our need for salvation is that we need to recognize why we need it – because of sin. However what I found Jesus saying to me was that the answer to dealing with sin and our separation from God because of it, is not to dwell on the sin as such. Yes we very definitely need to recognize it, but the way to deal with it is by fixing our eyes on Jesus and as through His Spirit He brings conviction of sin we are drawn to cast ourselves upon His compassion, demonstrated by His forgiveness, through confession and repentance. And we have a complete assurance that the sin is forgiven. The more mature in Christ I become The more I am aware that every thought and action I take is tainted and can only be purified the closer I am to Jesus.

Ultimately, like the street woman, the more we can appreciate how much we have been and are now being forgiven for, the more we will love the one who forgives. Isn’t that what you want? Its what I want. Is the lukewarmness of many in the church not due to the same attitude of the Pharisees?

A garden – “Come walk with me through My garden so I can show you where my thoughts and commands to you are rooted and grow into the beautiful flowers of obedience”. As I listen, I am aware of the TREE – that tree that caused all the trouble – ‘the tree of the knowledge of good and evil’, and there is Satan beckoning me to come and try some of the fruit – promising me “freedom” (actually the illusion of freedom) from the constraints of a fearful and angry God. My answer is a clear NO – I will deny myself and take up my cross – give up the notion of independence, even in a small way, from my Eternal Father – to walk close to Him – hand in hand as He guides me. “Come with Me and I will show you some delights in My garden – more beautiful than you could ever believe is possible. I have given you a companion to live with you in the garden – but the ultimate Companion will be Myself when you are finally joined to me at the ‘Marriage Supper of the Lamb'”

My reading Luke 7:11-18, is linked closely to yesterday’s reading of 7:1-10. This is the beginning of a new section which lasts to 8:56 , a series of stories with the main theme of “salvation” intermingled with a few parables. In the background, of course the main melody line of Luke – “who is this Man”? and “what has He come to do”? Why don’t you read through these two stories and see what you can glean from them, what Jesus wants to say to you to-day. Noting firstly how Luke uses contrasts to teach. See if you can spot the clue to the main theme.

OK so here’s the clue: 7:19 “Are you the One who was to come [Messiah], or should we expect someone else?” So what does this passage say that gives us the insight to know the answer? And what do the two stories reveal about Jesus’ purpose?

Firstly the contrast: First story; the main figure (except Jesus) is a gentile (outside of the Covenant race), an important and good man, interceding on behalf of his slave (doulos) who is severely ill. So humble he doesn’t feel worthy of speaking to Jesus himself. In the other a widow, weak, losing her one source of security in the future, her son. She has no standing and doesn’t even say anything to Jesus. In the first story Jesus “saves” the doulos, at a distance, and commends the Centurion for his faith, which can be seen as the vehicle which brought Jesus’ response. In the other story there is nothing said about faith, Jesus, out of compassion raises the son from the dead. But there is a key word – vs 15b “Jesus gave the son back his mother.

Are these two healings contradictory? I suggest absolutely not – these are two aspects of Jesus’ great mission of salvation, which for instance is so beautifully described in Ephesians 2:1-8: “We were all dead in our trespasses and sins v 1, and Jesus, because of His great mercy made us alive” vs 5 and then in vs 8 “For it is by grace we have been saved, (the Greek word for saved and healed is the same sozo) through faith and this not of yourselves, it is a gift of God”. Do you see that both are true – by faith and – it is a gift, totally free?

So who is this man who walks through these stories today? Do you know how important it is that we see who this Man really is? That is what transforms us. That is what settles our anxious hearts. It is the true and growing knowledge and understanding of who this Man really is This Man who, in my mind, walked with me in His garden this morning. Who do you say He is? Truly, deep down in your heart, where only He can see and where only He can go to change and heal you and raise you from the dead.

“Be still and know that I am – Who? Who is your God?

Receive, is the word that comes to mind as I listen. “Receive from Me! I am a giving God – I want to give to you – You must just be open to receive from Me – I have given you so much over the years, you are aware of some of it – but I have given you so much more than you are aware of – not a wallet full of money, but a wallet of love, of companionship and fellowship and friendships with so many people – every day I have been giving – freely of My love and grace – just become more sensitive to me and My gifts and you will see so much more of Me and yes, I do desire communion with you, like with every other brother or sister – walk with me, like Adam walked with Me in the garden, draw near to Me and I will draw near to you!”

My reading in Luke 6:39-49. covers 2 sections.

Having laid down the true characteristics of a Christian and given direction on a number of interpersonal issues, so far in this sermon, Christ covers a whole section with a warning against being judgemental, not to focusing on another’s ability to follow and be obedient to what He has taught so far, which it is so easy to dol. As much as we must be generous in all other aspects of life, so much should we be generous towards the behaviour and actions of others, remembering that we are often more guilty than they of the very misdemeanors we accuse them of. The hyperbolic parable on judgement in vss 41,42 is well-known, but may I suggest, needs to be meditated well on.

He then reaches the closing section of His sermon in vss 43-49 which can be summarized as follows: the basic characteristic of a true Christian is that his/her heart has been changed cf vs 45. The measure of that is the fruit of a changed life, as I suggested last time a supernatural fruit, only possible from a changed heart. And the way to find that and maintain it comes from our attitude towards God’s word (vv 46-49). It is not sufficient to just read His word, or even study it. It must bring about a changed heart which is shown by the obedience of the person reading it and the work of the Spirit in empowering one.

So the real key to the Christian life is truly “Listening to Jesus”! Hearing what He is saying to you and then taking that to heart, asking Him to change your heart. Our hearts are so hard that we need all the power, on an ongoing basis, of God’s Spirit to change them. However He will not and cannot change them unless we desire to have them changed. A desire which must be matched by our ongoing seeking Him and His Spiritual power. In other words to “walk by the Spirit” as in Galatians.

So for me today, as I meditated on the instructions of not to judge, I became so convicted as to how shallowly I have viewed this command previously. How easy it is for me to slot people into categories and to see their faults, while forgetting mine completely. And of course dealing with that requires further Spiritual heart-surgery. I am so grateful to a God who is patient and prepared to give me renewed hope and strength every day. Thank you my dear Lord, for being such a giving God. I worship at the foot of Your throne.

Closing my eyes I allow my mind to take me into a picture of the heavenly vision that John had, which he recorded in Revelation 4. The multitude of worshipers, the cherubim, but most of all the figure dominating everything, The Lamb that was slain, the Lion of Judah. Shining so brightly that no-one could look at it, a figure so beautiful no-one can describe it.

“Let your life be influenced by that and fill your mind with what is good, admirable, of good repute etc and overflow in rejoicing in WHO I AM – Elohim, Jehovah, Jesus, The Holy Spirit! Focus on that and not on the “what if’s” of your everyday uncertainty – so that you can rejoice in Me and be filled with thanksgiving. So live your life in that light – moment by moment, making your decisions, led by the Spirit – with the underlying sense of joy because of my relationship with you”.

I am reminded again of the joy of my conversion at Noordhoek, where my eyes, my mouth and my heart were filled with the word Jesus. Its been a journey, with many deviations, obstacles and joys, which I would not have missed for anything.

Reading Luke 6: 30 -39. I have come to the middle of the “sermon on the plain” which is Luke’s parallel to Matthew’s “sermon on the mount.” These verses have a common theme which is summarized in vs 31 “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”. In other words live your life in an “other people centered way”. the section is bracketed by the vv 29,30 on the one side and 38 on the other and shows us that the basic attitude of the Christian life towards others is one of ultimate generosity which governs how we treat them, whether brothers or sisters, or even our enemies.

I know that the immediate thought that goes through every person’s mind is “that is impossible, a bar too high to be leaped”. In ordinary terms that is oh so true, that is why we must understand that this can only be achieved supernaturally and that is why it is such a good witness as the true fruit of one who is really converted. I have so often seen the change in people who are converted when they become gentle and generous. So it has led me to say on numerous occasions the first sign of true Christianity is when a person’s wallet is also converted. But you know what? The promise in vs 38 is “Give and it will be given unto you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For the measure you use, it will be measured unto you”

This is the motivation behind the instruction, yet not the reason for one’s generosity. The reason for generosity is because of Jesus’ huge generosity through His grace to us. I can testify that I have been the recipient of many other’s generosity, especially now when I am vulnerable and weak, which proves to me that promise to be true. Friends, no-one can pretend this. This comes out of a heart that has been truly softened, by Jesus and His gospel and can only be accomplished through the power of the Holy Spirit.

When I attended the camp at Noordhoek where I was converted, one of the first words that struck me was the word for “power”. The speaker started his talk with a comment on the passage in Acts where Jesus says; “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you”. I remember Him saying the word for power in Greek is “dunamis”, from which comes the word dynamite. That really made me sit up. Well, the gist of his teaching was to do with being able to do miracles. While I now believe that miracles still happen today, the much more common need for power by the ordinary Christian is simply to live the gospel life effectively. When we think that Jesus’ instructions are impossible, we know that we need that gospel power to live it fully, from the heart.

For me today: The passage was a fresh reminder of the all encompassing other-person centered lifestyle that is expected of me. But wow, praise the Lord He has made it possible through the life-giving power of His Holy Spirit! I must just do it.

To God be all the glory.

This morning another song called “Goodness”, is ringing through my mind – God is the ONLY One who is truly good. “Search my heart Lord and show me my wicked ways that I may take responsibility and confess” as I am eager to hear my Lord. I see my heart – cloudy streaks in the so-called pure water – cloudy streaks of selfishness – building something to make a name for myself = Babel? Wanting to do things my way = Adam? Forgive me Lord and give me new impetus to deal with this so that my life will indeed, glorify you and not try and shine light on myself

Then God gives me a picture where I can see Goodness. The sky completely dark. Dimly on the horizon a figure on a cross, wracked with pain. I hear clearly in the distance “My God My God why have you forsaken me?” – Suddenly the word GOODNESS is emblazoned across the sky in the brightest light. This is where He showed more than anywhere else His Goodness – Here His goodness comes face to face with our need. There is nothing intrinsically good in ourselves – everything good comes from God and Jesus’ cross is the great means through which we receive it. We must receive it continually through the bread of life which is God’s word.

My reading today is Luke 5:27-39. (Just a reminder. The idea of this blog is that you read this passage and ask Jesus to speak to you through it personally first, then you can listen to what I heard Him say to me. Remember – this is not a commentary). Here we have two more of the 5 stories Luke uses to show Jesus’ demonstrating who He is through His public ministry which began at His prophetic reading in the synagogue, Luke 4:18-19).

The first story is of Matthew’s conversion and the banquet to which he invites all his tax gatherer friends and others to, to share his joy. Two things speak to me: 1.The immediate reaction of a true conversion is to want to spread this amazingly Good news and what better way than through fellowship, like a meal with those you know. 2. A repeated reminder (cf also Luke 5:12) that, to be helped by Jesus, we need first to recognize our need. The biggest stumbling block in our Western, affluent culture is our inability to recognize our need, therefore we see ourselves as “righteous” in other words we see ourselves as OK. So we pass up His help or seek worldly solutions. Jesus has come to help those who perceive their need (the sick).

The next story starts with a reminder of Jesus’ true identity. He is THE Bridegroom. Throughout the OT God has pictured Himself as the “Bridegroom” and where the people turned to other gods He frequently accused them of adultery. At the same time this passage looks forward to the ultimate conclusion and tumultuous consummation of God’s story at the “Marriage Supper of the Lamb”. What a glorious day that day is going to be! Jesus is truly God in human flesh.

But the passage also reminds the reader that Jesus has come to introduce the New Covenant. The real emphasis is that this New Covenant is completely New and should not be polluted by the ideas of the Old Covenant. Does that make the Old Covenant irrelevant? Of course not! We would not be able to understand or appreciate the New C if the whole of the Old C didn’t point forward to the New.

As a new Christian I was involved with the Charismatic Renewal. At that time there was a magazine, published in East London called “New Wineskins”. The proposition was that the “Renewal”, as it was known, was bringing a completely new vision and word for the church, a suggestion that this was the “New Wine”. This whole movement of the Spirit was reviving and shaking the old denominations where this Renewal originated. In retrospect, I do think that it did shake up and cause many people to awaken spiritually, but it wasn’t the true New Wine of this passage.

So what did this whole reading say to me? 1. A continual reminder of the revelation of who Jesus is – “The Bridegroom”, brings waves of delight and anticipation of that great celebration of the “marriage supper of the Lamb”. 2. Following that, there is a continual compulsion to tell, with joy of the real healing that Jesus brings. With a reminder of how the first step in response is recognizing our need. 3. Warning how easy it is for the Old Testament ideas to cloud the wonderful Gospel of the New. So many people are living, by the law, they are missing the real gospel. I am in danger of that every day! At the same time it is precious to reflect on how rich the Old T teaching makes our understanding of the New.

To God be all the glory and majesty of the great Bridegroom

This morning I am listening to Hillsong sing the beautiful worship song “So will I” (also known as “a hundred billion galaxies”) and am deeply moved by this breathtaking picture of our “God of Creation”. A picture of a hundred billion galaxies being born, that awesome power being released, tens of thousands of lightyears in size, just by a word and yet ….. and yet – He is interested, intimately interested in me, in you, in each one of us! As the music washes over me, I see a crystal clear mountain stream tinkling down over little waterfalls and stones. The water, absolutely pure. Then I think of a description of John Piper’s in which he, in trying to describe God’s glory, he says it is like the word “beauty”, when we use that word a picture may come into your mind but how do you define it? Just so Glory is difficult to define and the closest he can come to describe it is that God’s glory is manifest in His holiness, which you can describe.

So I see in the clarity of the water a picture of God’s holiness, completely clear and unpolluted. In comparison to that I see a raging, muddy, torrent flowing past it, stones, leaves, rubble and mud swept along – “that is like the world”, the Lord says. Polluted, sweeping everything before it.

How does the crystal clear communicate with the torrent? That is what the work of Jesus which He has accomplished for us. A means for our filthy, muddy water to touch the pure – a picture of the power of Jesus’ work on the cross. He must cleanse a small amount of muddy water to meet with God’s pure stream. However as each individual being is cleansed it is almost infintesimal in its effects on the torrent. When more and more water is cleansed and flows together in a pure stream is has more of an effect. That is why we are so ineffective on our own. We need to act together to make a difference to the torrent. That is why the church is so important. On our own we can have an effect, but together the effect is much greater in changing the muddy torrent to the crystal clear .

My reading is in Luke 5:12-26. These are the first two of 5 stories following the calling of the first disciples. Among others it demonstrates the growing antagonism by the high Priests etc against Him. In the first story about a leper, what spoke to me was the fact that the leper came to Jesus for help. He humbly declared his need to Jesus, vs 12. Jesus’ answer to him is the same as His answer to each one of us when we we go to Him for help, “I am willing”. Perhaps the problem is that we don’t always see or want to admit that we need help. Or maybe we just don’t think of going to Him, but rather try and worry it out by ourselves. Recognizing our need is the first step, then going to Jesus believing that He will help is the next. Of course His answers are not always as clear as the leper experienced, but He is always willing and will help.

The second story is a classic in demonstrating the real nature and identity of Jesus. His true divinity is the main point of this story, which I find to my amazement that many commentaries don’t pick up. Just as He is crucified for blasphemy, claiming to be God, here He demonstrates His divine authority and ability by doing a visible miracle to prove forgiveness of sins which is an invisible action but which God alone can do. This IS God Himself in human form.

The question I ask myself is “do I really believe this? That He is God in human form, walking here in Galilee, able to forgive sins to the uttermost? Able to heal anyone or any situation completely? I am not just speaking about mental assent. I am speaking about heart-felt, when the chips are down faith. I think this is an area in which I need to grow and would venture to suggest hat it is the lifelong task for each Christian. To grow in your faith and vision of who Jesus really is and what He can and wants to do for you, the church and the world.