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“Adoration – Adoration is the recognition, deep down in your heart of the great worth of the One you look upon – His light shines brighter and brighter so that your light – your love for yourself is but a flickering lamp in comparison. “Worthy is the Lamb” as you sang this morning comes from the picture in Revelation of the great assembly in heaven, who have come to the full recognition and acceptance of My beauty and My glory – but remember the avenue for Me to be here on the center of the stage is – ‘That was slain’. My suffering put the crown on all else that I have done – the very beauty and complexity of creation fades beside the beauty and complexity of My suffering – The Lamb was slain for you! I am bringing you closer and closer to the point where your view of Me will be so glorious that your view of your concerns, your love and for yourself will simply fade away slowly”.

My reading today is Acts 2:1-13. Another well -known and well read passage. What will Jesus say to me from this today? I allow my mind and senses to take in the scene. Not much detail in the text, but I see the streets and the town square teeming with people from 16 different people groups, mentioned in the text. The smell, the noise, the dust. People shouting at each other, others talking loudly. Suddenly a noise, I take it, as loud as a Boeing getting ready to take off, overwhelming and drowning the conversation. People turn around and look at the scene. Some 120 disciples with what appears like flames settling on them. As the noise subsides, in the quiet that follows the group is calling out excitedly – and what? Everyone of the people present there can hear them in their own language. imagine the headlines in a modern newspaper, trying to describe it.

A few things stand out for me: 1. It happened at Pentecost. The timing coinciding with the feast of the first fruits of the harvest, like the crucifixion at Passover this is no coincidence: This is the inauguration of a new world order – the age of the church, being God’s representative and future bride in the world. Remember the main theme of Acts – Witness? The Church is to be the means of witness. Because of the feast there were people from all over the known world, who would take the witness of what happened back with them. What an amazing source and means to launch world evangelization?

2. This wide variety of people could all understand. Remember the Tower of Babel? The people of that time were seeking to make a name for themselves (Genesis 11:4). that is why God confused their languages that they would not succeed in making a name which was more important than Yahweh. Now, as the people hear the disciples speaking, what are they saying? They are declaring the wonders of God. They are glorifying God, instead of themselves. Is that not the very purpose of conversion and membership of the Kingdom of God?

3. Amazed and perplexed they asked “what does this mean”? vs 12

4.There were those who mocked them vs 13.

So what is Jesus saying to me?

The exciting appearance on the scene of the Holy Spirit in a new role, is one of the things that I see distinguishing so much of the heavy labour of modern “Christianity” from the Gospel empowered life in the Spirit, which should reflect hope, joy and peace and be the witness God wants. However the Spirit points away from Himself at God “declaring the wonders of God”, so we must be careful not to place Him central in our worship, but rather through Him to glorify Jesus and the Father.

A very reassuring reminder comes to me once again from the very timing of this great event, showing how the Father is planning far in advance and is in complete control over all these events, including my own life and service of Him.

The theme of adoration which God spoke to my mind this morning is reinforced as the best avenue to witness, according to the picture which I see here. That is of course, just the first step as we must be ready to speak of all the wonders of God at all times.

And for me the question, “What does this mean”? (Vs12 i), Is an underlining of my continued quest to understand the scriptures more clearly.

Finally – well there will always be those who mock, won’t there?

What a rich passage , my hope is that if you decide to explore it, it will mean as much to you.

The three weeks of my preaching stint come to an end on Sunday. The time has been characterized on the one hand by great revelation and deepening understanding of His Word, with a warm response from the congregation and on the other hand a sharp reminder and experience of Satan’s opposition and the spiritual warfare we are all involved in. When I have experienced Satan like I have the last three weeks in the past, it has always been a sort of encouragement, because he is only interested in attacking something which he feels is threatening his grasp on the world. Thank you all for your prayers which all form a united front against him and the glory for any fruit must go to God and Him alone.

This morning as I settle with the Lord the word “seek” keeps coming up. “Seek – yes continue to seek – My kingdom and the right ways I am leading you on. Do not look back except to remember previous answers to prayer and previous revelations of My grace – previous victories in Me – don’t focus on the negative and the opposition. So seek to follow My way ahead – the opposition you have experienced has been for the benefit of the growth of your faith. Move forward, you may feel stuck at the moment and unable to build relationships especially new ones – but that is being taken care of. Continue with the blog, there are a number of people on your side who are benefiting from it and enjoying it”.

At the same time I have a strong sense that the Lord is saying to me that I must relax and just enjoy Him. Enjoy every moment I have here on earth to glorify Him – rejoice – rejoice in the Lord always!

Having finished Luke’s gospel I am continuing with his second book – “The Acts of the Apostles”. (Or as some have suggested it should be called “the Acts of the Holy Spirit”.)

Today my passage is Acts 1:12-26. Behind this is the powerful opening passage, which many of you would be familiar with. The reminder there was the key passage in vs 8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth”. This sets the tone of the whole book and follows and rests on the reports of many witnesses to the resurrection, described earlier in the text, following on Jesus’ crucifixion and a reminder of Jesus continued intention to bring in the kingdom of God. The movement up to now has been towards Jerusalem, from now on it will be away from Jerusalem.

I felt Jesus was pointing me specifically to the following things:

1. The Disciples were told to return to Jerusalem to wait (v 4b). It must have been a great temptation to get into action, or maybe even flee, but they obeyed. This is a stark reminder that I can only be a true witness for Jesus if I am being obedient to what I believe He is leading me to do.
2. The instruction to wait and the sense of inactivity in the face of the majestic events they had experienced, must have been difficult to cope with. Yet they did it, apparently happy and used the time effectively in prayer. At a time when I have been sort of confined and in a way waiting, it is a strong reminder that the Lord brings times like that into our lives and that I can still be used by Him and grow despite this.
3. As they waited they were guided by the scriptures at their disposal as to what they should do (elect a replacement apostle). The reminder to me is how important it is to study the scripture carefully and follow what the Lord is revealing to me in them.

A sad post script I read in a SU. commentary came from Pilgrim’s progress concerning Judas: In vs 25, it states that “he (ie Judas) turned aside to go to his own place” – that is the place he had chosen for himself. And God confirmed him in that dreadful choice. “Then I saw that there was a way to hell even from the gates of Heaven, as well as from the City of Destruction”.

Let us keep our love together and keep praying for each other, and especially for me for Sunday. Great news of answered prayer with Roger.

The song is “All Hail the Glorious Christ”

I see a huge container, like a bucket and God is pouring out of it – LOVE – His love – He is pouring it out over me – it is washing over me, completely soaking me- “My love is boundless – I am continually pouring out my love on you – the reason you are not always aware of it is because you become distracted by things in your life. Some of them that you love and that hold your attention and some merely those things life is all about. Remember also that My love should be seen against the backdrop of My judgement, righteousness and holiness – that is where I am taking you in My love. I have rescued you from judgement and now seek to form you into the beloved son you are to Me.”

My reading today is Luke 24:1-12. The beginning of the aftermath of the crucifixion, describing the first discovery of the empty tomb. So familiar, what will Jesus say to me from this passage?

Firstly maybe the surprising often overlooked fact that Jesus had warned them repeatedly that He would rise again. More recently Luke had described how he had sent two disciples ahead of him as He arrived at Jerusalem and told them they would find a young donkey – and it was exactly as He had said. Then before the Passover meal He had sent two disciples to find a room for them to meet in and He told them they would meet a man carrying a jar of water that would take them to the room and it was so. Yet the women were on their way to embalm Him. And Peter could not believe what they had said. These were the very people who had known Him intimately over three years! So I stop and think how much of all the promises God has made to me do I really believe? I mean when the chips are down. If He returned today would I be just as nonplussed. Do I really believe all those songs of His faithfulness, His protection, His forgiveness? I mean at the deepest level, when they are challenged? I must meditate on that.

The fact that the first witnesses were women. In Israel at that time women had no standing in society and their witness would be regarded as worthless. The fact that God deliberately chose them to be the first, flies in the face of any effort to fabricate this story. If it were a fabrication then the chosen witnesses would have been ‘reliable men’. So this is once again a timely reminder to me that in God’s dispensation everyone is equal. Young, old, male, female, well-known and gifted, highly qualified and the poor widow/wer living alone. All are equal and I need to remember that at the deepest leve as I view and treat people. Phil 2:3.

Then the phrase in vs 5 b strikes me. “Why do you look for the living among the dead?” I am reminded of Ephesians 1:18-21. “I pray also that the eyes of your heart will be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints and His incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of His mighty strength which He exerted in Christ Jesus, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at the right hand in the heavenly realms …….”

I am reminded of the atmosphere of quiet joy alongside the mourning at Theo, my friend’s funeral/ memorial service this past week. What a huge privilege we have as Christians to be able stand at this golden portal!

The word “rationalize” keeps coming into my mind as I wait on the Lord. I’m not even sure I know exactly what it means.

“I am interested, not only in your mind or your body or your heart or your soul, I am drawing you to me, to love me, with all those things combined – the whole you – I want you to fall head over heels in love with Me again and again and again. I want you to take Me as your entire Source – so don’t be too analytical and try and figure this all out, just come to Me and give Me yourself and I will do the rest.”

That was a major part of my message yesterday, today was linked. “Now remember what I said yesterday, I want you to fall in love with Me with your whole being – not separate parts, again. Now be sure as you speak on Sunday that My love comes through in the message clearly – because I want each one sitting there to fall in love with me again – to be sure”.

Luke 18:40 – 49. It is indeed a challenge to read a passage like this, which is so central to our faith and so well-known and yet wait upon the Lord to speak to you afresh, even as you read it. It is so natural to rehash what you know as the words rise out of the paper. So as I read, a few things struck me (again).

The darkness: I tried to imagine the scene. The wailing women, the rest of the bedraggled crowd, mingled with the armed centurions, the dust and the smell of unwashed bodies and of fear and the waves of intense agony emanating from those on the cross. And suddenly pitch darkness! Wow, they must have been dumbstruck! Easy to speak it away – “sign of God’s judgement”. But what an intense sign of the absolute comprehensiveness and seriousness of His judgement on every person in the world. That is what was on Jesus, that is what we have escaped because of His death because He took the full effect of God’s judgement on Himself, on our behalf!

Curtain torn – who came to bring that astounding news? A curtain 4 inches thick, laced with metal, torn from top to bottom. Stop and think. That curtain represented the absolute separation from God that man had experienced since Eden. A high priest and sacrifices, mere symbols of reaching past the curtain for His presence. But now. Access! Wait, do I realize the immense privilege we have in being able to meet with the absolutely holy Creator of the whole universe through Jesus and this sacrifice? It is so easy to become “used to” just talking to our Father, without being reminded of what it took Him and His Son to win that back for us.

“Into your hands I commit my Spirit”. The Triune God, once again reconciled. Way beyond my understanding. “Don’t rationalize and try and work it out”.

For me, as I soak all this in: A profound reminder of the significance of Jesus death by crucifixion. Everything of importance – yes everything of importance in the whole world revolves around and flows out from this happening. That is the basis for the deepest and most total change and affects every moment , thought and action.

PRAISE YOU LORD JESUS – MESSIAH, KING OF KINGS, LORD OF LORDS, LION OF JUDAH. I invite you to join in that and to ask God to open your heart and let you fall completely in love with Him again today, and tomorrow and….

Thank you to everyone for your prayers and words of encouragement. It has often been my experience in the past that when I have felt the strongest attack from Satan it, precedes an event in which the Spirit is going to do something great. On Sunday, as I preached, I was so aware of the powerful working of God’s Spirit, as the congregation sat, almost mesmerised, staring at me, waiting for my next word, not a pin dropped, no coughs or sneezes, everyone in the hands of Jesus. Extremely humbling and indeed dangerous to me, as I may take the merit for what was happening.

This morning, listening to the song “Turn your eyes upon Jesus – look full in his wonderful face” – I see a face, with a crown of thorns – with the brightest light shining behind – lighting it up brighter and brighter – even as I watch the broken bleeding and wounded face, it starts to change into that of a lion “The Lion of Judah”.

The word I hear: “Ian, seek first My kingdom and My righteousness and all these things will be added unto you – I want to give to you, but first your attitude must be right – as you preached yesterday – an attitude of no merit – just being receptive to what I want to give you. You can relax and let the whole week slide onto me and I will let it flow – I will feed you every day with my Daily Bread – just allow your mind, heart, body and soul to adore and love Me – don’t hold back.

“I will cleanse your thoughts and lack of forgiveness and your indignation when and as you confess. I am righteous and just and I promise that – even as I have given Jesus as your Advocate, who speaks on your behalf. TRUST ME, TRUST ME IAN – that’s the purpose of all this – to grow your faith, when the lesson is learned the problem will be solved”.

My reading today is Luke 22:62 – 23:25.There is much of importance but here are three things that spoke to me. Firstly: in vs 70 the priests ask Jesus “Are you the Son of God”? He replied “You are right in saying I am.” In Luke 23:3, Pilot asks “Are you the King of the Jews?” And Jesus answers “yes it as you say”. Now remember what the main theme of Luke is “Who is this man?” There has been much evidence up to now and even in all that is happening at this climactic time. But these are a written, absolute confirmation of His identity. Startling, mind-blowing, let everyone sit up and take notice!

Secondly: Pilot in 23:4, “I find no basis for this charge”! again in 23:14, “I find no basis for your charge against Him”. 23:9 Herod plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer. The solemn verdict of the trial: in great big capital letters “INNOCENT”.

Lastly from 23:23 Pilot wants to release Him, but the crowd prevails by shouting louder and louder, Luke sums it up “and he surrendered Jesus to their will”. Immediately my mind flashes back to another scene, one in a garden with a Man bowed and sweating great drops of blood saying “…..yet not my will, but yours be done”. God’s will, being carried out by an unruly rioting crowd. The Lord’s prayer comes to mind: Let thy will be done! Can we so surrender to God’s will that we are maybe even able to detect His will in the midst of hardship and opposition? Can I do that?

Innocent! Yet He displayed no indignation. Philippians 2:6, “Jesus being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped”. Innocent! He had to be innocent to take our sins upon Himself and suffer the punishment, unrighteously for them on our behalf. Innocent! Have you ever felt like calling that out when you are faced with hardship, a difficult situation, or any suffering? The really Good news is that having experienced this unfair treatment, He is able to understand when we experience anything like that He is the perfect High Priest, who can minister to us in all such situations.

The title for my sermon next week: “The Eye of the Needle”. Please keep praying for the pure Word from God’s Spirit for me, as I prepare.