Blog Posts

Becoming a Friend of God

16/6/2023

‘Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.’
James 4:8

‘…there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.’
Prov 18:24

JESU JUVA

In my mid-twenties, I once found myself alone for almost an entire weekend in an enormous house on a country property.

At that time, I worked for a Christian ministry, which ran teaching courses and retreats. The centre had only been open for a few weeks, and in those early pioneering days, the staff were thin on the ground. Only a couple of families and a few single people, including me, lived on the base. There were no scheduled events on the weekend in question, and everybody went away. Everybody that is, except for me.

Solitude is something I often relish, so the fact that I was alone did not unduly alarm me at first. But on Friday afternoon, after everyone had departed, silence settled on the house like a shroud. Distant voices no longer chatted or laughed through open windows or from behind closed doors. Footsteps no longer crunched over the gravel driveway outside, nor did they plod up and down the staircases or along the corridors inside the house. The familiar and comforting sounds of humanity going about their daily business completely vanished. All that remained was an engulfing emptiness.

As evening approached, that emptiness turned to eeriness. The old house creaked, the wind rustled through the trees, and the birds called to one another as they settled for the night. In the long corridor outside my bedroom, shadows crept into the corners, and darkness soon swallowed every speck of light.

To be alone in an enormous house on a remote property at nighttime was both frightening and confronting.

Such is the nature of loneliness. It possesses the ability to creep inside our souls, casting its shadows and filling the empty spaces inside with darkness. Many of us are petrified at the prospect of being all alone in this world. When such seasons come to any one of us, it confronts our sense of belonging and self-worth. How vulnerable that can make us feel.

Recently, I read about a man called Patrick who, within his lifetime, experienced a dark season of tremendous loneliness.

Patrick lived many centuries ago. He grew up in a small village on the seacoast of North Britain, the son of a deacon and the grandson of a priest. Despite his Christian upbringing, Patrick did not come to know God until his late teens. This divine relationship began only after he experienced sudden life-shattering trauma.

One night, under the cover of darkness, marauders raided Patrick's seaside home. With violent force, the invaders captured all the strong and attractive young people from the village. Patrick was among them. The young people were dragged by nets to the coast and tossed into the bowels of a ship. Most other inhabitants of that village were murdered that night.1

Wrenched from everything he knew and sailing across the sea to an unknown future, Patrick's heart must have been overwhelmed with grief and terror.

After many days, the ship finally docked in an Irish port, and his captors hauled him onto foreign soil, where he was immediately sold as a slave to a Druid warlord named Miluicc. Patrick's trauma must have deepened as he witnessed the Druid's blood-curdling obsession with death and human sacrifice. Druid warlords wore the shrunken skulls of their victims on their belts, while human skulls were also occasionally used as drinking vessels. In those days, people were sometimes sacrificed in pagan ceremonies by being burnt alive inside large figures made from tree branches.2 It is not known if Patrick witnessed such brutality in person, but he certainly would have heard about it.

In this exceedingly bleak situation, the conviction of the Holy Spirit came upon Patrick. He recognised his sinful ways and later admitted that as a sixteen-year-old, 'I did not know the true God.' He described how he, and many thousands of others who had also been kidnapped, deserved the hardship that had befallen them. 'We had turned away from God,' Patrick said, 'and did not keep his commandments and did not obey our priests, who used to remind us of our salvation. The Lord brought over us the wrath of his anger and scattered us among many nations, even unto the utmost part of the earth.'3

Patrick turned to Jesus Christ and was converted with all his heart to the Lord God. Later, as an old man reflecting on his conversion, Patrick said, 'This I know for certain: that before I was humbled, I was like a stone lying in deep mire until He who is powerful came, and in his mercy raised me up.'4

He remained a slave for about six years. Throughout that time, he tended sheep, and as he cared for the flock, he began talking to God as one would a friend. How well he would have known the ache of loneliness as he traipsed the damp and cold Irish hills. His stomach was often empty, and his scant clothing barely kept him warm, but through all this hardship, Patrick sought after God with all his soul. So often did he pray that he said as many as a hundred prayers throughout each day and almost as many at night. He said of those days: 'In the woods and on the mountain and even before the dawn, I was roused to prayer — in snow and ice and rain. I felt no injury from it, nor was there any slothfulness in me, as I see now because the Spirit within me was then fervent.'5

As Patrick toiled in harsh conditions, he grew in faith and fear of the Living God and came to know the love of the one to whom he talked. The Lord strengthened and comforted him 'as a father would his son.'

The ache of loneliness is a pain familiar to many who sojourn this earth. Throughout the pages of the Bible, we encounter many individuals who tasted its bitter waters. Patrick was not the first to experience isolating affliction.

'I despise my life, ' lamented Job. 'Let me alone; my days have no meaning.'6 He had lost his children to death, his health to sickness, and much of his livelihood through disaster and theft. His friends' well-intentioned advice offered him little comfort as he languished through soul-shattering grief. Although surrounded by people, emotionally, Job suffered alone.

'No one is concerned for me,' cried David. 'I have no refuge; no one cares for my life!'7 A jealous king, in a murderous rage, wanted him dead and was hunting him down. David fled to the wilderness, where he hid alone inside a dark cave. Who could help him in such a dire situation?

Jeremiah poured out his complaint to God: 'I sat alone because your hand was on me.'8 After speaking God's truth to his own people, they had turned on him and left him for dead inside a filthy cistern. Rejected by men, Jeremiah walked alone throughout his obedient service to God.

We can learn much from these men in the Bible and also from the life of Patrick. How did these men handle the isolation that resulted from unimaginable trauma, loss, grief, separation, illness and rejection?

The pain each man felt was deep and real, and in their seclusions, no other human person could soothe their fears or wipe away their tears. They could have allowed themselves to wallow in bitterness, blaming God for the circumstances, but rather than turning their back on the Lord, they chose to turn to him instead.

As each reached out through prayer, they discovered a beautiful Scriptural truth: as they drew near to God, he came near to them.9 Their heartfelt cries reached the ear of the One who promises to stick closer than a brother.10 The Lord came closer than any person ever can.

This promise also holds true for us today. If we draw near to the Father through his Son Jesus, the Holy Spirit will dwell with us, and we, too, will know the intimate friendship of God.

Jesus, our Saviour, is able to identify with all our sufferings. More than anyone else, he has tasted the bitter waters of separation. For all eternity, each member of the Godhead — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — had always existed in perfect love and unity. While Jesus hung on the cross, dying and bleeding so that we might be redeemed, he cried out in an anguished voice, 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?'11 All our sins were placed on Jesus, and since sin cannot exist in God's presence, for the first time in eternity, his Father was far, far away. Our finite human minds cannot grasp the depth of what this temporary banishment from His Father's presence meant to Jesus.

How momentous that he endured such suffering for our sake. His atonement meant that we could draw near to God and that he would come close to us.

Humankind was created for divine relationship with the one true Living God. At the dawn of time, Adam and Eve knew unbroken fellowship with him in the Garden of Eden. They walked side by side with the Lord in utmost peace and confidence. But after succumbing to the devil's seductions, the curse of sin severed their relationship with God. Every individual born into the world thereafter inherited the results of this curse. This is the ultimate reason why we experience loneliness in our lives. We are fallen people in a fallen world, separated from the God who created us to be in relationship with him.

Jesus willingly sacrificed himself so that anyone who turns away from their sin and trusts in him will know the Father. That's how we become a friend of God. We choose to come to him through his Son who sets us free from the curse of sin. No longer then will there be any separation. We continue in this friendship as we walk and talk with the Lord every day of our lives.

When I found myself alone that weekend in my mid-twenties, the nighttime eventually ended, and daylight emerged. As the next day progressed, I encountered some beautiful moments, which made me realise I wasn't alone after all. On the ground floor below my bedroom, an old grand piano stood in a room with large windows and an empty fireplace. Sunlight streamed through the glass panes as I pulled out the piano stool and sat down. My fingers began to play the ivory keys. As I lifted my voice in worship, the silence throughout the house shattered into a fountain of musical notes. To be able to worship the Lord in complete and utter abandon, without anyone else to see or hear, was an unspeakable joy. I drew near to the Lord, and he came close to me.

The physical isolation I experienced on that occasion was but a fleeting moment in my life's journey. In the end, I didn't actually mind the solitude. In many ways, I relished it. (Although, I will admit, it was a relief when the familiar and comforting sounds of humanity going about their daily business finally returned). However, there have been other seasons throughout my life, much harder ones, in which I have truly tasted the bitter waters of loneliness. I know I am not the only one. Difficult circumstances are unavoidable in this broken world. All of us will, at times, be faced with dark, lonely valleys.

I have learned along the way that aloneness and loneliness are two distinct states of being. It is possible to be alone without feeling lonely. On the other hand, sometimes our hearts can ache even when immersed in a crowd.

When bleak shadows do threaten to overtake our souls, so often, we avoid them to the best of our ability. We might distract ourselves with mindless entertainment and the pursuit of pleasure. We might fill each waking moment with so much busyness that there is no time to stop and feel anything. We might turn to addictions that temporarily soothe our nerves but end up ensnaring us. We might also go from relationship to relationship, trying desperately to meet the gnawing emptiness inside. None of these diversions will help in the long run. The shadows are always lurking, ready to flood back in.

The most helpful thing to do is to stop and face the loneliness head-on. Look it in the face. Acknowledge that it is real and allow yourself to feel the emotions. The pain will be intense, sometimes even excruciating, but it will never start to ease until it is brought into the light of the Lord Jesus Christ. Invite him into the midst of whatever you feel and pour out your heart like water. He cares more than you could ever imagine!

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. That's a promise.
Patrick discovered this truth as he trudged over the desolate Irish terrain. He talked everything over with the Lord.

Job, David and Jeremiah discovered this truth too.

‘My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God,’ declared Job. He spoke prophetically of the Redeemer to come. ‘On behalf of a man, he pleads with God as one pleads for a friend.’12

‘You are my refuge!’ David cried out to the Lord. ‘You are my portion in the land of the living.’13

‘When my heart is faint within me,’ Jeremiah prayed, ‘You are my Comforter in sorrow.’14

God is faithful to his promise and will come near to anyone who genuinely seeks him.

I have been learning to draw near to him, especially in lonely times. What I am discovering is this: the darkest days are lined with gold. Nowadays, I count the lonesome moments as both a privilege and an opportunity. There is unspeakable joy to be found, and that joy is unearthed in friendship with the King. The Lord has become my closest friend.

Afterword…

Until now, I have refrained from using the title by which Partick is most famously known. Many have probably guessed by now that Patrick is none other than the famous' Saint Patrick' who went to Ireland as a missionary in the 5th Century BC. I refrained from using the title 'Saint' as it makes him seem other-worldly, set apart and more holy than the rest of us mere mortals. The truth is that Patrick was like every other person who has ever lived. He was an ordinary, sinful human being who needed a saviour. He knew his own weaknesses, but he also came to know the One who is strong. He became a true friend of God.

After his solitary season as a slave, Patrick longed ‘to make known the gift of God’ to other people and to confidently ‘spread abroad the name of God everywhere.’

That is precisely what he did.

What made Patrick remarkable was that he allowed Jesus Christ to speak and act through him. Before vast crowds of Irish people, Patrick spoke of ‘his King's kingdom, telling them of the infinite love of his King for all of them, of His yearning desire to have them know Him, and to enter into and enjoy the kingdom.’15

Tens of thousands of lives were transformed as they also put their faith in Jesus Christ and came to know the Father.

Dear Heavenly Father,
I come to you through your Son Jesus Christ. I turn from my sin and choose to draw near to you. Thank you for your promise that you will draw near to anyone who draws near to you. Please walk and talk with me all the days of my life.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

REFERENCES
1.Marshall Foster, The Story of Patrick of Ireland (Institute for Principle Studies – IPS)
2.Ibid.
3.Patrick, The Confession of Saint Patrick, James O’Leary, translator, (Project Gutenberg)
4.Ibid.
5.Ibid.
6.Job 7:16
7.Psalm 142:4
8. Jeremiah 15:17
9.James 4:8
10.Proverbs 18:24
11.Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:34, Psalm 22:1
12. Job 16:19-21
13.Psalm 142:5
14.Jer 8:18
15.MacManus, Seumas, The Story of the Irish Race (Devin-Adair, 1921) p. 116

BECOMING A FRIEND OF GOD
(Right-click to download a PDF copy of this devotional).
You are welcome to print and share this devotional.

More information about SAINT PATRICK can be read in the following edition of the 'Heroes of the Faith' newsletter. Right-click to download and save.

SAINT PATRICK NEWSLETTER - UK version (A4-sized)
SAINT PATRICK NEWSLETTER - US version (Letter-sized)
DEVOTIONAL PDF - BECOMING A FRIEND OF GOD

SOLI DEO GLORIA
© Sally Dixon Creations 2023

Making wise the simple

24/3/2023

The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
Psalm 19:7

JESU JUVA

Let me introduce you to a man named Jose Muniz.

It is likely you have never heard of him, but through this man, God has impacted my life.

Jose was one of seven children, and although he grew up in the USA, he knew nothing about God or what generally went on inside church buildings, and he had never even heard anything about Jesus Christ.

By the time he was sixteen, Jose had entered a total of nine churches. Three of those visits involved funerals; the other six occasions involved breaking and entering. He said of the latter, ‘Anything that six Mexicans could haul out of a church, we took it!’

The first funeral he ever attended was held in a Catholic church. Observing a giant crucifix statue behind the altar, he murmured to his brother, ‘Who’s the guy in his underwear?’ His brother shrugged, and Jose concluded that the statue must be a Mexican man because the crown of thorns around the head resembled a bandana. Throughout the funeral, Jose also noticed the statues of twelve men around the church, six on either side. He nudged his brother. ‘I wonder who these guys are.’

His brother whispered back in all seriousness, ‘I think these guys are the presidents of the United States!’

Jose may not have known anything about the Christian faith, but he did know a lot about drugs. When he was a child, two uncles frequented the Muniz household as babysitters for Jose and his siblings. These men were drug dealers with the Mexican mafia, and while in their care, the children witnessed far more than little ones ever should. Jose and his brothers mimicked their uncles’ behaviour as they played together. Sometimes they gathered grass clippings from the lawn and pretended to sell bundles of weed to each other using monopoly money. Perhaps it’s not surprising then that Jose began to smoke real drugs himself at the tender age of seven.

As Jose grew into a teenager, he lived a life of partying, drugs and alcohol. After a couple of overdoses and getting arrested on drug trafficking charges at the age of seventeen, he reached a point of desperation. Not only was he facing the prospect of ten years imprisonment, but he also felt sure he was about to die. His skin and eyes were turning yellow from all the alcohol he drank.

One night, he soaked his pillow with tears of despair. ‘Man, what am I going to do?’ He had no one to talk to, so he cried into the empty air. ‘I don’t want to die! I don’t want to go to jail! Somebody, please help me!’

Soon afterwards, Jose was with three of his brothers in a city park. They sat on a bench smoking some joints, minding their own business when an old man named Brother Van Meter walked over to them. He was four feet, eleven inches tall, and around his neck hung an enormous cross with a leather strap. He carried a book in his hands. Brother Van Meter told the brothers about Jesus Christ: how he had died on the cross for their sins, was buried and rose back to life. He told them how they could know God and be saved from their sins by trusting in Jesus and asking him for forgiveness.

Jose dismissed the old man’s message outright, but it hit one of his brothers head-on. He accepted the message and put his faith in Jesus Christ that day. Over the next few months, Jose watched his brother’s life radically change — he no longer wanted to smoke weed, chase girls, or do any of the things that had previously filled his life. This brother also began to carry a book everywhere, just like Brother Van Meter.

His brother started pestering Jose to come with him to church or a Bible study. Jose didn’t want to go to either, but eventually, as a means of passing the time and hoping his brother would stop bothering him, he finally agreed to attend a Bible study. Jose smoked a joint as he walked to the meeting. Once inside the building, he sat in the back row, completely stoned and unable to focus deeply on what was being said.

After about an hour or so, a strange sensation suddenly hit the top of Jose’s head. It felt like a gigantic drop of hot syrup. The warmth slowly flowed over him and started going down his arms and all the way down to the soles of his feet. His high vanished, and he was unexpectedly back in his right mind. Jose looked around in bewilderment. What was going on? What was this?
No drugs had ever had this effect on him.

Then, without any warning or understanding of what was happening to him, Jose began to cry.

Brother Van Meter said to the crowd, ‘If you’re out there and you want God to change your life, come up to the front.’

Jose knew these words were really spoken just to him as everyone else in the room was already a Christian, but as he sat in his chair weeping, he suddenly realised that he did want to go forward and put his faith in Jesus Christ. So, he did. For an hour or more, he continued to weep. Another pastor, Brother Deva, came beside him and dipped his finger into some oil. It had a sweet aroma, and as Brother Deva anointed Jose’s forehead, he prayed, ‘You will be a witness to thousands and thousands.’
Jose said later about that evening, ‘I didn’t know what I was doing, didn’t understand, but I knew something had happened inside my heart. Man, I felt so good!’

After the meeting, he went home, and without understanding why, he began pulling posters of Van Halen and Iron Maiden off his bedroom walls. He also gathered four or five boxes full of albums, tapes, and drug paraphernalia and dumped everything into a fifty-gallon barrel in the alleyway.

Boom! Jose set it all alight.

Nobody had told him to dispose of any of these items. It was the Holy Spirit who now dwelled within him who motivated him to do this.

From this time onwards, Jose’s life began to change. He stopped taking drugs and committing crimes, and he, too, began to carry around a book. When Brother Van Meter handed Jose a Bible, he said, ‘This is the only book you’ll ever need for the rest of your life.’ He also gave Jose an assignment: ‘After you’ve read the Gospel of John ten times, you come back to me.’

Jose took this first assignment to heart, although it took him some time to complete. He had been kicked out of high school in his freshman year, and reading didn’t come easily to him.

He eventually returned to Brother Van Meter, who said, ‘Okay, now go and read Matthew ten times.

After Jose had completed that task, Brother Van Meter said, ‘Okay, now go and read Mark ten times.’

Jose did that too.

His next instruction was, ‘Okay, now go and read Luke ten times,’

Jose looked at his mentor. ‘This is dumb! They all say the same thing!’

‘You just read it!’

Jose went away, and when he returned yet again, he asked, ‘Now, what do I do?’

‘Start at Matthew and go all the way through to Revelation ten times.’

Jose managed that task as well. ‘So, what do I do now?’

Brother Van Meter answered, ‘Now, go to the beginning and read Genesis all the way to Revelation and do that for the rest of your life.’

Jose did precisely as his mentor suggested and has read the Bible in this manner ever since. He soon discovered that God spoke to him through the Bible and that it contained instructions for every aspect of life.

I heard Jose Muniz recount his story more than a decade ago after I stumbled upon his video message on a website called SermonIndex. My life experience couldn’t have been more different from Jose’s. I was raised in a Christian family and attended church regularly as a child, but as I listened to his story and how he had learned to love and respect the Word of God, the Holy Spirit brought deep conviction to my heart.

In his message, Jose related some observations he had made as he began hanging around the 'church crowd.' He noticed that many churchgoers didn’t often read the Bible, and most had never read the whole Bible all the way through, not even once. As a young Christian, he wondered to himself: How could this be? Isn’t this discipleship? Isn’t the Word of God meant to be a priority for Christians?

As Jose spoke these words on the video, the Holy Spirit showed me that up until that point in my life, the Word of God had not been a priority to me. I did believe the Bible was God’s truth and that it was authoritative, inerrant and sufficient, but I had never once read it through in its entirety. In fact, sometimes, several days passed by without me opening my Bible at all. On the occasions I did pick it up, I usually dipped into it randomly to read a Psalm or some other encouraging passage. Then, as I read, I would search for a verse that ‘jumped out at me.’

The Lord began to show me that my haphazard method of reading the Scriptures was extremely self-focused. It was also severely inadequate in gaining an understanding of God in all his glorious fullness.

Some years ago, I worked in the kitchen of a Christian ministry. I oversaw the catering and took great delight in presenting an appetising spread to the crowds attending the teaching courses at the centre. Often for lunch, I placed a feast across the serving tables at the front of the dining hall. There was always an enormous basket filled with various kinds of bread and bread rolls. There were also numerous bowls of salads, as well as platters of meat, cheese, tuna and egg. Often there were trays filled with colourful fruit, homemade cakes or biscuits fresh out of the oven. Each person could grab a plate and fill it with whatever they wanted. There was an abundance of food to choose from.

Imagine, however, if all I chose to eat for lunch was a single grape from the banquet set before me. Nothing else. Not even another crumb. After one meal, I might be ravenous, but I could survive. But what if I only ate a single grape now and then, and some days I ate nothing at all? If I did this for weeks or months on end, I would soon become undernourished and starving.

This is a picture of what I was doing to myself spiritually by not prioritising the Word of God in my life. I was spiritually anorexic. What a fool I was not to partake of the entire feast God had set freely before me in the Scriptures.

After God had convicted me, I picked up my Bible, flipped it open, and began to read it exactly in the manner as Brother Van Meter once instructed Jose: ‘Go to the beginning and read Genesis all the way to Revelation and do that for the rest of your life.’

My first time reading through the whole Bible was slow and often tedious. Leviticus and the genealogies in Chronicles just about did me in! But I managed to read the whole Bible through from cover to cover. Sometimes I didn’t understand what I was reading, but I persisted. As I read, I took to heart something that Jose said: 'We need to get back to the basics, to the simple Word of God. Even if you don’t understand it at times, just read it. Let the Holy Spirit teach you what he wants to teach you. Just take it in. The Holy Spirit will bring it back when you need it.'

When I had finished reading the Bible once, I went back to the beginning and started all over again. This has become my habit ever since. I’m not sure how many times I have now read the Bible in its entirety, but I have discovered something incredible: my understanding increases each time I read it through. Everything written in the canon of Scripture fits together in the most breathtaking way. Rather than becoming dull and repetitive, it grows more alive with every reading. There are times now when I don’t want to stop reading! The Bible teaches me the truth about the one and only Living God. It also teaches me about how I should relate to him. He speaks to me through the pages of his precious, sacred, and life-giving book. As he does, the Lord convicts, encourages, guides, equips and counsels me every day.

The Word of God is truly a magnificent feast that is able to satisfy the deepest spiritual hunger. That’s not so surprising when you consider that the origin of all Scripture is God himself: The Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit wrote it together. The Bible is God-breathed, and the sum of its entirety is his truth (1 Tim 3:16, Ps 119:160). Over a period of about 1500 years, the Lord spoke his truth to forty different humans, and the Holy Spirit carried each of them along as they wrote down his words. All human authors were from diverse backgrounds, but each was guided and entirely inspired by the same God. The result was a collection of sixty-six books collected into one volume known as The Bible.

The Word of God is changing my life as I read it and learn to obey it. It is like gentle rain on arid ground, cleansing and softening my heart so it becomes a place where Christ’s righteousness may flourish.

Isn’t it like God to use the foolish things of this world to shame the wise? God used a man who had been thoroughly unchurched throughout his childhood to convict someone like me who had been in Christian circles their whole life. Jose’s testimony is evidence of God’s power at work. The person of Jesus has transformed him into a new creation, while the trustworthy truths of God’s Word have been making him wise (Ps 19:7). He now encourages Christians to read their bibles so that they will be equipped to evangelise. The Word of God is a feast to be shared with a spiritually starving world. Jose says, 'You can read every book written by Christian authors, but if you do not read the book that was written by the Holy Spirit, then you will not have the truth that the lost world needs.' The gospel of Christ revealed through the Scriptures is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes (Rom 1:16). Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God (Rom 10:17).

How thankful I am for Jose’s testimony.
How thankful I am for Jose’s mentor, Brother Van Meter.
Both of these men have been instruments of God to convict my heart.

Let me encourage anyone reading this to follow the advice of Brother Van Meter: ‘Go to the beginning and read Genesis all the way to Revelation and do that for the rest of your life.’ With the Holy Spirit’s help, regular time in the Word of God will deepen your relationship with the Lord, increase your faith and begin to change you from the inside out. It will make the simple wise.

'Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost (Is 55:1).'

Afterword...

Here are four practical steps when reading the Bible:

Read each book in the Bible from beginning to end. Learn to understand the context of a verse or passage (what it means in relation to the verses before and after and in relation to the book as a whole). Context also involves understanding the historical setting. Learn to also understand the co-text (compare it to other parts of Scripture for a fuller meaning). E.g., Jesus calls himself the Good Shepherd in John 10. Compare this to other Bible passages that refer to God as a shepherd, such as Psalm 23 and Ezekiel 34.
Each time you open your Bible, ask the Holy Spirit to teach and help you understand. There is no better teacher than the author himself. The Holy Spirit will illuminate the lamp of God’s Word so that it becomes a light for your path. (John 14:26).
Look for Jesus in every book of the Bible. The Scriptures testify about Jesus (John 5:39). He is the foundation of all truth, and you will discover that both the Old and New Testaments point to him.
Make your Bible reading God-focused rather than self-focused. Don’t ask, 'What does this passage mean to me?' (Scripture can be twisted to mean anything if read in a subjective manner). Rather, each time you read a Bible passage, ask:

'What does this passage teach me about God?'
'What does this passage actually say?'
'How can this apply to my own life today?'

Dear Heavenly Father,
Please send the Holy Spirit to illuminate the truths of Your Word. Teach me about you. Teach me your ways that I may know you. And please use your Word to change me where I need to change, so that I can become more and more like Jesus.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

MAKING WISE THE SIMPLE
(Right-click to download a PDF copy of this devotional).

Jose & Amy Muniz are the Founders of JesusCrew Street Ministries and have been together for 40 years. They met in 1981 at a drive-in theatre. Jose was selling marijuana to several teens, and one of those teens was Amy. They started dating, then moved in together, and lived together for five years before they legally married. They lived a life of partying, drugs and alcohol. After Jose had a couple of overdoses and got arrested on drug trafficking charges, God stepped into Jose's life, and two months later, God touched Amy's life as well. Soon after that, God moved them to Abilene, Texas, as missionaries, and they started going out to the local nightclubs, malls, parks, and street corners. They have been going out every weekend for over 38 years.

WORD OF GOD BROCHURE
What does the Word of God say about the Word of God? This double-sided brochure lists the Bible verses that mention the Word of God and how it impacts the lives of anyone who believes and obeys it. (This brochure is A4-sized. Right-click the title or picture to download).

A Black & White copy of the brochure can be downloaded here.

If you would like to hear Jose's testimony, then you can listen to him in the link below.

A Revival of God's Word - Jose Muniz

RECOMMENDED ONLINE RESOURCES FOR BIBLE STUDY:

Bible Gateway - Search, read and study multiple translations of the Bible online.

Bible Hub - Search, read, and study the Bible in many languages. Includes commentaries, cross references and other study tools.

Unlocking the Bible by David Pawson - this book contains an overview of all the books of the Old and New Testaments

Got Questions - Bible questions answered

SermonIndex - Sermon Library

SermonAudio - Sermon library

SermonArk - Sermon library

David Pawson's Online Teaching Library - Bible teaching

Charles Price Ministry - Bible teaching

Moriel Ministries - Jacob Prasch Bible teaching

Martyn Lloyd-Jones Sermon Library - Bible teaching

Derek Prince Ministries - Bible teaching

Spurgeon Gems - Charles Spurgeon Bible teaching

SOLI DEO GLORIA
© Sally Dixon Creations 2023

A trumpet call to wake the Church

17/2/2023

Blow the trumpet in Zion;
    sound the alarm on my holy hill.
Let all who live in the land tremble,
    for the day of the Lord is coming.
It is close at hand — a day of darkness and gloom,
    a day of clouds and blackness.
Joel 2:1-2 (NIV)

He who testifies to these things says, 'Surely I am coming quickly.' Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Revelation 22:20 (NKJV)

JESU JUVA

Sometimes God speaks at unexpected times, and when he does, he sometimes says unexpected things.

This happened to me one winter evening in early August 2017. That night I saw a terrible sight, one that no person ever wants to see: I saw my father’s body laid out in a coffin. Nothing could have prepared me for that gut-wrenching moment. It was shattering.

Afterwards, I needed time alone to process my grief, so I took the dog and went out into the night for a walk. I ended up in a little park around the corner from my house and sat on a bench, shivering from the cold. Darkness surrounded me. I lifted my head towards the sky and prayed to my Heavenly Father, looking to him for comfort. I knew by faith that he cared, but instead of words of comfort at that precise moment, he spoke something else. It took me by surprise.

As I gazed towards the heavens, I could only see one patch of sky; the branches of tall gum trees hid the rest. Within that one patch of black sky, the Southern Cross twinkled brightly. No other stars were visible. This sight reminded me of what Paul the Apostle wrote in the book of Philippians:

‘Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life.’ (Philippians 2:14-16).

It was as I pondered these words that God spoke strongly inside my heart. The essence of what he impressed upon me was this:

‘Stars shine the brightest when the night is darkest. The darkness in the world is growing darker, and that darkness will accelerate. Events in the world will happen far more quickly than anyone expects. It’s time for my children to shine like the stars against the terrible darkness. It’s time to get ready to run. Get ready to run! There’s work to do for my kingdom!

I realise how subjective this experience must sound, but the importance of this unexpected message so gripped me that the impact remains with me today. This experience drove me deeper into God’s Word, and I share it now, hoping it might impel others to seek God, read his Word and prepare for the days ahead.

More than five years have passed since that night, and chaos has erupted worldwide! I could never have anticipated the unfolding of all that has happened these past few years. How fast it has all happened. How quickly it is all still happening. Yet, it seems that so many in the Church remain unaware of the gravity of global events and have little interest in the soon return of Jesus Christ. Our bridegroom has been a long time in coming, and many have become drowsy and fallen asleep.

This is a trumpet call to anyone willing to listen: IT'S TIME TO WAKE UP!

Jesus promised he would physically come back to this earth one day to rule and reign as king. When he comes, he will usher in the kingdom of God in all its glorious fullness. It will be both a dreadful and jubilant day. It will be dreadful for those who reject the Son of God, but for those who trust in Jesus Christ and belong to the Father, it will be a jubilant day like no other! When Jesus comes again, he will defeat the devil and all that is evil and will put right all that is wrong in the world.

How can we know that the close of this age is at hand and that the second coming of Jesus draws near?

Jesus told his disciples that nobody knows the day or the hour of his return, but he did describe signs that would be visible in the world. He likened these signs to birth pangs and said that when they appeared, the generation that witnessed all of them would know that the time was near (Matt 24:33). He indicated that the whole world would see and experience these events. In other words, these signs would be global.

Jesus warned that at the close of the age, there would be great deception, wars and rumours of war, pestilences, famines, persecution, and an increase in earthquakes and natural disasters. Our generation is the first to see ALL these trends beginning to converge on a global scale. Birth pangs grow more intense and more frequent as they progress, so we can expect these trends to intensify in the months and years ahead. In the manner of natural birth pangs, it is possible that the birth pangs in the world may ease off for short spaces of time. However, once they have begun, they will certainly return and continue with greater and greater force. It will be impossible to stop them.

The world’s system is also changing: a one-world government, one-world economy and one-world religion are all on the horizon. All of this has been predicted in the Bible. The global leaders seeking to implement the new world system have not been shy about announcing their plans. A terrifying and powerful beast is beginning to emerge out of the sea, one that will crush, devour and trample its victims (Dan 7, Rev 13). Can you see the ripples on the surface of the water?

It is overwhelming to focus on what is happening in the world, but ultimately God is sovereign, and he is in control. He is far stronger than the world rulers taking us down this path. In fact, we read in Scripture that God sits in heaven and laughs at them (Ps 2:1-6). In their arrogance, they have rejected the one true Living God. They are determined to make a name for themselves by doing whatever is right in their own eyes. God will allow them to have power in this world for a few short years, but the day will come when he defeats them.

Life on this planet will become difficult throughout that time. There will be great distress, unequalled from the beginning of the world until now — and never to be equalled again (Matt 24:21). Jesus forewarned us so that we could prepare ourselves spiritually, mentally and emotionally for what is coming. He also spoke about what would come afterwards when he sets up the kingdom of God on earth. His return will usher in a golden age of peace. What a magnificent hope that is to hold onto!

When I was a child, I used to stare at the sky, imagining what it would be like to see Jesus burst forth through the clouds. As an adult, I find myself gazing towards the heavens often, knowing that his return draws closer with each passing day. One day, Jesus, our bridegroom, will finally appear, and when he does, the whole world will know. His arrival will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other (Luke 17:24). What a light show that will be! Then, the last trumpet will sound, and in the twinkling of an eye, the dead will be raised to life. All of God’s children will be changed. In an instant, we will be clothed with imperishable bodies that will never wear out, grow old, or become ill. My earthly father will be among them, and I will see him again.

Every knee will bow before the radiant king on that day. God has exalted him to the highest place and given him the name that is above every name. At the name of Jesus, every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Phil 2:9-11). The question is: will we choose to bow before him now in humble adoration, or will we be forced to bow before him then in judgement?

As God has been preparing my own heart, there are several important truths from Scripture that I believe God is speaking to all followers of Christ. These truths have always been foundational to the Christian faith. They are essential to believers who are already suffering in numerous countries around the world today. In the West, however, our existence has been comfortable and prosperous for decades, and this has lulled much of the Western Church to sleep.

This is a trumpet call to anyone willing to listen: IT'S TIME TO WAKE UP!

Our bridegroom is coming, and we, the bride, the Church, must get ready. Jesus is coming for a holy and pure bride without spot or wrinkle.

It is time to PREPARE FOR SUFFERING AND PERSECUTION. The easy and comfortable days of Christianity are coming to an end in the West, and we must prepare ourselves for perilous days ahead. (Matt 24:22; Mark 13:20; 2 Tim 3:1).

It is time to THROW OFF EVERYTHING THAT HINDERS AND THE SIN THAT SO EASILY ENTANGLES. God is calling each of us to kneel at his feet with humble hearts and to turn away from all wrongdoing in our lives. As we repent and turn to God, our sins will be washed away, and times of refreshing will come from the Lord. (Heb 12:1-2; Acts 3:19).

It is time to RUN WITH PERSEVERANCE THE RACE MARKED OUT FOR US. Each of us has a particular call from God on our lives. As we fulfil our callings and are obedient to all that God asks us to do, we need to press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus. It will take much perseverance to keep going. (Heb 12:1-2, Phil 3:14).

It is time to KEEP OUR EYES FIXED ON JESUS, THE AUTHOR AND PERFECTER OF OUR FAITH. Even if everyone else around us falls away and we lose everything dear to us in this world, we must set our minds like flint to follow Jesus and hold firmly to him. Never let go. (Heb 12:1-2; Heb 3:14, 4:14; Is 50:7).

It is time to FIX GOD'S WORD IN OUR HEARTS AND MINDS. A time may come when we find ourselves without our Bibles. While we have the opportunity, it is wise to immerse ourselves in the pages of Scripture. We need to read it, listen to it, memorise it and hide it in our hearts. God’s Word is truth, and knowledge of his truth is vital if we are not to be deceived. (Deut 11:18; Ps 119:11, 160: John 17:17).

It is time to TRIM OUR LAMPS AND FILL THEM WITH OIL. If we are to endure and be overcomers, we must be filled with the Holy Spirit. He will be our comforter, teacher and helper in the dark days ahead. He will illuminate God’s Word, so it becomes a lamp for each of our paths. Earnestly desire the Holy Spirit’s gifts, not to gratify ourselves but to empower and encourage Christ’s body, the Church. (Matt 25:1-13, Eph 5:18).

It is time to FULFIL THE GREAT COMMISSION. The world is ripe for harvest, and we must work while we still have light. Night is soon coming when no one can work. Knowing that the return of Jesus draws near should motivate us to be obedient to his command: 'Go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirt, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.' (Matt 28:19-20; John 9:4).

It is time to PUT ON THE FULL ARMOUR OF GOD. The spiritual darkness in the world is increasing, and we must be on our guard. It is important to remember that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Eph 6:1-17).

It is time to WATCH AND PRAY. Watch for the signs predicted in the prophetic passages of the Bible. Look for them in the world, church, nature, and Israel. Jesus told us to be alert to what is happening around us, and he instructed us to pray that we would be able to stand before him when he returns. Talk to the Father through Jesus, in the power of the Spirit, on all occasions, with all kinds of prayers and requests. If we pour out our hearts and cast our cares upon the Lord, he will sustain us. (Ps 55:2, 62:8, Luke 21:36, Eph 6:18-20).

It is time to LISTEN TO GOD'S VOICE. The world is a confusing babble of noise. Multitudes of voices brimming with their own self-importance are vying to be heard. So many speak foolishness, and there are those who speak with forked tongues. There is only one voice we can trust: the voice of our Lord. Jesus calls his sheep by name, and they will follow him because they know his voice. Listen to him as he speaks through his Word and through his Holy Spirit. His voice is never one of confusion. (John 10:3-4).

It is time to ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER AND BUILD EACH OTHER UP. As the days grow darker, we will need the support, love, prayers, encouragement and fellowship of our brothers and sisters in Christ. (1 Thes 5:11).

It is time to SEEK FIRST GOD'S KINGDOM AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS. Do not worry about what we shall eat, drink or wear. Our heavenly Father knows that we need them. Seek first God’s kingdom, and he will take care of all our needs. (Matt 6:19-21, 28-34).

If anyone is reading this and is not yet a Christian, then God also has a message for you:

He says: 'Now is the time of God’s favour; now is the day of salvation.' (1 Cor 6:3). Seek him while he still may be found. God is inviting you to know him. Repent of your sins towards Father God, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and be filled with the Holy Spirit. For it is by grace you can be saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Eph 2:8).

This is a trumpet call to anyone willing to listen: IT'S TIME TO WAKE UP!

At the end of 2020, I had a vivid dream, and I share it now because I believe it is an encouragement. In this dream, I was getting ready for a wedding. As I was preparing my clothes, the realisation dawned on me that it was no longer safe to remain in the house where I was staying. I knew that evil officials would arrive at any moment to capture me and take me away. There was no time to linger, so I fled from the house and left the city. I ran as far as possible and did not stop until I reached a dusty road deep in the Australian outback. With a panting chest, I paused and gazed at the red dirt and gum trees surrounding me. I was in the middle of nowhere, far away from civilisation. Surely, I would be safe here?

Even so, I remained nervous and continued to search for a hiding place, but while surveying the area, a portal opened in the air before me. With horror, I watched as giant robots appeared and stepped through. With militant precision, they marched down the road, intent on destruction and trampling everything in their wake. Their eyes saw everything, and when I realised there was no escape and nowhere to hide, terror flooded every fibre of my being.

All hope ebbed away as I stood on that dusty road, but my despair only lasted a moment. The Holy Spirit descended, and the presence of God enveloped me. His power imbued me with strength, and I knew that with God’s help, I could stand with boldness in the face of this frightening enemy. The Lord himself would be my hiding place. He then impressed upon me the words from Ecclesiastes: ‘There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.’

This dream reminded me that the changing of times and seasons within our world are held in God’s hands. The planet is on the threshold of change, and we have been warned beforehand how everything that can be shaken will be shaken (Heb 12:26-28). A global technocratic dictatorship is arising, and it seems unlikely that it can be stopped. It is noble to hold onto societal freedom for as long as we can, but a time will eventually arrive when there will be no escape from the control and surveillance that will invade the whole globe (this is what I believe the robots in my dream represent). Nobody knows for sure exactly when this will happen in all its fullness, but the birth pangs are beginning, and events are accelerating. Despite the ordeals coming upon this world, we need not be afraid. Jesus promised that he would be with us always, even until the end of the age.

The times of our individual lives are also in God’s hands. The fact that we are alive at this point in history means that we were born for such a time as this. I know how inadequate and weak I feel, and I often wonder why God would want to use me. But he likes to use weak vessels – if they are willing – for that is when the world will witness his power!

The Lord has told us all these things so that in him we may have peace. In this world, we will have trouble. But take heart! Jesus Christ has overcome the world.

Our bridegroom is at the door and will soon arrive.
Can you hear his voice?
He says, 'Behold, I am coming quickly!'

This is a trumpet call to anyone willing to listen: IT'S TIME TO WAKE UP!

As all these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus, come!

Afterword...

The Book of Revelation holds a promise for all who read it aloud. It is written:

'Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.' (Rev 1:3)

I believe that God is asking his people to appoint a time in their local areas to gather together and read the book of Revelation aloud in its entirety. God’s blessing will rest upon any church, small group or household who are obedient to his Word and take to heart what is written.

Dear Father,
We long for the coming of your son, Jesus, and the coming of your kingdom. Fill us afresh with your Holy Spirit and prepare us for the difficult times ahead.
Even so, come Lord Jesus come! Amen.

A TRUMPET CALL TO WAKE THE CHURCH
(Right-click to download a PDF copy of this devotional).

SOLI DEO GLORIA
© Sally Dixon Creations 2023

Stones that are shattered and scattered and gathered

10/11/2022

“There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
… a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them.”

Ecclesiastes 3:1,5

JESU JUVA

The sun was baking hot the day we trudged through an olive grove on the outskirts of Sparta in Greece. Even though the heat was oppressive, my friend Fiona and I were determined to find the ruins of an ancient Spartan amphitheatre. Dry grass crackled beneath our feet while cicadas chorused a never-ending song.

There seemed to be no sign of any ruins, but as we continued through the olive grove, we discovered a few stone blocks and pillars. They were broken and scattered through the grass.

As we went further and emerged into a clearing, more and more stones appeared. Some were enormous, and many were engraved with ancient Greek writing. There were places where stones still stood in partial rows, but all were crumbled and weathered.

The remains of the amphitheatre testified to a time of great splendour. Long ago, crowds of thousands would have thronged through this place. Those people wouldn’t have been much different to us. How cacophonous the sound must have been as audiences chatted and laughed, waiting for their entertainment to begin. Now, there was nothing but stillness. Except for two Aussie travellers and a multitude of cicadas, not another soul could be seen or heard. The site had become a dry and barren place, and the only memory that now remained of those splendid ancient days was a remnant of shattered stones.

King Solomon once wrote about stones. He said that there is a time to gather stones and a time to scatter them. Why would anyone need to gather stones, let alone scatter them? A friend asked me that question a while ago. That morning she had read the passage about times and seasons in the book of Ecclesiastes. She was perplexed.

At first, I was perplexed too. Although I had read the passage numerous times, I had never stopped to ponder why anyone would need to gather or scatter stones. The best commentary on the Bible is the Bible itself, so I began to dig into the Scriptures.

Various people, including Jacob and Joshua, gathered stones throughout the Old Testament. With them, they built monuments to God where they offered sacrifices to him. They weren’t worshipping the lifeless stones themselves; they were making memorials to the Lord. In thankfulness, they were remembering his powerful intervention in their lives. In gathering stones, these people were worshipping the one true Living God who is unseen.

Stones were also gathered for another reason: to make a dwelling place for God’s presence. At a place called Bethel, God revealed himself to Jacob in a dream. Overcome with awe, Jacob placed a single stone in response to his powerful encounter and declared that it would be “God’s house” — a place for the Lord to dwell. This single stone foreshadowed the grand temple that King Solomon would build years later in Jerusalem. At the beginning of his reign, huge and valuable stones were quarried, cut and laid with care. Solomon built such a magnificent house for God that people came from far and wide to see it for themselves.

Throughout the Old Testament, not only do we see times when people gathered stones, but there were also times when stones were scattered. In the book 2 Kings, the Israelites found themselves in a desperate situation. The Moabite army stood before them as an impenetrable force, and the Israelites had run out of water to drink. They sought help from God, who spoke to them through the prophet Elisha. The Lord said: “You will overthrow every fortified city and every major town. You will cut down every good tree, stop up all the springs, and ruin every good field with stones (2 Kings 3:19).”

God performed a miracle and provided his people with a water-filled valley. As the early morning sunlight shone across the water, the Moabites thought it was blood, which sent them into a confused frenzy. The Israelites defeated their enemy and did exactly as God had instructed them: they destroyed the Moabite towns, and each man threw a stone on every good field until it was covered (2 Kings 3:25). The scattered stones, the felling of trees and the stopping-up of springs were God's judgments against the pagan Moabite people. Barrenness and unfruitfulness would have followed. This meant that their hunger could not be satisfied, and their thirst could not be quenched.

The Moabites were a people who followed after idols, as all the nations surrounding Israel did. The worship of false gods was a serious matter to the one true Living God. Repeatedly, throughout the Scriptures, he commands his people not to bow down to pagan gods or worship them or adopt any of their practices (Ex 23:24). God tells them to never erect stone images, for he detests them (Deut 16:22). He describes foreign gods as “useless” and “worthless.”1 He even says they are good for nothing except to be thrown away like rubbish.2

Strong words. Powerful emotions.
Why does God feel so intensely about idols?

The answer is a simple one. God loves his children and wants them to have a relationship with him. Paganism is the worship of creation rather than the Creator himself. Those who worship creation and cling to idols actually choose to turn away from God’s love for them (Jonah 2:8). When people turn away from him or have a divided heart, they choose to disconnect themselves from the only source of life, truth and blessing.

An idol has no eyes to see human needs.
An idol has no ears to hear human prayers.
An idol has no mouth to speak truth to seeking hearts.
An idol has no feet to walk beside human beings.
An idol has no arms to hold humans close.
An idol has no heart to love any person.
A false god cannot have a relationship with people.

Idol worship will produce spiritual barrenness. God tells us through his Word that those who honour other gods will become like them (Ps 115:8). An idol is lifeless; those who worship them will also be lifeless. Their spiritual hunger will never be satisfied, and their spiritual thirst will never be quenched.

More than this, when people worship other gods, Scripture warns us that their worship is actually being offered up to demons.3 Satan and his minions seek to steal, kill and destroy human beings. They can appear as angels of light, and the spiritual experiences they invoke may “feel” authentic, but this is deceptive. Nothing good can ever come from worshipping false gods, and eventually, it will lead to spiritual destruction. There is a way that seems right to a human, but its end is the way of death (Prov 12:15). This is not what God desires for any person. He invites ALL to know HIM so they might have life, and life to abundance!

He says: “Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever! (Deut 5:29).” Can you hear the depths of God’s heart for his children as he speaks these words? He knows the best way for humans to thrive. His intentions are good, and his commands are permeated with love!

In those Old Testament days, did the Israelites listen to him?

Sadly, more often than not, they did not hearken to his voice. We are told that God’s people ascribed things to the Lord their God which were not true (2 Kings 17:9). Their idolatry began by adopting the philosophies and practices of false religion to worship the one true God. The next step was erecting lifeless images, which they then bowed down to and worshipped. When their hearts had turned towards idolatry, the Israelites lost their fear of God. The result was twofold: immorality and injustice.

God sent prophets to warn them to turn away from their sin and to return to him. Through the prophet Isaiah, the Lord declared that when the stones of the pagan altars were crushed and scattered, he would forgive their iniquity (Is 27:9). He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. He wants to forgive. The Lord's unfailing love motivated him to send those prophets and call his people to repentance. There are a handful of recorded instances when God’s words were heeded. Kings Josiah, Hezekiah and Asa all tore down idols and scattered the pieces. By doing this, they turned away from sin and returned to the one true God.

Most of the Israelites, however, refused to listen to God’s warnings, and judgement eventually came. The Babylonian army invaded the land and ravaged Jerusalem. They tore down the protective wall around the city. They tore down palaces and homes. They also tore down King Solomon’s magnificent temple. All the physical stones of the city were shattered and scattered across the ground. None were left standing. But just as the physical stones were dispersed, so too were God’s people. The judgement meant that they were torn away and scattered into foreign lands.

As strange as it may sound, the judgement that came was also ultimately motivated by God’s love. When people become stiff-necked, utterly determined to go their own evil way, sometimes the Lord will allow affliction. He allows it because it may be the only way his people will ever come back to him. As humans, we tend to think merely in temporal terms. Our mortal lives flourish like flowers in a field, only to quickly fade and fall away. Our focus is generally towards our own well-being throughout this fleeting existence. God’s thoughts and ways are far higher than our minds can ever comprehend. God thinks not merely in temporal terms but in light of all eternity. Our eternal well-being is of supreme importance. Momentary afflictions in this temporal life will achieve for us an eternal glory that far outweighs any suffering we might experience now. If that suffering comes in the form of judgement in order to bring us back onto the path of holiness, then every pain it brings will be worthwhile.

Although he may allow judgement, God takes no pleasure in it. That is why he sends warning after warning through his prophets. Judgement can be avoided if people choose to heed his words. If they decide to return to him, they will return to life, truth and blessing. There is always a freewill choice involved.

A time came when the Israelites made that choice, and once they had, the Lord gathered them back into their land. After their return, they picked up the physical stones from the heaps of dust and rubbish -- even the ones that had been burned. Stone by stone, under the watchful gaze of the Lord, his people rebuilt the city wall, their homes and the temple with diligence and care. God revived both the city and his people.

All that happened to the Israelites in the Old Testament was written down as examples and warnings for us (1 Cor 10:11). How can these examples apply to our lives now?

There is something beautiful we can learn. But there is also something sobering.

The beautiful truth is that Jesus Christ is described as The Living Stone (1 Peter 2:4). The Father has made his Son Jesus the Cornerstone of a spiritual house they are in the process of building together. With the Holy Spirit's help, they are gathering multitudes of other living stones and putting them in place.

Who are these other living stones?

Jesus once alluded to stones as being a metaphor for God’s children. He said, “…from these stones God is able to raise up children for Abraham (Matt 3:9).” Any person who puts their trust in Jesus and accepts the free gift of salvation becomes a living stone.

The curse of sin has so tainted the core of our beings that it has severed our connection to the only source of life. All of us are damaged and scattered on the rubbish heap of this world. All of us are spiritually hungry and thirsty, but so often, we turn to worldly broken cisterns that can never satisfy our needs.

The beautiful truth of the gospel is that Jesus lifts people from the heaps of dust and rubbish — even the ones who have been burned — and he transforms them into vibrant living stones. He gathers them and washes them clean with his blood, so each one can be presented unblemished in the Father's presence. Connected to the Cornerstone, their spiritual hunger will be eternally satisfied with the Bread of Heaven, and their spiritual thirst will be quenched by Living Water that never runs dry.

God has been gathering his children throughout all ages since time began — people from every tribe, tongue, nation and people group. What’s more, this gathering has not ceased. It continues to this day and will continue until the end of the age. Only with Jesus Christ as the single foundation stone are the other living stones able to be set in place.

However, the sobering truth we learn from the Old Testament is that God’s people sometimes turn away from him. It may not begin as an intentional turning away, but the seductions of this world can lead any one of us astray little step by little step. The Living God is the same yesterday and today and forever, and the worship of false gods remains a serious matter to him. Because of his unfailing love, he still commands his children not to bow down to pagan gods, worship them or adopt any of their practices. He wills for all to go well with us. If our hearts turn towards idolatry, we will lose our fear of God and no longer shun evil. Immorality and injustice will inevitably follow.

It is necessary that we examine our own hearts and make sure there are no stony places within.

Have we ascribed things to the Lord our God which are not true?
Have we adopted pagan philosophies or practices, dressed them up in Christian clothing and declared them as acceptable worship to God?
Have we put our Lord on the same level as other gods?
Have we declared that all paths lead to the one true God and that Jesus Christ is not the only way to know him?
Have we turned ourselves into idols by placing our own human reason and human emotion as the foundation of truth?
Have we redefined Biblical terms and concepts to mean something other than what God intended?

If we have done any of these things, then we need to remember what God himself says. Idols are detestable to him, whether they are physical stones carved into an image or spiritual stones formed inside our hearts.

But, oh, how deep is his love! He is calling his children to listen to his voice so we will worship him in Spirit and Truth. The Lord speaks to us through his Word and through the Holy Spirit. Both will always be in harmony, and both will always uphold Jesus as the single foundation stone. When we listen, we will hear him asking us to crush and scatter the stony idols inside our hearts. When we are obedient, his Holy Spirit will blow those pieces away. God is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. He wants to forgive. When we choose to return to him with an undivided heart, he will gather us in his everlasting arms.

The Word of God testifies to a future time of great splendour. The house of God will one day be complete, and countless crowds will throng through that place. How incredible the sound will be as God’s children talk, laugh and sing as they fellowship with one another and worship the Living God, who is above all other gods. Filled with the presence of the Holy Spirit and cemented in place by the Blood of the Lamb, the gathered living stones will pulsate with life.

The Living God has eyes to see human needs.
The Living God has ears to hear human prayers.
The Living God has a mouth to speak truth to seeking hearts.
The Living God has feet to walk beside human beings.
The Living God has arms to hold humans close.
The Living God has a heart to love everyone.
The Living God invites ALL people to become his children.

There is a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them.
There is also a time to tear down and a time to build up.

If any person chooses to reject the Son, they will be like the stones I once saw in Greece. Long ago, those stones knew splendour, but now they lie shattered and scattered in a desolate place. They will always remain lifeless. People, too, may have a moment of glory in this temporal world, but it will fizzle out in the end. Judgement will come.

But if any person chooses to accept the Son, they will become a living stone in God’s glorious house. Forevermore.

Choose this day whom you will serve.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Today, I choose to serve you and only you. I will not go after other gods or bow my knee to them. You alone are God, and besides you, there is no other. I choose to trust in Jesus Christ who is the Cornerstone. He is the one who brings life.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

1. (Deut 32:21, 1 Sam 12:21, 1 Kings 16:13, 1 Kings 16:26, 2 Kings 17:15, Ps 31:6, 1s 44:9, Jer 2:5, Jer 2:11, Jer 8:19, Jer 10:3, 8, 15, Jer 15:19, Jer 16:19, Jer 18:15, Jer 51:18, Ezek 11:21, Acts 14:15)
2. (Josh 24:14,23; Is 2:20, Is 30:22)
3. (Deut 32:16-17, Lev 17:7, 1 Cor 10:20, Rev 9:20)

STONES THAT ARE SHATTERED AND SCATTERED AND GATHERED DEVOTIONAL PDF FILE
(Right-click to download).

SOLI DEO GLORIA
© Sally Dixon Creations 2022

Pour out your heart like water

15/9/2022

“Arise, cry out in the night,
as the watches of the night begin;
pour out your heart like water
in the presence of the Lord.”

Lamentations 2:19

JESU JUVA

One night, I had a beautiful dream.

In my dream, I walked through a house, my heart heavy with sadness. As my restless feet wandered in and out of rooms, a companion drew near and began to walk with me. Wherever I went, he went too. My companion remained unseen, but I knew he was there. I also knew that he was ancient, strong and wise. How safe I felt in his presence!

I began to pour out my troubles to him, the words tumbling out one after another. As we walked together, my unseen companion listened with an attentive ear. He heard every word and understood the pain that brimmed beneath each one. Not once did he ever leave my side.

What I experienced in my slumber that night is symbolic of what I have been learning in my waking hours: God is a good, kind and loving Father who cares about every aspect of our lives. The Lord walks with his children, and there is nothing too small or too big that cannot be shared with him. Whatever our burdens, whatever our needs, we can pour out our hearts like water in the presence of the Lord.

I remember a day as an eight-year-old girl when I took one of my favourite toys to school. It was a small, pink plastic cat. To adult eyes, it wouldn’t have seemed like much, but it meant a lot to me. At some point throughout the day, I lost that pink cat. Emotions swirled inside my chest: panic, anxiety, sadness and even anger (somebody must’ve stolen it!). But I managed to suppress my feelings and did not let them out. I trudged through the rest of the day and sighed with relief when the bell finally rang, marking the end of school. I climbed into the back seat of the family car, and only when I was safely shut inside did the tears begin to fall.

‘What’s the matter?’ asked my mother.

‘I lost my pink cat!’ Tears continued to flow down my cheeks as I poured out my childish woes.

My mother suggested we pray. So, we did. It was a simple prayer asking Father God to help me find my toy.

The next day, I saw another child holding my cat. She had found it on the classroom floor and was more than glad to pass it back to me. I learnt that day that even a plastic toy isn’t too small for God to care about. It mattered to me, and because he loved me, it also mattered to him.

A child’s toy is one thing, but bigger concerns can also be brought to the Lord. We can talk to him about our relationship difficulties, the complexities we face at school or work, and the disappointments we encounter in life. Even the matters of what we eat daily and what we wear are important to God because he knows how much we require them.

The Bible is filled with accounts of people pouring their troubles out to God. Hannah is one example. She was in deep anguish because she had no children and could not fall pregnant. In those days, barrenness was a burdensome stigma. Year after year, Hannah longed for her heart’s desire to be granted, but God never seemed to hear or answer her prayers. Such was Hannah’s grief that she was often reduced to tears and unable to even eat. One day, she went to the temple and cried bitterly as she prayed to the Lord. She poured out her heart to him: all her disappointment and sorrow. Hannah held none of it back. Not long afterwards, God fulfilled her desire and gave her a child. However, this didn’t mean the Lord only heard her prayers on that one particular occasion. The answer this time was ‘yes’, but her countless prayers were equally worthwhile throughout the years. God heard each one. Scripture tells us that the Lord keeps track of all our sorrows. He collects every tear in his bottle and records each one in his book (Psalm 56:8 NLT). Every single prayer uttered by Hannah and every tear she ever shed were precious in the Lord’s sight.

I remember another occasion when I stood on a rock before a waterfall and watched as it thundered down. Though I stood at a distance, the pummelling water sprayed through the air, and I soon became drenched. Sometimes our emotions seem as powerful as a waterfall, and we feel sure they will overcome and destroy us. Life can be brutal. Devastating events happen that shatter our souls and leave us gasping with ragged breaths. There are those amongst us who have experienced the unspeakable.

But nothing is too big for the Lord. Nothing is so shocking or shameful that we can’t bring it to him.

When the prophet Jeremiah penned the words, ‘Pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord,’ he was lamenting the afflictions of his people. They had fallen into tremendous sin, and judgement had come. Jerusalem was ravaged and destroyed, and most inhabitants were carried away as slaves to a distant land. Those left behind were plunged into famine and vast suffering. Jeremiah was heartbroken as he wept for his people. His sorrows poured out like a gushing waterfall.

When our emotions are as strong as Jeremiah’s, we can pour them out in the Lord’s presence just as he did. Scripture also expresses it another way: we are told to cast our burdens upon God, for he cares deeply for us (1 Peter 5:7). To cast means to throw with force. God is telling us to hurl those overwhelming feelings onto him, for he is strong enough to carry them. King David knew this. His prayers in the Psalms are punctuated with drenching tears, cries of anguish, pleas for forgiveness, and accompanied by much sobbing, groaning, weeping and sighing. David never stopped calling out to the Lord.

God looks deep within the heart and mind. He knows what is already in there, and there is no point in keeping any of it hidden from him. When I was a little girl, I was able to climb into the car, close the door and cry out my sorrows to my mother, who cared about my lost toy. How much more does our God in Heaven care? He is a Father, full of compassion for all who belong to him, and we can talk to him about anything and everything.

This truth sets the one true Living God apart from all the other so-called ‘gods’ of the world’s religions. The gods of this world are not all one and the same, despite what many might teach these days. Those who teach such things are in error because they do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. They might speak as if they know God, but do they really?

In the name of religion, people do all sorts of things to try to connect to God and have their prayers heard. Some deprive themselves of sensual pleasures. Some say repetitive prayers as they count beads. Some empty themselves to become a blank vacuum inside. Some burn incense and chant. Some whisper to ‘saintly’ humans who are dead and cannot hear them. Some people perform the same rituals over and over and over again. Others babble on believing their prayers will be answered by their many words.

So much effort! And all of it is without any assurance that those prayers will ever be heard or answered. Religious practices or methods initiated through human effort possess no power to connect any person to God. But there is hope. Through his lovingkindness, God himself has reached out and made a way for us to connect to him.

Christian prayer is unique, and it is unique not only because of God’s fatherhood but also because of the person of Jesus Christ. It is Jesus who connects us to the Sovereign Father in Heaven so we can know and talk to him. And it is through Jesus that the Father sends the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, to come and dwell with us. This means that although we may sometimes pray in solitary places, we are never alone because each member of the Godhead is always present. As children of God, we pray to the Father through his Son Jesus and in the power of the Holy Spirit.

When God became man and walked on this earth for thirty-three years, he was despised and rejected — a man of sorrows, acquainted with the deepest grief (Is 53:3). Jesus was mocked, betrayed and abandoned by friends. His body was whipped and scourged and pierced. On the cross, he carried the sin of the whole world — the sins of every person who has ever lived or ever will live. Because he experienced this world’s evils firsthand, Jesus can empathise with all our weaknesses. He was tempted in every way, just as we are — yet he did not sin (Heb 4:15). And because Jesus defeated death and is alive forevermore, he can forgive our sins, connect us to the Father and help us overcome any struggle we might face.

No other god can make this claim. No other god has ever demonstrated such love.

Jesus tells us not to be like the pagans who strive so hard to have their prayers heard. We don't have to strive if we know Jesus and belong to the Father. We are simply told to go someplace quiet, close the door and talk to God, who is unseen. This is the highest form of prayer because it is a conversation between a father and child who love each other. The Lord isn’t interested in our pious attitudes and religious practices. He wants us to know him personally and simply asks that we come to him like children.

The true gospel is mighty enough to break through into the gritty and crushing aspects of our lives. Our emotions can be messy. It’s not often wise to let them spill over onto other people. Most won’t understand our situations, and even the rare person who does will never be able to meet the innermost needs of our souls. The best place to take our emotions is the Lord’s presence.

As children of God, we can enter boldly into his throne room whenever we need to. We might be inside a house, car, school, office, hospital or church. Or we might be outside in a garden, park, field, beach or walking along a city street. Wherever we might be, we can enter in and let our hearts spill out like water before him. Throughout the centuries, believers have found themselves in the bleakest of situations. But even in prison cells, concentration camps or arenas filled with hungry lions, people have been able to enter into God’s presence and talk to him.

The Lord knows how difficult this life can be and how weak we often feel. When this is the case, the Holy Spirit will help us in our weakness to pray, even with sighs and groans too deep for words.

Sometimes we might have to endure for a long time, but we won't be alone if we do. The Lord walks with us and will never leave our side. His power can deliver us from any trouble, and even if he doesn’t in this lifetime, he is strong enough to sustain us until we reach eternity.

As you walk with the Lord, bring every concern to him each day. It may be as small as a lost pink cat. It may be as vital as food, clothes and money. It may be that you have fallen into sin and need to repent. It may even be as devastating as broken relationships, illness, trauma or grief. Your emotions might feel as thunderous as a waterfall. Whatever your concerns, God cares about you and wants to hear all about it.

Amid great turmoil, Jeremiah was able to say, ‘Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness (Lam 3:22-23).’ If you are facing hard circumstances right now, know that God loves you and has compassion for you. He is faithful. With childlike faith, call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and pour out your heart like water in God’s presence.

Dear Heavenly Father,
I come to you through your Son, Jesus, my Lord and Saviour. Thank you that I can enter into your presence because of his death on the cross and the blood that he shed. Thank you that I can bring all of my troubles and concerns to you. I cast them upon you now and ask for your help. Thank you for your promise that because I am your child, you will always walk beside me and never leave me.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Afterword…

If you do not yet know God and are seeking to know if he is real, go somewhere quiet, shut the door, and talk to Jesus Christ. Be honest with him. Tell him all about your concerns, doubts, hurts or wrongdoings. He is alive and can reveal himself to you. Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ will be saved. This means that Jesus will forgive all your sins, enabling you to stand in God's holy presence. Jesus will introduce you to the Father so you may receive the right to become one of his children.

POUR OUT YOUR HEART LIKE WATER DEVOTIONAL PDF FILE
(Right-click to download).

SOLI DEO GLORIA
© Sally Dixon Creations 2022

Light yourself on fire

17/8/2022

“Light yourself on fire with passion, and people will come from miles to watch you burn.”
~ John Wesley

Free download:
JOHN WESLEY NEWSLETTER - UK version (A4-sized)
JOHN WESLEY NEWSLETTER - US version (Letter-sized)

JESU JUVA

For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction.
1 Thessalonians 1:4-5

"Decay in religion, licentiousness in morals, public corruption and profaneness of language." You could be mistaken in thinking that these words describe our modern society. They were, in fact, written in the eighteenth century by an essayist called Mark Pattison. These words are his summary of what English society was like in his day.

Gin was cheap in the first half of that century, and public houses were crowded places. Advertisements hanging in the lanes of London read, "Drunk for a penny. Dead drunk for twopence. Free straw to lie on." As well as drunkenness in the streets, gambling, crime and violence were also rife. Death even became a means of popular entertainment. A day of amusement might have involved taking the family out for a picnic to watch the public hangings in Tyburn. The hangings attracted crowds of thousands and were more like fairs than serious legal ceremonies. Hogarth's paintings vividly depict the depraved state of England at that time.

The moral state of a society is often a reflection of the spiritual condition of the church within that society. True believers are called to be like salt within the world, helping to stem the rise of sin and immorality. Jesus warned that salt becomes useless once it loses its saltiness (Matt 5:13). The established church of the early eighteenth century was deeply influenced by rationalistic thought and liked to use "the language of fashionable society." Cold intellectualism and human reason crept in while passionate faith in God vanished out the door. Worship became formal, respectable and very much a religion of the middle and upper classes. One prominent bishop at that time, when offered the position of Archbishop of Canterbury, declined with the response, "It's too late for me to save a dying church. It will have disappeared in my lifetime."

Such was the state of the established church in that period. Human reason was held in higher esteem than the wisdom of God. As a result, the church became apathetic, powerless and dead. It well and truly lost its saltiness.

But something happened that profoundly transformed English society in that century. God raised up several individual men who lifted their voices and boldly proclaimed the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to anyone who would listen. As these men preached, the Holy Spirit moved powerfully over the crowds who flocked to hear them. Soon, the whole nation was in an uproar!

One of these men was John Wesley.

Born into a Christian home in 1709, Wesley grew up believing that eternal salvation depended on the good things he could do to prepare himself for heaven. This belief radically changed in 1738 when his heart was "strangely warmed" after experiencing the New Birth. He finally realised it was impossible to earn his way to heaven through his own good works. He then became convinced that salvation came only as a gift of God through faith in Jesus Christ. This experience turned his life upside down!

Wesley began to proclaim the key message, "By grace, ye are saved through faith," in all his sermons. He expounded the need for all people to come to life-saving faith through Jesus Christ so that they could be saved from sin and the consequences of sin. Wesley declared, "Nothing but this can give a check to the immorality which hath overspread the land as a flood."

He spoke about Christ at every opportunity, but churches everywhere began to shut their doors to him. The respectable church establishment generally opposed the doctrine of salvation by faith alone. Wesley then began to preach outdoors, and as he did, enormous crowds followed wherever he went. He preached in open fields and meadows, city streets and highways. Once, he even stood on his father's tombstone as he spoke to a large gathering in a cemetery. The Holy Spirit moved among the multitudes who were "indeed ripe for the Gospel," and thousands experienced the New Birth. Many outcasts of the day — such as harlots, thieves, prisoners and drunkards — received the message with gladness. Wesley also preached to the coal miners, who were considered "lawless, brutal, and worse than heathen." Their hearts were so moved that their tears made "white gutters down their black cheeks."

The transformation of individual lives led to the transformation of whole towns, villages and workplaces. Wesley described what happened in the factories of one town:

"The whole scene was changed. In three of the factories, no more lewdness or profaneness was found; for God had put a new song in their mouth, and blasphemies were turned to praise...No trifling word was heard among them, and they watch over each other in love."

He described the transformation that had occurred in another town:

"In this town there is a change indeed! It was wicked to a proverb: remarkable for Sabbath-breaking, cursing, swearing, drunkenness, and a general contempt of religion. But it is not so now. Open wickedness disappears; no oaths are heard, no drunkenness seen in the streets. And many have not only ceased from evil and learned to do well, but are witnesses of the inward kingdom of God, 'righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.'"

These powerful works of God continued to follow and bless Wesley's ministry throughout his lifetime. Some historians have said that his preaching saved England from social unrest and a revolution similar to that of France. As revival erupted across the land, God's power "laid hold of the lower classes and converted them before they were ripe for explosion." This revival directly influenced social reformers such as William Wilberforce, John Howard, and many others.

As we gaze around the world today, we see tremendous "decay in religion, licentiousness in morals, public corruption and profaneness of language." The tsunami of immorality and the chaos erupting in every corner of the globe is overwhelming. The situation seems as dark, if not darker, than in Wesley's era.

If the moral state of a society is a reflection of the spiritual condition of the church, then we, the Church, need to humbly come before God, pray, seek his face and repent of our wicked ways (2 Chron 7:14). How did we lose our saltiness? Before we point the finger at those outside church walls, we first must examine ourselves.

Do we truly know God?
Is Jesus Christ exalted and at the centre of all we say and do?
Are we placing human reason above God's truth and wisdom?
Are we trusting in human methods rather than God's ways?
Are we making names for ourselves rather than glorifying God’s name?
Are we listening to the world’s voice above God’s voice?
Are our good ideas self-initiated or God-initiated?
Are we seeking human happiness above God’s will?
Are we trying to please people rather than God?
Are we seeking God for himself or only for what we want him to do for us?

John Wesley was an ordinary human being, like you or me. He was weak, flawed and fearful and had no power of his own. But God used him. God is in the business of using weak and foolish vessels. That means he can use us too.

If he is to form us into a beautiful vessel fit for Kingdom purposes, then we must ensure our hearts are clean and supple. Are we mouldable clay in the potter’s hand? The Lord could only use the clay pot called John Wesley after John had humbly bowed his knee in repentance, placed his trust in Jesus Christ and learned to obey his Master’s voice. Only then did the Holy Spirit flow through him to transform countless lives.

I know what a weak, flawed and fearful vessel I am, but the Lord Almighty keeps reminding me: “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit (Zech 4:6).” Jesus is strong, and his power can transform my life. He can also transform yours. We may not be used in the same manner as Wesley, but the Holy Spirit's power through us will enable us to be like salt within our own families, schools, workplaces and communities.

Perhaps it is time for any of us who are willing to enter our prayer closets, bow our knees, seek the Lord and dare to ask him: "Search me, God, and know my heart. Show me if there is anything that displeases you." It's a daunting prayer. It takes courage to utter such words. But it is a necessary prayer if we are to be used by him in this decaying world. It is God’s kindness that will lead us to repentance (Romans 2:4).

Transformation has to begin in each of us.

Dear Father in Heaven,
Search me, God, and know my heart. Show me if there is anything that displeases you. Lead me to repentance. I want to follow after your ways and be used by you to glorify your name.
I ask this in the name of Jesus,
Amen.

More information about John Wesley can be read in the following edition of the 'Heroes of the Faith' newsletter. Right-click to download and save.

JOHN WESLEY NEWSLETTER - UK version (A4-sized)
JOHN WESLEY NEWSLETTER - US version (Letter-sized)
DEVOTIONAL PDF - Light yourself on fire

REFERENCES

Kirlew, M. (1895). The Story of John Wesley. www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/32669

MacDonald, W. (1901). The Young People’s Wesley. New York: Eaton & Mains. www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/39864

Pawson, D. (1967). Church History: 18th Century (Part 6 of the audio series Church History). David Pawson - Church History

Pollock, J. (1989). John Wesley. Oxford, England: Lion Publishing.

Reardon, B.M.G. (1971). Religious Thought in the Victorian Age:
A Survey from Coleridge to Gore. Michigan: Longman

Wesley, J. The Journal of John Wesley. www.ntslibrary.com/PDF%20Books/Wesley_Journal.pdf

Treasures hidden in the darkness

28/7/2022

“And I will give you treasures
   hidden in the darkness –
secret riches.
I will do this so you may
   know that I am the Lord,
       The God of Israel, the one
who calls you by name.”

Isaiah 45:3 (NLT)

JESU JUVA

Sometimes we find ourselves in places of utter darkness.

As a small girl, I was once plunged into utter darkness inside a cave. I was with my family on a guided tour. The air was cool and dank inside that cavernous place, and the deeper we meandered through the tunnels and hollows, the colder and more damp it seemed to get. A tour guide led us into a cathedral-sized chamber and gathered everyone around. As I stood beside my mother gazing at an enormous stalagmite, the tour guide suddenly switched off the light.

Darkness swallowed all of us up.

The blackness was blacker than anything I had ever known. Blacker even than my bedroom at night-time. Every person vanished from sight, including my mother. Deep down, I knew she stood beside me, but I could no longer see her. Not even a faint outline of her body. I suppose I could have reached out to grab her hand, but that black abyss had turned me into a statue. I dared not move.

As the light disappeared, so did the sound. Everyone fell silent, and an eerie hush descended over the cave. Unable to see or hear anyone and hidden in utter darkness, I felt overwhelmingly alone.

There have been times since then when I have found myself not in a physical darkness but an emotional one. Many of us have been there. Life plunges us into seasons of aching aloneness due to grief, loss, trauma, disappointment, illness, or other unexpected hardships. Never do we choose to enter such seasons, but enter them, we must. Times of suffering are inescapable in this imperfect world.

Joseph, in the Bible, found himself in great darkness. His jealous brothers threw him into a deep well and left him for dead. Then, sold into slavery, he was later accused of a sin he did not commit and was unfairly thrown into prison. Joseph’s season of darkness lasted many years. Torn away from his loved ones and taken to a foreign land, did he sometimes feel forsaken and forgotten? There must have been moments when he felt overwhelmed.

But, throughout his afflictions, Joseph was never alone. The Bible tells us that “the Lord was with him”. (Gen 39:3,21,23).

If we know Jesus and belong to the Father, we can also rest in knowing that the Lord is with us in every situation. We may not be able to see him or always feel his presence, but God has promised to never leave his children alone. He is always with us. Never are we hidden from him. When I was a little girl standing in that black cave, my mother stood beside me even when I could not see her there. That knowledge helped me to remain calm, although I momentarily felt terrified.

The Lord also makes another promise: He will give us treasures hidden in the darkness — secret riches that we would otherwise know nothing about (Is 45:3). Our natural human inclination is to grumble, become bitter or wallow in self-pity in tough circumstances. It is certainly vital to be able to express our emotions in healthy ways, but when we do find ourselves in darkness, it is a time to be still before God. It is an opportunity to listen for his voice and wait for him to act. It is in the darkness that God promises to give us his precious treasures. If we don’t learn to listen or wait, we might miss the riches he wants to share.

So, what are these treasures?

Scattered throughout the pages of his Word, God tells us what they are. They can be unearthed in the accounts of his servants who all knew great struggle: Joseph, Job, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and many others.

Listen to what God says. Here are a handful of treasures he wants to impart in seasons of darkness:

Knowledge of God and a deeper relationship with him (Is 45:3).
Wisdom, understanding and the fear of the Lord (Job 28; Dan 2:21-22; Prov 2:4-5; Is 33:6; Col 2:3).
God’s strength to empower us through difficult circumstances (Ps 18:28-29).
Trust and reliance on God, and the knowledge that he alone is God (Is 42:16, Is 45:3; Is 50:10).
God’s guidance, comfort and love (Ps 23:4; Is 42:16; Lam 3:2-6).
God’s refining power to remove sin from our lives (Is 49:2; Is 9:2; Matt 4:16; John 12:36,46).
Compassion for other people (Isaiah 58:7-8)

Our struggles will not last forever. Seasons of darkness always come to an end. When I was inside that cave as a little girl, the darkness lasted momentarily. The tour guide only wanted to demonstrate how the first explorers had encountered the cave. When he flicked the switch back on, bright light drove all the blackness away.

Joseph would have discovered God’s treasures as he languished in the darkness of trauma, slavery and prison. After many years, God suddenly “flicked the switch”, and Joseph found himself in the light again. God then raised him up and used him as his instrument as governor over Egypt. Joseph would not have been prepared for the calling on his life had it not been for the hard times and the treasures he had received. What had been intended for evil, God used for good to accomplish a greater purpose: the saving of many lives (Gen 50:20).

Whenever you find yourself in utter darkness, remember that it is good to hope, seek and wait patiently for the Lord (Lam 3:25-26). As you wait, make sure you listen carefully for God’s voice. He has treasures he wants to give. And after you have received them and are back in the light, you also may be used to help other people.

Jesus declared, “I am the Light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). Jesus is our “tour guide” leading us through the dark valleys. He is also the source of light itself. Rest in him, and one day, he will suddenly “flick the switch” and drive all the blackness away.

I am in the process of unearthing God’s treasures in my own life. There is still much to discover, but the gems I have found thus far shine and sparkle more beautifully than all the rubies, diamonds or sapphires in the world. They are more precious than silver or gold. Only in the darkness has God led me to the hiding places of his riches. Had I not known struggle, I would never have begun to discover their worth.

PRAYER

Dear Father,
When I find myself in the darkness of suffering, please guide me and be my light. Teach me to hear your voice and teach me about your treasures in the darkness - I am willing to receive them. Show me how I can use these treasures to help other people.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Afterword…

The treasures mentioned here are for God’s children to find. If you are not yet one of God’s children, then know that his great love is beckoning you to join his family. God’s most precious treasure is that of salvation (2 Cor 4:7). Every person needs a saviour, for no one can overcome the darkness inside the human heart by their own efforts. All humans are born into this world with a fallen nature and, because of this, are separated from God. He longs for all people to come to know him. You may be a follower of another religion or spiritual system, or you may have no faith at all. False gods and idols have no power to save. Spiritual practises, rites and rituals have no power to save. Human intellect, human strength and human philosophies have no power to save. Good deeds, no matter how many are performed throughout a lifetime, also have no power to save a human soul. All of these will leave you stumbling blindly in the darkness, unable to find your own way out. Jesus Christ is the only light of the world and the only one who can bring illumination. He is the only one with power to save. Because he died on the cross in our place and then conquered death, he can wash the black stain of sin from our lives. He says, “I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness (John 12:46).” Trust in Jesus Christ, and you will receive the right to become a child of Father God. All you need to do is reach out and accept this treasure of salvation from Jesus. It is a gift given in loving kindness.

TREASURES IN THE DARKNESS DEVOTIONAL PDF FILE
(Right-click to download).

The understanding to know God

6/6/2022

This is what the Lord says:

“Let not the wise boast of their wisdom
    or the strong boast of their strength
    or the rich boast of their riches,
but let the one who boasts boast about this:
    that they have the understanding to know me,
that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness,
    justice and righteousness on earth,
    for in these I delight,”
declares the Lord.

Jeremiah 9:23-24

JESU JUVA

One of my favourite places to walk is a nearby beach. The sea is often still, and the golden sands are scattered with shells. Seagulls cry to one another as they fly through the skies while happy dogs romp through the water. Most often, my beach walks are solitary, but sometimes I walk there with a friend. What a joy it is to walk and talk and connect with another human being, especially when that person is a kindred spirit.

Friendship is one of life’s most precious treasures. Getting to know someone is like holding a multifaceted diamond towards the light. As you spend time with a friend and listen to their words, you begin to see the light shining on the various facets of their unique personhood. Over time, you will start to recognise the quirks of their personality; their ambitions and dreams; the emotions they feel; their strengths and weaknesses; and the values they cherish and which motivate them. To know somebody is to be on a journey of understanding them, and that brings connectedness. In return, we desire to be known and understood for who we truly are.

The same can be said for God. God wants to be known and understood for who he truly is. Exactly who he is.

As God led the Israelites out of Egypt and into the promised land, he spoke to them, guided them, provided for them, and showed his power to them in numerous ways. He did all these wonders for them so that they might know that he the Lord is God and besides him, there is no other (Deut 4:35, 29:5-6). The Lord God wanted the people to know him. He also wanted them to understand that he is the one and true Living God, unique from all the so-called ‘gods’ of the surrounding people groups. He was, and is, and always will be, the only God who could ever have a relationship with them.

It is a breathtaking thought to realise that God, the creator of the universe, the Ancient of Days, can be known and wants to be known! He desires that all people, everywhere, would seek him and come to know him. God created all people. He marked out our appointed times in history and the boundaries of our lands. God did this so that we would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him (Acts 17:26-28).

But if we want to begin to understand God for who he truly is, and if we desire to know God personally, then we need to come to him on his terms. Not our terms. His terms. He is not a God who has been silent. His voice has resounded throughout all ages. He has made his terms clear.

And so, we need to ask ourselves some questions:

Do we truly know God?
Do we see God as he truly is?
How can we truly know him?

Let’s start with what God is not. The divine being is not an impersonal force flowing through all of nature and all people. He is a person, distinct from all that has been made. The divine being is also not like gold or silver or stone — a physical image made by human design and skill (Acts 17:29). Nor is the Living God a concept formed by human imagination. So often, these days, people can be heard murmuring such phrases as ‘God, to me, is like this…’ or ‘God, to me, is like that….’ When anyone uses the phrase, ‘God, to me, …’ they are essentially creating a god of their own imagination, one that is based on their own subjective thoughts and feelings. It may not be a physical idol, but it is, in its essence, idolatry. We cannot know God or understand his nature based on our own perceptions, presumptions, or the popular ideologies from our surrounding culture. We also do not look deep within ourselves to find God. God is separate from us, and we need to look outward to find him.

So, how then can we gain the understanding to know God?

We can gain knowledge of God through:

* Our observations of the natural world (Romans 1:19-20).
* God’s written word (2 Timothy 3:16, John 17:17).
* God’s son Jesus who died for us and rose again (Matt 11:27, John 8:19).
* Repentance of our sins (Psalm 24:3,4, 2 Timothy 2:25, Hebrews 8:11-12).
* The leading of God’s Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:17).

When people do not have knowledge of God and turn away from his truth, they cast off all restraint, doing whatever is right in their own eyes (Proverbs 29:18). This leads to a society where chaos, confusion and wickedness abound. Sound familiar? These effects can also abound in individual lives. Rejection of the knowledge of the one true and Living God eventually leads to death and destruction (Hosea 4:6).

God beckons us to come away from the deafening noise and confusion that fills our world. He asks us to be still before him so that we might know him (Psalm 46:10). Are we willing to say to God, as Moses once did, "Teach me your ways so I may know you…” (Exodus 33:13)?

The greatest knowledge that a person can possess is knowledge of the person of God – who he is in all his fullness. His attributes, nature, character, and excellencies are all facets of a priceless diamond we can choose to spend a lifetime getting to know. This relationship is the greatest treasure this life can bring. As we spend time with God and understand the truth of his Word, we will begin to see the light shining on the various facets of his unique personhood. He will not be hidden from us if we seek him with all our hearts and come to him on the terms he has plainly laid out.

Over time, as we grow in the knowledge of God, we will begin to see him exactly for who he is: his character; his triune nature; what he clearly states is right or wrong; the emotions that he feels; that which delights or angers his heart; his promises and plans. Through repentance of our sins, faith in God's Son Jesus and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we will not just know about God, we will know him intimately. He will come to live inside of us. This brings connectedness. And when we know God, we discover another precious truth: we are known by him!

When we know the truth of who God is, we won’t say, ‘God, to me, is like this or like that….’ Instead, we will simply say, without hesitation, ‘God is…’:

God is the Creator
God is the Living God
God is the great I AM
God is named YHVH (Yahweh)
God is a Father and has a Son called Jesus
God is One, but also three persons: The Father is God, Jesus the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God.
God is a lawmaker
God is eternal, sovereign, righteous, holy, loving, powerful, kind, compassionate, forgiving, just, merciful, good and much, much more!

Let us not boast in our own wisdom, in our riches, or in our strengths. Human wisdom is unreliable and often foolish. Riches and strength can be snatched away in an instant. If we boast, let us boast of this one truth: we have the understanding to know the one true and Living God.

I began by mentioning that one of my favourite places to walk is the beach and that most of my walks there are solitary. But that isn’t wholly true. Sometimes, I may walk with a human friend, but whether a friend is at my side or not, I am never alone. God walks with me. Always. He is the best friend anyone can have. What a joy it is to walk and talk and connect with the Ancient of Days.

I know God. He is my Father, and I am his child. I belong to him. I know God's Son, Jesus, for he is my Lord and Saviour. It is only because of him that I know and am connected to the Father. I also know God's Holy Spirit, for he lives inside me. The Bible teaches me about the Lord, and he speaks directly to me through the pages of this precious book. For the rest of my life, I will continue to grow in my understanding of the person of God.

He invites you to know him too.

PRAYER

Dear Father,
I come to you through faith in Jesus Christ, your precious Son. Teach me your ways that I may know you. Show me who you are through your Word and fill me with your Holy Spirit.
Amen.

Afterword...

To have relationship with God the Father, we must first have relationship with God the Son. When we know Jesus, we will be able to say without hesitation, 'Jesus is...':

Jesus is the Son of God.
Jesus is God.
Jesus is fully God and fully man.
Jesus is the Saviour, the Messiah, the Redeemer, the Lord, the King.
Jesus is the only Way, the only Truth, the only Life.
Jesus is the Word.
Jesus is the Good Shepherd, the Light of the World, the Prince of Peace, the Hope of the World, the sacrificial Lamb who takes away sin…
Jesus is eternal, righteous, holy, compassionate, pure, perfect, powerful, forgiving, merciful, just, loving, and much, much more.


When we have repented of our sin before God the Father and have relationship with Jesus, the Holy Spirit will come to dwell in us. It is important also to be able to say, 'The Holy Spirit is...':

The Holy Spirit is God.
The Holy Spirit is a person.
The Holy Spirit is our advocate.
The Holy Spirit is God’s messenger, a teacher of Truth, a comforter.
The Holy Spirit strengthens, convicts of sin, guides, brings life, performs miracles, distributes supernatural gifts, testifies about Jesus, reveals God’s wisdom, pours out God's love, gives hope...
The Holy Spirit is eternal, powerful, holy, and much, much more!

THE UNDERSTANDING TO KNOW GOD DEVOTIONAL PRINTABLE PDF
(Right-click to download).

You lead me and guide me, and in danger, you hide me.

18/5/2022

Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me. Keep me free from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge. Psalm 31:3-4

This true story comes from Derek Prince. He tells it in his teaching, 'Immersed in the Holy Spirit.'

We had some friends, two Russian Jewesses, who escaped from Soviet Russia in the most fantastic way. They were also converted in an incredible way in the middle of World War II.

These two girls had been brought up as atheists. They found they had nothing to live for, no meaning in life, and planned to commit suicide by throwing themselves in the river.

A Baptist pastor from Leningrad was directed by the Holy Spirit to go to their home one evening. He didn't know them, and he didn't know who lived at the house, but he knocked on the door in obedience to God. When the girls let him in, he asked, 'What are you going to do?'

The girls were astonished! They were about to commit suicide and had told nobody of their plan. They were so amazed that somebody would come and ask them what they were going to do that evening that they began to talk to him. They spent the whole night talking to the pastor. None of them went to bed. By the morning, the two girls were believers in Jesus Christ.

When they went back to the aeroplane factory where they worked, people kept asking them, 'What's happened to you? Have you come into money? What's happened!' Their faces looked so different!

These two girls began to witness boldly and tell people the good news about Jesus Christ. They knew they would eventually be arrested if they remained in Russia and became determined to escape. It seemed impossible to escape from a communist country, but they knew God was leading them.

They boarded a train that went westwards to the Polish border. At the border, the train was stopped. Everybody on board was compelled to get out, and the train was searched from end to end. But these two girls stayed seated on the train. The Russian soldiers came through the train with flashlights, searching every carriage. When the soldiers reached the carriage where these two girls sat, the girls prayed, 'Lord, make them blind.'

The soldiers shone their flashlights right over them and walked straight past. The soldiers never saw them!

As those two girls sat in that carriage, they were surrounded by a supernatural presence that the guards couldn't see through, and the flashlights couldn't shine through. God protected them!

It would take a long time to tell the whole story of their journey, but they eventually reached Israel. They arrived in the middle of the siege of Jerusalem in 1948 and were without food or money.

Unsure of what they should do, they prayed, and the Lord spoke to them audibly and said, 'Go to the house of Mr Prince.'

They didn't know me, and they didn't know if I existed, but they inquired and found their way to my home. My wife met them at the door. These girls didn't speak much English or Hebrew, so it was challenging to communicate with them. But they had a Russian New Testament, so my wife sat down with an English New Testament and found all the places that spoke about the baptism of the Holy Spirit. They found the passages in the Russian New Testament.

They returned the following Wednesday, and my wife and I prayed with them from ten o'clock to four o'clock in the afternoon. The Holy Spirit fell on the younger girl, and she had an experience I've never seen equalled anywhere else. As tears streamed from her eyes, she began to worship the Lord and sing in an unknown tongue. It was not like a human voice at all! It was like a wind instrument that was being played by the Holy Spirit. She was singing something that reminded me of the music of Bach. It was beautiful!

These two girls became our friends, and we remained in contact with them for many years.

The Power of God’s Word

15/11/2020

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
John 1:5

This true story comes from Fiona from Australia. She shares a testimony on behalf of her friend Valerie.

My friend Valerie recently became a Christian. She started reading her Bible and praying each day.

Valerie lived in a share house where one of the residents was a psychic medium who ran a business from home. The medium saw clients throughout each day and gave them psychic readings.

Valerie worked in the city, but when the COVID-19 lockdown hit, she was forced to work from home. This upset the medium, who ended up asking her to leave the share house.

‘Why?’ asked Valerie, truly perplexed.

The medium responded, ‘You are ruining the spiritual atmosphere of the house!

I can’t get any readings!’ She told Valerie that it was okay whenever Valerie was out of the house, but the readings would not come whenever she was at home. The “spirits” would not speak.

The medium saw Valerie reading the Bible and recognised the power this book held. She even bought herself one, hopeful it would give her power also. Similar to Simon the Sorcerer in the book of Acts, the medium was looking for the wrong type of power, and she became angry and disappointed when she did not find it.

Valerie managed to find a new place to live after this encounter — a place where she could pray and read the Bible without hindrance.

Don’t underestimate the power of God’s word! The Holy Spirit is with God's children as they spend time with him, praying and reading the Bible.

When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”

Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.” (Acts 8:18-23)

<<Previous

Becoming a Friend of God

Making wise the simple

A trumpet call to wake the Church

Afterword...

Stones that are shattered and scattered and gathered

Pour out your heart like water

Light yourself on fire

Treasures hidden in the darkness

The understanding to know God

You lead me and guide me, and in danger, you hide me.

The Power of God’s Word

Shine like Stars

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