Month: January 2020

Continue reading “True foundations need to go deep, Luke 6:48”

Blog No.2, Thurs 30.01.20, Spreaker audio broadcast.

A Love Story

1 Samuel 25:1, This chapter begins with the death of the national prophet Samuel(his word came to all Israel) and all Israel mourned him.

A rich and surly man, Nabal, was shearing his sheep and David who had protected them while they were near him in the desert sent ten of his young men to greet Nabal and ask him for a gift. The young men got nothing but insults, which they brought back to David. David and four hundred armed men set out to avenge this slight. V14 one of the servants told Nabal’s wife Abigail what he’d done(disaster is coming on us). She immediately got a gift for David and his men and set out to meet them.

V20, When she came riding her donkey into a mountain ravine, there were David and his men descending towards her! It was important to God that David did not take things into his own hands and slay Nabal( no unwarranted blood on David’s hands). God brought them to the mountain ravine at the same moment, couldn’t avoid or miss each other. God can also BRING US to people we need to meet with, in a ‘ravine type’ situation. Ask Him for the opportunity you want or need and leave the details to him.

V23-31, Abigail pleaded with David not to avenge himself on Nabal and spoke prophetically to him;

May your enemies and all who intend to harm you be like Nabal(did she sense something was going to happen to him?).

The Lord will certainly make a ‘lasting’ dynasty for David, lasting through Jesus. Let your life be secure with the living.

When the Lord has done all this for you, remember me.

David sent her away in peace, could have been so different if Abigail hadn’t met David in the ravine.

Nabal was feasting and drinking, but the next morning she spoke to him about David and his heart failed and he was like stone. About ten days later(David had sent ten young men), the Lord struck him and he died. David and Nabal hadn’t met, but God avenged His servant David.

The chapter ends with David getting  a ‘beautiful and intelligent wife’ V3. Abigail brought her five maids with her to David and 5 speaks of Grace. David lifted 5 stones for Goliath, 5 loaves of consecrated bread from the priest and now Abigail’s 5 maids.

God bless you.

 

Luke 5 begins with Jesus ministering by the Lake of Gennesaret(Galilee) with the people crowding around Him. He saw two boats at the water’s edge and got into the one belonging to Simon(was that a coincidence or a God incidence?) and asked him to put out from the shore. Then He taught the people from Simon’s boat.

When he’d finished speaking, He said to Simon(not yet renamed Peter), “Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch”. Jesus was about to reward Simon and some of his friends, but he had to leave the shore and go into deep water. We talk about getting into deep water as getting beyond our ability to cope. The Christian life will inevitably take us beyond our comfort zones and that’s where we find the Lord’s blessings.

Master, we’ve worked hard all night(working throughout the darkness) and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so(Simon, though tired and disappointed, was willing to go where Jesus told him), I’ll let down the nets. Sometimes our best efforts yield nothing and maybe at times God wants to get our attention and show us what He can do. When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that the nets began to break. So they signalled to their partners to help and both boats were so full they began to sink. Superabundance, beyond their greatest expectations, with just a word from Jesus.

When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus knees and said, “Go away from me Lord, I am a sinful man”. Simon felt something beyond the ordinary had happened and he was touched by it.

The miraculous sign wasn’t just about the fish! Jesus told Simon, come and follow Me and from now on you will catch men. We know someone who says, the main thing, fish, isn’t the main thing. Jesus was calling out disciples of His own, to follow Him into the deep waters and catch men for the Kingdom. Those destined to be His disciples called Him the Messiah.

In John 21, after the resurrection, there is another story about a large catch of fish on the Sea of Galilee. Early in the morning(fishing before the light had come) Jesus tells His disciples to let down the net on the right side of the boat. They were again unable to haul in the net, because of the large number of 153 fish. This time the net did not break, ‘ but even with so many the net was not torn’. Some believe that this refers to the final  harvest where the net will hold and the people will be brought safely, in great numbers, into the Kingdom. Hallelujah

Take courage and follow the Lord into the deep waters, His greatest blessings for your life await you there.

God bless you.

 

 

In Luke 4, after His temptation, ‘Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit’. V15 He taught in their synagogues and everyone praised Him(all good so far). V16 and on the Sabbath day He went into the synagogue as was His custom(Jesus was to be found there on Sabbath).

In the last part of Luke 4, we see the word ‘synagogue(s)’ used seven times(seven is completion or perfection) and Jesus met there with the Jews every Sabbath. His primary ministry in the Galilee was to the Jews(even though it was known as Galilee of the Gentiles).  Derek Prince said that God had to prepare a people to receive the Messiah, a receptacle for His coming. Jesus could never have gone into the Hindu or Buddhist temples, or a mosque to preach, He would have been totally rejected. So the Jews as a people were formed to receive Messiah and His Ministry was firstly to the Jews.

V17 The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him(we don’t know if He asked for that scroll or it was just given to Him) and He opened it and read from Is. 61 in our bibles. A seven hundred year old prophecy and this man stood up before them all and said effectively, It’s Me, ‘Today this prophecy is fulfilled in your hearing’.

V22 Initially they spoke well of Him but couldn’t get out of their heads that He was just a local guy, ‘Isn’t this Joseph’s son?’ they asked. He says He’s the one in Isaiah’s prophecy but we know him(actually not Joseph’s son). They were waiting for the Messiah, anointed one, and Jesus was clearly anointed(V14 He returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit) but they couldn’t make the leap of faith and believe Him.

Then He told them that, ‘no prophet is accepted in His home town(He knew their hearts)’. They became mad with Him and wanted to throw Him down a cliff, still there outside Nazareth today. He walked right through the crowd away from them. ‘His own could not receive Him’.

There was a BIG DISCONNECT between the religious establishment of the day and reality of the Man sent by Heaven. Jesus did not call the leaders of the Jews together and have a strategy meeting with them, He didn’t involve them at all. He declared the Mandate of Heaven to earth. I’m reminded of the man Joshua met before the battle of Jericho, Israel’s inheritance. Are you for us or for them? Joshua 5:14, Neither, but as commander of the army of the Lord I have come.

Jesus is the head, Jesus is the commander and it’s our job to follow and obey, not to question. A good friend says, I have no opinion on that.

God bless you.

 

In this morning’s blog we saw that John the Baptist lived in the desert and grew up there. While he was living there, ‘the word of God came to Him in the desert’.

This word launched John into his ministry, preparing the way for the Lord, preaching and baptising around the Jordan River valley. Both Jesus and John spent time in the desert before stepping out in public ministry.

The desert or wilderness, is a tough place, not soft nor easy for the flesh. It is physically demanding and may also be wearing to the soul. Yet, it is in this tougher environment that the Lord met with John and called him to his life’s purpose. God needs to get our full attention before he can release major assignments to our lives. The Desert Fathers also chose to leave the softer, polluting life and to be stripped of extraneous influences to be with God.

In 1 Sam 22(Spreaker today) we see the story of David fleeing for his life from Saul. In this chapter, two deserts are mentioned by name, Ziph and Maon. David was also led into the desert by a warning from the prophet Gad, don’t settle, keep moving throughout Judah, God’s land.

V14 (Desert of Ziph)says, ‘but God did not give David into Saul’s hands’. V26 (Desert of Maon) says that David and his men were fleeing along one side of a mountain and Saul with his army along the other side. Saul couldn’t get to David because of the Rock/mountain and Jesus is the Rock.

The desert/wilderness is a tough place, few if any people there, it was the place where John the Baptist was formed and called as the forerunner of Christ. David spent much time in the desert, always on the move, never settling until God permitted him to become king of Israel.

The desert(may be uncomfortable for a time, a place of few distractions) has to do it’s work before God will allow us to step fully into our calling!

God bless you.

Luke 1:80(last verse of Ch.1) tells us about John’s youth, ‘And the child grew and became strong in spirit and he LIVED IN THE DESERT until he appeared publicly to Israel’.

John was drawn away from people to spend time alone before God.

Luke 3 begins with names and places of four local rulers and two high priests. It’s easy to overlook the fact that our Bibles are verifiable, ancient historical documents, we’re so familiar with them.

V2 ends with the statement, ‘the word of God came to John in the desert(Israelis speak of the Judean wilderness)’.

V3 ‘He went into all the country around the Jordan, (very low lying, below sea level, speaks of humbling)preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins’.

Graham Cooke has spoken about various wilderness experiences in his life and he admitted that sometimes he’d gone into the Wilderness himself, not led by the Spirit.

My point is that the modern church usually looks upon these experiences as some form of punishment but in reality God may want to speak to us and deal with us, so we’re drawn aside. The whole life and ministry of Jesus, Matt 4:1,2 began after being led by the Spirit into the desert, where He fasted and resisted the devil.

Wilderness or desert experiences were a launch pad for John and for the Lord, they led unto their life’s callings.

If you’re experiencing a particularly dry period in your walk today, God may be trying to speak to you about a change of direction, in computer terms, a reboot. You may need a shut down to reevaluate before opening up a new phase or direction.

God can speak to you in your desert experience, don’t shirk  or waste it.

God bless you.

 

In this morning’s blog we saw how Simeon was waiting for the fulfilment of a  promise, to see the Messiah before he was called home by the Lord.

Luke 2:27, Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts.

Simeon had the promise but he MOVED to the temple area, where he met the baby Jesus and spoke to Mary, concerning her child and her own future.

Later today, when doing the audio broadcast on Spreaker, from 1 Samuel 22:5 we saw that David had received a Divine warning by the prophet Gad.

1 Samuel 22:5, Do not stay in the stronghold(could become a trap for David and his men). Go into the land of Judah( I believe Judah was the heart of the nation and speaks of being in the centre of God’s will for our lives).

David was warned not to hold up or settle but to keep on moving in the things of God. Saul murdered anyone he could get his hands on who’d helped David, including an entire family of priests.

I believe that the Lord is saying to some of us not to settle but to press on with the things God has put in our hands. Simeon moved and his promise was fulfilled. David moved, trusting in God(not much option with Saul determined to murder him)  and eventually came into all God promised him.

The message is clear, don’t allow anything to slow us or stop us. Press on with the Holy Spirit until we have all that God has spoken over our lives.

God bless you.

REMIND HIM of His promises to you today!

In Luke 2 we read that Jesus parents had taken Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord, “Every first born male is to be consecrated to the Lord”.

V25 Now there was in Jerusalem a man called Simeon, who was righteous and devout(many people are religiously observant but Simeon was firstly righteous).

V26,27 HE WAS WAITING for the consolation of Israel and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. MOVED by the Spirit he went into the temple courts …

Simeon had a promise from God but he was moved by the Spirit to go into the temple courts just as Jesus was brought in. What a privilege to hold the Messiah in his arms and speak to Mary.

Simeon’s song(Nunc Dimittis)

Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,

You now dismiss your servant in peace.

For my eyes have seen Your salvation,

which You have prepared in the sight of all people,

a light for revelation to the Gentiles

and for glory to Your people Israel.

Simeon and Anna, I believe it’s significant that a man and a woman both came to greet Jesus arrival in the temple, both  mature believers and both knew by the Spirit He was the Messiah.

Simeon had his promise, but he still had to follow the prompting of the Spirit and go to meet Jesus.

My late spiritual father, Kjell had a promise to be filled with the Holy Spirit on a certain date, I believe at a Christian camp. He went to bed that night and nothing had happened. As he lay in bed he knew he had to get up and get the others in his room to pray with him and he was filled.

Sometimes God is waiting for us to move, just like Simeon, so that He can make good His promises to us.

Don’t discard His promises to you today, move to meet Him.

God bless you.

Luke 1, following on from yesterday’s word on Zechariah.

Two different generations were chosen to participate in the coming of the Lord.

The older generation of Zechariah and Elisabeth, while he was serving as priest before God, Luke 1:8. It is interesting that Gabriel appeared to Zechariah who disbelieved his message and not to Elisabeth. Both of them were upright in the sight of God… Luke 1:6

The older generation was devout, following rote and ritual(as a friend says) but couldn’t grasp the spiritual reality behind the physical observance. Mary, the younger Jewish woman did receive the angelic message, ‘I am the Lord’s servant, may it be to me as you have said’. Luke 1:37

Both of them were given prophetic songs.

Mary’s song praised the Lord and spoke of His blessing on her life, ‘for all generations’. It’s cross referenced with Hannah’s song which speaks of the Lord raising up and putting down. It concludes by stating that God has remembered His servant Israel and made good his word to Abraham and his descendants.

Zechariah’s song begins by praising the Lord, then thanks Him for remembering Israel and His oath to Abraham(once again Abraham is named specifically, the father of all true believers). It concludes with the statement of John’s role and calling, particularly in regard to Israel.

V80 And the child grew and became STRONG IN SPIRIT(the only distinguishing mark in John’s life, unlike Jesus or Samuel) and he lived in the desert until he appeared publicly to Israel.

Will the description in Luke 1 be repeated for the return of the Lord? Will there be two generations working hand in hand to prepare the way. The younger generation, represented by Mary, may well have the major role to play, but the older generation will be needed to help prepare the way.

It would be so encouraging to receive your support for the ministry.

Please donate at fathersloveministry.co.uk

God bless you and have a good weekend.

Luke 1, a long chapter of eighty verses, with some marvellous revelations.

Luke 1, amongst other things, speaks of two angelic visitations from the archangel Gabriel, two names from heaven(Jesus and John), two prophetic songs(Mary first and later Zechariah) and two different generations involved in the coming of the Lord to earth.

Luke 1:3 states that he has carefully investigated(we know a brother who likes this book because he works as a senior investigator) the background to these events. We also know that Luke was a doctor and qualified to scrutinise the facts behind the story.

The story begins with Zechariah, an older priest, being chosen by lot, Luke 1:8, to burn incense in the temple of the Lord( no doubt a great honour). Incense speaks of prayer and when the angel Gabriel appeared to Zechariah the first thing he told him was, ‘Do not be afraid, Zechariah: your prayer has been heard. You wife Elisabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John’. We don’t know when or how OUR PRAYERS will be answered, but Heaven operates around our interaction with it. We are the only people on earth who can reach into the realm of God, Heaven!

The experienced and no doubt knowledgeable priest, Zechariah, couldn’t believe Gabriel’s message. Luke 1:18, he asked the angel Gabriel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well on in years(in case you don’t know). Gabriel then told him, because you didn’t believe my message you will not be able to speak until this happens(not be able to contradict the word of the Lord).

Luke 1:59, Fast forward, to the birth and naming of the the son. They were going to name him after his father but Elisabeth said no. Then they gave a writing tablet to Zechariah and he wrote, ‘His name is John. Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue was loosed, and he began to speak praising God’.

Zechariah wasn’t permitted to speak because his words might have contradicted the will of God spoken by Gabriel, who stood in God’s presence.

The child was born, word fulfilled, AND Zechariah’s tongue finally aligned with heaven, ‘His name is John’. Immediately HE agreed with God’s revealed word his tongue was loosed!

How many of us today are not speaking in line with what we know? God would not allow Zechariah to go out to the crowd and say, ‘I got this message, what do you think’? Our words can move us forward into the future God has for us or block His will for our lives, so be careful what you share and who you share it with? Speak according to Heaven’s will for our lives, even if the circumstances appear hopeless.

God bless you.