Month: June 2023

Separation, can be painful but may release new opportunities.

2 When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. ² Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here; the Lord has sent me to Bethel.”

But Elisha said, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel. 2 Kings 2

The Prophet Elijah and Enoch before Him, never died natural deaths. Both were translated straight to heaven.

In order to inherit Elijah’s mantle his understudy, Elisha, had to stay with him until his ascension into heaven. So they walked on to Jericho and then crossed the Jordan.

⁹ When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?”

“Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied.

¹⁰ “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said, “yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise, it will not.”

Elisha stayed with his mentor until a fiery chariot and horses appeared and took Elijah to heaven. Elisha tore his clothes, his mentor had gone and he was now alone. He then picked up Elijah’s cloak and parted the Jordan. The company of prophets saw this and acknowledged that Elisha had inherited Elijah’s spirit. Elisha now began his own ministry as the senior prophet of Israel.

²⁵ “Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. ²⁶ Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you. ²⁷ For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. ²⁸ Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. Acts 20

Paul called the elders of the Church in Ephesus to a final meeting in Miletus when he spoke his final words to them all. He warned them in the days ahead that ‘savage wolves’ would enter and not spare the flock. Men from their own number would also arise to draw some away after them. Paul’s anointing and place of leadership was to be shared by the elders. It wasn’t handed down to one single individual, but was a shared inheritance. We may not be called to do everything that a founder of an organisation has done, but we may be capable of helping share the burden! We need to find our role in the new setup and fulfil it in our way.

³⁶ When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. ³⁷ They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. ³⁸ What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship. 

Everything on this earth is for a season and it’s important that we learn to handle any changing situations we face as believers. They may be daunting, but we are not alone and God will help us to adapt and survive times of change as we lean on Him.

The Lord bless and keep you today as you walk with Him.

Hannah’s prayer

2 Then Hannah prayed and said:

²⁰ So in the course of time (Pregnant but Waiting) Hannah  became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, (Means, ‘Heard by God’) saying, ‘Because I asked the Lord for him.’ 1 Samuel 1

We noted that the June 21 was the Summer Solstice, the Longest Day and then a subtle change happened in the heavens. Hannah wept before the Lord for a son and made a vow to Him and that prayer and vow was to affect the entire nation of Israel.

²¹ When the man Elkanah went up with all his family to offer the annual sacrifice to the Lord and to fulfil his vow, ²² Hannah did not go. She said to her husband, ‘AFTER THE BOY IS WEANED, I will take him and present him before the Lord, and he will live there always.’ 

The infant Samuel’s welfare assumed priority over his dedication at the Tabernacle of the Lord in Shiloh. There may be times when practical considerations mean a brief pause before fulfilling our commitment.

Elkanah agreed that Hannah should, ‘Do what seems best to you’. The care of a mother was best for the infant Samuel until he was able to eat solid food by himself.

²⁴ After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, YOUNG AS HE WAS, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh. ²⁵ When the bull had been sacrificed, they brought the boy to Eli,

Consider Hannah’s Offering to the Lord;

WHEN was Her Offering of Samuel made? There was a time of preparation and no doubt the mother and child had bonded, which would have made her sacrifice greater, but she didn’t delay. (A Crucial Time/Window to keep our vow, DON’T DELAY) She presented her son, ‘Young as he was’, to Eli, before the Lord.

WHAT did she sacrifice? Her only son that she’d pled to God for. Hannah didn’t offer something trivial to God, Samuel, the answer to her intercessory prayer, was the best she had to give. God was merciful to her and more children followed later, but Samuel was her only child up to that time.

HOW was Samuel brought to God’s Tabernacle and Eli? She made the sacrifice required by the Law of Moses. She showed honour and respect for the place of God’s worship and the priesthood.

^{28 ‘}So now I give him to the Lord. FOR HIS WHOLE LIFE HE SHALL BE GIVEN OVER TO THE LORD.’ And he worshipped the Lord there.

OUR SACRIFICES TO GOD WILL BE TESTED and if they’re not sincere they will fail. Old Testament sacrifices were put through the Fire and our decisions today will similarly be tested by the circumstances of this life and also the enemies of God’s people. Hannah fulfilled her vow to God and He had a man to serve Him and lead His people for many years. May we be as sincere as this sweet woman of God as we live out our lives before Him.

²⁴ “‘“The Lord bless you
    and keep you;
²⁵ the Lord make his face shine on you
    and be gracious to you;
²⁶ the Lord turn his face toward you
    and give you peace.”’

²⁷ “So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.” Numbers 6

¹⁹ Early the next morning THEY AROSE AND WORSHIPPED BEFORE THE LORD and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah lay with Hannah his wife and THE LORD REMEMBERED HER. 1 Samuel 1

We said yesterday, the Longest Day, June 21, that the earth had come to a Change/Turning Point, the days had begun to shorten very slowly. Hannah, had prayed out of her great anguish for a son, because of the malicious taunting of her rival, Peninnah. The thing which hurt her the most, was what finally drove her in great desperation to the Lord. The greater purposes of God for a life may only be accomplished through pain and suffering, but we must never look to assume that role of ourselves.

¹⁰ GODLY SORROW BRINGS REPENTANCE that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but WORLDLY SORROW BRINGS DEATH. 2 Corinthians 7

Paul makes a clear distinction between these two types of Sorrow. One is for God’s purposes and may require pain and sacrifice, (The Lord’s Crucifixion) but the other brings only death.

¹² As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli OBSERVED HER MOUTH. ¹³ Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli THOUGHT SHE WAS DRUNK ¹⁴ and said to her, ‘How long will you keep getting drunk? Get rid of your wine.’ 1 Samuel 1

It’s interesting that the old priest assumed Hannah was under the influence of alcohol and not God’s Spirit. There are some similarities, but Hannah wasn’t talking to herself, she’d come to plead with God. Alcohol can provide a brief lift for an anxious soul, but it’s only temporary and the aftertaste may be terrible.

Hannah was respectful, but refuted Eli’s accusation, stating her motives were pure. People who are earnestly seeking God are often misunderstood and berated by others!

¹⁵ ‘Not so, my lord,’ Hannah replied, ‘I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. ¹⁶ Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.’ 

Eli repented of his words to Hannah and instead spoke a blessing over her, which as the Priest at Shiloh, he was well able to do.

¹⁸ She said, ‘May your servant find favour in your eyes.’ Then she went her way and ate something, and HER FACE WAS NO LONGER DOWNCAST.

Hannah had Peace of mind and heart, she was no longer clothed in sadness and God had received the Promise He needed. How remarkable that the opening verses of Hannah’s prayer were quoted by Mary when she too was pregnant with the Messiah, in Luke 1:46-53.

God’s Hand is many times at work in ways unseen in the lives of individual believers and on the level of the nations. Surely we live in such a Change Point in our present world.

God bless and keep you today.

Today is the Summer Solstice, the Longest Day, which means a change is coming. It may not be visible yet but it’s on it’s way.

In the Bible narrative of Samuel we see change coming. For some it means ‘Lifting Up’, but for others it marks a falling away and both are included as part of the same process.

Samuel’s mother Hannah wept bitterly before the Lord because she was barren. But then she made a vow;

¹¹ And she made a vow, saying, ‘O Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.’ 1 Samuel 1

That Prayer was the beginning of Change for the whole nation of Israel and no-one knew about it, except Hannah and Eli, the elderly priest. It’s strange to think sometimes how much turns on so little, in our lives. Obedience in something small may result in a huge change or outcome in our future.

¹⁰ Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.” Zechariah 4 NLT

God was working quietly in the background to address a major failing in the priesthood of Israel and simultaneously He answered the prayer of a broken hearted woman. ‘God is in the Details’, the title of a recent talk by Kim Robinson on Elijah Streams. He works everything for His own purposes and for our good as we trust Him.

God bless and keep you in this Time of Change.

¹⁰ Then the prophet Hananiah took the yoke off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah and broke it, ¹¹ and he said before all the people, ‘This is what the Lord says: “In the same way I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon off the neck of all the nations within two years.”’ At this, the prophet Jeremiah went on his way. Jeremiah 28

The enemy will often seek to misdirect the people of God, or at the very least to sow confusion in their midst. Judah had been carried off to Babylon, (they were very vulnerable) but those who remained in Jerusalem were still getting conflicting messages. The false prophet, Hananiah, was trying to mislead the people into believing Babylon would be overthrown and they’d soon have their Temple and nation back again. Jeremiah made an interesting statement about Hananiah’s prophecy;

⁹ But the prophet who prophesies peace will be recognised as one truly sent by the Lord only IF his prediction comes true.’

FALSE HOPE is very destructive for everyone, but especially for those who expect God to move in certain ways and it never comes to pass. Their faith in God can be seriously weakened or even destroyed.

¹² HOPE DEFERRED MAKES THE HEART SICK, 
    but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. Proverbs 13

¹² UNRELENTING DISAPPOINTMENT LEAVES YOU HEARTSICK 
     (The Message Bible)

Shortly after Jeremiah left the Lord spoke to him and he returned to speak to Hananiah and the others.

¹⁴ This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I will put an iron yoke on the necks of all these nations to make them serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and they will serve him. I will even give him control over the wild animals.”’

¹⁵ Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, ‘Listen, Hananiah! The Lord has not sent you, yet you have persuaded this nation to trust in lies. ¹⁶ Therefore this is what the Lord says: “I am about to remove you from the face of the earth. This very year you are going to die, because you have preached rebellion against the Lord.”’

God had to remove Judah from their own land to purify a people for Himself, that He could work with to bring about His purposes on earth. God took drastic action to cleanse His people, seventy years in exile and those left in Jerusalem didn’t survive at all. Part of that purification was the silencing of False Prophets who were still trying to mislead, despite most of Judah’s exile to faraway Babylon.

Jeremiah sent a letter to the exiles in Babylon, which in turn provoked another false prophet, Shemaiah, to attack God’s servant and God’s plans for the remnant of His people.

³² this is what the Lord says: “I will surely punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants. He will have no one left among this people, nor will he see the good things I will do for my people, declares the Lord, because he has preached rebellion against me.” Jeremiah 29

God patience with Judah was spent, He now dealt severely with those who tried to misdirect and misguide them. Genuine prophetic voices today speak of a coming cleansing in His Church, particularly in leadership. God is building again for the future and much of the old ways may not survive the fire.

God bless and keep you today.

⁸  O HOPE OF ISRAEL,
    its Saviour in times of distress,
⁹  … You are among us, Lord,
    and we bear your name;
    do not forsake us! JEREMIAH 14

‘O HOPE OF ISRAEL’ – even in times of distress God identifies Himself to His children as THEIR (AND OUR) HOPE! The times of the prophet Jeremiah were tough for Israel, but in corrections God also reminded them that HE WAS STILL THEIR HOPE!

⁴⁴ While Peter was still speaking these words, (In the house of Cornelius) the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. Acts 10

Times of upheaval, unrest and instability may see some of the greatest moves of the Spirit of God. Israel was under Roman occupation when the New Church was birthed in Jerusalem, but still greater change was to come. The apostle Peter had a vision and was told to go with three men to the house of Cornelius, a Roman soldier. While Peter spoke with them, the Spirit fell and the Gentile Church was birthed. A New Day (Dispensation) had come and now all men had been given access to God through the Blood of Christ. The new believers now became the Temple of the living God.

⁴⁵ The circumcised believers (Believing Jews) who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles.⁴⁶ For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.

The coming of the Spirit upon the Gentiles was accompanied by visible evidence for all to see. Peter and the six fellow believers with him knew this was the Hand of God.

Then Peter said, ⁴⁷ “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptised with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” ⁴⁸ So he ordered that they be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days. Acts 10

The Jewish believers had to rapidly come to terms with the fact that God of the Israel was now also the God of the Gentiles, a huge change of mind and position for them. The choice of Peter, the foremost apostle to affirm this huge shift was part of God’s plan for the grafting in of the Gentiles. What are the coming plans of God for His Church in our day?

The Greatest Outpouring of the Spirit came in unsettled times.

The Greatest Opposition to the Spirit came from the existing religious leaders.

The Greatest Outcome happened among people who hadn’t a clue about God.

Gamaliel’s advice to the Sanhedrin is still as relevant in our day;

³⁸ Therefore, in the present case I advise you: leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. ³⁹ But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.’ Acts 5

God will never be put in a box, He’ll always do things His way and it’s usually not the way we thought it should be.

‘Get ready, get ready, get ready’, words we heard a few days ago as we sat before the Lord. We too should expect change in the times we live in. God is on the move and nothing will stay His hand.

May God bless and keep you in these changing times.

² So the king said to Joab and the army commanders with him, ‘Go throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and enrol the fighting men, so that I may know how many there are.’

³ But Joab replied to the king, ‘May the Lord your God multiply the troops a hundred times over, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king want to do such a thing?’ 2 Samuel 24

Joab, the commander of the armies of Israel didn’t always do the right thing, but on this occasion he tried to stop David’s folly. The people around us may not get it right all the time or even behave honourably at times, but GOD CAN STILL SPEAK AND CAUTION THROUGH THOSE NEAREST US. Don’t discount a familiar voice just because you’ve often heard it before!

¹¹ Before David got up the next morning, the word of the Lord had come to Gad the prophet, David’s seer: ¹² ‘Go and tell David, “This is what the Lord says: I am giving you three options. Choose one of them for me to carry out against you.”’

Gad, David’s seer, brought the Word of the Lord early next day, normal business had ceased. Judgement was coming and David had to decide what form it would take. A terrible dilemma for anyone, especially as it was a result of his actions.

¹³ So Gad went to David and said to him, ‘Shall there come on you three years of famine in your land? Or three months of fleeing from your enemies while they pursue you? Or three days of plague in your land? Now then, think it over and decide how I SHOULD ANSWER THE ONE WHO SENT ME.’

Gad was seer to King David, but he was firstly God’s messenger. He demanded an answer from the King and we’re told David’s choice and how he arrived at it.

¹⁴ David said to Gad, ‘I am in deep distress. LET US FALL INTO THE HANDS OF THE LORD, FOR HIS MERCY IS GREAT; but do not let me fall into the hands of men.’

There may be times when we have to face judgement in our own lives, but we can still come to God, confess our faults and submit to His Justice. David  and Israel were punished, but his knowledge of the Mercy of God proved true and the seer was now sent again with another message.

¹⁶ When the angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the LORD RELENTED CONCERNING THE DISASTER and said to the angel who was afflicting the people, ‘Enough! Withdraw your hand.’ The angel of the Lord was then at the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

¹⁸ On that day Gad went to David and said to him, ‘Go up and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.’ ¹⁹ So David went up, as the Lord had commanded through Gad.

THE LORD SHOWED MERCY TO JERUSALEM AS DAVID HAD PREDICTED and if we’re sincere before Him, He has all authority to stop or reduce whatever we may deserve.

May God bless you and show you mercy in any trials today.