Month: July 2023

²² A cheerful heart is good medicine,
    but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. Proverbs 17 NIV

²² If you are cheerful,
    you feel good;
if you are sad,
    you hurt all over. Contemporary English Version, CEV

²² Being cheerful keeps you healthy. It is slow death to be gloomy all the time. Good News Translation, GNT

²² A joy-filled heart is curative balm,
    but a broken spirit hurts all the way to the bone. The VOICE

Both the Old and New Testaments give a clear link between our inner heart attitudes and physical well-being. Some of the modern translations make very strong statements about being continually sad of heart, ‘It is SLOW DEATH to be gloomy all the time’ (GNT). Derek Prince battled Depression for a long time in His early Ministry. He memorised scripture and quoted it continually to counter a negative mindset, however in the end the Holy Spirit revealed to him that it was a spirit behind his condition. Isaiah 61:3 He soon told it to get out and was relieved of his negative thoughts. (His full testimony is available on YouTube)

3 Further, my brothers and sisters, REJOICE IN THE LORD! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you. Philippians 3:1

⁴ REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS. I WILL SAY IT AGAIN: REJOICE! ⁵ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4

Paul had a great deal to be anxious about, but by the Spirit he said,’TO KEEP HANDING IT OVER TO GOD IN PRAYER, WITH THANKSGIVING’. As Believers we have to battle against allowing the enemy to insert thoughts of fear and negativity into our minds. A huge atmosphere of fear was created during the recent pandemic to control the general populace but as Philippa Hanna’s Song (posted on Saturday) says, ‘You still reign and you’re still God’.

If we’re prone to negative thoughts then we can make it our practice BEFORE going to sleep to thank the Lord for His blessings during our day. It should result in sweeter dreams than carrying the burdens of the day in our last thoughts before sleep.

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

22 Josiah (God supports and heals) was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for thirty-one years. ² HE DID WHAT WAS RIGHT IN THE EYES OF THE LORD AND WALKED IN ALL THE WAYS OF HIS FATHER DAVID, (He chose the way of David, his Righteous forefather and not the idolatrous Jeroboam) not turning aside to the right or to the left. 2 Kings 22

Josiah’s character was established before he ever did anything to  bring his people and their capital city back under the rule of God.

In the eighteenth year of his reign he sent his secretary, Shaphan,  to Hilkiah the high priest to get ready the money collection to start the work of repairing the Temple.

^{5 ‘}Make them entrust it to the men appointed to supervise the work on the temple. And make these men pay the workers who repair the temple of the Lord – ⁶ the carpenters, the builders and the masons. Also make them purchase timber and dressed stone to repair the temple. ⁷ But they need not account for the money entrusted to them, because THEY ARE ACTING FAITHFULLY.’

God can always bless those who act Righteously but He will never bless dishonesty.

⁸ Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, ‘I have found the Book of the Law in the temple of the Lord.’ He gave it to Shaphan, who read it. 2 Kings 22

Taking a step in the physical with honest intent may open the way for God to meet you in the spiritual! God sees service at any level and responds to all done with honest intent, though there may be a delay before it becomes manifest.

¹¹ When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his robes. ¹³ ‘Go and enquire of the Lord FOR ME AND AND FOR THE PEOPLE AND FOR ALL JUDAH (Josiah was concerned for the people) about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the Lord’s anger that burns against us because those who have gone before us have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us.’

The King sent his advisors to seek counsel from Huldah the prophetess, who lived in Jerusalem, surrounded by much evil.

¹⁸ Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to enquire of the Lord, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says concerning the words you heard: ¹⁹ because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I have spoken against this place and its people – that they would become accursed and laid waste – and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I ALSO HAVE HEARD YOU, declares the Lord. 

God had already decreed judgement for Jerusalem and it’s people but because of the good heart of one king He was willing to delay that and even bless the people. What began as one King’s desire to carry out physical repairs to the Temple saved a whole generation from destruction and exile. All of us have this potential to allow God to withhold His judgement and bring blessings instead.

¹⁴ Who knows? He may turn and relent
    and leave behind a blessing, Joel 2:24

Serve where and when you have opportunity for you’ll never know how much blessing God will bring from it and to how many.

God bless and keep you today.

³³ When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death. ³⁴ But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. (They had a brief time to Reconsider!) ³⁵ Then he addressed the Sanhedrin: “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men.  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

DON’T BE QUICK TO OPPOSE something you don’t understand or haven’t seen before – God may be doing a NEW THING!

I want to quote a few lines from Mark Johnson, son of the late Neville Johnson,  from ‘Our Finest Hour’, publication, June 2023.

”The days ahead WILL BE A GREAT CHALLENGE as many of OUR Preconceived Ideas of what the next move of God may look like UNDERGO REVISION. (PREPARE TO BE CHALLENGED!) Remember, a RECEDING WAVE WILL ‘HOLD BACK’ A NEWLY FORMED INCOMING WAVE. (The end of Saul’s kingship was built around destroying God’s chosen successor, David, from whom the Messiah was to come and he failed.) Let us Guard our Hearts and SEEK TO SEE EVERYTHING FROM GOD’S PERSPECTIVE.” (Gamaliel warned the Religious Rulers of his day, if these men are of God, DON’T OPPOSE THEM.)

The Comments in brackets ( ) are my own.

A final further quote from the same article, Page 7.

“QUITE OFTEN, GOD WILL OFFEND OUR MINDS IN ORDER TO REVEAL OUR HEARTS.” Offence may well stop many Believers from crossing over into God’s New Order of things for His Kingdom.

My wife Anne and I received a prophetic word last month from a visiting speaker. Right at the end of the word a little phrase was given, ‘it’s a New Day, it’s a New Way’. ‘Old patterns won’t work anymore, they weren’t bad, but they were for the Old Day.’

Brothers and sisters, don’t be locked in the Old, we must put on the New and Go Forward with the Lord, no matter how strange and different things appear.

God bless and keep you today.

⁶ These commandments that I give you today ARE TO BE UPON YOUR HEARTS. ⁷ IMPRESS THEM ON YOUR CHILDREN. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Deuteronomy 6

An old saying among believers of earlier times was, ‘the family that prays together, stays together’. There’s still truth in it, but many Christian families have no testimony of Christ in the home today. Children and young people are under tremendous attack regarding their identity and morals. WORSHIP and Praise music, recordings of the Word of God, even played at low volume will help influence the atmosphere for good in a home.

⁴² They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to FELLOWSHIP, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. ⁴⁴ All the believers were together and had everything in common. ⁴⁶ Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. THEY BROKE BREAD IN THEIR HOMES AND ATE TOGETHER with glad and sincere hearts (We can invite Believers into our homes), ⁴⁷ praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. Acts 2

The early Church enjoyed DEEP FELLOWSHIP TOGETHER. THEIR HOMES MUST HAVE BEEN FULL OF JOY AND PEACE, FLOWING FROM THEIR DEEP HARMONY. What can we learn from them today?

⁹ God, who has called you into FELLOWSHIP with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is Faithful. 1 Corinthians 1

¹⁴ May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the FELLOWSHIP of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 2 Corinthians 13

Jesus’ sacrifice opened the door for FELLOWSHIP with every member of the Godhead. We should Rejoice at this invitation but unfortunately many believers have never experienced it in reality. We settle instead for familiar religious rituals.

¹⁴ Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what FELLOWSHIP can light have with darkness? ¹⁵ What HARMONY is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer HAVE IN COMMON with an unbeliever? ¹⁶ What AGREEMENT is there between the temple of God and idols? FOR WE ARE THE TEMPLE OF THE LIVING GOD. As God has said:

²⁴ God is spirit, and his WORSHIPpers must WORSHIP in the Spirit and in truth.’ John 4

We began to look yesterday at three Types of ‘SHIP’ mentioned in the scriptures, WORSHIP, FELLOWSHIP AND SHIPWRECK.

We said that the word WORSHIP is mentioned 254 times in the Scriptures and that people always WORSHIP something. It’s amazing how many times the Israelites were drawn into the worship of false gods/idols from the surrounding nations. Their hearts were drawn to what was false, away from the Living God. (An idol, anything that takes the place of God in our lives)

In Jesus conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well of Sychar, He speaks much about the Worship of God and the huge change that’s coming.

¹⁹ ‘Sir,’ the woman said, ‘I can see that you are a prophet (Jesus had accurately told this woman all about her personal life). ²⁰ Our ancestors WORSHIPPED on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must WORSHIP is in Jerusalem.’ John 4

He begins to speak to her about the WORSHIP of God; the Word WORSHIP occurs six times in the next five verses, WORSHIPPERS three times and WORSHIPPED once, all in John 4:20-24. Jesus spoke all this to one Non Jewish Woman alone at a well, while He was tired and thirsty. Jesus told this lone woman of a new dispensation coming on the whole Earth. Truly God’s ways are not our ways.

²¹ ‘Woman,’ Jesus replied, ‘believe me, a time is coming when you will WORSHIP the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. ²² You Samaritans WORSHIP what you do not know; we WORSHIP what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews.²³ Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true WORSHIPPERS WILL WORSHIP the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of WORSHIPPERS the Father seeks. ²⁴ God is spirit, and his WORSHIPPERS MUST WORSHIP in the Spirit and in truth.’ John 4

In speaking about the use of Gifts of the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 14, Paul commended the use of the Gifts, especially Prophecy, but also said that their Worship should be done in an intelligible and orderly way.

14 Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy.

²⁴ But if an unbeliever or an enquirer comes in while everyone is prophesying, they are convicted of sin and are brought under judgment by all, ²⁵ as the secrets of their hearts are laid bare. So they will fall down and WORSHIP God, exclaiming, ‘God is really among you!’ 1 Corinthians 14

Worship in the Spirit, when done under the anointing, will convict those present to bow before the Lord, just as Jesus said to the woman at the well. WORSHIP and exercising the Gifts will keep us from the SHIPWRECK that Paul warned Timothy about.

¹⁹ holding on to FAITH AND A GOOD CONSCIENCE, which some have rejected and so have suffered SHIPWRECK with regard to the faith. 1 Timothy 1

The Worshipping heart holds fast its love for the Lord!

God bless and keep you today.

Three ships mentioned in God’s Word, worSHIP, fellowSHIP and SHIPwreck.

¹⁸ Timothy, my son, I am giving you this command in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by recalling them you may fight the battle well, ¹⁹ HOLDING ON TO FAITH AND A GOOD CONSCIENCE, which some have rejected and so have SUFFERED SHIPWRECK with regard to the faith. 1 Timothy 1

Paul urges Timothy to Hold on to Faith and a Good Conscience. Does our conscience condemn us? Everyone has a conscience to warn us not to do certain things and we should heed it to avoid suffering future consequences.

A Lament Over Tyre

²⁷ Your wealth, merchandise and wares,
    your mariners, sailors and shipwrights,
your merchants and all your soldiers,
    and everyone else on board
will sink into the heart of the sea
    on the day of your SHIPwreck.

³⁵ All who live in the coastlands
    are appalled at you;
their kings shudder with horror
    and their faces are distorted with fear.
³⁶ The merchants among the nations scoff at you;
    you have come to a horrible end
    and will be no more.’” Ezekiel 27

The prophet Ezekiel records the lament for Tyre (the physical city), but this could also represent the world financial system of the present time. God may be about to bring down the whole system that has enslaved His people for so long. The following chapter, Ezekiel 28, speaks of the ruler of Tyre, two beings, one on earth and the other in the spirit realm (king of Tyre). Both are coming down – SHIPwreck for the world rulers.

2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem ² and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worSHIP him.” Matthew 2

⁶ And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says,

From his earliest days on earth, before Jesus ever spoke a word or performed a miracle He was worSHIPPED as the Messiah, by low and high and angels alike.

⁸ Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. ⁹ “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worSHIP me.”

¹⁰ Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘WorSHIP the Lord your God, and serve him only.’ ” 

⁴ He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worSHIPPED, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God. 2 Thessalonians 2

Satan is desperate to get the worSHIP which belongs to God alone, but eventually it will all end in failure. ( The word WORSHIP is mentioned 254 times in the Bible, a key word for every single person on this earth. Who will we worSHIP?).

Just as Paul urged Timothy we must continue to Worship the Lord until He returns to rule here.

God bless and keep you today.

Seems that the Old Testament prophets were often at odds with kings and other authority figures.

⁸ Now the king of Aram was at war with Israel. After conferring with his officers, he said, “I will set up my camp in such and such a place.”

⁹ The man of God sent word to the king of Israel: “Beware of passing that place, because the Arameans are going down there.” ¹⁰ So the king of Israel checked on the place indicated by the man of God. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he was on his guard in such places. 2 Kings 6

The king of Aram was at war with God’s people but the prophet Elisha stood between him and Israel, preventing his plans to harm them. Matters came to a head when the king of Aram sent ‘a strong force’ of his army to capture the prophet.

¹³ “Go, find out where he is,” the king ordered, “so I can send men and capture him.” The report came back: “He is in Dothan.” ¹⁴ Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. THEY WENT BY NIGHT (Many times the enemy works in darkness, but God sees it all) and surrounded the city. 

Elisha’s servant rose early the next morning and saw that they were surrounded and he panicked! But Elisha saw things from heaven’s perspective and told him not to be afraid.

¹⁶ “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

¹⁷ And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

The enemy had moved during the hours of darkness to surround God’s prophet, but heaven had already countered their attack. The enemy were soon to find themselves the ones in the trap. Elisha prayed that his servant’s eyes would be opened to see the armies of the Lord and that the eyes of the enemy soldiers would be blinded and God did both according to the words of the prophet. Elisha led the enemy troops right inside the city of Samaria and then prayed for their eyes to be opened.

He stopped the king of Israel from harming them and instead they sat down to a feast.

²³ So he prepared a great feast for them, and after they had finished eating and drinking, he sent them away, and they returned to their master. SO THE BANDS FROM ARAM STOPPED RAIDING ISRAEL’S TERRITORY. 2 Kings 6

On this occasion the fighting was ended without bloodshed as the enemy knew his forces were no match for the God of Israel and His prophet. The best the enemy can do will never be any match for the Lord and His people. May God protect and guide us all and may He send help in these days to the believers in India.

God bless and keep you today.