Month: February 2024

¹⁹ This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now CHOOSE LIFE, so that you and your children may live ²⁰ and that you may LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD, LISTEN TO HIS VOICE AND HOLD FAST TO HIM. FOR THE LORD IS YOUR LIFE, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Deuteronomy 30

Everyone has to make their own CHOICE, God won’t force anyone to accept Him, we all have free will before Him. After Jesus was baptised in the Jordan river He was led by the Spirit into the desert where He was tempted three times by Satan. Each time He had to make a choice and each time He answered the devil by quoting from the Book of Deuteronomy. (I am reminded as I write this of Britain’s first lady Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher. She was asked by a senior interviewer what she thought was the crux of Christianity. He hoped she would say Love to catch her in some difficult questions, but she answered, ‘CHOICE’.)

The next instruction is, ‘to LOVE THE LORD OUR GOD’. God wants relationship with us, now and for all eternity and He knows our hearts can be drawn away by other things. Religion is more about obedience, outward rituals and conformity, but God wants our love. He’s a Love God.

Next we are to, ‘LISTEN TO HIS VOICE’. This world is constantly bombarding us with a very different message. Satan always seeks to control the narrative and that is why so many people walk to, ‘a false beat’. They are completely absorbed by the things of this world but Scripture says EVERYTHING WE SEE NOW IS TEMPORARY. The Lord Himself told us,

²⁷ My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

²⁸ And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. John 10

The final call in these verses is to, ‘HOLD FAST TO HIM. FOR THE LORD IS YOUR LIFE’. Could anything be more important than that statement, ‘The Lord is our Life’. But we have to endure and hold onto our Belief in Him. In this life, the Flesh/old rebel nature, this world system and the devil will try and get us to turn away from the Lord. We must REMEMBER, that He is our very LIFE. He doesn’t abandon us here, we always have His Spirit and mighty angels to help us walk through our personal journeys.

May God bless and keep you today. Immanuel, God is with us.

 

One definition of Generosity (Cambridge dictionary)

a willingness to give help or support, especially more than is usual or expected

The enlightened person gives and receives more, another law of the Kingdom of God which is completely at odds with this world system.

³⁷ ‘Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. ³⁸ Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.’ Luke 6

Luke’s Gospel has much to say about Giving and in the verses above it links judging, condemning and forgiving to the act of Giving. It would seem that those who are willing to extend forgiveness instead of judging and condemning will receive in like way. Generosity isn’t just about finances, it’s a mark of God’s character in our lives. Giving and Forgiving allows God to return a greater measure of blessing to us.

⁶ Remember this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. ⁷ Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for GOD LOVES A CHEERFUL GIVER. ⁸ And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9

When we Give we’re imitating our Father in Heaven and opening the door for far greater blessings into our lives in the future. As we said it’s not just about Giving money, whatever we Give to others will result in blessing.

God bless and keep you today. Immanuel, God is with us.

 

¹¹ The Lord said to him, ‘WHO GAVE MAN HIS MOUTH? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? ¹² NOW GO; I WILL HELP YOU SPEAK AND WILL TEACH YOU WHAT TO SAY.’ Exodus 4

Would we be willing to speak for the Lord or would fear of man prevent us?

Moses was having a personal interview with God after being a shepherd for forty years with his father-in-law Jethro’s sheep in the backside (King James Bible English) of the desert. He’d already lived eighty years and God spoke with him in the burning bush and told him to go and deliver His people from their slavery in Egypt. (A very similar situation to what’s happening the Church today!)

God had given Moses some miraculous signs to show the people of Israel that he had a genuine calling to deliver them. Moses had the power of God in evidence and he needed it. Moses must have been very unwilling to speak because in the end Almighty God appointed his brother Aaron to speak on his behalf.

5 Afterwards Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: “Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival to me in the wilderness.”’

² Pharaoh said, ‘Who is the Lord, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go.’ Exodus 5

Moses and Aaron spoke to a world ruler and were rejected, as God had said, Exodus 4:21. Most of us will never be called to speak to such people, but there will be times when we can bring God and His Truth into a situation and that may require us to gather our courage.

²⁵ Fear of man will prove to be a snare,
    but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe. Proverbs 29

So I want to say something now which may be unpopular with others, even believers. I was saddened recently to read a report that the Irish ladies basketball team had snubbed Israel’s ladies at a qualifying match for the Eurobasket 2025. Ireland would have withdrawn altogether, but their own chief executive, John Feehan, warned they would face heavy fines and expulsion. A further example of this hostility towards Israel in the same news is the threat to ban them from the next Eurovision Song Contest.

The overwhelming message in this world is anti Israel and that’s serious in God’s eyes! GOD HIMSELF makes two significant statements in the same part of Exodus where He spoke with Moses.

²² Then say to Pharaoh, “This is what the Lord says: ISRAEL IS MY FIRSTBORN SON, ²³ and I told you, ‘Let my son go, so that he may worship me.’ But you refused to let him go; so I will kill your firstborn son.”’ Exodus 4

² God also said to Moses, ‘I am the Lord. ³ I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, … ⁴ I ALSO ESTABLISHED MY COVENANT WITH THEM to give them the land of Canaan, where they resided as foreigners. ⁵ Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I HAVE REMEMBERED MY COVENANT. Exodus 6

Almighty God is in Covenant with Israel, He’s given His sacred word to them and will keep it, no matter what the people of this world say.

I have prayed for God’s mercy for Ireland concerning His people Israel. There is a strong anti Israel stance abroad in the land at this time and I pray that those who know God will ask for mercy and not judgement.

May God bless and keep you today. Immanuel, God is with us.

 

⁸ But you are TO HOLD FAST TO THE LORD YOUR GOD, as you have until now. Joshua 23

¹¹ So be VERY CAREFUL TO LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD.

Some of the last words of Joshua to the leaders and the people of Israel. Good words for us to hang onto today.

We saw yesterday that even though the Eastern tribes had accumulated great wealth in the land of Canaan, yet they were determined to secure their relationship within the people of God. They valued that relationship for themselves and their children.

³⁴ And the Reubenites and the Gadites gave the altar this name: A Witness Between Us – that the Lord is God. Joshua 22

Joshua knew he’d almost run his race and he wanted to encourage the people before he left them. There was more land that still remained to be taken.

⁴ Remember how I have allotted as an inheritance for your tribes all the land of the nations that remain – the nations I conquered – between the Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea in the west. ⁵ THE LORD YOUR GOD HIMSELF WILL HIMSELF DRIVE THEM OUT OF YOUR WAY. HE WILL PUSH THEM OUT BEFORE YOU, AND YOU WILL TAKE POSSESSION OF THEIR LAND, as the Lord your God promised you. Joshua 23

The Church today has taken some or even much of our available inheritance, but there is much that still remains to be taken and the coming generations will take this land for the Lord.

It’s interesting that Joshua’s encouragement is closely related to the words he received at the outset of his time of leadership.

⁶ Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.   Joshua 1

⁷ ‘Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. ⁸ Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Joshua 1

We need the same attitude and boldness that Israel had, but the battles to be fought and won today are different. I listened to a prophet this week live on the Internet with two friends on zoom telling them that an advert for his ministry was not him, but an AI image. They knew him well but hadn’t realised it was an image. I also heard a well known speaker on Elijahstreams, saying the Lord had told him, ‘NOT TO BE AFRAID OF THE TECHNOLOGY’.

⁶ ‘Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left. Joshua 23:6

Same attitude for the times ahead, but very different battles. The great thing is that the same LORD WHO DEFEATED THE CANAANITES AND THE EGYPTIANS WILL DEFEAT THE WICKED WE FACE.

God bless and keep you. Immanuel, God is with us.

 

There was much reward for faithful service but the Eastern  tribes wanted above all to secure their inheritance in God!

22 Then Joshua summoned the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh ² and said to them, ‘You have done all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded, and you have obeyed me in everything I commanded. ³ For a long time now – to this very day – you have not deserted your fellow Israelites but have carried out the mission the Lord your God gave you. Joshua 22

The Eastern tribes had been faithful to both leaders of Israel and they had FOUGHT FOR AND WITH THEIR BROTHERS to help them take their inheritance. As in many wars the men were separated from their families for a long time.

⁷  … When Joshua sent them home, he blessed them, ⁸ saying, ‘Return to your homes with your great wealth – with large herds of livestock, with silver, gold, bronze and iron, and a great quantity of clothing – and divide the plunder from your enemies with your fellow Israelites.’

The Eastern tribes had acquired much wealth during the many battles West of the Jordan River in the land of Canaan. Their loyalty had resulted in great reward, they weren’t returning empty handed to their own families. God sees Faithful Service and rewards everyone for their work, INCLUDING SERVICE ON BEHALF OF OTHER BELIEVERS. We may not feel that our service is noticed by others but God sees it all. At His time we will receive our just rewards, just like these tribes who’d helped their brother Israelites.

On the way back to their own lands the Eastern tribes built a replica altar at Geliloth, near the border. This almost led to war with their brothers who believed it would bring God’s judgement upon the whole nation. They sent a delegation east of the Jordan to plead with the two and a half tribes to remove the altar, but they learned that it had been built to secure the Eastern tribes inheritance as a part of Israel. Peace reigned again between the tribes across the Jordan River. The Eastern tribes foresaw that in the future a rift could come between themselves and those in the west, so they put a marker on the land to testify to their legitimate claim as one people.

⁹ So the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh left the Israelites at Shiloh in Canaan to return to Gilead, their own land, which they had acquired in accordance with the command of the Lord through Moses.

¹⁰ When they came to Geliloth near the Jordan in the land of Canaan, the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh built an imposing altar there by the Jordan. ¹¹ And when the Israelites heard that they had built the altar on the border of Canaan at Geliloth near the Jordan on the Israelite side, ¹² the whole assembly of Israel gathered at Shiloh to go to war against them. 

The Eastern tribes returned home with great wealth as Joshua had said, but they knew it was the God of Israel who had blessed them and wanted above all to remain as part of the people of God. Many people receive God’s blessings and forget who has blessed them, which is tragic for them.

God bless and keep you today. Immanuel, God is with us.

 

Correction to our direction of travel may be mild or life-changing and we may experience both during our lives.

Ruth (meaning, friend, COMPASSIONATE FRIEND (Nice Name), also vision of beauty) experienced a severe dislocation in her lifetime. Her Jewish husband, Mahlon, died after ten years of marriage and she decided to accompany Naomi, her mother-in-law back to Bethlehem in Judah. She wasn’t dissuaded by rational arguments nor the departure of Orpah, her sister-in-law, she chose loyalty and the unknown above familiarity. A powerful example for many followers of Christ today.

¹⁶ But Ruth replied, ‘Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. ¹⁷ Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lorddeal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.’ Ruth 1

Ruth’s life took an epic change, brought about by the death of someone she loved. A door in her young life closed forever.

J Strokes, staying on course.

I was reading a chapter in Luann Budd’s book on Journal Keeping recently and she gave two analogies for regular corrections in the Christian Life.

In the first she told about attending a technology conference where it was stated that the space shuttle was off course much of the time. The rockets fired continually to adjust direction and bring it back onto the true course to reach it’s destination or DESTINY.

The second analogy was the J Stroke used in canoeing, where the paddle in the stern is used intermittently as a rudder to make minimal adjustments to the direction of travel. In both examples small corrections have to be applied continually throughout the course of OUR JOURNEY.

‘Like the space shuttle and the canoe (Major and Minor vehicles), the only time we are entirely on course is during that brief time when we are crossing centre on our way back off course. We too need the J Stroke to get realigned’. Luann Budd, Journal Keeping

So long as we reside here on earth our journey will need to undergo change to keep us on course for our destinies, whether they be Major adjustments like Ruth, or minor adjustments from the prompts of God’s Spirit in our lives. Religion tends to make us Inflexible, Resisting change, but that’s not what being led by the Spirit implies. ‘Sin is missing the Mark or the Bull’s-eye’, we have to be flexible and sensitive to the leading of God’s Spirit.

God bless and keep you today. Immanuel, God is with us.