Month: July 2024

⁵ Let me get you something to eat, SO YOU CAN BE REFRESHED and then go on your way—now that you have come to your servant.”

“Very well,” they answered, “do as you say.” Genesis 18

Middle eastern hospitality is rightly famous as the people will go to great lengths to bless visitors who come to them. Genesis 18 is a very significant chapter because three visitors from Heaven came down and met with Abraham and Sarah. It was Abraham’s offer of hospitality to these visitors that opened the door for God’s miraculous intervention in their lives and the future of all mankind. HOSPITALITY AND WILLINGNESS TO HELP OTHERS CAN OPEN DOORS WHICH MAY OTHERWISE REMAIN CLOSED!

⁶ So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. “Quick,” he said, “get three seahs of the finest flour and knead it and bake some bread.”

⁷ Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it.⁸ He then brought some curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them.While they ate, he stood near them under a tree. 

Abraham and Sarah really went to a lot of trouble to provide for the unexpected guests who’d come to their camp. I believe that there are times when we can encounter people in life who are sent to reveal the attitudes of our hearts and if we receive them then God will bless us in greater measure.

13 Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. ² Do not forget to show HOSPITALITY TO STRANGERS, (NOT JUST FRIENDS AND FAMILY!) for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. Hebrews 13

If people knew they were entertaining angels then they’d be much more attentive to their guest’s needs, but the Bible says we don’t know. Often the people who come to us may not appear grand or imposing, but it is our choice whether to bless and help them or not. In the case of Abraham and Sarah their willingness to receive the visitors opened the way for the birth of their miracle child Isaac and began the line of Messiah.

⁴⁴ Then he turned towards the woman and said to Simon, ‘Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. ⁴⁵ You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. ⁴⁶ You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. ⁴⁷ Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven – as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.’

⁴⁸ Then Jesus said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’ Luke 7

No water, No kiss and No oil! It wasn’t that Simon the Pharisee hadn’t shown hospitality to the Lord, he’d invited Him to eat in his house, but in his heart he’d been judgemental. It was the woman who’d publicly humbled herself and shown great respect to the Lord who received the blessing. WHEN WE GIVE TO OTHERS, TO REFRESH THEM, WE SHOULD BE GENEROUS. WE SERVE A VERY GENEROUS GOD. HALLELUJAH

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

 

¹ The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
²     He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
³     HE RESTORES OR REFRESHES MY SOUL. Psalm 23

David was someone who had many demands on his time and his life. He had 400 men with him in the cave of Adullam and later 600 men with their families when he lived in Ziklag among the Philistines. Somewhere in the midst of all his troubles David under the inspiration of God’s Spirit wrote this short, but wonderful psalm, which we know today as Psalm 23.

The psalm begins with a simple statement that God is all sufficient!

23 The Lord is my shepherd; I SHALL NOT WANT. KJV Bible

Derek Prince said that if anything had been added to the phrase, ‘I shall not want’, it would have destroyed it. For example, I shall not want … wealth … health … victory over enemies, then there would have been lack in all other areas. David simply wrote that God could and would supply his needs, period!

This morning I was thinking more of another phrase from the psalm, ‘HE RESTORES OR REFRESHES MY SOUL’. I see this as a beautiful sign of God’s loving care for His son David and for us His children. He cares for our external needs but also for the inner needs of our souls and emotions. He knows better than us when we need refreshing to help continue with our daily lives.

In her book, ‘Seeing behind the veil’, Ana Werner describes a day when she had a sore throat, tonsillitis symptoms, but felt she had to keep going, with two young children and a church Healing Meeting.

‘My throat kept hurting. The more I talked the more it ached. … “Go lie down, Ana,” I heard the voice of the Lord command me.’ Ana lay down on the back row of chairs during the worship and raised her hands while lying down. She saw Jesus, He looked at her and blew Powerfully in her face and her throat stopped hurting. God gave her strength in that moment to pour out and minister to people and her own team. Page 52, ‘Seeing behind the veil’.

I was touched by what Ana said she’d learned that night.

“I learned two things tonight. Number one: it’s OK and necessary to take a step back, lie down and rightfully so, TO TAKE CARE OF MYSELF. GOD DOESN’T WANT SLAVES, BUT LOVERS. Sometimes we can work ourselves too much, FORGETTING THAT GOD VALUES THE PERSON OVER WHAT WE CAN DO.”

I thought that line by Ana Werner, ‘GOD DOESN’T WANT SLAVES, BUT LOVERS’ is a wonderful line. God loves us no matter the circumstances. Religion wants to make slaves of those loved by God. It’s not about performance, it’s about a loving God and His children here on earth and those gone on to heaven. Hallelujah

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

AND SUDDENLY DAVID WAS IN EVEN WORSE TROUBLE. There was talk among the men, bitter over the loss of their families, of stoning him.

^6-7 David strengthened himself with trust in his God. 1 Samuel 30 MSG Bible

Trouble can come suddenly and unexpectedly, BUT GOD HASN’T ABANDONED US! DON’T GIVE WAY TO DEFEAT IN TIMES OF TROUBLE, God will still be there for us in the most difficult situations. David and his men had returned to the camp at Ziklag to find that their wives and children had been kidnapped and their camp plundered. The men were talking of stoning David, people often look for someone else to blame for their misfortune, but the leader was the one who would take action and rescue them. David sought the Lord and a way opened for them to rescue their families unharmed.

I said at the end of my last blog that Friday was a public holiday here, so my wife and I went to stay away overnight in County Donegal, by the Atlantic Ocean. Anne loves to be by the sea and walk along the beach, she finds it restorative. We spent the night away and began a fairly long drive home that morning as I had a cold. When we got home, Anne did some washing and while she was ironing saw a leak from the ceiling into the utility room. It turned out that we had a leak at the shower control valve in our upper floor. So what could we do? I rang a man who has helped us in the past and even though it was a holiday he agreed to come and see what could be done. EVERYWHERE WAS CLOSED FOR THE HOLIDAY BUT I HAD BOUGHT A SHOWER VALVE SOME TIME BEFORE AND STILL HAD IT IN THE HOUSE. To cut a long story short he eventually got the valve fitted and the leak stopped, after a couple of hours work. Praise the Lord.

Trouble can come suddenly, perhaps to rob us after a time of blessing, in this case a brief stay by the sea. No matter how unexpected, God is still with us as He was with David and his men and He stands firm to rescue us from every circumstance. Hallelujah

¹⁵ Do not lurk like a thief near the house of the righteous,
    do not plunder their dwelling place;
¹⁶ for though the righteous fall seven times, THEY RISE AGAIN,
    but the wicked are brought down by calamity. Proverbs 24 

GOD’S PEOPLE ARE MARKED BY RESILIENCE, WE MAY FALL AT TIMES BUT GOD HELPS US TO RISE AGAIN, EVEN SEVEN TIMES! AMEN

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

⁵⁷ YOU CAME NEAR WHEN I CALLED YOU,
    and you said, ‘Do not fear.’ Lamentations 3 (Written by Jeremiah at the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple)

¹⁷ The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;
    he delivers them from all their troubles.
¹⁸ The Lord is close (NEAR TO THOSE SUFFERING) to the broken-hearted
    and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 34 (When David fled Saul and pretended to be insane before Abimelech, the Philistine king)

Some further scriptures on the Lord being Near, especially during times of deep distress. Jeremiah and David both knew that God had not abandoned them, despite all that was happening to them. God is Faithful!

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 every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4

Paul suffered much for the sake of the Gospel, indeed the Lord said that of him when he had his vision on the road to Damascus. But Paul tells us to Rejoice, because the LORD IS NEAR.

Paul and Silas were severely flogged and then thrown into prison, but they still worshipped the Lord while in stocks after being beaten. THEIR SPIRITS WEREN’T BEATEN DOWN and as they praised a miracle occurred. Then the jailer and his whole family gave their lives to the Lord.

²⁵ About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. ²⁶ Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. 

²⁹ The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. ³⁰ He then brought them out and asked, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ Acts 16

Two final New Testament scriptures that speak of the REWARD for those who stand firm in their faith in the face of opposition.

³⁶ YOU NEED TO PERSEVERE so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. ³⁷ For,

THERE WILL BE A REWARD FOR THOSE WHO STAND FIRM NOW, A REWARD ON EARTH AND ALSO IN ETERNITY. AMEN

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

(PS two days public holiday in N.Ireland)

 

¹⁸ THE LORD IS NEAR to all who call on him,
    to all who call on him in truth. Psalm 145

When Elijah confronted the prophets of Baal and Asherah on Mount Carmel, he mocked them as they tried to make contact with their gods.

²⁷ At noon Elijah began to taunt them. “Shout louder!” he said. “Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.” ²⁸ So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, AS WAS THEIR CUSTOM, UNTIL THEIR BLOOD FLOWED. 1 Kings 18

Elijah had challenged these false prophets before Israel to prove who was the true God in Israel. They did everything they knew to invoke their gods to show up and demonstrate their power to the people, but nothing worked for them. When it came Elijah’s turn, at the time of the evening sacrifice, he simply called in Faith on the Name of the true God;

³⁶ At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. ³⁷ Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.”

³⁸ Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. 1 Kings 18

God doesn’t want people dancing around frantically and fanatically crying out to Him, nor does He need our blood shed to appease His anger. Elijah had obeyed God and He quickly confirmed before all the people that He was the living God. WE SERVE A GOD WHO IS NEAR, AS THE PSALMIST SAID but worshippers in the occult are still doing these things to this very day. We are seeing the same age old conflict , with some new twists, still being fought out for who will rule the hearts of mankind. God used one faithful prophet to destroy the strongholds of the enemy in Israel and I believe He is using His many faithful ones to bring in a new era across the world.

 

¹⁸ THE LORD IS NEAR TO ALL WHO CALL ON HIM,
    to all who call on him in truth. Psalm 145, David

We said yesterday that many of God’s people feel worn out and discouraged at the present time, but God wants us to know that He’s with us, especially when we’re going through trials and difficulties.

¹ God is our refuge and strength,
    AN EVER-PRESENT HELP IN TROUBLE.
² THEREFORE WE WILL NOT FEAR, though the earth give way
    and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
³ though its waters roar and foam
    and the mountains quake with their surging. Psalm 46

The Living Bible quotes Psalm 46:1, saying that God is, ‘A TESTED HELP IN TIMES OF TROUBLE’. God stays with us and helps us in trying times.

The Message Bible also renders the opening verses of this psalm very vividly;

People talk about, ‘Fair weather golfers or runners’, but God isn’t like that. He’s with us from the beginning of our journey to the end, so if you’re in difficulty, press in and ask for His help. He’ll never abandon us.

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

 

¹⁸ THE LORD IS NEAR TO ALL WHO CALL ON HIM,
    to all who call on him in truth. Psalm 145, David

Someone has said, ‘The Lord is only a prayer away’ and it’s true. We’re His children and we can come before Him whenever we choose. Many times David turned to the Lord when he was in distress. His psalms often began with his problems but usually ended in praise and thanksgiving. God doesn’t want His children burdened and stressed anymore than earthly parents, so if you’re in difficulty today call out to Him. He won’t ignore His children in a time of need.

He’s waiting to hear your call, your voice today, He knows our voices individually. Call on Him today and believe that He will intervene on your behalf, however dire your circumstances might be.

59 Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save,
    nor his ear too dull to hear. Isaiah 59:1

Many of the Lord’s people need encouraged at the present moment and David’s psalms are a wonderful place to go and find the Lord’s help. He lived his life and walked through many difficulties but he held onto God through them all. Hallelujah

⁶ This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;
    he saved him out of all his troubles.
⁷ The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him,
    and he delivers them. Psalm 34

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

 

Let us, with a gladsome mind, praise the LORD, for He is kind: for His mercies shall endure, ever faithful, ever sure. Opening verse of the Hymn by poet John Milton 1623, based on Psalm 136

I was reminded of the words of this old hymn this morning when I read Daniel 3; Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon erected a large golden image on the plain of Dura and demanded that everyone bow down and worship it. The three Hebrew exiles and Daniel’s close friends had to make a far reaching decision on their future. Would they obey the demands of their pagan ruler or take a stand for the Lord and perhaps lose their lives?

⁷ Therefore, as soon as they heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp and all kinds of music, all the nations and peoples of every language fell down and worshipped the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

⁸ At this time some astrologers came forward and denounced the Jews. Daniel 3

The Jews who didn’t bow to the statue when the music played were denounced to the king. The enemy controlled Babylon and orchestrated this attack on the people of God. Taking a public stand for the Lord can come with a cost, whatever the circumstances.

¹³ Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, ¹⁴ … if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. THEN WHAT GOD WILL BE ABLE TO RESCUE YOU FROM MY HAND?’ 

The King would not tolerate any challenge to his authority (many leaders still react in the same way in today’s society) but these three men stood firm and didn’t buckle under intense pressure.

¹⁶ Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, ‘King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. ¹⁷ If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. ¹⁸ But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, THAT WE WILL NOT SERVE YOUR GODS OR WORSHIP THE IMAGE OF GOLD YOU HAVE SET UP.’

No one wants to be put in such a position but we also live in societies which oppose the God we serve and we must stand firm for the Lord in the face of enemy harassment. May God enable us in such situations to always take our stand for Him.

²⁵ He said, ‘Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.’

²⁶ Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, ‘Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!’

The Lord Himself came down to rescue His loyal servants and Nebuchadnezzar’s heart was completely changed towards them. God does often change’s the hearts of people who would be our enemies when we are yielded to Him. These young exiles didn’t oppose the pagan king’s authority, but they wouldn’t betray their God. God give grace to your children in difficult situations this day and may you always be glorified in our lives, no matter how great the trials we face.

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

⁹ The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3

⁹ He isn’t really being slow about his promised return, even though it sometimes seems that way. But he is waiting, for the good reason that he is not willing that any should perish, and he is giving more time for sinners to repent. 2 Peter 3, The Living Bible

The world is in a time of transition now and many believers are finding this time very long – waiting never seems easy, but God’s timing is always perfect.

The story of Elijah’s showdown with the pagan prophets of Baal and Asherah is well known. 1 Kings 18 Jezebel then boasted what she would do to Elijah for putting those false prophets to death and he fled for his life, leaving Ahab and Jezebel in power.

9 The prophet Elisha summoned a man from the company of the prophets and said to him, ‘Tuck your cloak into your belt, take this flask of olive oil with you and go to Ramoth Gilead. ² When you get there, look for Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi. Go to him, get him away from his companions and take him into an inner room. ³ Then take the flask and pour the oil on his head and declare, “This is what the Lord says: I anoint you king over Israel.” Then open the door and run; don’t delay!’ 2 Kings 9

Elisha was now the prophet in Israel and he gave a younger man the task of going to Jehu, getting alone with him and anointing him king in Israel. Jehu was told through the prophet to cut off Ahab’s whole line from Israel, including Jezebel.

²² When Joram saw Jehu he asked, ‘Have you come in peace, Jehu?’

‘How can there be peace,’ Jehu replied, ‘as long as all the idolatry and witchcraft of your mother Jezebel abound?’

²⁴ Then Jehu drew his bow and shot Joram between the shoulders. The arrow pierced his heart and he slumped down in his chariot. 2 Kings 9

God wasn’t going after a few branches, He wanted the whole tree destroyed, so that no more fruit could come from it and Israel would be safe. Jehu drove into Jezreel and immediately met Jezebel, wife of Ahab. He had the eunuchs throw her from a balcony under his horses and chariots and she also died.

³⁴ Jehu went in and ate and drank. ‘Take care of that cursed woman,’ he said, ‘and bury her, for she was a king’s daughter.’ ³⁵ But when they went out to bury her, they found nothing except her skull, her feet and her hands. ³⁶ They went back and told Jehu, who said, ‘This is the word of the Lord that he spoke through his servant Elijah the Tishbite: on the plot of ground at Jezreel dogs will devour Jezebel’s flesh. ³⁷ Jezebel’s body will be like dung on the ground in the plot at Jezreel, so that no one will be able to say, “This is Jezebel.”’ 2 Kings 9

The power of the occult was broken in Israel that day by a man anointed away from public view. A new day had begun and we are in a similar place today, God is working to remove corrupt systems of leadership deep rooted in society. It may seem to be taking a long time, but when it’s over we’ll all be free of the tyranny of the past. As Ana Werner’s post said, ‘Hold on’, breakthrough is coming.

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

 

⁴⁴ ‘In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up A KINGDOM THAT WILL NEVER BE DESTROYED, nor will it be left to another people. IT WILL CRUSH ALL THOSE KINGDOMS AND BRING THEM TO AN END, but it will itself endure for ever. Daniel 2

It is worth reading this scripture from Daniel again, God has declared the end from the beginning a long time ago in the land of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar represented the head of the great statue in the land of Babylon and right at it’s heart God announced that one day He would bring it all to an end. No matter how imposing the statue, how magnificent it’s appearance, God has declared every trace of it and the power of those earthly kingdoms will be gone. Daniel prophesied God’s coming Kingdom will mean the end of all rulership in rebellion to Him.

⁴⁵ This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands – a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to pieces.

‘The great God has shown the king (AND FUTURE PEOPLE) what will take place in the future. THE DREAM IS TRUE AND ITS INTERPRETATION IS TRUSTWORTHY.’

The next thing to happen in the King’s court is very significant and unexpected.  This great king, before whom everyone who came into his presence bowed, threw himself on the ground before God’s representative. Something in Nebuchadnezzar bowed low in the presence of this word from God.

⁴⁶ Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell prostrate before Daniel and paid him honour and ordered that an offering and incense be presented to him. ⁴⁷ The king said to Daniel, ‘Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery.’

The man who was the HEAD OF ALL POWER ON EARTH PROSTRATED HIMSELF IN THE PRESENCE OF A SERVANT OF GOD. I believe this was far beyond anything which had ever happened in the palace in Babylon. The time will come again when world rulers will bow low before the children of the living God, the revealer of mysteries.

Daniel was raised to a high position by the king and he brought his three friends up with him, as chief administrators in the kingdom of Babylon. Daniel remained at the royal court. The king valued his wisdom and kept him by his side. God will once again raise up His children to rule in positions of influence. Hallelujah

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