Month: September 2024

⁶ ‘Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces. Matthew 7

In the early chapters of Matthew’s gospel Jesus speaks to the crowd from the mountainside. His words and teachings are known to us today as the Beatitudes, the Beautiful Sayings of Christ. They announced the introduction of a new era or dispensation, not based on Law but on Grace through His coming death and resurrection.

Matthew 7, the last chapter of this address in the Galilee, begins with Jesus’ exhortation not to Judge others, or we too will be Judged.

7 ‘Do not judge, or you too will be judged. ² For in the same way as you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Matthew 7

There is a law of sowing and reaping at work and Jesus warned His listeners that they, and we, would surely REAP A HARVEST from the way we treat others. We can and should repent and ask God to forgive us when we become aware that we have sinned by judging others wrongly.

(A quote by the late David Pawson;

REGRET – something we’re sorry for regarding OURSELVES

REMORSE – something we’re sorry for regarding OTHERS

REPENTANCE – something we’re sorry for concerning GOD!

REPENTANCE IS ALWAYS DIRECTED TOWARDS GOD, Regret and Remorse are towards people.)

The Lord goes on the first five verses of Matthew 7 to warn us against hypocrisy, Judging minor faults in others, while ignoring major flaws in our own lives. This is a serious matter for believers at the present time.

However, it is the last verse of this section that I felt the Lord spoke to me this morning and it takes a different direction to His previous words.

⁶ ‘Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces. Matthew 7

The message here is not to waste time trying to give something of value to those who are unready or unwilling to receive it. The Lord used strong language to the people He was addressing, ‘Don’t cast your pearls before swine’! There’s nothing so mismatched and unsuited as precious pearls, (COULD BE PEARLS OF TRUTH AND WISDOM) cast before swine. Not only do they have no desire or use for them, but they may even be angered by them and attack us.

I remember reading about believers in Iran, a country where many people are secretly finding faith in Christ. Those seeking to share the Gospel had to be led by the Spirit of God to know who they would talk with about the Lord. Failure to follow the Leading of the Spirit could have resulted in imprisonment and even death.

This principle applies to other believers, they may neither want to, nor be able to, hear what the Lord has shown us. We need discernment who to share precious truth with. It also applies to wisdom gained in the things of this world, we shouldn’t be too quick to tell all we know to others. Knowledge and truth are precious and often hard won through tough experience. I believe that the Lord spoke this so that I could bring it to our readers, be cautious who you’re sharing the deep thoughts of your heart with. Seek the Lord’s guidance on whom to share your pearls with. Amen

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

 

⁴⁶ This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. 1 Samuel 17

Goliath taunted the army of Israel, morning and evening, THE TIMES OF WORSHIP,  for forty days. (One of today’s prophets said that God was allowing Goliath and the Philistines to fill up their sin to it’s full measure.) Today we also have news broadcasts, morning and evening, filling us with negativity and fear. Many people, including many believers, are full of what the news media says and people’s lives are directed by the words of the media. God only needs a remnant of people who stand with Him and His words, to take down the giants of our present world.

⁴ A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. He was over nine feet tall. ⁵ He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armour of bronze weighing five thousand shekels; ⁶ on his legs he wore bronze greaves, and a bronze javelin was slung on his back. ⁷ His spear shaft was like a weaver’s rod, and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels. His shield-bearer went ahead of him. 1 Samuel 17

All the words about Goliath and his stature and the size of his weapons meant nothing, they were worthless words. David bypassed all his defences in a moment of time with a single stone.

²⁶ David asked the men standing near him, ‘What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this UNCIRCUMCISED Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?’

David knew that Israel had a Covenant with Almighty God, while the Philistines and all the other nations had none. They served gods who were lifeless idols. Throughout this encounter David continued to SPEAK TRUTH ABOUT THE GOD OF HIS PEOPLE, HE REFUSED TO ACCEPT THE WORDS OF THE ENEMY.

God’s people may face battles in the days ahead, but as long as we stand with Him and reject the lies and media propaganda of our enemies we will prevail.

THE TRUTH IS THAT GOD AND DAVID TOOK DOWN GOLIATH WITH A SINGLE STONE!

³⁰ There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan
    that can succeed against the Lord. Proverbs 21 Hallelujah 

Blessed weekend to all our followers.

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

 

26 Like snow in summer or rain in harvest,
    HONOUR IS NOT FITTING FOR A FOOL (In the Bible a Fool is someone who is Morally deficient, speaks of personal Character). Proverbs 26:1

Earlier this week we began to look at the choosing of David (again his name means Beloved). We saw that Samuel was sent undercover by God to anoint one of Jesse of Bethlehem’s sons as the next King of Israel. Seven brothers were presented in descending order of age and seniority, but God rejected each in turn.

⁷ But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but THE LORD LOOKS AT THE HEART.’ 1 Samuel 16

Samuel then asked Jesse, ‘Are these all the sons you have?’ Jesse revealed that there was still the youngest, David, who was, ‘Tending the sheep’. David, God’s chosen and beloved, was anointed by Samuel. A major turning point as he was soon launched upon a radically different course of life in the palace of King Saul. Character was the key reason why God chose David and he was chosen while still young and apart, tending sheep. He hadn’t been tainted by the ways of the world, while each of his elder brothers were rejected in turn.

Proverbs 26, identifies four distinct classes of people with different character flaws, all of whom are criticised and rejected as lacking wisdom, the key attribute of the Book of Proverbs.

There are 28 verses in the chapter and the first twelve speak about the ‘Fool’, the morally deficient person. The opening verse says that the ‘Fool’ is unworthy of honour and goes on from there to highlight his other deficiencies.

¹⁰ Like an archer who wounds at random
    is one who hires a fool or any passer-by.
¹¹ As a dog returns to its vomit,
    so fools repeat their folly. (Fools don’t learn from their mistakes) Proverbs 26

The second category of those criticised in Proverbs 26 is the, ‘Sluggard’ or the lazy person.

¹³ A sluggard says, ‘There’s a lion in the road,
    a fierce lion roaming the streets!’
¹⁴ As a door turns on its hinges,
    so a sluggard turns on his bed. (The sign above the Sluggard reads, Do not Disturb, don’t bother me)

The third category is the, ‘Gossip’, those with a poisonous tongue.

²⁰ Without wood a fire goes out;
    without a gossip a quarrel dies down.
²¹ As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire,
    so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife.
²² The words of a gossip are like choice morsels;
    they go down to the inmost parts. Proverbs 26

The final defective character is someone who, ‘Flatters’ others.

²³ Like a coating of silver dross on earthenware
    ARE FERVENT LIPS WITH AN EVIL HEART. (False Faces)
²⁴ Enemies disguise themselves with their lips,
    but in their hearts they harbour deceit.
²⁵ Though their speech is charming, do not believe them,
    for seven abominations fill their hearts.
²⁶ Their malice may be concealed by deception,
    but their wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.
²⁷ Whoever digs a pit will fall into it;
    if someone rolls a stone, it will roll back on them.
²⁸ A lying tongue hates those it hurts,
    and a flattering mouth works ruin. Proverbs 16

The Flatterer misleads those they speak to with malicious intention.

Scripture clearly identifies these four flawed characters, they are all known before God. We need SINCERITY in the walking out of our callings before the Lord, then we will be worthy of honour and promotion to greater things in the Kingdom. Hallelujah

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

¹⁴ Now the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him. 1 Samuel

When we turn away from the Lord and His Spirit we open ourselves up to harmful things of this world and from the dark side of the spirit realm. It may seem all right at first, but we may be on a slippery downward slope, king Saul was such a man. His life was afflicted by periods of torment from an evil spirit.

¹⁵ Saul’s attendants said to him, ‘See, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you. ¹⁶ Let our lord command his servants here to search for someone who can play the harp. He will play when the evil spirit from God comes upon you, and you will feel better.

Saul’s attendants offered a solution to his suffering, find someone who played the harp well and let him play when king Saul sank into a dark and disturbed state. How much contemporary music of our day, even Christian music, would offer such relief to someone in distress? In many cases it could aggravate their condition. Music is very powerful, it bypasses a lot of our defences and excites the emotions. Satan was the master musician among the angels in heaven and knows how to use it to influence people today. We need to be alert to what we allow to enter our lives and hearts because it’ll programme us in the opposite way of God’s Spirit! WE MUST NOT ALLOW OUR MINDS TO BE LULLED INTO DWELLING/FEEDING UPON THE INFLUENCES OF THIS WORLD. I believe this has never been more important than at the present moment.

¹⁸ One of the servants answered, ‘I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the harp. He is a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well and is a fine-looking man. And the Lord is with him.’

So David’s name came forward as a possible candidate to help the king during times of trouble. The scripture lists the good points about David, his bravery, good appearance and most importantly, God’s favour upon his life. The public anointing by Samuel resulted in a visible change in the young David’s life. The blessing of a father or mother is also of great benefit to children, but all true blessing is valuable.

¹⁹ Then Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, ‘Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.’ ²⁰ So Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them with his son David to Saul.

So the Lord brought David from the sheep to the king’s palace, initially as a musician to comfort Saul. The favour of the Lord on David’s life made him popular and the king chose him to be his personal armour-bearer. We don’t have to stay where we start out, God’s favour should lift us higher as we progress in life. So the calling of the man who would be the next king of Israel had begun.

May the Lord bless and keep you today. Immanuel, God is with us and we surely need Him.

¹¹ So he asked Jesse, ‘Are these all the sons you have?’

‘There is still the youngest,’ Jesse answered. ‘HE IS TENDING THE SHEEP.’

Samuel said, ‘Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.’ 1 Samuel 16

God knew where the man he wanted as the next king was and he had him brought from the sheep pen to the feast. David, (means Beloved), was apart from the rest of the family who had gathered in Bethlehem with Samuel, but God had him called to the feast. All seven of Jesse’s eldest sons had been rejected by Samuel and now they had to await the arrival of David, their youngest brother. How often God surprises people by His choices, often calling those whom we see as the least qualified.

¹² So he sent for him and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features.

Then the Lord said, ‘RISE AND ANOINT HIM; THIS IS THE ONE.’

¹³ So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and FROM THAT DAY ON THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD CAME POWERFULLY UPON DAVID. Samuel then went to Ramah. 1 Samuel 16

Samuel did what the Lord instructed him to do and then moved on. There’s nothing to say that he imparted anything to David. David’s future calling was going to be walked out with the Lord Himself. He did have friends and advisers along the way, but his calling was to walk with the Lord. Don’t be surprised if God calls you out that your brothers, or sisters, won’t accompany you on the journey. I know someone who recently gave a word TO A prophet that, ‘God is enough’. When God’s proposing something new and different in a life, then He alone needs to direct it. There will be many coming forth in the days ahead who will have unique and powerful callings on their lives and they will be set apart for God’s purposes. We may be able to speak some words of guidance and encouragement to them, but we should never seek to control them.

May the Lord bless and guide all of us as we walk out His call on our lives today. Immanuel, God is with us.

 

13 This will be my third visit to you. “Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.” 2 Corinthians 13:1, Deuteronomy 19:15

God is speaking to us as we walk through our daily lives, listen for His nudges!

At the beginning of last week Anne’s granddaughter rang to ask for help with a maths question and thankfully we were able to assist her. The answer to her question became the beginning of a trail led by the Spirit during the forthcoming week.

I had to go to an auto shop to buy something for my car a couple of days later. The salesman wasn’t sure which product to give me as there were several options. He checked and then told me that the one I wanted had the same number as the answer to the maths question. I only realised that it was the same number on Friday evening. I told Anne that the number had come up twice during the week and wondered if the Lord was giving us a message.

So I was awake early on Saturday morning past and eventually I decided to turn on my phone. When I touched the phone the time which appeared on the screen was exactly the same number to the minute that I’d already seen twice previously during the week.

²⁵ At that time Jesus said, ‘I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and REVEALED THEM TO LITTLE CHILDREN. ²⁶ Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do. Matthew 11

² He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. ³ And he said: ‘Truly I tell you, UNLESS YOU “CHANGE” AND BECOME LIKE LITTLE CHILDREN, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. ⁴ Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18

Children are curious and I believe childlike curiosity and trust is something God looks for in us, His Church family. I’m not trying to build a theology out of these events, but do be aware of the leading of God’s Spirit as you walk with Him through your week. Be willing to change and grow some childlike faith, you might be amazed at how He’ll speak to you. Then you’ll have all the fun of deciphering what the Spirit is saying to you, more childlike faith required.

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

 

¹² When they had all had enough to eat, He said to his disciples, “GATHER THE PIECES THAT ARE LEFT OVER. LET NOTHING BE WASTED.” John 6

The account of the Feeding of the Five Thousand occurs in all four gospels but only in John’s gospel do we have these words of Jesus recorded.

Last Saturday Anne and I were in a local town and after a coffee we separated for a short time. I went to a local church charity shop and bought two small books, for fifty pence each. One book is entitled, ‘FAILURE IS NOT FINAL: The secrets of spiritual greatness’, by a lady from the Netherlands called Janny van der Klis. (Foreword by Brother Andrew) The author described how she’d left her family to attend a Bible College in Swansea, Wales. Then she’d come to live in N.Ireland for a time, before eventually leaving to take up her call to be a missionary in Africa. Her life as a missionary in Kenya and later in Namibia wasn’t easy but she’d made it her priority to integrate with the local communities. She was a ‘People Person’. After some time and some serious medical complications, she became fatigued, and depressed and left the mission field. She underwent much personal suffering at this time which she didn’t gloss over, as she returned to live in N.Ireland.

She opened her story with the words highlighted above and then about 140 pages into the her life story she referred to them again as she finally began to see them outworked in her life. Janny became the coordinator of the Women’s Study Fellowship in Belfast Bible College and through her own experiences she was able to ENCOURAGE WOMEN to see their worth and step out in faith to accomplish things for the Lord. We’re living in a time when the Lord needs ladies and everyone else to take their place and contribute to the building of the Kingdom.

As I’m reading this short book I’ve been touched by the words of Jesus after feeding of the five thousand men, plus women and children. He tells His disciples to go and gather the leftovers, ‘Let nothing be wasted’. Janny thought she’d failed and was of no further use to the Lord, BUT HE RESTORED HER AND BEGAN TO USE HER AGAIN TO REACH OTHERS. She understood people who felt beaten down by life but needed to be loved and encouraged to stand up and start again. The Lord ministered powerfully to the multitudes of hungry people, but like the GOOD SHEPHERD HE IS, HE STILL CARES FOR THE LEFTOVERS! So should we as His Church on Earth today. Some of the broken ones now will be the heroes of the future, through His restoration. Amen

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

 

⁸ The men who had leprosy reached the edge of the camp, entered one of the tents and ate and drank. Then they took silver, gold and clothes, and went off and hid them. They returned and entered another tent and took some things from it and hid them also. 2 Kings 7

The four men who initially discovered that the Arameans had fled and left everything had first pick of everything for themselves. However, after they’d met their immediate needs they began to think of the others starving inside the city and they had a change of heart. Many people start by thinking only of themselves, but then something shifts inside and they want to bless others. God alone knows those who will break free from the, ‘Me, Me, Me attitude’ and reach out to help others.

⁹ Then they said to each other, ‘What we’re doing is not right. THIS IS A DAY OF GOOD NEWS AND WE ARE KEEPING IT TO OURSELVES. If we wait until daylight, punishment will overtake us. Let’s go at once and report this to the royal palace.’ 2 Kings 7

The men’s consciences began to rebuke them and they knew that they must go at once and tell their starving countrymen that the enemy had fled leaving everything in their camp, food and riches, all lying around for the taking. They knew that everything had changed, but the king and the guards in the city were afraid to believe their message of deliverance. The same thing could easily happen again today when God finally gives people the freedom they’ve longed for.

¹² The king got up in the night and said to his officers, ‘I will tell you what the Arameans have done to us. They know we are starving; so they have left the camp to hide in the countryside, thinking, “They will surely come out, and then we will take them alive and get into the city.”’

The king sent out scouts to investigate that the enemy had gone and it wasn’t just another cruel trap, but news came back that they’d followed them as far as the Jordan river and the ground was covered with valuables all the way. We shouldn’t be surprised that God gives the enemies over to His people as plunder, Israel didn’t just leave Egypt, they plundered it. Exodus 12:36 The Egyptians were willing to do anything to stop God’s judgement coming on their homes again. The Arameans also fled in such fear leaving everything behind them.

¹⁶ Then the people went out and plundered the camp of the Arameans. So a seah of the finest flour sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley sold for a shekel, AS THE LORD HAD SAID. 2 Kings 7

At the darkest hour, when hope was almost gone, the Lord stepped in and delivered His people. What God has done before, He can and will do again. Those who’ve been misusing their power to hurt God’s people may soon find they are the pursued and their wealth is gone. Amen, do it Lord.

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

 

² The officer on whose arm the king was leaning said to the man of God, ‘Look, even if the Lord should open the floodgates of the heavens, could this happen?’

‘You will see it with your own eyes,’ answered Elisha, ‘but you will not eat any of it!’ 2 Kings 7

The Lord had spoken His word of relief from the siege of Samaria through Elisha, whom a desperate king had sought to kill. Now, one of the king’s officers foolishly spoke against the word of Elisha because it seemed too far fetched and it would cost him his life. Sometimes the word that seems the most impossible is God’s Word, only He can accomplish it.

³ Now there were four men with leprosy at the entrance of the city gate. They said to each other, ‘WHY STAY HERE UNTIL WE DIE?’

Desperate circumstances may be the Lord’s way of bringing us to the place where He needs us to be. These four men with the leprosy realised that they needed to do something or else they would die. This really was their last chance to escape death and it didn’t look very promising but they decided they had no choice but to go to the enemy camp and plead for mercy. It turned out to be a move ordered by God, a move during the night, a move in darkness, that would bring great relief to those starving in the city of Samaria.

⁶ for the Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots and horses and a great army, so that they said to one another, ‘Look, the king of Israel has hired the Hittite and Egyptian kings to attack us!’ ⁷ SO THEY GOT UP AND FLED IN THE DUSK and abandoned their tents and their horses and donkeys. They left the camp as it was and ran for their lives. 2 Kings 7

The God of heaven doesn’t need an army to win victories against earthly foes, the fear of God came upon the Aramean army and they fled for their lives. The four men with the leprosy walked into an empty camp with the valuables of the whole army spread out before them.

⁵ YOU PREPARE A TABLE BEFORE ME
    IN THE PRESENCE OF MY ENEMIES.
You anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
⁶ Surely your goodness and love will follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever. Psalm 23, by David 

There’s much talk today about a great wealth transfer coming and many people are frustrated and exhausted waiting for their deliverance, but in the darkest time of the night God’s salvation came to the starving. The first and only ones to know were four outcasts, men with leprosy, excluded from all society, BUT GOD! God can use even the poorest around us to speak a word of relief into our situations. Lord give us ears to hear you speak through the lowliest people. Amen

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

 

²⁴ Some time later, Ben-Hadad king of Aram mobilised his entire army and marched up and laid siege to Samaria. 2 Kings 6

The King of Aram (could also represent a demonic king/principality) came back and besieged Samaria. The enemy returned to attack the capital city of Israel again, this time with the whole army. Elisha was trapped inside with all the people and he shared in their suffering, he wasn’t immune to it.

²⁵ There was a great famine in the city; the siege lasted so long that a donkey’s head sold for eighty shekels of silver, and a quarter of a cab of seed pods for five shekels.

MONEY IS A MEASURE of earthly values and just as the scriptures say elsewhere, those values can quickly change.

The people were crying out to the King for help but though he still had some power inside the city, he was unable to relieve their suffering.

²⁷ The king replied, ‘If the Lord does not help you, where can I get help for you? From the threshing floor? From the winepress?’

God was the only one who could deliver Israel from the enemy outside their gates. The King had humbled himself secretly to plead for mercy for his fellow citizens.

³⁰ When the king heard the woman’s words, he tore his robes. As he went along the wall, the people looked, and they saw that, under his robes, HE HAD SACKCLOTH ON HIS BODY.

Then the King couldn’t endure the suffering of the people any longer and decided to lash out in anger and take the life of God’s prophet, Elisha. Prophets can become targets when they speak God’s words to suffering people, but on this occasion Elisha was forewarned and told those with him to block the door of his house.

³³ While he was still talking to them, the messenger came down to him.

The king said, ‘This disaster is from the Lord. Why should I wait for the Lord any longer?’

7 Elisha replied, ‘Hear the word of the Lord. This is what the Lord says: about this time tomorrow, a seah of the finest flour will sell for a shekel and two seahs of barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria.’

Elisha proclaimed the word of the Lord over the situation; God says this time tomorrow, just 24 hours more and the siege will be over. The money measure will completely change and everything will become plentiful again. The devil, wanted Elisha murdered because he could declare God’s word of victory and relief over the situation. That word came at the very lowest point when the king could take no more. I believe we are approaching such a time right now, when God’s word breaks the siege of the enemy from the neck of His people and circumstances become much easier for many. Lord, rescue Your people from the hands of the wicked we pray. Amen

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