Author: U1tt9i1d93

In Luke 4, after His temptation, ‘Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit’. V15 He taught in their synagogues and everyone praised Him(all good so far). V16 and on the Sabbath day He went into the synagogue as was His custom(Jesus was to be found there on Sabbath).

In the last part of Luke 4, we see the word ‘synagogue(s)’ used seven times(seven is completion or perfection) and Jesus met there with the Jews every Sabbath. His primary ministry in the Galilee was to the Jews(even though it was known as Galilee of the Gentiles).  Derek Prince said that God had to prepare a people to receive the Messiah, a receptacle for His coming. Jesus could never have gone into the Hindu or Buddhist temples, or a mosque to preach, He would have been totally rejected. So the Jews as a people were formed to receive Messiah and His Ministry was firstly to the Jews.

V17 The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him(we don’t know if He asked for that scroll or it was just given to Him) and He opened it and read from Is. 61 in our bibles. A seven hundred year old prophecy and this man stood up before them all and said effectively, It’s Me, ‘Today this prophecy is fulfilled in your hearing’.

V22 Initially they spoke well of Him but couldn’t get out of their heads that He was just a local guy, ‘Isn’t this Joseph’s son?’ they asked. He says He’s the one in Isaiah’s prophecy but we know him(actually not Joseph’s son). They were waiting for the Messiah, anointed one, and Jesus was clearly anointed(V14 He returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit) but they couldn’t make the leap of faith and believe Him.

Then He told them that, ‘no prophet is accepted in His home town(He knew their hearts)’. They became mad with Him and wanted to throw Him down a cliff, still there outside Nazareth today. He walked right through the crowd away from them. ‘His own could not receive Him’.

There was a BIG DISCONNECT between the religious establishment of the day and reality of the Man sent by Heaven. Jesus did not call the leaders of the Jews together and have a strategy meeting with them, He didn’t involve them at all. He declared the Mandate of Heaven to earth. I’m reminded of the man Joshua met before the battle of Jericho, Israel’s inheritance. Are you for us or for them? Joshua 5:14, Neither, but as commander of the army of the Lord I have come.

Jesus is the head, Jesus is the commander and it’s our job to follow and obey, not to question. A good friend says, I have no opinion on that.

God bless you.

 

In this morning’s blog we saw that John the Baptist lived in the desert and grew up there. While he was living there, ‘the word of God came to Him in the desert’.

This word launched John into his ministry, preparing the way for the Lord, preaching and baptising around the Jordan River valley. Both Jesus and John spent time in the desert before stepping out in public ministry.

The desert or wilderness, is a tough place, not soft nor easy for the flesh. It is physically demanding and may also be wearing to the soul. Yet, it is in this tougher environment that the Lord met with John and called him to his life’s purpose. God needs to get our full attention before he can release major assignments to our lives. The Desert Fathers also chose to leave the softer, polluting life and to be stripped of extraneous influences to be with God.

In 1 Sam 22(Spreaker today) we see the story of David fleeing for his life from Saul. In this chapter, two deserts are mentioned by name, Ziph and Maon. David was also led into the desert by a warning from the prophet Gad, don’t settle, keep moving throughout Judah, God’s land.

V14 (Desert of Ziph)says, ‘but God did not give David into Saul’s hands’. V26 (Desert of Maon) says that David and his men were fleeing along one side of a mountain and Saul with his army along the other side. Saul couldn’t get to David because of the Rock/mountain and Jesus is the Rock.

The desert/wilderness is a tough place, few if any people there, it was the place where John the Baptist was formed and called as the forerunner of Christ. David spent much time in the desert, always on the move, never settling until God permitted him to become king of Israel.

The desert(may be uncomfortable for a time, a place of few distractions) has to do it’s work before God will allow us to step fully into our calling!

God bless you.

Luke 1:80(last verse of Ch.1) tells us about John’s youth, ‘And the child grew and became strong in spirit and he LIVED IN THE DESERT until he appeared publicly to Israel’.

John was drawn away from people to spend time alone before God.

Luke 3 begins with names and places of four local rulers and two high priests. It’s easy to overlook the fact that our Bibles are verifiable, ancient historical documents, we’re so familiar with them.

V2 ends with the statement, ‘the word of God came to John in the desert(Israelis speak of the Judean wilderness)’.

V3 ‘He went into all the country around the Jordan, (very low lying, below sea level, speaks of humbling)preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins’.

Graham Cooke has spoken about various wilderness experiences in his life and he admitted that sometimes he’d gone into the Wilderness himself, not led by the Spirit.

My point is that the modern church usually looks upon these experiences as some form of punishment but in reality God may want to speak to us and deal with us, so we’re drawn aside. The whole life and ministry of Jesus, Matt 4:1,2 began after being led by the Spirit into the desert, where He fasted and resisted the devil.

Wilderness or desert experiences were a launch pad for John and for the Lord, they led unto their life’s callings.

If you’re experiencing a particularly dry period in your walk today, God may be trying to speak to you about a change of direction, in computer terms, a reboot. You may need a shut down to reevaluate before opening up a new phase or direction.

God can speak to you in your desert experience, don’t shirk  or waste it.

God bless you.

 

In this morning’s blog we saw how Simeon was waiting for the fulfilment of a  promise, to see the Messiah before he was called home by the Lord.

Luke 2:27, Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts.

Simeon had the promise but he MOVED to the temple area, where he met the baby Jesus and spoke to Mary, concerning her child and her own future.

Later today, when doing the audio broadcast on Spreaker, from 1 Samuel 22:5 we saw that David had received a Divine warning by the prophet Gad.

1 Samuel 22:5, Do not stay in the stronghold(could become a trap for David and his men). Go into the land of Judah( I believe Judah was the heart of the nation and speaks of being in the centre of God’s will for our lives).

David was warned not to hold up or settle but to keep on moving in the things of God. Saul murdered anyone he could get his hands on who’d helped David, including an entire family of priests.

I believe that the Lord is saying to some of us not to settle but to press on with the things God has put in our hands. Simeon moved and his promise was fulfilled. David moved, trusting in God(not much option with Saul determined to murder him)  and eventually came into all God promised him.

The message is clear, don’t allow anything to slow us or stop us. Press on with the Holy Spirit until we have all that God has spoken over our lives.

God bless you.

REMIND HIM of His promises to you today!

In Luke 2 we read that Jesus parents had taken Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord, “Every first born male is to be consecrated to the Lord”.

V25 Now there was in Jerusalem a man called Simeon, who was righteous and devout(many people are religiously observant but Simeon was firstly righteous).

V26,27 HE WAS WAITING for the consolation of Israel and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. MOVED by the Spirit he went into the temple courts …

Simeon had a promise from God but he was moved by the Spirit to go into the temple courts just as Jesus was brought in. What a privilege to hold the Messiah in his arms and speak to Mary.

Simeon’s song(Nunc Dimittis)

Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,

You now dismiss your servant in peace.

For my eyes have seen Your salvation,

which You have prepared in the sight of all people,

a light for revelation to the Gentiles

and for glory to Your people Israel.

Simeon and Anna, I believe it’s significant that a man and a woman both came to greet Jesus arrival in the temple, both  mature believers and both knew by the Spirit He was the Messiah.

Simeon had his promise, but he still had to follow the prompting of the Spirit and go to meet Jesus.

My late spiritual father, Kjell had a promise to be filled with the Holy Spirit on a certain date, I believe at a Christian camp. He went to bed that night and nothing had happened. As he lay in bed he knew he had to get up and get the others in his room to pray with him and he was filled.

Sometimes God is waiting for us to move, just like Simeon, so that He can make good His promises to us.

Don’t discard His promises to you today, move to meet Him.

God bless you.

Luke 1, following on from yesterday’s word on Zechariah.

Two different generations were chosen to participate in the coming of the Lord.

The older generation of Zechariah and Elisabeth, while he was serving as priest before God, Luke 1:8. It is interesting that Gabriel appeared to Zechariah who disbelieved his message and not to Elisabeth. Both of them were upright in the sight of God… Luke 1:6

The older generation was devout, following rote and ritual(as a friend says) but couldn’t grasp the spiritual reality behind the physical observance. Mary, the younger Jewish woman did receive the angelic message, ‘I am the Lord’s servant, may it be to me as you have said’. Luke 1:37

Both of them were given prophetic songs.

Mary’s song praised the Lord and spoke of His blessing on her life, ‘for all generations’. It’s cross referenced with Hannah’s song which speaks of the Lord raising up and putting down. It concludes by stating that God has remembered His servant Israel and made good his word to Abraham and his descendants.

Zechariah’s song begins by praising the Lord, then thanks Him for remembering Israel and His oath to Abraham(once again Abraham is named specifically, the father of all true believers). It concludes with the statement of John’s role and calling, particularly in regard to Israel.

V80 And the child grew and became STRONG IN SPIRIT(the only distinguishing mark in John’s life, unlike Jesus or Samuel) and he lived in the desert until he appeared publicly to Israel.

Will the description in Luke 1 be repeated for the return of the Lord? Will there be two generations working hand in hand to prepare the way. The younger generation, represented by Mary, may well have the major role to play, but the older generation will be needed to help prepare the way.

It would be so encouraging to receive your support for the ministry.

Please donate at fathersloveministry.co.uk

God bless you and have a good weekend.

Luke 1, a long chapter of eighty verses, with some marvellous revelations.

Luke 1, amongst other things, speaks of two angelic visitations from the archangel Gabriel, two names from heaven(Jesus and John), two prophetic songs(Mary first and later Zechariah) and two different generations involved in the coming of the Lord to earth.

Luke 1:3 states that he has carefully investigated(we know a brother who likes this book because he works as a senior investigator) the background to these events. We also know that Luke was a doctor and qualified to scrutinise the facts behind the story.

The story begins with Zechariah, an older priest, being chosen by lot, Luke 1:8, to burn incense in the temple of the Lord( no doubt a great honour). Incense speaks of prayer and when the angel Gabriel appeared to Zechariah the first thing he told him was, ‘Do not be afraid, Zechariah: your prayer has been heard. You wife Elisabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John’. We don’t know when or how OUR PRAYERS will be answered, but Heaven operates around our interaction with it. We are the only people on earth who can reach into the realm of God, Heaven!

The experienced and no doubt knowledgeable priest, Zechariah, couldn’t believe Gabriel’s message. Luke 1:18, he asked the angel Gabriel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well on in years(in case you don’t know). Gabriel then told him, because you didn’t believe my message you will not be able to speak until this happens(not be able to contradict the word of the Lord).

Luke 1:59, Fast forward, to the birth and naming of the the son. They were going to name him after his father but Elisabeth said no. Then they gave a writing tablet to Zechariah and he wrote, ‘His name is John. Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue was loosed, and he began to speak praising God’.

Zechariah wasn’t permitted to speak because his words might have contradicted the will of God spoken by Gabriel, who stood in God’s presence.

The child was born, word fulfilled, AND Zechariah’s tongue finally aligned with heaven, ‘His name is John’. Immediately HE agreed with God’s revealed word his tongue was loosed!

How many of us today are not speaking in line with what we know? God would not allow Zechariah to go out to the crowd and say, ‘I got this message, what do you think’? Our words can move us forward into the future God has for us or block His will for our lives, so be careful what you share and who you share it with? Speak according to Heaven’s will for our lives, even if the circumstances appear hopeless.

God bless you.

Some women were watching from a distance(Jesus crucifixion). Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses and Salome. In Galilee(from the start of His Ministry) these women had followed Him and cared for His needs. MANY OTHER WOMEN who had come up with Him to Jerusalem were also there. Mark 15:40,41

We often don’t see the role women played in Jesus ministry, it’s almost as if they’ve been air brushed out of the picture. The above verses show that women were with Jesus from the beginning in Galilee until the crucifixion in Jerusalem.

After the crucifixion the first people to know of Jesus resurrection were the same two Marys, intending to honour Him with a last act of love and devotion(they got a wonderful surprise, He’d risen).

In the story of Mary and Martha, Mary sat at Jesus feet drinking in His teaching and His Spirit. Jesus didn’t rebuke her, instead He said she’d chosen the better part and it wouldn’t be taken from her. He welcomed her presence as He ministered in the home.

You are all children of God through faith in Jesus Christ, for all of you who were baptised into Christ have CLOTHED YOURSELVES WITH CHRIST(beautiful description of the believers). There is neither Jew nor Greek(God still has a covenant with the Jewish people but no distinction in Christ), slave nor free(imagine an enslaved person has the same standing in Christ as the free), MALE NOR FEMALE, FOR YOU ARE ALL ONE IN CHRIST. Galatians 3:26,27

We have a lady friend who often says that this is the age when women will rise up and do mighty exploits in the Kingdom. She says that women will be right at forefront in these days. Anyone, in Christ, who is called to lead will have an anointing and an authority to stand in that position(my own viewpoint).

My experience of the physical harvest is that it’s so demanding, absolutely everyone will be needed(including children). Jesus needed the women of His day, from the start of His Ministry until the end to help complete His calling.

On the day of Pentecost in Acts 2, it says the Spirit will be poured out on all flesh. This obviously includes men and women and is clearly evident in the body today. God is empowering all people(believers of course) to do the works of the Kingdom in these days.

There is much in the media today about equal rights and equal pay for women in the workplace. Anything can be taken to excess, but ladies please stand up and embrace your calling today. You may face opposition but your gifting will make a way for you to fulfill all He’s calling you to do.

God bless you and give you wisdom and determination to find and fulfill your fullest destiny in Christ.

WATCH AND PRAY, Could you not keep watch for one hour? Mark 14:37

In the place called Gethsemane(olive oil press) the humanity of Jesus is very apparent. He is facing a terrible ordeal and his flesh is cringing at the thought of what must happen. He tells His disciples to wait while He goes a bit further to pray, taking Peter, James and John along with Him.

‘Going a little farther, He fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour(of trial) might pass from Him. Abba, Father, everything is possible for You. Take this cup from Me. Yet not what I will, but what You will’.
Then He returned to His disciples and found them sleeping(unaware of the lateness and seriousness of the hour). ‘Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep watch with Me for one hour? Watch and pray(both are required) so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body/flesh is weak’. Mark 14:35-38

Three times in all Jesus went and prayed and each time the disciples were asleep. Jesus prepared for the great ordeal ahead by lying on the ground, essentially alone, crying out to His Father. Jesus wasn’t caught unprepared, He had been watching and praying!

In 1 Samuel 15:10,11 Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel. “I am grieved that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from Me and has not carried out My instructions”. Samuel was troubled and cried out to the Lord all that night. (Samuel was dedicated to the Lord before his conception and couldn’t just go to sleep while God was grieving because of Saul).

The church today needs to ‘wake up’ and hear anew the words of Jesus, watch and pray so that we don’t FALL into temptation. The disciples didn’t grasp the hour in which they were living and submitted to their flesh and slept. The situation in the world is changing and becoming more hostile to people who truly follow Jesus. We need to prepare for the days ahead so that we know what to do when the hour of trial comes to us as it came to our Lord. We need to take time to get His priorities for the times ahead.

May God bless us and keep us in every trial and may we be strengthened to do His will.

Love based or law based, the greatest commandment, Mark 12:28-34

Mark 11&12, Speaks about Jesus entry to Jerusalem, interestingly there are no recorded healings or miracles in these two chapters. He seems to move into more of a teaching and discussing mode.

V28 “Of all the commandments(Law) which is the most important”?
Yet another question from a teacher of the Law, but this one appears to have had honourable intentions, no attempt to entrap Jesus. He heard Jesus debating with the Sadducees and thought he’d given a good answer. Not every question has a hidden motive.

V29 “The most important one is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one(the nations worshipped multiple gods or demons). LOVE the Lord your God with all your heart(FIRST is our HEART) and with all your soul and with all our mind and with all our strength( four times Jesus said with ALL). The second is this: ‘LOVE your neighbour as yourself(simple but powerful). There is no commandment greater than these”.

V32 “Well said teacher, You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but Him. To love Him with all your heart, all your understanding, all your strength and to love your neighbour as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices”.

This teacher’s comment is also quoted at length(unusual), he was having a two way conversation with the Lord, but he was also speaking truth with a right attitude.

V34 When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God”. How true it is that our words locate us and reveal the thinking of our hearts.

Please take some time today to tell the Lord you LOVE Him! He gave His all for us!
Maybe we’ll have an opportunity to show love to someone around us today.

God bless you and keep you this day and every day.