God’s sanctuary

“Don’t you yourselves know that you are God’s sanctuary and that the Spirit of God lives in you?”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

When I have a guest I make sure they have all they need. I feed them well and talk to them. Yet it is so easy to take the presence of God for granted. He is not just a guest, He is Lord of the manor.

In the Old Testament when God came to live with the Israelites in the wilderness, to start with He was a pillar of cloud during the day and a pillar of fire at night. When He instructed Moses to build a tent temple He then was right in the midst of the people. Even they took Him for granted and complained.

When Jesus came to earth and walked among us the people came to Him for healing, but few stayed for relationship. Even His disciples fell to arguing about who was the greatest among them when He was going through His greatest trials. Again and again they failed to act as if they had God living among them.

What is it with us? We are selfish beings consumed with us and our needs and not God and His desires. He had blessed us with His presence. What would He like to do with and through us today?

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=DMyctpbTSxg&si=pfTJKI2DU56deYJa

No weapon

“But in that coming day no weapon turned against you will succeed. You will silence every voice raised up to accuse you. These benefits are enjoyed by the servants of the Lord; their vindication will come from me. I, the Lord, have spoken!” Isaiah‬ ‭54‬:‭17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Do we, do I believe this or not? If we say, “yes”, then why do we confess the things we do? “I have gout, I have high blood pressure, I have blah blah blah!” As we confess these things we make room for demons carrying sickness and disease. As we moan about who wronged us we create curses, as we talk little about Jesus we disempower His work in our lives.

Conversely, as we speak scripture over our lives we empower the word of God to act in our lives. This scripture is full of power. Whilst it was spoken to one group of people many years ago, it applies to all God’s children. We can claim that power in our own lives.

Anyone who speaks against us, plots against us will fail. Yesterday my American buddy, who is coming with me to Mugu, had a motor Scooter accident. A little boy ran out in front of her. She had seen him and avoided a nasty accident. However, she was compelled to take the child to a hospital for a CT scan and possible stitches. 6,500R later ($70Au thereabouts) the child was released with plaster over a cut on his forehead. My friend rallied prayer warriors and we went to work. A police report had to be made as well. Fortunately, it did not say much at all.

My friend and I have had an increase in enemy’s activities as we March towards the coming time in Mugu. Our project has been troubled all along. People who were to help us disappoint. However, God has a man. If anything we are now more determined than ever. No weapon that is formed against us will prosper! Amen!

No one else

“There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”Acts of the Apostles‬ ‭4‬:‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Peter says this on the day of Pentecost to the crowd that has assembled to hear the cause of the rushing wind and tongues of fire. 

All the disciples had forsaken Jesus in His hour of need and trial, yet Jesus forgave them and pored out His Holy Spirit on them. They were used mightily when empowered by the Holy Spirit.

No one else had come close to being like Jesus. Many rose and said, “follow me!” However, all died and stayed dead. Jesus rose from the grave. He poured out His Holy Spirit on the disciples and this same spirit turned uneducated men into bold preachers. No on else was able to transform humble fishermen into miracle workers.

We are disappointed in people, continually. My latest is this morning. I needed medicine brought from Australia and the person who was to bring it, forgot. This is a trouble to me as in Nepal the cost is astronomical. However, it can be purchased.

I must do for this person what Jesus did for His disciples, forgive and release. Amen!

Know Him

“I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!”Philippians‬ ‭3‬:‭10‬-‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Paul did indeed come to know Jesus and experience the power that raised Jesus from the dead. Eternally he is alive in Christ. However, whilst on the earth he suffered greatly for his faith: he was stoned, whipped, falsely accused, imprisoned, shipwrecked and more. He identified in Christ’s suffering. The Lord showed him what he would suffer for following Him, yet he proceeded.

Many suffer, have suffered and will suffer. Jesus told us, “take up your cross and follow me!” Each of us has a cross. Each of us must choose to follow! Jesus also said, “he who finds his life will lose his life, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.”

The challenge we face is to try and ensure we do not suffer. It is not possible. We will suffer now or in eternity. Taking up our cross can be as simple as denying our fleshly desires. Self loves to exult, strut and preen. Self is drawn to attacking others for displeasing us. Self ha to die and submit to Jesus. Amen!

My rest

“The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”Exodus‬ ‭33‬:‭14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

This is an interesting verse. Moses, and God, are having trouble with the Israelites God told Moses to take from Egypt to the Promised Land. God had previously told Moses, “I am not going with you as these people are a stubborn and stiff necked people and if I go ai might just kill them all”. Not a good pronouncement! Moses countered this with, “well if you won’t come with me I’m not going )my paraphrase) these are Your people.” God relents and says he will go and give Moses rest.

We tend to think rest is freedom from agitation, if you follow the story you find Moses had nothing but agitation from the people, and true to His word many people died at the Lord’s hand for their sinful behaviour. Therefore, what did God mean when He said He would give Moses rest?

Perhaps it was rest from God saying He will not go, but perhaps, because Moses was a man of presence, he found rest in the midst of chaos. I choose to believe this.

Last week several things went wrong: my travelling buddy was refused her visa to China and so the whole thing has to be cancelled; I received notice of another storm coming against my previous business and my right arm has been giving me curry from a previous injury. However, my God has been ever present, I can rest in Him.

To my joy I am learning worship songs in Nepali. I am making good headway with my studies and breaking through barriers for my refugees.

My God is my joy and strength. Amen! He is my rest and peace!

The beginning

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”Genesis‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

We live in an age where, because mankind has rejected this truth, their children now reject who they are. Little boys want to be girls and little girls want to be boys. Things have become so crazy because God has given them up to foolishness of the mind.

Yet, I believe God did indeed create the earth and all that is in it. How glorious the mind that devises such beauty. When Inlook at a baby I wonder. The process of growth in the womb is spectacular. 

We cannot see anything on this earth suddenly evolve from nothing. God created mankind in His image. In His likeness He formed us. We are tripartite beings. We are a spirit, we have a soul and we live in a body. The body will decay but the soul and spirit will live forever.

God gave all things on the earth for us to enjoy. The animals He gave us to rule, the plants to tender. Nothing in all the earth is made like Him but mankind alone. We are His treasure. He made us for a relationship with Him. That relationship is beautiful! 

If you do not know the Lord as I describe, ask Him to come into your heart, to forgive you of all sin and become your Lord and saviour. Watch your life turn around! He is so good!

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=wohdq7YCPWk&si=8OHQrt6xhclHxiI1

Everything you do

“So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 1 Cor 10:31

The verse is plucked out of a passage in which Paul is dealing with meat offered to idols. In a culture where idol worship was prevalent, Christians had to decide where to eat it or not. Paul was addressing the freedom we have to eat but not to offend. He said ‘if someone tells you it was offered to idols, don’t eat it so to not offend.’ 

He goes on to say:

I, too, try to please everyone in everything I do. I don’t just do what is best for me; I do what is best for others so that many may be saved.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭10‬:‭ 33‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I am living in Nepal. I live in a house owned by idol worshippers. When they have their festivals they invite us to eat with them, however, as my flatmates are Nepali Christians and know the food is offered to idols, we do not go. We also do not invite them to our Christmas and Easter celebrations so as not to offend them. However, the girls invite the children to Christmas and Easter programs.

As we ready for Easter we have placed a small tree in a pot in the window of our lounge room. It has red ribbon draped over it and a small lamb at the base. We hope to create questions in their minds. Rather than do Easter eggs that have no meaning to Easter at all we will introduce the true meaning of Easter, Jesus!

As Paul says, ‘in everything you do, give glory to God!’ He is first! Amen!