Planting and watering

“It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. For we are both God’s workers. And you are God’s field. You are God’s building.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭3‬:‭7‬-‭9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

In this chapter Paul is dealing with favouritism. Paul had pioneered the work in Corinth and Apollos had presumably pastored the work. Some were saying, “we belong to Apollos”, others, “we belong to Paul”. Paul is emphasising that the important one is God, He produces the growth. Paul goes on to say that both the one who plants and the one who waters must do the job not according to man but to God. Each will be rewarded on the last day when their works will be tested by fire. What is down in the flesh will be destroyed, but what is down in the Spirit will stand.

The Lord has been working in me to know this accountability. The people He brings into my life I must care for them as He would, not to gain fleshly rewards. He gives me a heart for the lost and broken and I gather them and draw them into relationship. I then pray for them and brood over them to see them grow as the Lord would have them flourish.

I am convicted that caring for God’s people has nothing to do with manipulation or control. People need to find God themselves, I can draw them in and share Him with them, speaking truth and challenging sin but, It is their relationship with Jesus that is most important. 

I am also not the sole source of their provision, He is. Each must develop a relationship of faith with their Lord and saviour. I play my part, but that is all. I can’t intrude on the Lord’s territory.

May I finish the race well! Amen!

God’s will

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”1 John‬ ‭5‬:‭14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Do you hear people pray: “God if it is your will please heal aunty Betty”. We do not need to pray like that with regard to healing. Jesus paid the price for all our diseases.

Isaiah 53:5 says “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.”

Peter said: ““He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”1 Peter‬ ‭2‬:‭24‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Then why are some people not healed? I do not know. However, I do know that all who came to Jesus for healing went away healed. The fact that some go away I healed does not compute that it was not God’s will to heal them.

For myself I am constantly battling to step into divine health and refuse to accept sickness. I am there again. I hear my Lord say, step into healing and refuse to buy the lie! This can be challenging especially when all my nursing says sit, lay still. My God welcomes me to get up and walk past the sickness. He is God, I am not. If I let my natural training and understanding rule, I will be bound tight by disease. I cannot shop at the stalls of sickness. Amen!

Propitiation?

“God presented Him as a propitiation through faith in His blood, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His restraint God passed over the sins previously committed.”Romans‬ ‭3‬:‭25‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

Propitiation is a big word and one we do not use, except in scripture and except when talking about forgiveness of sin and usually the Old Testament. The mercy seat, the place on top of the ark of the covenant in the holiest of holiest in the Jewish temple, was where the blood of animals was sprinkled to atone for the sins of the people. This scripture presents Jesus as the sacrificed lamb who atoned (paid for) our sins.

Jesus’ sacrifice made a way for forgiveness of all sin for all time, past, present and future. When I came to Christ He forgave all my sins, those that weighed me down in my past, those I would do now and in the future. Sin is something we do easily until trained to walk in holiness and His righteousness. We do this by faith not self- effort. When we come to Jesus He gives us His Holy Spirit to counsel us, to guide us and to encourage us. He leads us to right ways and helps us stear away from wrong ways.

We have confidence that forgiveness is ours as we come in humble repentance. Jesus’ sacrifice is enough for all mankind for all time. He does not look for us to be good enough, for He knows we are unable. We are like sheep that have gone astray, yet He loves us. 

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=RGDymdgGL7Q&si=131kJKbEhoRIAuED

Firstborn

“No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice. My body rests in safety. For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your holy one to rot in the grave.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭16‬:‭9‬-‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This is a beautiful reference to Jesus and the the fact that God would not allow His holy One to rot in a grave. Peter includes this verse in his first sermon in Acts 2:25–36.

It is amazing, and encouraging to me that prophesy can be included in a simple, heartfelt prayer. How good is our God that He works in our lives in such a beautiful way.

This Easter has been my best yet. In a land that does not celebrate Easter as a whole, we expats are able to celebrate Jesus without Easter eggs and the western corruption of the season. We did have hot cross buns, though made with love by a South African couple. My flatmates and I did 5 Lenten studies leading up to Easter and yesterday three little children in our block of flats heard the Easter story and received a hot cross bun.

10,000 people from church across Kathmandu marched through the city and met at a field to share a time of worship. I had prayed that the message impacted non-believers alike.

The fact that Jesus was raised from the dead gives us hope of eternal life. He was the ‘firstborn’ of all creation. When Jesus rose from the dead He was the first son of resurrection life. He calls us brothers and sisters, all who have faith in Him.

Thank You Jesus for the new life you give me! Amen!

Overcomes

“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”John‬ ‭16‬:‭33‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Today many will be suffering. Suffering from torture, suffering from isolation, suffering from rejection, and persecution. Some many suffer from illness, or mental disease. However, Jesus tells us, have heart, I have overcome the world and all it dishes out. 

Jesus said these words before He went to the cross, before He was brutally beaten and crucified. He said it in the past tense. What did He mean?

Jesus had resisted sin, remained the pure and perfect lamb that was about to be slain. In giving Himself, He conquered over Satan’s hold on us. No matter what comes against us we can have peace and victory in Him.

We can take His victory and stand today knowing that eternity is ours because of Jesus! Amen!

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=FnDfQg5odp8&si=SoQai1ItP_BcR9W1

A day of grief

“I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn over what is going to happen to me, but the world will rejoice. You will grieve, but your grief will suddenly turn to wonderful joy.”John‬ ‭16‬:‭20‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Today, for me is a quiet day. Yesterday we experienced the horrors of the crucifixion, tomorrow the joy of resurrection, but today is quiet and filled with reflection.

The horror story of Good Friday was terrifying for the disciples. They had lost their dream, their rabbi. They had plans, great plans, but today they lie in the dust.

We can have periods of intense grief, losing one loved dearly, but joy will come. The place they occupied is empty, but a new thing is coming. The emptiness hurts. The disciples had walked, talked and lived with Jesus. He was brutally taken away. This day was filled with pain and sorrow. The pain is real. It was real for the disciples. It was redefining them. In their minds nothing would stop them, they would conquer the earth. However, today their plans are shattered and in the dust.

Today is the day for the grief-stricken. Your only hope is Jesus. He will heal you and complete you in a way you did not know. He has a plan and a purpose for your life, still! Allow Him to do the new things and joy will come. His plans are best! Amen!

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=GfYo9-vJQUk&si=ZDN4WMPcSiytnCTa

The sacrifice

“No one has greater love than this, that someone would lay down his life for his friends.”John‬ ‭15‬:‭13‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

Jesu passed men dying on crosses as He went into Jerusalem. He saw the brutality of the Roman crucifixion and knew what was before Him. The horror of it caused Him to pray, not once, but three times, “Father if it is possible let this cup pass from Me!” Yet in humble obedience He endured the cross knowing that it is why He had come, so that we could be made free and reunited to the Father.

Isaiah wrote, ‘It please God to crush Him severely, yet when you make Him a restitution offering He will see His seed…Is 53:10). I was discussing this verse with my Nepali flatmates last night and Martha gave me a short video clip to watch. I will share it. It helped me see that it was not actual pleasure as we know pleasure, it was a necessary sacrifice.

The Jewish Bible writes it this way:

“yet it pleased Adonai to crush him with illness, to see if he would present himself as a guilt offering. If he does, he will see his offspring; and he will prolong his days; and at his hand Adonai’s desire will be accomplished.”

‭‭Yesha 'yahu (Isa)‬ ‭53‬:‭10‬ ‭CJB‬‬

Jesus thank you that you sacrificed yourself for us. I am so grateful! Without that sacrifice I would be in a bad place. You gave me new life. You redeemed my life from the pit. Thank You!

https://youtu.be/iJOeiT1IkhY?si=XfYNHAEJBTD5-Ts2