The author of peace

“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭19‬:‭38‬ ‭NIV‬‬

These words were spoken by Jesus’ disciples as He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. The Pharisees chastised Him and said, “teacher rebuke your followers for saying such things”. Jesus responded, “ “If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!”Luke‬ ‭19‬:‭40‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Imagine that! Stones crying out their praise. Only in cartoons would you expect stones to have a voice. Yet, their creator knew something we didn’t. Nothing is impossible to God.

The words the disciples used were from Psalms 118:26 and implied that Jesus was the Messiah, which He was and is. The Pharisees thought they had the authority to determine who was the Messiah and who was not. However, because they could not recognise God’s divine provision, they lost all authority.

Jesus is recorded as weeping over Jerusalem. Jerusalem did not recognise its saviour and would kill Him as it did many prophets before Him. He then prophesied about Jerusalem’s destruction, which occurred in AD 70.

Those who accept Jesus as saviour will experience divine peace, but those who reject Him will experience eternal turmoil. He is the author and completor of peace. Amen!

Prince of Peace

“The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine.”Isaiah‬ ‭9‬:‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This prophetic word was given by Isaiah about Galilee. At the time of the prophesy the land was under Assyrian oppression. However, the prophesy goes on to speak about the coming Messiah.

The Christian world love to use this verse in regard to missions, and indeed the Lord may use it to speak hope into the heart of the missionary about the people they were sent to. For me, a missionary, I claim them. However, the chapter is more than this, it is about our saviour. Verse 6 begins to describe Him:

For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government shall be upon His shoulders. He will be named wonderful counsellor, mighty God, eternal father, prince of peace.

Jesus is the light that shines in darkness. He is the answer, the way, the truth and the life. Without Him I am a noisy gong, a clanging cymbal. For He is love. I can have the best laid plans and all they will be are my earthy plans, without His anointing and covering. I must bring Him, for He alone sets captives free! Amen!

Bones safe

“The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time. For the Lord protects the bones of the righteous; not one of them is broken!”Psalms‬ ‭34‬:‭19‬-‭20‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I am made righteous through Jesus’ sacrifice, it has nothing to do with my own efforts. I am grateful for Jesus. By His grace I am redeemed. I am set free from the works of the law and the struggle to be right with God. Rather I surrender my efforts and accept His perfect sacrifice.

Today Australia remembers the men and women who served during the wars. It is Anzac Day. Nepal is steeped in protests against the government who the people deem to be wicked. The sacrifices made in war epitomise the sacrifice Jesus made. However, as we are a sinful lot our sacrifices are not perfect and cannot save mankind from the effects of sin. Nepal would love a godly leader, unfortunately it has leaders steeped in corruption.

I love the scripture above, because it promises my bones safety. I have broken many over the years, but here in Nepal I am trusting my God to keep them from breakage. I will not lift my hand to assist the Lord in His keeping, as He is perfectly able and I must trust Him.

The Lord does not need my assistance in righteousness or in keeping me. Because of His love, I am safe. Amen!

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!