Betrayal! A Meditation for Good Friday

Read Matth.26:14-35.27:69-75.

Judas, after Peter, stands out as one of the most compelling figures among the disciples. Part of the mystery stems from lack of information there is little we know about him other than his betrayal. What we do know makes his betrayal seem even more startling. After all he was one of the twelve. When Jesus preached, healed and exorcised demons he was a direct witness. When Jesus sent the twelve out to preach and empowered them to heal and cast out demons, Judas was one of those he sent. Judas was a man who knew and experienced the power of Jesus first hand.

How could a person who knew Jesus so well, who had experienced Jesus’s power betray him in the end? Could such a person really betray Jesus just for money? If it is really all about money and greed, then why did he take his own life? Some would say that Peter’s denial, which is unfaithfulness and disloyalty, is also a betrayal of Jesus. So how could Peter, who had walked so closely with Jesus, let his fears get the better of him.

There are parallels between Judas’s betrayal and Peter’s denial. For example, both men had their master name the betrayal in them before it came to pass. Both men actually betrayed their Lord and Master. They both fulfil Zechariah’s prophesy which Jesus quotes from Zech. 13:7 “’I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’” Here Jesus has envisioned himself as the shepherd and the disciples as the sheep; he was about to be struck and they were about to be scattered. For both Jesus in Matthew and Israel in Zechariah, it is a striking of judgement – Christ in other words is about to take the judgement of God on our behalf upon himself. In Zech. 12:10 we read: ‘And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one who grieves for a first born son.’

The shepherd Jesus is about to be struck or pierced and the people of God will look upon the one who had been pierced and mourn as a response. This reveals another parallel between Judas and Peter, because both of them look on the one they have pierced and mourn. In Matth. 26: 75 we read that immediately after Peter had denied Jesus he went outside and wept bitterly. And right after this passage in 27:3 we read that Judas was seized with remorse. Both Peter and Judas mourn bitterly for what they have done to their master. They at this point are both in the same dismal boat.

But it here that the parallels end. For while Peter lives on to be restored by his master, Judas takes his own life. At this point within the darkness of betrayal/denial neither man has a real advantage. What is it then that sets Judas and Peter apart? Both men betrayed their master, why does one live and one die. After all It was not merely Peter and Judas who betrayed Jesus that night; all of the of other disciples abandoned him to his fate. The answer to this question becomes more imperative when we remember that we also, like Peter and Judas, sometimes deny and betray Jesus: [ Spend a minute or two considering how you might have denied Christ since last Easter] What, then, in the end, is the real difference between Judas and Peter?

The difference between the two is the difference their response to what happened. Judas’s first response was that of despair. And to despair is to fixate on the present hopelessness to such a degree that you remove God from the influence on your life. Emotionally you close off the world, close out the future, and judge all of eternity in the light of the present moment. As Judas fixates in this way he sections off outside influences. Nobody can reach him. Nobody can get through. There are no words that can reach a heart that has given itself to despair because that heart is becoming increasingly self-referential. Even subconsciously the heart thinks “I am the only one. There is no-one who can help me. There is no-one who can save me. I am alone, and alone I have no hope.” Judas had experienced the Lord; Judas had betrayed the Lord. And if Judas knew [as we presume he did] that the Lord was his only hope, then Judas believed he had betrayed his hope. His logic in a twisted way was sound. It is the logic of the world without God. It is flawed because it doesn’t account for God. It doesn’t consider God’s loving desire to forgive. Which he must have seen in action as he walked with Jesus. To put this another way Judas’s first mistake was to take Good Friday without Easter Sunday. Judas got stuck in a moment in time, and never looked at the larger picture. To this we might reply: “How could Judas consider Easter Sunday, he takes his life before the resurrection happens.” But that is precisely the point. Judas stops, he fixates on Good Friday. His remorse for what he has done is the right response, but he holds on to his remorse, lets it control him, and gives in, in the end, to despair. In it Judas is so busy looking at himself and how he feels, that he closes himself off to the world around him. And ultimately that is precisely what his suicide is: a closing of off the world, a denial of everything but the experience of his own self. Judas took Good Friday as the final word and didn’t wait for Easter Sunday.

That this is a lesson for us should be obvious. We cannot allow our momentary despair to overshadow the work of God. We must always maintain perspective, and remember that God is good and has a plan for us. We must always remember that for every Good Friday, when things seem darkest, there is always Easter Sunday around the corner, where God’s light will shine on us again – if we but have the patience to wait! Therefore the ‘sin of Judas’ is to fixate on our circumstances, to close off the voice of God and the voice of history and our own church in favour of our own thoughts. It is to become self-referential when we ought to be seeking forgiveness. It is to judge our present circumstances as absolute, as if there is no future possible for us. It is to take the world as all that is and to deny the possibility of God’s goodness and providence towards us.

Let us spend a moment or two confessing before Jesus the times when we have denied, nay betrayed, him through fear or self-referential thinking and let us repent and seek his forgiveness.

The second sin of Judas is the sin of power, in particular of the taking of matters into his own hands. Judas doesn’t wait on God’s power instead he acts in his own power. Potentially there are hints of this in his betrayal. He and all the disciples were mistakenly looking for Jesus to bring in an earthly kingdom. It could be that Judas’s betrayal was his way of forcing Jesus to exert his divine power against the Romans. Nevertheless, Judas did take matters into his own hands when he committed suicide. There, rather than waiting for God to dispense his divine justice, or wait for God to reveal his ultimate plan, Judas took justice into his own hands, literally. Judas determined to mete out his own punishment. He made himself, judge, jury and executioner.

The sin of power, of taking matters into our own hands is one of mankind’s oldest sins. After all if only Adam and Eve had waited a short time longer they could have asked God what he thought about the fruit and the snake. It is the sin of refusing to admit God’s power, to wait on his will and to allow God’s sovereign reign. We commit it when we grow impatient with God, when we try to work our own deals. God says to us clearly “Wait for Sarah.” And then we go and find ourselves a Hagar and mess it all up. Peter denies Jesus and is redeemed. Judas betrays Jesus and is condemned. Alike in their betrayal, they are unlike in their outcomes. Maybe if Judas had stayed his hand for two more days he would have been forgiven and restored by the risen Jesus. He, like Paul, might have been the corrupt Apostle made glorious by the redemption of the Master. Instead Judas is eternally separated from God. Not because God chose him to be that way before time began, but rather because he was self-referential, he allowed no inbreaking of God’s greater plan, and he from that dismal vantage, impatiently took his own life in his own hands. In other words, he created his own hell. In fact it is by such thoughts as “The world is all there is. My power is all I have,” that hell is maintained. May God forgive us all for thinking such thoughts.

The lesson given by Judas and Peter at this point in the Gospel story is that even though we may deny, betray or fall away from Jesus, we must not despair closing God off from our lives. And no matter what happens, under whatever circumstances, we must always trust in the power of God. Rejecting the temptation to take matters into our own hands. We must reject self-reference and patiently embrace God’s power. Like Peter, and unlike Judas, we must patiently wait on God.

As we meditate at the foot of the cross on Good Friday let us bring to him all those things in our lives that cause us to despair and all those things where we are tempted to take control rather than seeking God’s solution and let us seek his forgiveness for our impatience. And let us wait for the embrace of his loving power in our lives which will surely come if we earnestly, patiently and faithfully seek it.

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RESISTING TEMPTATION

Luke 4: 1-11


Who here as never been tempted? Who here has on occasion succumbed to temptation?
There is a story told about a little boy in a bakery store that I think illustrates the nature of temptation. The boy was standing near an open box of chocolate chip cookies. “Now then, young man,” said the grocer as he approached the boy. “What are you up to?” “Nothing,” replied the boy: “Nothing.” “Well it looks to me like you were trying to take a cookie.” “You’re wrong, mister, I’m trying not to!” That’s temptation!!


How many of us have shrugged and said, “The Devil made me do it!” and used that as an excuse when caught doing something we weren’t supposed to? It’s a convenient defense. But there’s one problem: the Devil can’t make us do anything. He may be clever, but he’s not all powerful. It may feel that way, however, when we’re dangling on temptation’s hook, because Satan has a tried-and-true strategy for luring us into his net.

Who, like me, used to enjoy fishing when they were young, or maybe you still do? Well satan is skilled angler.


First, he lays out the bait. Satan knows people like a skilled angler knows fish. He notes our habits. He observes our hangouts and knows where we are most likely to yield to temptation. Then he prepares a tailor-made lure and drops it right in front of our noses.


Second comes the appeal. He can’t make us bite, but he does know what happens inside us when we catch a glimpse of that tantalizing bait. Our fleshly nature draws us to it. We linger over it. We toy with it. We roll it over in our minds until it consumes our imagination.

Third, the struggle begins. Immediately, our conscience jabs us in the ribs, warning us of the danger. We know it’s wrong to take a bite. We may even see the barbed consequences poking through the bait. But Satan’s invitation looks so delicious. ​

Fourth, the temptation ends with the response. Either we resist or yield; swim away or swallow it whole. Maybe we say “Just once won’t hurt.”? But that is a slippery slope. Once leads to twice and before we know it we are hooked everytime the bait appears. Anglers have observed that they often catch the same fish with the same bait more than once. It is often observed that the cheek of the fish has the scars of several hookings. Anyone who has resisted knows the feeling of freedom that decision brings.

On the other hand, anyone who has yielded knows the feeling of emptiness that follows and the pain of the hook in the cheek.


As we start the season of Lent,we are going to see Jesus meet and master temptation. In this story recorded in Luke and Matthew we will see three general kinds of temptation that our adversary is still using against us.

This temptation of Jesus came directly after He was baptized. It was here that God the Father spoke and said, “This is my son in whom I am well pleased!” What a spiritual high. You will discover that testing will often come on the heels of a spiritual high point in your life. Secondly, it came at time of physical weakness; Jesus had not eaten in 40 days. Temptations often come when we are a weakened state physically or emotionally, when we are exhausted and emotionally spent.

Temptations are more potent when we neglect our time with God and when we are physically tired.

Temptation came to Jesus when he was alone. We are the most susceptible to temptation when we are alone.

If we are alone and repeatedly yield to temptation then

then it is wise to recruit a friend or spiritual advisor to join you in prayer as you battle to resist the lure of your temptor.


We must understand that these temptations were very real. Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is….Christ, because He was the only Man who never yielded to temptation, is also the only Man who knows to the full what temptation means. The temptations of Jesus had to be real for the consoling truth of Hebrew 4:15 to be true: “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” To sympathize with us, Christ had to have fully experienced the Devil’s temptations!

So what were the three temptations

1. THE TEMPTATION TO DO IT YOURSELF (vv. 3-4)

The Devil Speaks (v. 3)
“And the devil said to Him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.”

The first temptation would be no temptation at all if Jesus were not indeed the Son of God. The devil is well aware that God exists and I don’t think that he expends a great deal of effort trying to dissuade us from a belief in God. His basic strategy is to make us believe that God can’t be trusted. Satan entered into the Biblical picture at creation in the form of a serpent. He said to Adam and Eve, “Do you really believe that God is good? He has told you not to eat from that one tree because he knows that the moment you do so you will be as wise as He is? He is not your friend. He is holding out on you”(Paraphrase of Gen. 3:4-5).


The temptation sounds innocent enough, doesn’t it? You could almost sense the innocence in the devil’s presentation of this temptation – “just make these stones into bread” – what’s the big deal? Since you are the Son of God – just do it! Jesus had been without food for six weeks! Because he was the Son of God he could invoke his supernatural powers, the temptation was very real. Jesus could have done it in an instant and his hunger was screaming, “Do it.” Satan is suggesting to Jesus that there must be something wrong with the Father’s love since “His beloved son” was hungry. Satan was tempting Jesus to disobey the Father’s will by using his divine power for his own purposes.

Sin gets its power by persuading me to believe that I will be more happy if I follow it. The power of all temptation is the prospect that it will make me happier.

Jesus Answers (v. 4)
“But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’”

In a study made among Christians 66% reported that Bible study helped them resist temptation.The question is not how much Bible do you know but how much of the Bible that you know are you applying in your life. Jesus lived by the word. The key phrase in each of his answers is, “it is written.”

He did not allow the situation or the circumstances or even the enemy to dictate the truth. Jesus in his answer was saying, “ I will not complain. Neither will I take matters into my own hands. I will trust my Father and his word.”

The devil’s ploy in this world is to make us believe that if we want something done we need to do it ourselves – not trust in God. We regularly are tempted to go outside the confines of God’s will to satisfy our personal needs or desires. We often promote ourselves because we are sure that God will not do it. We scheme and we plan for our well-being, because we assume that God does not care or maybe does not know about our needs. We must REFUSE to be intimidated and not let the devil push us around, but trust in Jesus and the Holy Spirit to strengthen our resolve to trust him when we are tempted.

2. THE TEMPTATION TO TAKE THE EASY WAY (vv. 5-8)

The Devil Speaks (vv.5-7 )
“Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. (6) And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. (7) Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.”


The devil was not lying when he promises Jesus, for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish” (v.6). The devil was offering Jesus a kingdom without the cross. Why go to all the trouble and pain to win the world when it can be handed to you on a silver platter. No suffering, No Struggling, No Sacrifice. But a crown without the cross would mean that there would be no forgiveness for our sins.

Jesus Answers (v. 8)
“And Jesus answered and said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’”


We do not have to look for to see the application for today. Our world teaches us to avoid pain, to take the easy way, the path of least resistance. Avoid sacrifice. Why give all that money to the church when you can spend it on a new car or computer. Why spend the rest of your life with the same mate? Go out and find yourself someone new – after all you only live once. You deserve to be happy. What is the result? We are living in a country with children whose lives are being destroyed because of their parent’s selfishness and worship of a broken culture. If we find ourselves doing this we need to say. ‘Get behind me satan’ !

3. THE TEMPTATION TO NOT BELIEVE IT UNTIL YOU SEE IT (vv. 9-13)

The devil took Jesus to the point of the temple roof that overlooked the Kidron Valley, about a 450 ft. drop. Whether he took him there physically or in a vision we do not know. But once there he made Jesus very tempting offer.


Having seen Jesus defeat him two times by quoting Scripture, Satan now quotes it himself, for his own purposes (vv. 9-11). “Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. (10) For it is written:‘He shall give His angels charge over you,To keep you,’ (11) and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up,Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’”


Satan misquotes the promise of God, it was right as far as it went, but he did not quote it all. For Jesus to have supernaturally survived a fall from the pinnacle of the temple in the full view of the people would have immediately identified Him as the Messiah. But it would have insisted that God “show” that you love me and is a test of God. This would be the equivalent of saying to God –“I won’t believe in you until I see you SHOW it to me by MY terms.”

Jesus Answers (vv. 12-13)
“And Jesus answered and said to him, “It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt the LORD your God.’”
But Jesus understood to start His ministry by dramatically jumping from the pinnacle of the Temple would be completely contrary to the will of God. To do so would be to test God. Jesus refused to take this shortcut.


There are many subtle ways that we can put God to the test. We may not jump from the top of the church – but we do it in other ways. We do it when we not put the worship of God and attendance at church as a priority – and yet we expect God to keep our children on the right path – that is putting God to the test. We do it when we dive into a path of our own choosing and then cry out to God to bail us out. We do it when we test the boundaries of known sin. God says, “Here is the line,” and see how close we can get to that line. Then we are surprised when we fall. Then we blame God. But it happened because we tested God.

The one thing common to all three temptations is that they attempted to distract Jesus from his mission or destroy his relationship with His heavenly Father.

And this is what satan wants by tempting us; he wants to give us the opportunity to be distracted and weaken our relationship with God.


v13 “ Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.” It says that this battle was over but satan had not given up. This verse reveals that satan will always be lurking in the shadows, watching, waiting for the next vulnerable moment.

When we are weak – expect a major assault.

When we resist and overcome- count on another attack.

So it’s imperative that we RECOGNIZE your pattern of temptation and be prepared for it.
1 Peter 5:8 says, “Be sober minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

We need to know where your weakness is, and prepare that area. Figure out the patterns and times in which we are most tempted and brace ourselves for those times.

The REQUEST God’Rs help.
Psalm 50:15 says, “Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”

This is the most important thing in overcoming temptation. We cannot merely use our willpower or courage. The temptation is stronger than we are, but God is stronger than the temptation.

Jesus used the Word of God to refute his temptation. We need to find some of God’s words which relate to our temptation and memorise them. Quote them, just as Jesus did, when you are tempted.

Nevertheless if we do yield to temptation remember that there are absolutely no limits to the depths of God’s love and forgiveness. Jesus will always forgive a truly and sincerely repentful heart and will scratch it from your page in the book of life.

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Happy New Year, Welcome 2024!


‘For what thanks can we render to God again for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God; night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect what is lacking in your faith? Now God himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you. And the Lord make you to increse and abound in love toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you: to then he may establish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints. 1 Thes. 3:9-13.

We are at the start of a New Year, 2024. Traditionally this is a time for making ‘new year
resolutions’. I don’t know about you but I have given up making resolutions since at best the last for
about a month before they are broken or compromised. So I tend to see each New Year as a time for
looking back in examining my relationships with both God and man, how much have I followed
God’s command to know him more clearly, to love him more dearly and to follow him more nearly.
This means having this relationship with Jesus for He and the Father are one together with the Holy
Spirit.

I have calculated that today I personally have lived 30,567 days and on looking back my side of that
relationship has been very much ‘up and down’ ‘stop and start’ but I can honestly say that God is
good, merciful, gracious and forgiving for he has not given up on me but has walked with me
through good and bad. So this year, and for however many more days I am granted, I am making a
spiritual resolution. Maybe that is something you would also like to make.


What is it that you want God to do with your spiritual life this year?

If nothing comes immediately to mind, then why not join me in using part of Paul’s prayer to the
Thessalonians as our prayer and resolution for 2024: Lord, deepen my faith, and increase my love.

That prayer is fitting for us as we begin another Year because it’s a prayer that God himself wants us
to pray, and it’s a prayer that God stands ready to answer. But we must use the media he provides
to assist us in this pursuit. The Bible and Bible studies, fellowship groups, engagement with God
through works, meditation and prayer all with the anointing and indwelling of the Holy Spirit. How
much time have you spent personally with God this past year?

We ask the Lord to deepen our faith because it strengthens our hold on heaven. In fact that was the
whole point of Paul’s prayer for the Thessalonians. Paul prayed, “May [the Lord] strengthen your
hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord
Jesus comes with all his holy ones” (1 Thessalonians 3:13). Paul knew that satan would not stop his
attacks on the Thessalonians just because they were standing firm in the faith. In fact he knew that
satan would intensify his attacks. Therefore if the Thessalonians wanted to continue in the faith,
they would need God to strengthen the faith they had. In the same way satan will only intensify his
attacks against us as the end draws near. Therefore we too will want to strengthen the faith we have
through the study of God’s Word so that we will remain blameless and holy when Christ returns.

Paul didn’t just pray, however, that the Lord would deepen the faith of the Thessalonians so that
they would be ready for Christ’s return; he also prayed that the Lord would increase their love while
they waited for Christ. Paul said, “May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each
other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you” (1 Thessalonians 3:12). A Christian is not just someone who knows the Bible well; it’s someone who puts that knowledge into action by loving others as Christ loved the world. But now Paul did not pray that the Thessalonians would love, (they were already doing that) he prayed that their love would increase.

Therefore a good New Year resolution is not just that God would make us loving, but that he would make love increase. This can only happen as we allow the Holy Spirit to increase his work in us and through us. Accordingly Paul prayed that the love the Thessalonians had for one another would increase. They needed that love and support especially when they were being bombarded by the world and
persecuted for their faith. If they couldn’t turn to fellow Christians for support, to whom could they
turn?

In the same way we will want God to increase our love towards others. What we’re asking is that
God through the ministrations of the Holy Spirit increase our unselfishness concern for one another.
To extend our loving concern to all who we meet, Christian or not, whether we ‘like’ them or not.
That fits Christ’s command doesn’t it? In Matthew 5 Jesus instructed us to love our enemies and to
pray for those who persecute us. A revolutionary thought indeed! But is it really possible to show
unselfish concern to those who don’t seem interested in returning that same love? The truth is we
don’t have what it takes to show this kind of love. That’s why it’s important to point out that Paul
wasn’t praying that the Thessalonians produce this increase in love; he prayed that God would grant
them the increase. I would add by allowing the power of the Holy Spirit to work in us and through
us. Since it is God’s will that our love increase we can be certain that when we pray for it, God will
give it to us. That’s a scary thought for our sinful nature though isn’t it? For many of us deep down
inside we would rather go on holding a grudge than forgive. We would rather be standoffish than
kind. How truly rotten people we are! That’s why it’s so wonderful to be reminded of our baptism.
In baptism the Holy Spirit washed us clean from those sins. Friends, since it is God’s will that our
love increase, and since Jesus has disarmed the powers of satan we not only can do what God
wants, by his grace we will.

So here we are, at the beginning of a New Year. What will this New Year bring? It may even bring
the return of Christ. Since that is the case we would do well to refocus our faith. Won’t you pray
with me then that God will deepen our faith and increase our love? Why not? For then we will be ready for Jesus’s return.

Amen

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A Reflection on the Song of Mary

Luke 1: 46-55

Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord.”

One of my hobbies is bird watching and I have spent many a pleasant hour in a hide watching the antics of birds on lakes, in woodland or on the sea shore. Binoculars are a must because they magnify what we look at. When we see objects enlarged a whole new world opens up. What was a drab little ‘brown job’ to our natural eyes is revealed as a creature of beauty through binoculars. It’s the same when we look down a microscope. Sometimes its scary when a mite looks like an arachnid spider!

Mary’s soul acted like a lens and magnified the Lord. It revealed a whole new world for her. She saw God in a whole new way. Very often we view God through the wrong end of the binoculars. We make God smaller. It is easier to ignore him that way.

But Mary marveled at what was revealed to her and she declared that God held the place of greatest prominence and importance in her life.

Why?


1. Look at who He is.
Luke 1:46-49
In obedience she recognizes Gods supreme authority

In v.47 her spirit rejoices in GOD MY SAVIOUR recognizing God’s supreme divinity.

In v49 for the MIGHTY ONE has done great things for me.

She recognizes God’s supreme power. Making the impossible possible. Through her the birth of Jesus will bring about the salvation of mankind.

HOLY is his name. Mary recognizes God’s supreme purity & perfection.

2. Look at what He does.

In v50 Mary sees through the lens of her soul that His MERCY extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.

No matter how far we have strayed from God he will show us his love, compassion and mercy. And this is for all time. How often do we feel unworthy? Guilty? At such times we must recall that because God came down to live with us and to experience all that life can throw at us, and more, he understands and extends his arm of love in forgiveness and compassion. No matter what state you or I are in, if we fear God we are loved by Him.

v51 Mary acknowledges that He has performed MIGHTY DEEDS with his arm…

Literally, “He has showed strength with his arm.”

In an act of irresistible power in creation God spoke and the elements yielded and obeyed Him. When God spoke Mary became pregnant with Jesus in a seemingly medically impossible way.

He is still showing His mighty deeds; saving, transforming, healing, grace for suffering, answering prayers, protecting. We should all spend time thanking God for the ‘miracles’ we have seen or experienced in our own life. And if we need a miracle right now pray for one for He makes the ‘impossible possible’.

v 51b Mary acknowledges His Justice: He has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. 52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. 53 He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.

She now sees that the baby Jesus that she is to give birth to will bring about moral, social and economic revolutions. I believe the only way to prevent wars, deal with climate change, global economic downturns and social injustice is to apply Christian principles to bring about a global moral, social and economic revolution. Such a revolution is urgently needed in today’s world. What do you think?

Ultimately Mary recognizes that God will make everything right.

Mary remembers he is FAITHFUL promise-keeper: 54 He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful 55 to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers.

In other words the coming of Jesus is the fulfillment of all that was promised in the Old Testament.

Mary’s praise magnified God, giving Him the most prominent place in her life because of who He is and what He does.

How often do we look at God through the wrong end of binoculars; making Him seem small and far away. Let us bring God closer to us this Christmas by magnifying him with the lens of our souls. Let us make him bigger in our lives. Let us give Him the place of highest prominence in our lives. When we do so a whole new world opens up before us causing us to rejoice in all circumstances and enjoy His pleasure, because of the glorious miracle of the birth, life and death of Jesus.

A Prayer.

Lord Jesus, this Christmas as we sing the familiar carols, hear the familiar readings and ponder on familiar mysteries, give us the grace to magnify you and give us the gift of pure worship – that ability which Mary had of attributing to you your true worth, your full value, your inestimable greatness.

Teach us to be reverent; yet teach us how to express the love that burns within our hearts as we think of your goodness to us – that you have come to be our light in darkness, our hope in despair, our strength in weakness, our shelter in the storm – yes, and our eternal saviour.

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Hope for the Hurting

Luke 13:10-17

Tom, not his real name, but a real story, was having a recurring nightmare that kept waking him up with black thoughts about his future. He’d lost his parents in a car crash several months earlier, and having lost his job and despite his efforts was still out of work. His wife had given up, taken his young child, and left him. He was behind in rent and was being threatened with eviction. It seemed hopeless and early that morning his thoughts turned seriously to suicide. But a beautiful sunny summers day dawned and he was moved to take one last walk through the streets he loved before returning to his home and ending it all. While on this walk he was drawn to a flag that said ‘Healing’ where members of the ‘Healing on The Streets’ team invited him to receive healing prayer. There he met with Jesus and gave his life to him instead. He departed filled with joy and no longer suicidal. A few weeks later he visited the team to witness that he now had accepted a new job; had retained his home and was in talks with his wife who he hoped would rejoin him soon. We can’t escape it. Neither can we avoid it. At some time or another, we’ll all get hurt. When you make a commitment to follow Christ, you don’t receive an exemption from getting hurt.

Even though all of us will experience hurts, sometimes very deep hurts, in life, we do not have to lose hope. It appears to me that there a number of people in our church who are experiencing hurt at present, whatever the cause, whether physical, mental or emotional. Are you, or do you know someone who is one of the those? Maybe you or they have been seeking relief or healing for some-time and have almost given up hope. Do not give up on hope because Jesus offers hope to the hurting. Why is there hope for the hurting? Why can you be encouraged even if you are currently enduring a seemingly hopeless situation? Lets read Luke 13: 10-17. ‘On the Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman you are free from your infirmity.” Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.

Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue ruler said to the people, “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.”

The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? Then should not this woman a daughter of Abraham whom satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on a Sabbath day from what bound her?”

When he had said this all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.’

What was this woman’s condition? The narrative tells us that she was crippled, bent over and could not straighten up at all and that she had been this way for eighteen years. Medically, this disease is probably what physician’s today would call Marie-Strümpell Disease, also known as Ankylosing Spondylitus, a fusion of the spinal bones. Early in the course of the disease, sufferers often find that the pain is relieved somewhat when they lean forward. So they often go through the day leaning slightly forward, and gradually their spine begins to fuse. The more they lean in order to relieve the pain, the greater the angle, until a patient might be bent almost double, as the lady in our story.

What a terrible disease! Wreaking havoc on every aspect of her life: physically, emotionally, financially, spiritually, etc. Her hurts and bondage is symbolic of all of our hurts and needs. The way Jesus responded to her hurts is the way we can expect Him to respond to our hurts today.

There is hope because:

I. Jesus Notices And Cares for Hurting People.

One of the first things I want you to observe in these verses is that Jesus was not indifferent to the hurt, pain and despair this woman was going through. She did not go unnoticed by Jesus. He has an eye for the hurting. He noticed and called to her even though there is no record that she ever approached him. In all of the other stories of Jesus healing he was asked to do so. He reached out to her in the midst of her pain because He is aware and concerned with her hurts and all of our hurts.

This was not a typical way to conduct the synagogue service! Jesus response to her was not socially expected or even accepted. Women in that culture were generally thought little of and usually ignored. Why then did Jesus take notice of her and make a point to respond to her need immediately and publicly? Because Jesus notices and cares for hurting people! He has great compassion on those who are burdened, depressed, overwhelmed, and often ignored by people in general.

Yes, Jesus cares for all people but those who were hurting always seemed to receive special attention and responses from Him. In New Testament times women, lepers, prostitutes, tax collectors, and widows were the most oppressed, ignored, hurting, and hopeless of people yet these are the very people to whom Jesus ministered most often and most powerfully.

You do not ever need to think that Jesus is not aware of your situation or unmoved by your tears. Jesus is not indifferent to or willing to ignore your pain. It is wrong to think that God does not take personal and emotional interest in us petty humans. This just isn’t the truth. Jesus expressed compassion for the hurting on numerous occasions and He is the perfect expression of God the Father. Through His life we know that God cares deeply for hurting people. You may not understand many things that you are going through or why your prayers go unanswered but you can be confident that God notices and cares about your pain.

We have a Lord who notices the hurting and has compassion on the burdened. As His followers we have the responsibility to do the same!

Jesus expects us to have the same attitude of compassion toward the hurting as He does. In these two verses we see that Jesus rebuked those who ignored hurting people. This religious leader was more focused on religious rules and maintaining the order of service than in ministering to hurting people. He had no joy, no praise, and no relief at this woman’s healing. Jesus was greatly angered by this uncaring, indifferent response.

There is a message for us, especially church leaders, in this text. Jesus is saying, you can have your praise and worship and teachings, and communion but never forget that hurting people matter to God. Make sure you reach out to them. This religious leader basically said to this woman and to the crowd that now is not the time or the place for healing but to comeback at another time. What hypocrisy! She has been this way for eighteen years! You wouldn’t let your animal go without water one day because of religious tradition or scruples why should this “daughter of Abraham”, an Israelite, wait another moment? Jesus expects hurting people to be the priority. Jesus cares for the hurting and He insists that we do so also.

We are to have the same attitude to those who may be hurting in life. We need to stop and help, not proceed with everyday life in hypocritical indifference.

There is hope for you if you are hurting today because God does not forget you and He is not in different to your pain.

2. With Jesus Nothing is Impossible, He Is all Powerful To Heal Hurting People.

Jesus compassion would be nice but of limited comfort and encouragement if that is all that He can offer us. If the only thing Jesus can do is sympathize with us then we are still hopeless. The good news is that Jesus is not only compassionate but He is also powerful! He can heal your hurts; He can loose your bondage, and He can change your situation.

As we see in this story, there is no situation, no matter how bad that is too great for Jesus. This was the worst kind of medical condition. A medical condition that to this day does not have a cure. Yet this did not pose a problem for Jesus. She had also been in this situation a long, long time but again that was not a problem for Jesus. I want you to understand that nothing you are going through or ever will go through is beyond the power of Jesus Christ to heal and restore. Nothing absolutely nothing is impossible with God.

You may have suffered for many years as this woman did but you can still be hopeful. There is hope because there is Jesus. He set this woman free from her infirmity and He can set you free from yours also. Never ever give up hope! No matter what type of problem, hurt, or bondage you may be facing you can be hopeful because…Jesus wants to use his Power through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to Heal Hurting People.

If you are physically sick – He can heal you. For Example, I fell down the stairs and was in a lot of pain from my rib-cage. The x-ray had shown I had broken at least one rib. People were praying and pain seemed to get less. The CT scan showed no broken ribs. No pain. A miracle! If your marriage is troubled – He can restore it. If your ministry is a mess – He can repair it. There is nothing beyond the power of Jesus Christ. I know some of you may have been hurting for a long time and you have lost hope. I know some of you no longer really expect Jesus to supernaturally intervene in your situation or need. I can relate to that discouragement because I’ve been there. I know many of you have questions of God and I cannot answer every question you may have, nevertheless I do encourage you to look at this story and renew your faith and expectations. Let your faith be strengthened by God’s word. Keep your hopes up because, as I have seen, Jesus still heals the hurting today.

Psalm 40:1-3 “I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord.”

There are Christians today who no longer pray for healing because they have lost their faith and don’t think God will heal them. There are Christians today whose marriages are failing yet they have no real expectation for Jesus to restore their marriage because they think it is too late. There are people , I know of one, who have quit serving in ministry out of discouragement because they think their situation is beyond God’s help. Our thinking needs to change if it is like this. We should never lose hope because…

Jesus Is all Powerful To Heal Hurting People. But if you no longer believe he can heal your hurt or have a belief system that excludes God’s power from working in your life, then you need to change your belief system–because it’s based on something other than his Word. ‘See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.'[Heb.3;12,13]. God wants to work miracles in your life. It’s not by our power or might or prayers but by the resurrection power of Jesus through the ministrations of the Holy Spirit that we are healed.

Jesus Explains That Satan, Not God, Is The Cause of Hurting People.

Listen to some of the typical questions I often hear when making myself available to pray for people in Healing Rooms and elsewhere who are going through hard times: Why is God putting me through this? Why did God give me cancer? Why did God take my child? Why is God breaking apart my family? Many times people assume that God must be behind all of our hurting and that there must be some mysterious divine plan in all of this. How can you have hope and believe that God is the cause of our hurting? You can’t!


Fortunately there is hope for their hurting because Jesus explains that our hurting is not God’s doing! He clearly says, “Satan (not God) has kept (this women) bound for eighteen long years.” Luke also explicitly notes in this story that an evil spirit caused this woman’s physical infirmity.

It is wrong to blame God for all of the bad things in life. The Bible teaches us that satan is the one who brought pain, suffering and sorrow into the world through sin. God created the world good!

Look at the ministry of Jesus. Much of his ministry was spent healing and easing the suffering of people. Jesus looked upon death and diseases as intruders and aliens in God’s world.

The next time something really bad happens to you, don’t be so sure to blame God for that. It might be worth asking “Could this be the work of Satan against me?”

I say this to point out that while a genuine Christian cannot be possessed by a demon, they can be attacked by Satan, or his angels, in their bodies, marriages, ministries, finances etc. When these attacks come we need to recognize the source of them and go to Jesus for healing and strength in His mighty power.There are avenues through which demonic influence can work and which could prevent or delay your healing. Satan loves to send his demons to put obstacles in our way to destroy our hope. Among these would be unforgiveness and bitterness, unconfessed sin, ‘He who conceals his sin does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.’ Prov.28:13. Any previous or present occult involvement, would be a serious obstacle to healing hurts and could even increase the hurt as would being involved with false healing practises like Reiki, and false god’s such as freemasonary. These could have a generational aspect to them. These anchors of present or past trauma’s and unhealthy soul ties need to be broken by Jesus.

Satan is directly or indirectly the explanation for the troubles, pains, and hurts of this world.

The good news and reason for those who are hurting to have hope is because it means that God is not against us rather He is for us. There is reason to hope because Jesus is greater than Satan. Jesus defeated him when He rose again after his death on the cross. When I pray for people who are hurting I ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to them any fundemental obstacles that need to be dealt with first as a preperation for healing pray.


A couple of things should be noted here to prevent misunderstandings. First, I do believe, as the Bible teaches, that God uses the hurts and pains of in life for good purposes. Satan may be behind the hurting but God can take and transform what Satan intended for evil and use it for good; and this thwarting of satan’s purposes may be one of the reasons why healing is delayed or not given.

In the narrative it says that all Jesus opponents were humiliated but that the people were delighted with all the wonderful things He was doing. They were rejoicing because finally they had hope even though they were hurting. You also can rejoice because…

I. Jesus Notices And Cares for Hurting People.

II. Jesus Is Powerful Enough To Heal Hurting People.

III. Jesus Explains That Satan, Not God, Is The Cause of Hurting People.

Of course Jesus is not with us today in the flesh but has sent the Holy Spirit to minister to us in His Name and His power. Through the sacrificial death of Jesus we are freed from the curse of sin and death [John 14}. If we love Jesus and have asked him and the Holy Spirit to dwell our hearts then we have his mind, his love, and his healing to draw upon and use in our every day life.

Therefore, each and everyone of us is a disciple of Jesus with the authority to wield his power in praying for healing of those who hurt. ‘When Jesus had called the the Twelve (his disciples) together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure all diseases, and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.’ [Luke 9:1-2]. So If someone asks you for healing prayer don’t be iffy, remember, as a disciple of Jesus, you have been given authority to drive out demons and heal the sick by the power of the Holy Spirit for the Glory of Jesus.

Amen

RAS : 26/07/23

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A Reflection on ‘Thy Kingdom Come, Thy will be done’ .

This coming Saturday (May 6th 2023) we will crowning the sovereign of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth, King Charles the Third, and during the service the will be asked to pay homage to him. On reflecting on this occasion I am reminded of the fact that there is a Heavenly Kingdom out of which this earthly Kingdom and the universe was created by God and that Jesus is at the right hand of his Father God and bears many crowns as King of Kings over all the earth. One day this earthly kingdom will be completely subsumed and transformed by this heavenly kingdom where the earth and heaven become one, with Jesus undeniably the King.

Christians recognise that Jesus is the Christ – the King promised in the pages of the Old Testament who will re-establish God’s kingdom on earth, ensuring that God’s will is once more done ‘on earth as it is in heaven’Isa.11: 1-9 . Right at the beginning of his ministry, he went through Galilee proclaiming that “The kingdom of God is at hand” Mark 1:15. And by the time his ministry ends his disciples have reached the conclusion that Jesus is himself the king to which that kingdom belongs.And this is why we are taught by Jesus to pray “thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”Matthew 6:10 The central message of Jesus is the coming of God’s kingdom.

The kingdom of God is already with us in the hearts in those who love our King Jesus. We bow before his majesty for he is a King like no other. He does not Lord it over us but exercises his rule by serving us; whose kingdom is about justice and unity, where greatness is found in true humility. “I tell you the truth,” he says, “whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” Mark 10:15. His is a kingdom of love where in obedience to to his Father in heaven King Jesus voluntarily laid down his life to restore us wayward citizens into a righteous relationship with God our heavenly Father. And perhaps most extraordinarily of all, this is a kingdom whose law is optional. There can be no reluctant citizens of this kingdom. One of the great gifts this King bestows on us is freewill. But that freewill is best exercised when we choose Jesus as our King, because to do so is to choose goodness, humility, peace, justice and truth and a ticket into God’s kingdom for eternity– the very things our souls need the most.

Of course, giving people choice means that many will choose other paths and at times those paths may be in the ascendant. God’s kingdom may at times seem fragile, limp, impotent, but in fact with Jesus as King it is far more powerful than any force in this world. Ultimately selfishness will self-destruct and implode. Anger and violence will burn itself out.Those who live by the sword will die by the sword. Those kill the body cannot harm the soul. If a soul chooses the way of truth and light, peace and justice, humility and love, nothing can extinguish it. When the hatreds of human beings have burned themselves out, faith hope and love will be seen to endure. In the end, God’s kingdom triumphs. And even in the whirlwind of battle, and we are in the heat of battle right now, God’s kingdom triumphs, for these are the things, faith, hope and love, that make life worth living, more than all the gold and passing power or fame this world can offer.

To pray “thy kingdom come” is to long for a different world, a better world; to long for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven; to long for a world where the meek are honoured as the great ones, where quiet humility is listened to reverently, where wisdom is valued, where the mourning are comforted and where the poor are rich. But it is also to long for hearts to be reconciled to God and to choose God’s will, not out of obligation, or fear, or grudging duty, but out of love and out of freewill. For that is what sets our souls free and enables God’s eternal life to come alive in us. To pray for justice and peace requires hearts to be re-made and minds to be re-oriented back to God. And that is why praying “thy kingdom come” requires us to pray both for peace and justice on earth and for our friends and neighbours to know and love Christ, for it is all part of the same kingdom movement by which human souls choose the life of our servant king. And if we pray that for our world and for our neighbour, then to pray “thy Kingdom come” is also to invite God into our hearts; to deal with our pride; to give us compassion; to grow a passion for justice; and to cultivate, deep in our souls, those three eternal things: faith, hope and love.

So as we are asked to pay homage to king Charles, let us pay homage to his Majesty King Jesus who rules over all that is in heaven, earth and the universe.

His kingdom come, his will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.

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Forgive Us Our Trespasses As We Forgive Those Who Trespass Against Us

This is a familiar phrase which many of us will know as part of the Lord’s Prayer.

Forgiveness is a key part of Jesus’s teaching. It is included in the prayer he taught us to pray.

Forgiveness is a very important aspect of leading a healthy spirit filled life. It is mentioned 56 times in the NewTestament and 68 times in the Old.

This weekend we are remembering Jesus’s suffering and his excrutiatingly painful death on the cross. Yet as he hung there he was able to say “Father forgive them for they no not what they do” indeed he shed his blood for the forgiveness of all of our sins.

But what does it mean to forgive? A definition of forgiveness could be- giving up the right to get our own back on the one who has hurt us. To wipe the slate clean, to pardon, to cancel a debt. Forgiveness is a choice to keep no record of wrongs.

Forgiveness is the key to God’s blessing. Forgiveness and repentance open up our hearts to allow the river of God to flow freely in us and overflow into those around us.

1.Forgiving Others.

Many people can live a life of unwellness because they are not able to forgive those who have hurt them. They say things like, “He doesn’t deserve to be forgiven,” or “I can’t forgive him. You don’t know what he did to me.” It’s true, we may not know the full horror of what has been done to them, and from a purely human perspective the perpetrator doesn’t deserve to be forgiven. But neither do we deserve to be forgiven. And yet God in His love forgives us; and it cost Him the life of His Son. We sent him to the cross and yet he was able to say, “forgive them [and that includes you and I] for they no not what they do.” So forgiveness and love go hand in hand together.

When we don’t forgive those who have hurt us we may become full of bitterness and resentment over what has been done to us. These things spoil our lives and may cause disease. Some people deliberately choose to hang on to resentment and bitterness. But all the time they do so, they are in torment and can become physically and mentally sick.

When we say, “I hate so and so and never want to see him again; he deserves what he gets.” we are making a judgement that is rooted in that bitterness and we are stepping back into spiritual legality that has the power to demand justice and payment for our own sins as well. Surely it is far better to show mercy rather than demand justice. Lord, let mercy triumph over judgement. In combination with God’s love for you and I and those who have hurt us, mercy becomes easy to give. In his agony Jesus was still able to reach out and show mercy and by implication forgiveness to the thief on the cross.

In Ephes.4:31-32, Paul instructs us to get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander along with every form of unforgiveness and unkindness(v32) – it is these things that bring about petrification of the spirit.

Modern psychology also shows that it is these things that often cause physical illness. Unresolved anger and bitterness can lower the immune system and reduce the bodies defences against infections and disease.

Nothing contributes more to sickness than resentment, and more to healing than forgiveness. When we forgive we are not saying that what was done to us doesn’t matter. We are not forgiving them to let them off the hook; we are forgving them because God says we are to do so in his love, and also the parable of the unmerciful servant. Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord if my brother keeps on sinning against me, how many times do I have to forgive him? Seven times?” “No not seven times,” answered Jesus, ”but seventy times seven, because the Kingdom of heaven is like this. Once there was a king who decided to check on his servants accounts. He had just begun to do so when one of them was brought in who owed him 10,000 talents. The servant did not have enough to pay his debt, so the king ordered him to be sold as a slave, with his wife and children and all that he had, in order to pay the debt. The servant fell on his knees before the king. ‘be patient with me,’ he begged, and I will pay you everything!’ The king felt sorry for him, so he forgave him the debt and let him go.

“Then the man went out and met one of his felllow servants who owed him a hundred denari. He grabbed him and started choking him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ ‘he said. His fellow-servant fell down and begged him, ‘be patient with me and I will pay you back!’ But he refused; instead had him thrown into jail until he should pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were very upset and went to the king and told him everything. So he called the servant in. ‘You worthless slave!’ he said. ‘I forgave you the whole amount you owed me, just because you asked me to. You should have had mercy on your fellow-servant, just as I had mercy on you.’ The king was very angry, and he sent the servant to jail to be punished [some versions say tortured] until he should pay back the whole amount.” And Jesus concluded, “That is how my Father in heaven will treat every one of you unless you forgive your brother from the heart.” ( Matthew 18:21-35)

We need to forgive because God has forgiven us through the sacrificial death of his son-Jesus. We all need to receive the forgiveness of God again and again.

2. Receiving Forgiveness.

Forgiveness of our sin is our greatest need without we are living a futile life which is incapable of bringing happiness. Bur merciful forgiveness must be followed by reconciliation.

In 1942 Eric Lomax was taken prisoner and with others sent to build the Thai-Burma Railway. In 1972 Eric returns and in the Thai-Burma Railway Museum meets the man, Takashi Nagase, who was complicit in his and his friends’ merciless torture. There is a emotional filled scene where Takashi asks for forgiveness and Eric in giving it. They both hug reconciliation and healing begins.

Receiving forgiveness from God is the first step toward our own healing. It is interesting that in the Lord’s prayer the request to God to forgive us our trespasses comes first before ‘as we forgive others’. Forgiveness by God is freely given before we even ask for it. Jesus asked God to forgive those who crucified Him because they did not know what they were doing.

Story of the paralysed man on a stretcher is recorded in both Mark 2:1-12 and Luke 5:17-26. Once the dust had settled, on seeing their faith Jesus’s first words are “Cheer up(take heart) your sins are forgiven you.” He doesn’t say “Cheer up you are healed.” Here we find Jesus meeting a man’s spiritual need first. Because he knew that forgiveness was the road to health & happiness.

We must trust in Jesus Christ his person and his work. He died that we might be forgiven. By his blood we are forgiven and healed.

Do you recognise areas of your past life where you need forgiveness, do you feel undeserving of God’s forgiveness and don’t believe you can receive it? Rom 3:22-25. ‘God puts people right through their faith in Jesus Christ. God does this to all who believe in Christ, because there is no difference at all: everyone has sinned and is far away from God’s saving presence. But by the free Gift of God’s grace all are put right with him through Christ Jesus, who sets them free. God offered him, so that by his sacrificial death he should become the means by which people’s sins are forgiven through faith in him.’ Wow

3. Accepting God’s Forgiveness

But let us first ask God to forgive us also for the hurts we have caused others. Having asked God for his forgiveness let us receive it as a Gift from him.

Many of us find that this is the most difficult part. We find it difficult to forgive ourselves. But there is so much encouragement in those words: “Cheer up!” “Take heart.” John records Jesus saying elsewhere Jn16:33b “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Why do we find it more difficult to forgive ourselves?

An Austrian psychiatrist Dr. Viktor Frank says that it is difficult for us to forgive ourselves because of the power of guilt. Authentic guilt he says is a negative emotion experienced by the conscience that passes a personal moral judgement on itself. This is something that is peculiar to human nature and perhaps Christians are more vulnerable to it than most. Nature does not forgive which is why it is difficult for us to forgive ourselves. This can lead us into unhappiness and illness. God addresses this when he says to the paralytic man “your sins are forgiven you.” And he says that to you and me. Why be burdened with personal guilt – why not accept the gift that God in his love and mercy has given you in the forgiveness wrought for us by the shed blood of Jesus Christ.It’s almost an affront to God NOT to accept it!

Having accepted that gift, then if we have wronged another we should not only ask God for forgiveness but also seek forgiveness and reconciliation from any individuals involved.

Because Forgiveness is the key to inner healing which is necessary for physical well being & happiness; but we only receive healing ourselves when we forgive others who have hurt us paving the way for their inner healing.

Maybe you are someone who finds it difficult to accept his gift of forgiveness for you or you find it difficult to forgive someone who has hurt you. Turn to Jesus in prayer and put all your burdens at the feet of Jesus and knowing his forgiveness, open you heart to healing & transforming power of his holy spirit who can lead you into the forgiving and healing arms of Christ.

Lord we ask you to help us to let mercy triumph over judgement. You have forgiven us all this great debt of our personal sin. Now that you have given us the keys to the kingdom, help us to forgive everybody who owes us anything or has hurt us in any way

So at this time of Easter let’s take a moment to examine our life. Are there any deep seated resentments and unforgiveness that you need to address.? Give the Holy Spirit permission to bring to mind the things that need to be resolved in your hurts. Invite Jesus into those areas and ask him to help you to forgive. This is also the first step to receiving Jesus’s healing touch.

You may like to pray this prayer.

Heavenly father, thank you for sending your son, Jesus Christ, to save me, to forgive me my sin, to die in my place. Lord Jesus Christ, I believe in you by the faith you have given me. Save me O Lord, forgive all my sins. Cleanse me from all unrightiousness. Make me a new creation. Heal my soul. Heal my body. Heal my mind.

Jesus says to you and me “Sons, daughters rejoice your sins are forgiven. Rise up and walk home.” Praise you heavenly Father for hearing our prayers, for filling us with peace, for removing the burden of sin and guilt and taking it with you to the cross; setting us free.

Amen.

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Examining the First Witness. John 1: 19-34

In 1948, a remarkable religious phenomenon occurred in the US. It began in a tent near Hollywood California, under the preaching of a young evangelist. The crowds were sparse at first but as the preaching continued, the crowds began to grow. Finally some rather prominent Hollywood celebrities attended the meetings and were converted. At first, the media totally ignored these gatherings. But when some of Hollywood’s well-known names became involved, the press began to take a special interest. Eventually reporters were sent to investigate and interview this rather strange young preacher, who dressed in pistachio-coloured suits, wore flaming red ties, spoke with a pronounced Southern accent, and yet had incredible appeal to the masses. It was evident God was doing something. That was the beginning of Billy Graham’s career. And as news of those meetings spread across the country, other cities invited him to come and preach and soon Billy Graham’s ministry blossomed into what it has become today.

As it was with Billy Graham in 1948, so it was with John the Baptist in the first century. He too was a young man (in his early 30s). He too dressed rather strangely for his day. He did not wear green suits but animal skins (and ate locusts and wild honey). He too preached a powerful message that seemed to have a great attraction to people. At first they came out by dozens, then hundreds, then thousands left their cities to hear this remarkable desert preacher. Finally the response was so great and this man so popular that even the religious establishment of Jerusalem became curious. They sent a delegation to investigate this strange man with a unique message. John records this event for us in his Gospel.


John introduces the Apostle John the Baptist to us in 1:6-8, 15. His primary role was that of a witness, a testimony to the light. In these verses, John the Baptist illustrates for us what it means to be a proper witness of the Light.

I. To be a proper witness, we must recognize who we are not (19-21).
Drawing such a large following, John the Baptist naturally attracted the attention of the religious leaders of Jerusalem. They could not ignore someone who attracted such a large gathering. John was an enigma. He did not conform, so they wanted to know more about him.

“Who are you?” they inquired diligently.

John responds by vigorously telling them who he is not


John’s day was one of great Messianic expectation. Everyone was looking for the promised Messiah, so naturally John’s actions and message created a lot of speculation as to who he was. Might he be the promised Messiah? John denounces any speculation regarding these messianic expectations. “I am not the Christ,” he asserts. Whatever John was, he was certainly not the Christ. There was a Christ, but he was not him.

– “Are you Elijah?” they question. The OT prophesies that Elijah would precede the Messiah (Mal. 4.5: “See I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord”). Perhaps John is the reincarnated Elijah. After all, his appearance is similar. His message is similar. And apparently, Elijah did not die. Was this the great Elijah? “I am not,” replies John.


Although he did fulfil the preliminary ministry of which the prophets spoke (in the form of Elijah, he was not the actual prophet himself).

– Are you the great Prophet?
Deut. 18.15-19 speaks of a great prophet like Moses who would come and restore Israel. This promise was taken to refer to a special end-times figure who would fulfil the role of the great Prophet. Surely John is the great prophet. Again with an emphatic, no, John denounces this title.

As a proper witness, John recognized who he was not. His three-fold denial makes his witness clear. The increasing curtness of John’s successive answers cannot be missed here. The Baptist seems to have a dislike for answering questions about himself. He had come to bear witness about another.


If we are going to be a proper witness, we must recognise who we are not. We are not the Messiah. We are not the great prophet. We are not Elijah. We cannot think of ourselves as more than what we are. It is not our glory we seek but His. As witnesses, we need to remember that we are not Jesus. We are not God. We are only witnesses to what Jesus has done in our lives and can do for others. John knew who he was not, but that leads directly into our second point.

II. To be a proper witness, we must know who we are (23-24).
This religious delegation was not content with John’s denials. They must have some response to take back to their leaders; so they question him further, “If you are not any of these people, then who are you?” What is your role? What do you have to say about yourself? Show us your resume. They turn the matter over to John.

Wow! What an opportunity. At this point, John could have said anything. He could have said, “I am the great forerunner.” I must be a prophet or a great preacher. Look at how many baptisms I have performed. Look at how many people I have attracted. Wow! I must be something. I must be awesome. I need to be leading church growth seminars or teaching preaching classes. I need to be invited to preach at the evangelism conferences.

But John did not flash his credentials. He did not flatter himself or build his own name. He did not attempt to make himself great. John knew who he was. Look at his reply (taken from Isa. 40.3): “I am a voice…” John knew that he was merely a voice. He is not an important person, like a prophet or the Messiah. He is merely a voice.

A voice, other than God’s, is temporary. A voice is fleeting. A voice is fading. And that is John’s view of himself. I am merely a fading voice that is crying in the wilderness.

John’s message is one of preparation: “Make straight the way of the Lord.” John summons the people to be ready for the coming Messiah. He is the one preparing the way for the coming king (an important role in ancient times: involved levelling the land and clearing the road). He saw his role as the voice preparing the way.

Even so, we are called to be voices. We are the temporary voice chosen to prepare the way in our generation. Each generation has a voice, and we are the voice for this time and this place. Our role is temporary, but it is essential. Without the voice, the people will not hear. And the voices are becoming quieter in England; we, who believe in the message of the Gospel and know the eternal choices before us, must re-ignite our passion and speak up. We must be voices crying out in the wilderness

Being a proper witness, however, involves recognising who we are not and who we are. We are not Jesus. We are voices. We are to get people ready, to prepare them, to make the path straight. We are to prepare the way for the coming King. Christmas is a good time of year to exercise our voices to touch the hearts of those around us – oh, that they might hear!

III. To be a proper witness, we must point people to Jesus (25-34).
John’s examiners are still not satisfied with his responses, so they question him, “If you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the prophet, why then are you baptising?” Their interest lay in John’s authority. Who gives you the right to baptise?

Baptism was not a new practice in Judaism. It was the regular rite for the admission of converts from other religions into Judaism. What upset these Jewish leaders was that John performed baptisms upon Jews and Gentiles alike. In their minds, the Jews were a part of God’s chosen people. They had no need for baptism. They were secure. What right does John have to baptise?


John’s response reveals clearly the role of the proper witness. What does John do? He points them to Jesus. In essence, John says, “This is not about me. It is not about the rite of baptism. It is not about by whose authority I baptise. It is all about Jesus.” John’s interest is in Christ and Christ alone. In accordance with the Gospel’s purpose, John the Baptist’s testimony tells us who Jesus is.

What a testimony! What a witness! What a voice! John points people to Jesus. He recognizes that it is not about him. He understands both who he is not (the Christ) and who he is (a voice). He understands his role: point people to Jesus.
As Christians this to is our role: to point people to Jesus.

So let us prepare ourselves and draw closer to God this Christmas and seek to be enthusiastic witnesses for Jesus to those we meet. Just like John the Baptist let us make ourselves of no account so that others see the light of Christ shining through us as we gaze on him.

A father and his small son strolled down the street in London passing by the Gherkin building. Glancing up, they saw men at work on the high up on the building. “What are those little boys doing up there?” asked the son. “Those are not boys, they are grown men,” replied the father. After a pause, the boy pondered, “I guess when they reach heaven there won’t be anything left of them.”


The nearer we come to Christ, the less others see of us and the more they see of Christ. Point them to Jesus.

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The Promise of the Spirit

Acts 1:8;Acts 2:4

What a roller-coaster of emotions the disciples had experienced over the the days before and after the crucifixion. They had undergone all the emotions of bereavement, interwoven with fear, and then Jesus appeared among them in the upper room – suddenly they are filled with hope! But now that that hope was restored he says to them that they must go out and preach repentance and forgiveness of sins in his name. They were the church and must not forever live in the upper room but must go out to take these tidings of joy to all men. To be his witnesses and preach the gospel and heal the sick. The great commission.

This applies to all who love and live for Christ. They must have found this mission scary stuff! Especially as being followers of Jesus would expose them to possible life threatening danger. But Jesus says in effect have no fear because I am going to send you what my father has promised. What was that promise. John 14:16 reads “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counsellor to be with you for ever – “

This is the Holy Spirit. The promise is that the Holy Spirit, the Counsellor, is available to all who believe [John 14:17b].

So how does the Holy Spirit help us in our walk with God?.

S-trength. [Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth”] When we are called to do scary things for God the Holy Spirit gives us strength. Whether this be physical [as with Samson] or emotional and mental to produce courage. Is God calling you to be a witness in a particular way for him. Are you doubting that calling because you feel God is appealing to your weakness rather than your strength. Have faith move forward in obedience to God’s call because can turn your weakness into strength!

The Holy Spirit will empower those who receive him to do his will, he will strengthen those areas where we already feel we are strong and strengthen those areas where we are weak. The Holy Spirit also develops in us abilities we did not previously have so that we can become better witnesses for Christ. These we sometimes call gifts of the Spirit. Through these the Spirit inspires confident witness to Jesus.

Jesus is telling the disciples don’t be afraid to move out in obedience to my word, my Father will give you a companion for your soul so that you are not alone and can derive courage to do my will.

P-rotection. [Ephes.1:13-14 ‘ And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth , the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are in God’s possession – to the praise of his glory.’]. The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin and the judgement to come as we ponder the righteousness of Jesus hanging on the Cross. However, the Holy Spirit convinces us that it is this very event that is willed by God to give us eternal protection – for it is through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross that we are forgiven and saved from judgement. This is the hope to which we are called.

The Spirit also powerfully convicts unbelievers through the work of the spirit in believers. The Spirit is partner to believers in their evangelistic mission by doing what they cannot do –enabling unbelievers to see their sin and their need for Jesus.

Also as we walk in obedience to God and his calling and in partnership with the Holy Spirit we will receive protection from spiritual attack. He gives the protection of spiritual peace amid the turmoil of life’s bumpy road.

Are you feeling anxious and worried about the future? Be assured of God’s love for you, even amid your doubts, and his care for your well being, which he activates through the work of the spirit. I began to doubt in the 90’s when my business began to flounder in the midst of a recession and I got dangerously into debt. But initiated through the partnership of prayer with others, the Holy Spirit moved in a miraculous way and I was protected from financial ruin.

I-nspiration. [Jn. 16:13 “But when he, the spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will only speak what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come].

As we study and pray, the inspiration of the Holy Spirit will show us and teach us what is true and in accordance with God’s will about the way we personally should lead our lives for Christ. He will teach us all things and bring them to our remembrance, Jn.14:26. He promises that if we remain in him appropriate words will come when faced with the need to inspire and comfort others, or indeed as a comfort for ourselves.

The spirit also inspires and encourages through signs and wonders as part of the evangelism undertaken by believers. This was clearly the case in the early church and is still present today and practised in the ministries of Healing and Prophesy. For example, during a visit to Halifax to attend a Healing Rooms Conference I and other members of the healing prayer team were asked by the young Receptionist at the Hotel where we were staying to pray away the tumour on her pituitary gland which was affecting her peripheral vision. We invited the Holy Spirit to heal her. Her peripheral vision was retested and found to be perfect! A miracle had occurred through the healing power of the Holy Spirit. Thus God spoke to her, a Sikh, powerfully through this event and she became a Christian!

R-evealing. [1Cor.2: 12-13 ‘We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.]. The Holy Spirit is always active – He is always revealing himself. Truth is not man’s discovery ; it is God’s gift. It is not something we create; it is something waiting to be discovered. At the back of all truth is God. At the back of untruth is satan. It is the Holy Spirit that reveals it to us. The Holy Spirit takes the things of Jesus and reveals there significance to us. Knowledge of Jesus, being God, is inexhaustible. NO man has ever grasped all he came to say. No man has fully worked out the significance of all his teaching for life and belief, for the individual, for society, for the nation and for the world. Revelation is the continual opening out of the meaning of Jesus. The Holy Spirit encourages our hearts to be teachable and open to such revelations and to rule over our minds when we harbour doubts. If we listen to God and to what the spirit is revealing to us through scripture and prayer we develop a deeper knowledge of God, ourselves and others which can develop into the gift of prophecy.

I-ntimacy.[Rom.5:5 ‘And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.’]. The work of the Holy Spirit is to empower us to live nearer to Jesus – to know him better. As the Holy Spirit reveals more of God to us we open the gates of our hearts for the Holy Spirit to pour the love of God for us into it. We realise we are so loved by God that the only way we can respond with our love for him is to have a growing and increasingly closer intimacy with him. We talk with him and he talks with us through the channel of the Holy Spirit. Who may do so also worshipfully and prayerfully through a heavenly language.

T-ransformation. [Acts 15:8-9 ‘ God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us’]. This is perhaps the key work of the Holy Spirit for all the others flow from it. He comes to purify us, to purge us of all unrighteousness. The more we become like him, the more he will be able to tell us. He acts to reveal, teach, inspire, protect and empower us to the point that where we are so intimate with God that we cannot help but share our faith with others to continue the great commission for then, as indicated in Jn.7:38, streams of living water will flow from us into others bringing healing, inspiration, protection and revelation to them.

We can all walk in this resurrection power of Jesus as we obey his command to go and spread the good news of God’s love for us to all around us. In this he promises to be with us [through the Holy Spirit] even to the end of the age [Matt.28:20].

Read Ephes1:17-21.

We are all mightily blessed because Jesus ascended into Heaven and sent to us the promised Holy Spirit to counsel, guide and empower us, not only to have a closer relationship with him but to build his church of love bringing his kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.

However, the holy spirit does not force himself into our lives, he is a gentle spirit, who needs to be accepted freely and willingly by all who love Jesus and want to serve him. We need to reaffirm this daily and our walk with God.

Dear reader I suggest that through prayer you now invite the Holy Spirit to visit you in your heart and in your church. Let us invite him to purge us of all unrighteousness and heal us of all bgive us revelation and knoitterness, anxieties and pain. Let us invite him to be with us, to wledge. Let us invite the Holy Spirit to transform strengthen and empower us to become agents for revival so that his Kingdom is built here on earth and the great commission fulfilled. Amen.

RAS 07/06/2022

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