Get Ready!
Yesterday I got on my hands and knees to sort out my cupboard under the sink, we all have them don’t we? I thought it must be spring, as I bleached and scrubbed and filled a bin bag with stuff I had kept but never used.
This morning in conversation with the Lord I considered the year ahead, I am not alone in thinking this may well be a tough year for Christians and we must be preparing ourselves to remain standing in the storms ahead. Not to drop at the first backlash, that insult that stung, that rejection, that snub - their coming!
Right now, at the head of the year, when attacks and hardships begin to crank up, we need to stand, and continue to stand clothed in the Righteousness of God.
So open up your spiritual wardrobe and see what is in there, check it out. What is hanging in there waiting to be put on, is it self, is it disobedience, are there idols of yesteryear poking their heads out of your pockets, are there grease spots on your sweaters? hmmmm?
We need to be putting on the armour of Christ according to Ephesians 6 check it out and make a few swaps in our wardrobes.
Give Him your fearful garb and put on His faithfulness.
Give Him the rags of anxious thoughts and put on His eternal promises.
Give Him the outdated drab of doubt and put on the fresh assurance of His Word.
Give Him your moth-eaten rituals and put on the mind of Christ
I needed those prompts yesterday, with the polish tin whose lid I could not open, half empty bottles that had lost their labels, dusters that had seen better days, that little voice that said ‘c’mon get rid’!
So ask the Holy Spirit to show you those things you have hung on to that should go, get on your knees, bin bags out, such a good feeling!
Reminds me of an old hymn…
Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb? Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Chorus: Are you washed in the blood, In the soul cleansing blood of the Lamb? Are your garments spotless? Are they white as snow? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Are you walking daily by the Saviours side? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb? Do you rest each moment in the Crucified? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
When the Bridegroom cometh will your robes be white? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb? Will your soul be ready for the mansions bright And be washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Lay aside your garments that are stained with sin, And be washed in the blood of the Lamb; There’s a fountain flowing for the soul unclean, O be washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Rosie Short
Prophetic Pictures Found on a Country Walk
Gall on a rose bush: The gall is formed when a gall wasp lays its eggs in the rose stem. The eggs hatch into larvae which then release chemicals which mimic the plant growth hormones of the rose bush. The presence of these chemicals causes the rose bush tissue to grow abnormally forming the gall in which the larvae grow, feed , pupate and eventually emerge as new adult gall wasps. If the gall is cut off the rose bush, the rose bush continues its normal growth without any permanent damage.
The interpretation is that this a picture of the church, or perhaps individuals within the church, who have allowed the enemy to invade their lives and cause abnormal or irrelevant growth or attitudes. Cutting out these attitudes which are ungodly will restore the Christian or the Church to normal growth, without any permanent damage.
Lichen on a stick. Lichens grow on tree bark and a beautiful additions to any woodland. They are a symbiosis os a Green alga and a fungus. Many different Lichens exist according to the species of alga and fungus. Lichens can colonise bare rock and new growth on trees, but are very susceptible to pollution and die back in polluted areas. The interpretation is that if a Christian or a Church allows the pollution of the world to enter their life, this will cause them to stop growing in faith and they will start to die back.
Attacks on the Church from the Enemy and from have always been part of the Christian experience. When Jesus spoke to John in Revelation, the churches were being persecuted by the Roman authorities but were also being polluted from within by false teaching, immorality and corruption. These attacks on the church have continued throughout AD history and persist to this day, whether they be through persecution (it’s estimated that approximately 170,000 Christians die for their faith each year) or through corruption and immortality as seen in parts of the Western churches. We need to be aware of these two different modes of attack and free ourselves from pollution of our minds, and cut out any traces of spiritual attack from the enemy, as well as praying for those under persecution.
Ephesians 6 explains how we need to be on our guard against enemy attack “Put on the full armour of God that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes, for our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armour of God…” Eph 6:11-13.
Chris Woodhouse
Do you have prayerful thoughts?
I was reading in Numbers 13 this morning about the spies sent in to the Promised Land by Moses - 12 of them went in and 10 came back afraid - because they looked too long at the difficulty and the danger instead of keeping their eyes on God and His power.
It made me think of Colossians 3:1-4 where believers in Christ Jesus are told to keep our eyes on things above, to keep seeking those things. I realised that as we keep our eyes on God, on His His Word, on His purpose and plan; that as we keep our minds filled with His promises and our hearts set on His will and His way - then we will not be afraid.
I was reminded that He is God Most High, Creator, Sustainer and Possessor of all things. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end - He is omnipotent, omniscient, immutable God and He tells us in Isaiah 41:10 Do not be afraid, for I am with you, do not anxiously look about you for I am your God.
I thought that this must be the foundation for the way we view our world and all the problems we face in it. realised that it must be the way we handle our anxiety and how we try to make sense of the war and the strife, the wickedness and the evil that we see around us.
It must be the lens through which we view the world, its history and its future. We are told over and over again to look with the eyes of faith and then as we look we will see Jesus - high and lifted up - the eternal, unshakeable, all-conquering, victorious Lord and Saviour - the One who came and lived and died to make us free - who came to make a way for redemption, for salvation, for LIFE and who stands even now offering that life to each man, woman and child.
I was reminded again of the reason why we are here - to proclaim His excellence, to speak out His Gospel of Grace, to walk with Him through all the trials and the pain and the suffering.
I was reminded of His promise that His joy would be our strength enabling us to walk with Him to glory and to draw many to walk with us.
And at the end I prayed for wisdom - for the knowledge of His will, for the understanding of His purpose and for the ability to live every day to make Him known.
This world is terrifying in all its evil and corruption - it is a dark and desperate place and every human being who lives in it will at some point understand their desperate need of a Saviour. We are the voices left here to speak of Him - we are the ones left here to pray, interecede and to do all that we can to 'hasten His appearing' 2 Peter 3:12.
It is so much easier to do that together and so my prayer ended this morning for a growth in the fellowship of believers, who love the Lord their God, who love their Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ and who live by the Spirit of that God moment by moment, day by day - for His glory.
Be blessed this day as you look up and see the Lord.
Ann Absolom
God speaks through His Word
Amos 3:7-8 Surely the Lord God does nothing unless He reveals His secret counself to His servants the prophets.
A lion has roared! Who will not fear?
The Lord God has spoken! Who can but prophesy?
Hebrews 1:1-2 God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom He also made the world.
John 1:1-2 In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God
God is speaking in and through His Word today - giving wisdom, knowledge and discernment to all who ask Him. The world is shaking and God is 'roaring' - He is calling - 'Come to Jesus, come and know My peace - come close to Me and I will give you rest'.
What an amazing God we know - how wonderful that He never stops holding out His hand of redemption - be not afraid, if you take hold of His hand He will lead you beside still waters and He will restore your soul.
Ann Absolom
Put your hand in His
Do the thing in front of you. Don't worry that you are not strong enough or wise enough, don't be anxious about how little you know or how weak your faith - just do the thing in front of you.
What is the Lord telling you right now - this moment? Do it. Do you know what will happen when you do? You will know the sweet, sweet taste of victory and you will be filled with the joy of the Lord as you step out with Him and trust His Word.
Abraham set out, not knowing where he was going and Rahab hid the spies, not understanding that her step of obedience would result in her inclusion in the genealogy of Christ Jesus.
Peter stepped out onto the crashing waves, Daniel refused to defile himself in the king's palace, Esther decided she would speak up for her people and Ruth chose to follow her mother-in-law back to the land of Israel.
So many examples of people, ordinary human beings, who chose to do the thing in front of them and trusted that they would not be doing it alone, that the God who called them would also enable them.
You belong to the all-powerful, all-knowing, invincible King of kings. He has a perfect plan for your life and it is a plan of glory, put your hand in His right now and do the thing in front of you.
Ann Absolom
Fountain of Life
Reading this morning and came to Psalm 36: 9 - For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light.
I was immediately reminded of John's opening lines in his gospel John 1:4-5. In Him was life and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not comprehend it.
We have believed in the One who is the very fountain of life - He is the One who promised that He came that we might have life and life abundant John 10:10. And that Life is never ending, that fountain will flow throughout eternity......
We have believed in the One who promised that 'from our innermost being would flow rivers of living water' John 7:38-39 and we experience that living water, His Spirit, as we come to Him each day - seeking to hear His voice as He speaks through His Word.
And what of His Light? John will say that in His life was light - light that enlightens, that brings understanding, vision, clarity. In Him there is no darkness - He enables us to walk boldly forward knowing that His Light will never stop shining - that He will give us the all that we need to act wisely and to proclaim His glory out and into a world that lives in darkness!
If you have received this Jesus - the One who is described to us in His living Word then you belong to the Creator of all things - the One who was and who is and who will be forever your Redeemer, your Saviour and your King.
Be encouraged this day - His light is shining - He is the fountain of Life for your soul and He will cause you to know the joy of your salvation as you come to Him in and through His Word.
Hallelujah what a Saviour........!!
Ann Absolom - Desiring Truth
The Heart of Man
I was at a memorial service last evening - a celebration of someone’s life. Several people spoke about him, realistically and with love. He wasn’t, as far as I know, a believer although at the end, I do know that the gospel was spoken to him and that he closed his eyes in peace.
I was thinking as I spoke to various people there that we really only see what people show us - that their innermost being, their heart, is closed to us and so we tend to judge on appearances. Did they respond well to the gospel I spoke - did they think I was a fool, were they bored or unimpressed, did they seem to mock or treat me with disdain…..all those impressions that we take - none of which of course may be correct.
I was reminded this morning of Isaiah 55:10-11 - ‘My word never returns void’ and the thought that followed straight after - the truth, repeated throughout Scripture, that God looks at the heart and that His Spirit speaks into the heart of man.
We as believers are called only to honour our Lord, to walk worthy of our calling and to remember always the great of love of God in Christ for us. We are to trust with every ounce of our being that the foolishness of man is the very wisdom of God and that He and He alone knows exactly what a person needs to hear and when they need to hear it.
Be encouraged this day - your God is at work through you and He will bring about His purposes!
Ann Absolom
What are you wearing?
Yesterday I got on my hands and knees to sort out my cupboard under the sink, we all have them, don’t we?
I thought it must be spring, as I bleached and scrubbed and filled a bin bag with stuff that I had kept but never used.
This morning in conversation with the Lord I considered the year ahead, I am not alone in thinking this may well be a tough year for Christians and we must be preparing ourselves to remain standing in the storms ahead. Not to drop at the first backlash, that insult that stung, that rejection, that snub - they are coming!
Right now, at the head of the year, when attacks and hardships begin to crank up, we need to stand, and continue to stand clothed in the Righteousness of God.
So open up your spiritual wardrobe and see what is in there, check it out. What is hanging in there waiting to be put on, is it self, is it disobedience, are there idols of yesteryear poking their heads out of your pockets, are there dark spots on your sweaters? hmmmm?
We need to be putting on the armour of Christ according to Ephesians 6 check it out and make a few swaps to our wardrobes.
Give Him your fearful garb and put on His faithfulness.
Give Him the rags of anxious thoughts and put on His eternal promises.
Give Him the outdated drab of doubt and put on the fresh assurance of His Word.
Give Him your moth-eaten rituals and put on the mind of Christ
I needed those prompts yesterday, with the polish tin whose lid I could not open, half-empty bottles that had lost their labels, dusters that had seen better days, that little voice that said ‘c’mon get rid’!
So ask the Holy Spirit to show you those things you have hung on to that should go, get on your knees, bin bags out, such a good feeling!
Reminds me of an old hymn:
Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Chorus
Are you washed in the blood,
In the soul-cleansing blood of the Lamb?
Are your garments spotless?
Are they white as snow?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Are you walking daily by the Saviours side?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Do you rest each moment in the Crucified?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
When the Bridegroom cometh will your robes be white?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Will your soul be ready for the mansions bright
And be washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Lay aside your garments that are stained with sin,
And be washed in the blood of the Lamb;
There’s a fountain flowing for the soul unclean,
O be washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Rosie Short