But at the beginning of creation God made them male and female. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh.

Mark 10.6-8 NIV

The heading given in the NIV Bible for verses 1-12 of Mark chapter 10 is “Divorce”. In this context could it be that, at least, part of the problem is a lack of understanding of what is meant by “becoming one flesh”.

Is our understanding of these words related entirely to the act of physical/sexual union? No doubt this is part of the meaning and a very important part seeing how “God made them male and female” and “God richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment” 1 Tim.6.17. This union is also essential to the continuation of the human race.

But that is not all! When we take a look at Ephesians 5.21-33 we see that Paul directs our thoughts and, therefore, our actions in a more direct and spiritual application. Paul tells us that love is necessary for a true union and that that love has an objective in that it should be as intense as “Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” Ephesians 5.25. Space here does not allow us to list all the ways that Christ demonstrated his love for the church but one particularly comes to mind – Matthew 11.29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls (and peace and fulfilment in being one flesh – words in italics are mine).

I close with a quotation taken from a declaration which is sometimes used at the beginning of a marriage service. “It was instituted for the lifelong companionship and devotion of husband and wife, for the mutual fulfilment and satisfaction of their natural affections, for the procreation of children and their Godly upbringing, and for the stability of society to which regard for the sanctity and discipline of marriage makes an essential contribution. “The Reformed Book of Common Order”.

May God bless you and keep you.

Roy

And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him. And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.” And he answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.” And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”
They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know, for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.” But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.

(Mark 9:14-32 ESV)

Immediately following the scene of the transfiguration up on the mountain top we are taken straight to what is going on below -  a scene of arguing and of confusion.  The 9 remaining disciples have just failed to cast out a demon from a boy and are arguing with the scribes surrounded by a crowd.  The disciples had previously cast out demons as they had gone on their way but something this time was different. They might well have been thinking “We’ve done this before, we can do it again” – in an almost mechanical way of operating as we can often do with things that are familiar.

In this is where they went wrong, instead of depending on Jesus and calling on his name they were trying to do this in their own strength and putting their faith in what had happened previously rather than in Jesus.  This is why Jesus calls them faithless and tells them it is only through prayer that the demon can be cast out.

Do you trust in your experience instead of asking Jesus for help?  Looking ahead over this week, how much of what is coming have you asked Jesus to walk with you and help you in?

Maybe you’ve found yourself at the point the disciples were at, having tried things your own way in your own strength and failed or things haven’t gone the way you expected.  So what now? We need to be like the father in the passage – the one person who admits his weakness, saying to Jesus “I believe; help my unbelief!” – We need to acknowledge our weakness and our need for Jesus to help us.

What area of your life do you find yourself doubting Jesus involvement in or thinking he can’t do anything about?  Do you have unwelcome sin that you keep coming back to that you wonder why you can’t get free from it?

Let’s take all these things to Jesus in prayer, confessing them to him now, admitting our weakness, seeking his help and inviting him to return to take the helm as Lord of every part of our lives.

Other helpful resources on this topic:

The Secret of Failure preached by C.H. Spurgeon on 1 Mar 1896

Did you forget you’re saved? by Tullian Tchividjian at The Resurgence

3 Steps to shrink spiritually by Matt Johnson at The Resurgence

Mark 9:1-32

9:1 And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.”

The Transfiguration

2 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, 3 and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one [1] on earth could bleach them. 4 And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. 5 And Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, [2] it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 6 For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified.7 And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; [3] listen to him.” 8 And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only.

9 And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead might mean. 11 And they asked him, “Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” 12 And he said to them, “Elijah does come first to restore all things. And how is it written of the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt? 13 But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him.”

Jesus Heals a Boy with an Unclean Spirit

14 And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. 15 And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him. 16 And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” 17 And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. 18 And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.” 19 And he answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.”20 And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. 21 And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22 And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 23 And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out [4] and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” 25 And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” 26 And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. 28 And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” 29 And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.” [5]

Jesus Again Foretells Death, Resurrection

30 They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know, 31 for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.” 32 But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.

Exodus 34:33-35

33 And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face.

34 Whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he would remove the veil, until he came out. And when he came out and told the people of Israel what he was commanded, 35 the people of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face was shining. And Moses would put the veil over his face again, until he went in to speak with him. (ESV)

Footnotes

[1] 9:3 Greek no cloth refiner
[2] 9:5 Rabbi means my teacher, or my master
[3] 9:7 Or my Son, my (or the) Beloved
[4] 9:24 Some manuscripts add with tears
[5] 9:29 Some manuscripts add and fasting

Do you believe everything that is told to you wholeheartedly? Do you doubt or are unsure whether to believe something that is told to you? Let’s admit it, we all have doubts about one thing or another, whether it be an answer to a question that you’ve asked or if somebody is keeping something from you.

We come to Jesus healing a boy with an unclean spirit. His father explains that the boy suffers from an evil spirit that ‘makes him mute’ (v17) and ‘throws him into fire and water’ (v22). The man asks the disciples to heal the boy as in an earlier chapter of Mark (Mark ch6), he gave them ‘authority over impure spirits’ (Mark 6v7) but they are unable to.

When Jesus is told this, he says “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.” He is saying that they have not enough faith. Jesus healed the boy and when the disciples ask why they could not heal the boy, he says “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.” (v29).

“The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me. Thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.”
Psalm 138:8.

I HAVE SELECTED THIS TEXT, or, rather, it has been given to me to furnish a motto for the whole year to all the believing family of God When I opened my envelope I found this text, and it charmed me. It contains in itself the very essence of the grace of God. It reads like music to the soul, and is like a bottle of water in the desert to the thirsty lip. Let me read it again, and remember it, and dwell upon it, and digest it during all the year. “The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me. Thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.”
In the opening, I must remark that this is not the heritage of all mankind. The word, “me,” in the text, cannot be appropriated by any man, unless he, in some respects, resembles the character of David, who penned this psalm. The text, however, itself, is its own guard. If you look at it, you will see that there is in its bowels a full description of a true Christian. I will ask you three questions suggested by the words themselves, and according to your answer to these three questions, shall be my reply, yes or no, as to whether this promise belongs to you.
To begin, let us read the first sentence–”The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me.” Now, have you a concern in and a concern about heavenly things? Have you ever felt that eternity concerns you more than time; that the mansions of heaven are more worthy your consideration than the dwelling-places of earth? Have you felt that you ought to have a greater concern about your immortal soul than about your perishing body? Remember, if you are living the life of the butterfly, the life of the present, a sportive and flowery life, without making any preparation or taking any thought for a future world, this promise is not yours. If the things of God do not concern you, then God will not perfect them for you. You must have in your own soul a concern about these things, and afterwards you must have a belief in your heart that you have an interest in heavenly things, or otherwise it would be a perversion of Holy Scripture for you to appropriate these precious things to yourselves. Can we then, each of us put our hand upon our heart and say, without stammering, which suggests a hypocrite–can we say honestly, as in the sight of God; “I am concerned about the things of God, of Christ, of salvation, of eternity!
Another question is suggested by the second clause, “Thy mercy, O Lord, endureth forever.” Have we then tasted of God’s mercy? Have you and I gone to the throne of grace conscious of our lost estate? Have we made confession of our sins? Have we looked to the blood of Jesus; and do we know that the mercy of God has been manifested to us? Have we breathed the dying thief’s petition, and have we had the gracious answer of Jesus. We must first taste God’s mercy and, having tasted that, we may believe that he will perfect that which concerneth us.
A third question, and I beseech you put these questions to your heart, lest you should be misled, by any comfortable words that I shall hereafter speak, into the foul delusion, that this promise signifies yourself, when it does not. The last question is suggested by the prayer, “Forsake not the works of thine own hands.” Have you then a religion which is the work of God’s hands? Oh! beloved, except a man be born again, or from above, as the original has it, he cannot see the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh and cannot enter heaven; only that which is born of the Spirit is spirit, and is, therefore, capable of inheriting a spiritual inheritance, which God reserves for spiritual men. Let each hearer, then, pause and put these three questions to himself,–Am I concerned about religion? Have I tasted the mercy of God? Is my religion God’s work? They are solemn questions; answer them! and if ye can even humbly say “Yes,” then come ye to this text, for the joy and comfort of it is yours.
We have three things here. First, the believer’s confidence,–”The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me.” Secondly, the ground of that confidence,–”Thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever;” and thirdly, the result and outgrowth of his confidence expressed in the prayer,–”Forsake not the works of thine own hands.”

Read the whole of the sermon at
C. H. Spurgeon Sermons no.231

25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, 28 he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,

29 “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,
according to your word;
30 for my eyes have seen your salvation
31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and for glory to your people Israel.”

33 And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed 35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.” Luke 2:25-35 (ESV)

He’s an unsettlingly faithful God.

His actions are riven through with faithfulness – it just seeps through them like brandy through a Christmas pudding. God affirms his faithfulness to Abraham, to Israel, to the world. He keeps faith with the prophets and seers whose lives spanned the intervening years. His promises are kept without fail, from the cosmos changing, life saving plan to redeem, restore and renew a world and a people mired in the slurry of sin, all the way to an old man who’s been promised he’ll see Jesus born before he dies.

But he’s also unsettling. Jesus was “appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel.” The status quo is broken – and he is not interested in preserving it. There’s stuff that he’s done, and stuff that he’s doing – and there’ll be stuff to look forward to that we won’t look forward to.

But even as we brace ourselves for the invigorating, divinely driven change, we should remember that it’s just what God is doing.

Faithful is who he is.

25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, 28 he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,

29 “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,
according to your word;
30 for my eyes have seen your salvation
31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and for glory to your people Israel.”

33 And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed 35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.” Luke 2:25-35 (ESV)

He’s an unsettlingly faithful God.

His actions are riven through with faithfulness – it just seeps through them like brandy through a Christmas pudding. God affirms his faithfulness to Abraham, to Israel, to the world. He keeps faith with the prophets and seers whose lives spanned the intervening years. His promises are kept without fail, from the cosmos changing, life saving plan to redeem, restore and renew a world and a people mired in the slurry of sin, all the way to an old man who’s been promised he’ll see Jesus born before he dies.

But he’s also unsettling. Jesus was “appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel.” The status quo is broken – and he is not interested in preserving it. There’s stuff that he’s done, and stuff that he’s doing – and there’ll be stuff to look forward to that we won’t look forward to.

But even as we brace ourselves for the invigorating, divinely driven change, we should remember that it’s just what God is doing.

Faithful is who he is.

Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying,
“Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).

When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.
(Matthew 1:18-25, ESV)

Imagine this – you’re Joseph are betrothed to marry your fiancé Mary when you discover that she is pregnant, and it’s not your baby. How would you have reacted?

Joseph is compassionate towards her and not wanting her to be subject to shame and possibly death by stoning decides to quietly divorce her, but God intervenes sending an angel to him in a dream. The angel reassures Joseph and explains to him that this baby is from God and is the one who will save his people from their sins, and that he is to give him the name Jesus (meaning God saves) to show this.

Matthew notes that this is to fulfill that which was promised many years ago through Isaiah – that a son would be born to a virgin – a son who would be God with us.  God made man, come down to live life amongst his people, just as they’d been longing for.

I wonder how much of this Joseph understood at the time, or whether this was seen retrospectively as it was passed on. The angel had given Joseph enough for immediately on waking he puts his trust in God’s plan and obeys the command given to him through the angel.

Will you, like Joseph, trust and obey God when he calls you to stand by him?

Joseph was faced with the age old choice between appearing righteous and shunning Mary or being righteous and taking her as his wife.

What do you do when faced with these choices? Are you ready to make a stand for Jesus against the prevailing culture when you don’t know what will happen?

Joseph standing at her side, baby not from him
Still he takes her as his bride, faithful to the God of dreams;
Oh I wonder could he know,
How this was gonna go
’cause a promise made is a promise kept,
redemption comes,
comes as God wrapped in flesh

(from Cradle to the Cross by Nathan Tasker  – video – download)

3:1 “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. 2 But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord.  4 Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.
5 “Then I will draw near to you for judgement. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.

Malachi 3:1-5

I have a kind of love-hate relationship with Christmas.  There’s a lot to enjoy, but there’s also the sense of grief; of looking around and seeing a friend’s legacy and name dishonoured.  The pagan worship of materialism, but with the Jesus® brand spray-painted across the temple walls.  Just enough religious tinsel to give it an illusion of depth, and everything done up so very … nicely.

But the coming of our Lord is not nice.

He does not come to lend his name or stamp “approved by Jesus” on whatever we happen to be doing.  He comes with an agenda – and agenda which will either be the best news you’ve ever heard, or the worst.  Exceeding the ferocious intensity of a refining fire, or the cleansing power of the abrasive chemicals used to clean the accumulated grease and dirt from wool, he comes to transform and reclaim.  And if we’re sick of the merry-go-round of sin, then we will welcome this with open arms.

But for those who profit from the oppression and injustice – and there are plenty – this is bad news.  For those people who have no respect for God, or his opinion, their only hope has become their worst nightmare – because he doesn’t come to validate us, he comes to fix us.  He doesn’t come to consult us on the way forward – he comes with the only plan that has a chance of working – and must judge those who oppose it.  Those who’d rather continue trying to manipulate “the gods”, being unfaithful, lying, being racist or ungodly will meet not with salvation, but with judgement.

As Christmas approaches, and we remind ourselves of God who came in humble flesh and will return in glory, we do well to remember the words of the hymn:

“Jesus is Lord!”—a shout of joy, a cry of anguish,
As He returns, and ev’ry knee bows low.
Then ev’ry eye and ev’ry heart will see His glory,
The Judge of all will take His children home.

Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down,
that the mountains might quake at your presence—
as when fire kindles brushwood
and the fire causes water to boil—
to make your name known to your adversaries,
and that the nations might tremble at your presence!
3 When you did awesome things that we did not look for,
you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence.
4 From of old no one has heard
or perceived by the ear,
no eye has seen a God besides you,
who acts for those who wait for him.
You meet him who joyfully works righteousness,
those who remember you in your ways.
Behold, you were angry, and we sinned;
in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved?

(Isaiah 64:1-5, ESV)

It’s nearly Christmas!!!! Presents, too much food and a lot of family gatherings/meetings that only happen once a year….great!

In the passage, the people were hoping that God would come down to see them – longing as it says in the title and meet with them. In verse 4 it says ‘From of old no one has heard
or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him.’ This is the people praising God for what he does for them now but verse 5 talks about how God was angry with them and the people admitting they had sinned and were still sinning as they ask:

‘Shall we be saved?’

Over Christmas, it’s a great chance to invite your friends and family who are not christians (and those that are…obviously! ) to the carol service or the family service or the christmas day service as everybody in the world and our community are not saved and christmas is a great time to invite and reflect on what God has done for us.

Merry Christmas!

The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

(Genesis 12:1-3 NIV)

As we begin our series for Advent it may seem strange to start with Abraham but here is the reason why! Somewhere around 4000 years ago God made him a promise that he would be the beginning, on earth, for the process of bringing blessing to all families.

After the episode of the Tower of Babel (Gn.11) there were many nations scattered all over the earth. It was God’s plan to have a people for Himself who would live under His law and make His glory known throughout the world.

So God chose to reveal Himself to Abraham and spoke to him the words at the top of our devotional. God is not mean with His blessings and it was, and mercifully still is, His desire that all should partake and not only the Jews.

Some two thousand years later Jesus Christ was born and in Mt. 1.2 we see that his family line starts with, you have guessed it, Abraham! That all nations should be blessed according to the promise to Abraham is emphasised by Jesus when he says in Jn.10.16: “I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen/flock. I must bring them also.” The “flock” refers to Israel and the “other sheep” is the Gentile church.

The promise to Abraham was all the more wonderful when we consider his situation as described in Hb. 11.11-12: “By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. There from one man, and him as good as dead, ere born descendents as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.* Is it not interesting that the birth of Isaac came about by a miracle of God as did the virgin birth of Jesus.

*Note: this translation differs from that of the NIV in common use and is from The English Standard Version. If you wish to compare with other versions you will find that this translation is the same as that in the KJV, RSV, and NLT. The 2011 revision of the NIV has Hb.11-12 translated virtually the same as the other versions.

“For thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them with good pasture, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land. There they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on rich pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel. I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord GOD. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice.

“As for you, my flock, thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and male goats. Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the rest of your pasture; and to drink of clear water, that you must muddy the rest of the water with your feet? And must my sheep eat what you have trodden with your feet, and drink what you have muddied with your feet?

“Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD to them: Behold, I, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. Because you push with side and shoulder, and thrust at all the weak with your horns, till you have scattered them abroad, I will rescue my flock; they shall no longer be a prey. And I will judge between sheep and sheep. And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I, the LORD, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them. I am the LORD; I have spoken.

(Ezekiel 34:11-24, ESV)

The Compassionate Shepherd

This passage follows on from God’s word of judgement against the shepherds/leaders of Israel coming to Ezekiel. This comes from a time during the exile to Babylon, after the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC. The Israelites were well and truly scattered among the nations, and those who had been supposed to care for them had been benefiting at the cost of those in their charge. To this God declares that he himself will be a shepherd to his people, that he will seek out the sheep from among them and restore them, giving them peace and provision.

The Just Shepherd

In the midst of these verses, God turns his attention to injustice within the flock, and calls judgement on those who through selfish greed are squandering and maltreating the others. It’s easy to see this as just being sheep and that’s how animals are, but we need to remember that here the sheep are an image of God’s people. How are you treating your brothers and sisters in Christ? Are you guilty of this selfishness?

The good shepherd

As we reach the end of the passage, we see another description of the shepherd God will provide – this time speaking of David as the shepherd, which following on so closely from the other would initially seem to contradict the earlier references to God himself as shepherd. For us looking back in light of Jesus coming we can see that he fulfils both sides of this shepherd: the divine – in being God himself; and the human in the line of David. In John 10:11 we see Jesus directly relate himself to these prophecies:

I am the good shepherd, The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labour pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

(1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 ESV)

Few things brighten up my week like the prospect of a day, or just an afternoon, playing uncle. The prospect of spending time goo-ing at my niece or dismantling the sofa with my nephew. It’s always fun – variety is a given with a child who hasn’t yet developed an attention span – with everything from building toy railways or throwing cushions round the the floor to searching youtube for nursery rhymes.

But along with the joy of uncle hood, there is the responsibility of childcare. There is the need to be constantly vigilant and watchful – alert to potential dangers and actively seeking to avoid them.

Paul writes to Christians in Thessalonica to remind them that along with the joy of knowing Christ, and of being a child of God, comes a responsibility to live with our eyes open. To be ready; to be in our right minds. To go with God, rather than to go with the flow.

Why? He offers two reasons: firstly, Jesus isn’t going to pre-announce his return in the local paper. He will come suddenly, unexpectedly and decisively – and we should be ready. When the contractions start, the last thing a woman wants to be doing is climbing into the loft to find a bag and then working out what she should be bringing to the hospital. Wisdom packs the bag before it’s needed so it’s ready to grab and go at a moment’s notice. Now is the time to ensure we’re right with God.

But secondly, Paul reminds us that, as Christians, we belong to “the day” and not the night. We are citizens of the Kingdom of Light. The quality of our lives should be consistent with the nature of our call. As those destined for salvation through Jesus, we should live as the saved.

How? The key phrase is: “Jesus Christ … died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him.” In this mysterious exchange, where our old nature died with Christ, Christ’s death and resurrection becomes the power source for our transformed lives. It’s not that he “died for us so that we must” – it’s that he “died for us so that we can.”

So keep going – because, in Christ, you can.

O my people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter hidden things, things from of old— what we have heard and known, what our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done. He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our forefathers to teach their children, so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands.

(Psalm 78, NIV)

For me a little of the joy of Sunday mornings has gone! Why? Well, because I loved to see the children crossing the platform as they went out to Ark. Great to see their enthusiasm, great to see such a good number of all the ages especially when many churches hardly have any children at all. As a fellowship we are truly blessed with the number of children who come each Sunday morning but also those with whom we have contact during the week.

Asaph must have felt a real burden for the children as this Psalm so clearly shows. In his heart of hearts Asaph is questioning what we are talking about with our children and when I say ours I mean not just the children of our own family. We so easily talk about what their/our favourite football/rugby team has done. Formula 1 and Moto GP are great subjects to talk to youngsters about but Asaph wants us to talk to the children about God their heavenly Father and Jesus Christ his Son and our Saviour.

Often it is thought that the teaching of children and their nurture in the faith is the responsibility of Dave and his great team of helpers but that is only part of what is necessary. We all have a part to play – praying, helping in the Ark or one of the clubs, saying “hallo” to a child as they come in, asking them what they have learnt in the Ark. Show them you care – Jesus did:-

He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.

(Mark 10:14-16, NIV)

Let them know that you care about them for the everyday things of life. Include one or more of the children on your prayer list. Ask them how they ae doing at school etc. etc.
Remember, welcoming one of the youngsters will bring you closer to Jesus. Maybe that is what is needed in your life and a little child will put you on the right road. Mark 9.36-37 NIV.

¹ God, defend me.
Argue my case against those who don’t follow you.
Save me from liars and those who do evil.
² God, you are my strength.
Why have you rejected me?
Why am I sad
and troubled by my enemies?
³ Send me your light and truth
to guide me.
Let them lead me to your holy mountain,
to where you live.
⁴ Then I will go to the altar of God,
to God who is my joy and happiness.
I will praise you with a harp,
God, my God.
⁵ Why am I so sad?
Why am I so upset?
I should put my hope in God
and keep praising him,
my Savior and my God.

(Psalm 43, NCV).

This Psalm is talking about asking God to protect. It uses words like ‘defend’ and ‘save’. It seems that in the early part of the chapter that God has forgotten the writer and the writer asks ‘why have you rejected me?’ and then explaining how sad this is to him. Have you ever felt like this sometimes when things don’t go your way, when you’re poked fun at for being a Christian or just having a bad day? However, at the end of the Psalm, the writer says ‘I should put my hope in God and keep praising him, my Saviour and my God.’ (Psalm 43v5). This is the most important part of the Psalm, as even though it may seem that God is ignoring our prayers or isn’t with us, he always is and always will be.

Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgement,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
for the LORD knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.
(Psalm 1, ESV)

What is it that fills your mind when there’s nothing particularly going on, in moments of quietness or when you’re on your own?  The things you’re working on; the conversations you’ve had recently; the latest jingle you heard on the TV or radio; what you’re having for dinner or Jesus’ words?

Here we see described a man who finds his delight in the law of the Lord who meditates on it day and night. The Psalmist says it’s like the abundant water available to a tree planted by a stream, producing fruit and not being so worn and wearied by it’s environment.

If we spend our time with Jesus, meditating on his word as we go about day to day we’ll see our thirst quenched by his living water and know a life filled with fruitfulness that doesn’t get pulled down by situations and circumstances.  For in Jesus we have everything we could possibly need so lets try and align our minds to him, so that it’s his voice we hear through the business and in the quiet.

Moses said to the LORD, “See, you say to me, ‘Bring up this people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favour in my sight.’ Now therefore, if I have found favour in your sight, please show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favour in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people.” And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” And he said to him, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. For how shall it be known that I have found favour in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?”

And the LORD said to Moses, “This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favour in my sight, and I know you by name.” Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The LORD.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” And the LORD said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.”

(Exodus 33:12-23 ESV)

Shoes – check. Wallet – check. Keys – check. Mobile – check.

What do you check before leaving home? What makes your journey pointless unless you bring it with you?

When he was about 3, my brother heard that my dad was about to make a train journey. With all the solemnity of a toddler, he looked up at his father and said: “I warn you, you will need a tissok.” (Ticket being a word he had not yet learnt to pronounce properly).

Moses was faced with one of those dilemmas: after the people rebel, God gets Moses and makes him an offer. God’ll still give them the promised land – he’ll kick out the current inhabitants – but the people of Israel will go in on their own.

And it’s a tempting offer: Moses will stay as boss, he’ll have victory assured and he won’t have to enforce any of God’s less popular laws. He’ll have success and a reputation beyond his wildest dreams.

But Moses response displays why his heart found favour in God’s sight: “If your presence does not go with me, do not bring us up from here.” The only thing that makes us special is the presence of God – take that away and the journey is worthless.

It’s the same today:if you’re a Christian, the thing that sets you apart, that makes you special, is that you have been born again by the Spirit of God. You go with his presence; with his power in you. Do so deliberately and consciously – and treasure God’s presence. Never leave home without it.

¹ When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.”
² Aaron answered them, “Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.” ³ So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. ⁴ He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, “These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” ⁵ When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, “Tomorrow there will be a festival to the LORD.” ⁶ So the next day the people rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings. Afterward they sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry. ⁷ Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt. ⁸ They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. They have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and have said, ‘These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.’⁹ “I have seen these people,” the LORD said to Moses, “and they are a stiff-necked people. ¹⁰ Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation.”¹¹ But Moses sought the favor of the LORD his God. “LORD,” he said, “why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? ¹² Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth’? Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people. ¹³Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.’” ¹⁴ Then the LORD relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.

What do we worship? Or should that be who do we worship? The latest new artist, your favourite football team, your computer, a clothes brand, it can go on and on.

In the above passage, Moses has gone up the mountain to speak to God and Aaron is left in charge of the people during their journey out of Egypt. They were getting restless and impatient as humans do and demanded that Aaron, Moses’ brother make them Gods that would lead them.

The Israelites were still living under the Egyptian culture of worshipping things like idols, rivers, the sun and the moon. They worshipped things that they could see and the Israelites continued to live this way even though they had been led out of slavery by God. 

However, the greatest failure in this passage was Aaron, Moses’ brother who saw God do all the miracles and was spokesman for Moses. Aaron didn’t seem to bat an eyelid when the people asked him to make them Gods for the Israelites to worship. He bowed to the pressure and went along with the making of the Gods for the people.

As you go through this week, think about how you worship God and instead of playing a game on the Computer or looking for the next big thing on iTunes, maybe read your bible, pray to God and worship him.

God bless,

Chris.

1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.
3 There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.
4 Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.
14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

(Psalm 19 vv.1-4; 14, NIV)

Ever thought of how we like to keep up to date? We read the paper or iPad, listen to the news steam radio or iPod – no limit on getting information these days. Where would we be without wifi? Sometimes, usually when we feel we need contact most the device packs up or there is no signal.

Have you felt that communication with God has been erratic these days, no signal? Take notice of the first four verses of Psalm 19! God is making Himself known 24 hours a day in every part of the world. Take a look upwards and see how God is telling of His greatness, His sovereignty, His beauty especially when the rainbow appears after the rain.

And as you give thanks to God for speaking to you in this way give thought to your own speech. Verse 14 is often used by preachers as they begin their sermons. If not spoken aloud it should be the desire of their hearts. But the words are not just for preachers! As we start this new working week, this nw day let us make a promise that our words will be pleasing to God – truthful and such as e would use in the presence of the Almighty. Remember the promises of His constant presence with us and His Holy Spririt within us and speak accordingly.

As an old preacher wrote: “May I engage in nothing in which I cannot implore your blessing and in which I cannot invite your inspection” to which I would add “May I say nothing that I would not want you to hear”.

Have a GOD day!

Roy

All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?” But the people thirsted there for water, and the people grumbled against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” So Moses cried to the Lord, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready ato stone me.” And the Lord said to Moses, “Pass on before the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your hand the staff with bwhich you struck the Nile, and go. Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.” And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, and because they tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

Exodus 17:1-7 (ESV)

The Israelites again doubted God’s provision for them – questioning if he’d sent them out in the desert to die. Their faith is swayed very quickly by the situation they are in and by how they are feeling (thirsty!).

It can be easy to think how foolish this appears and how obvious it should have been to them that God would provide, as they had seen him do previously time and again. After they’d been led from Egypt, miraculously escaped from the Egyptian army through the midst of the sea and how God had provided for them with the sweet water and manna from heaven.

We’re no different ourselves though – after everything Jesus has done for us and we see him doing around us, it should be obvious to us how much he loves us and will provide for us, but often our faith is affected by how things are going. How easily swayed are you? Do you start to doubt God when things are going wrong or he doesn’t seem to be answering your prayers? Do you ever ask yourself, Is the Lord among us or not?

Do you find yourself not wanting to trust God entirely for the situation you are facing? Is fear of the situation at hand distracting you from Jesus and his promise to always be with us?