No man's debtor

A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. John 3:27

Another important lesson from the wisdom of John: The kingdom owes no man a ministry!

It's not our job to make ourselves important, significant or prominent. It's certainly not a good idea to put a value on our own reputation above that of Jesus!

In our father's house there are many vessels. It's our job to see that we are faithful. Vessels of honour available for the master's purpose. But if he choses to use another vessel we need to have peace with that too.

To get into competition with our brothers on earth is to get into competition with our Brother in heaven! The path to greatness never lies that way.

[Originally posted on Facebook 16/01/18]

Come and see!

[Jesus] said to them, "Come and see." ... Philip said to him, "Come and see." John 1:39,46

Struck by the repetition of this phrase in this chapter. I have particularly been thinking about it in the context of prophetic ministry. And by that I mean the wide umbrella that covers all of God's people, not just those with a specific gift, calling or ministry.

It strikes me that the prophetic ministry of the church can be summarised in two phrases; the great invitation and the great commission: "Come and see" and then "Go and tell."

But the invitation comes first. To be those with something to say we must first be those who have drawn near with eyes open to see.

"Come and see."

[Originally posted on Facebook 15/01/18]

The unrecognised Christ

And I did not recognise him, but the one who sent me to baptise with water said to me, 'The one on whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining--this is the one who baptises with the Holy Spirit.' John 1:33 (NET)

"I did not recognise him." Think about the magnitude of this confession that John makes. John, whom Jesus describes as the greatest of the prophets who came before. John whose very ministry and calling was to point to and reveal the Lamb of God at his coming. When the time came, John admits that, at least with his natural eyes, he did not recognise Jesus!

If that was true for John, it makes me consider if at times it is not also true for us too. Like Jacob's exclamation of Bethel there can be times where "Surely the Lord was in this place and I knew it not!"

I think of the Emmaus road, where two disciples whose hearts burned within them as they saw Jesus revealed in the pages of the scriptures, were still ignorant of the fact that the Lord himself was walking beside them.

I think of the parable of the sheep and the goats, where some will say "When did we see you naked or hungry or in need of clothing?" They had met with Jesus and knew it not.

You see, I think the greatest act of discernment is not seeing Jesus in the heavens at the right hand of God where we worship him as Lord and saviour. It is not seeing Jesus in the pages of the scriptures, as exciting and heart stirring as that is. It is not even recognising the dynamic charismata in the church gathering. It doesn't take much discernment to see when the Spirit descends like fire. No, it is in the peaceful abiding anointing that rests on our everyday brothers and sisters who walk life's road beside us. When we recognise that Jesus walks beside us in the peaceful abiding anointing of the Spirit that is on our neighbour in the church. When we submit to one another out of reverence to the presence of Jesus himself. It is then that our eyes have truly been opened.

[Originally posted to Facebook 14/01/18]

The highest endorsement

So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” John 1:22

I love the wisdom of John in this passage. His ministry was challenged and he was directly asked to talk about himself. Yet he refuses to be drawn except to speak about Jesus and his greater ministry. If our ministry makes Christ better known we don't need any other endorsement!

[Originally posted to Facebook 13/01/18]

Children of the flesh and sons of God

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us... John 1:12-14a

Stuck by the symmetry in this passage as I read it this morning. This is the will of God: that he who is the son of God should become flesh so that we who were children of the flesh might become sons of God.

[Originally posted on Facebook 13/01/18]

The light in the darkness

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:5

As long as you continue to let the light of Jesus that is within you come out however you are able there is no darkness that can overcome. Even when our path leads us through the valley of the darkest shadow. When what we fear seems to cast its long shadow over our life. Even then. The Lord is with us. His rod and staff comfort us. We will fear no evil for our life is in the hands of the Good Shepherd.

[Originally posted on Facebook 12/01/18]

The Adversary and the Advocate

“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” (Luke 22:31–32 ESV)

I don't claim to fully understand the profound mystery that is at the heart of how a good and loving God can allow evil. But I have found much mileage in the courtroom image, and how to be a just and righteous judge, God, like any other judge, must allow both sides to be heard.

It is necessary for all genuine faith to be tested. And somehow, in the economy of God, Satan, our accuser, still has a role to play. Even Jesus' own faith had to be cross-examined in this way. In fact it was so necessary that we are told that Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness in order to be tempted by Satan!

The good news is we have the best advocate! Jesus himself, who ever intercedes for us. God sends his best to silence the words of the accuser and to shut the mouth of the Lion. In him the heritage of the servants of the Lord is that they will refute every tongue that accuses them.

It is important to understand that trials will come. That we will be tested. The genuine nature of our faith will be cross examined. But we have one who has stood and triumphed and who now stands before the judge on our behalf. He prays not only that we might stand as he stood. Not only that we might return in the power of the Holy Spirit as he did. But when we have stood and our faith has been proven, it might not just be for our own strength but the strengthening of our brothers. 

Like him, those who have withstood, now stand to strengthen those who still endure.

[Originally posted on Facebook 08/01/18]

Faith and Forgiveness

and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, 'I repent,' you must forgive him." The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" Luke 17:4-5 ESV

Faith is often understood as the ability to believe for some personal blessing that is to come from the Lord. Whilst this does naturally flow from the nature of God as our good and loving father, I think to see faith only as a means of obtaining personal blessings is a distortion.

The context here, where the disciples ask for more faith, is not the ability to receive but the ability to forgive. The life of faith is primarily about right relationship. Firstly right relationship with God on the basis of the forgiveness offered to us in the cross of Jesus. Then right relationship with each other on the basis that we forgive others in the same way as we have been forgiven. Neither of these can be obtained by the flesh but only by faith.

Faith is no so much about relocating mountains, but relocating the hearts of men.

[Originally posted on Facebook 03/01/18]