Category: Devotions

“Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2: 3-7

Look what has come to us!

Rich in mercy.

These words mean fully resourced and wealthy in the pity, compassion and readiness to help us in trouble.

What kind of God do you worship? An angry one? One to be feared? Does this fear make you think He punishes you and others? Is He a dormant volcano ready to explode? What you worship is what you become.

Psalm 113: 4-5 “God is higher than anything and anyone, outshining everything you can see in the skies. Who can compare with God …” He is high but he stops low.

Mercy is more than sympathy, pity and forgiveness. It is that but it rushes past and out of those expressions. It is possible to sympathise, have pity and even forgive without doing anything. Mercy needs an act for it to be mercy.

Mercy is not self-seeking or trying to win an argument or prove a point. It is not trying to gain but is in fact accompanied by losing.

Those who show mercy look weaker in our aggressive culture.  Mercy is needed today. But mercy has an enemy.

In an interview with a long-time friend, U2’s Bono, responded to the sometimes-stained reputation of the church throughout history:

“Religion can be the enemy of God. It’s often what happens when God, like Elvis, has left the building. A list of instructions where there was once conviction; dogma where once people just did it; a congregation led by a man where once they were led by the Holy Spirit. Discipline replacing discipleship”.  (Michka Assayas, Bono: In Conversation with Michka Assayas)

The enemy of mercy is performance.

Performance will never lead to true discipleship.

The church has rules. Christians have rules. Things we have learnt over the years that if we do them prove we are good.

We step into performance the moment we behave as if Christianity brings man to God.

Even that sentence may cause some of us to have to read it again as it appears correct!

But central to Christianity is the truth that it is the story of God coming to man, every other religion has it the other way round. Sadly the church sometimes follows suit. For we all like a good performance.

God stooped low and came towards us rich in mercy. He loses so we win. I am of the undeserving when I think of His mercy towards me.

Made us alive.

A person can be so selfish they are dead to the needs of others.

A person can be so insensitive they are dead to the feelings of others.

A person can be so hopeless they are dead to their destiny.

A person can be so afraid their potential is dead.

The ancient touch of Jesus has never lost its power. Your environment may be dead but God makes us alive.

When Abram took Isaac up the mountain for the sacrifice he said to his servants, “We will return.” He knew what God could do. When Abram took the knife why didn’t Isaac scream?

It was because though Isaac didn’t understand what was in his father’s hand he knew what was in his father’s heart.

In the heart of God is life, resurrection life. Though undeserving He made us alive in Him.

 

In all that we do, all that we say and all that we write, whatever the context of our life, if we have received mercy then let’s give mercy and if we have been made alive then let’s not cut people down. Let us live what we have received from Him.

Paul is writing from prison.

Under pressure. Opposed. Questioned. Yet overflowing with the riches of God.

There is more! You have more to give!

There is more. Your experience of Jesus in the past, no matter how amazing, is just a part of what can be fully experienced. There is more.

There are things in you that need to be revealed. You operate out of these beliefs, values and goals. There is a hidden DNA in you that people only see the benefit of. Reveal what is hidden. What is most important in life? How do you do what you do? Why do you say what you say? Don’t give up, don’t back down, keep going, the missions is not over, speak again!

“Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2: 3-7

The wrath and grace are part of His character. Without wrath there is no grace.

BUT.

Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, BUT the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

1 John 4:18 “There is no fear in love.  BUT perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.  The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”

Psalm 73:26 “My flesh and my heart may fail, BUT God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

I’m in prison BUT …
And what flows is a cascade of beautiful gifts and actions that God has done for us who deserved only wrath.
We undeservingly have received:

Great love.

The abundant supply of seeking the best for us. Abundant covenantal love that persistently pursues us despite what has happened.

In 1937, a man by the name of John Griffiths found a job tending one of the railroad bridges that crossed the Mississippi River. Every day he would control the gears of the bridge to allow barges and ships through.

One day John decided to allow his eight year old son Greg to help him. He and his boy packed their lunches with great excitement and high hopes for the future and went to work. The morning went quickly and at noon they headed off for lunch, down a narrow catwalk onto an observation platform about 50 feet above the Mississippi. John told his son stories about the ships as they passed by. Suddenly, they were jolted back to reality by the shrill sound of an engine’s whistle. Looking at his watch, John realised to his horror that it was 1.07pm, that the Memphis Express was due any time and that the bridge was still raised. He calmly told Greg to stay put and then ran back to the controls. Once there he looked beneath the bridge to make sure there was nothing below. As his eyes moved downwards he saw something so terrible that he froze. For there, lying on the gears, was his beloved son. Greg had tried to follow his dad but had fallen off the catwalk. Immediately, John realised the horrifying choice before him: either to lower the bridge and kill his son, or to keep the bridge raised and kill everyone on board the train. As 400 people moved closer to the bridge, John realised what he had to do. Burying his face under his arm, he plunged down the lever. The cries of his son were instantly drowned out by the noise of the bridge grinding slowly into position. John wiped the tears from his eyes as the train passed by. A conductor was collecting tickets in his usual way. A businessman was casually reading a newspaper. Ladies were drinking afternoon tea. Children were playing. Most of the passengers were engaged in idle chatter. No one saw. No one heard the cries of a heartbroken father.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son.

The Son of God became a baby though he is a king.

The Son of God took an ordinary name though he has the name above all names.

The Son of God wrapped a towel around his waist and became a servant though one day every knee will bow.

The Son of God became obedient to death on a criminals low-life cross even though he sits on an eternal throne.

Jesus compromised his position for God so loved the world …

We live in a world of hierarchy, of positions of importance and I speak of within the Church.

Those with the biggest titles have the hardest task to compromise their position in order to save and demonstrate their love.

‘Come down’ is the call of the Spirit. It is down where Jesus is.

There are no adulations and commendations in this place. This place is painful, it is sacrificial, it is very risky and you know people will talk about you. But they do not know your motives, they never know why, only a few know that you came down because you love.

We were nearly there. Salzburg, Austria was the destination. I was 14 years of age and on a school trip by train having a wonderful time. We headed through Germany and pulled into the station at Munich ready for the final leg. Not one for listening to instructions I along with a small group of students remained at the back of the train, only for that carriage to become the front in Munich. So as the other students set off in one direction we also followed for a short time but unbeknown to us there had been another engine connected to our carriage and some extra carriages added behind us and very soon we veered off into Switzerland. We didn’t realise it until we got off the train in its final destination of Zurich. The train journey to Zurich was lovely. The six students had a great time. We were laughing and looking out of the window and thoroughly enjoying our journey going in the wrong direction. Even when we got off the train and seeing the sign of Zurich because our geography was rubbish we didn’t think it wasn’t Austria. There had been no ticket inspector, no guidance along the way, just us with our joy and freedom totally unaware that we were heading in the wrong direction. The story does have a happy ending!

The Apostle Paul after a glorious exuberant burst of praise in chapter 1, now brings us crashing to the floor, only to build a new crescendo again of the beautiful work of Christ.

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Ephesians 2:1-3

It’s like Paul is reminding us of where our position was prior to meeting Jesus.

We followed a way.

All of us, not just the Gentiles, but the Jews also. All of us, not just those first generation followers, but those born into the Christian faith. All of us were dead, helpless and oblivious in the following of a way which was heading in the wrong direction. We may not have been miserable and in pain but we were heading towards it and we may have given such misery and pain to others along the way.

We lived for this world.

This present age is dead compared to the age to come. It seems a long time ago when we were deeply concerned about our oceans and plastic; the disintegration of the family; poverty and foodbanks; morals; it isn’t and these problems are still in this world as we contend with covid-19 and address racism and discrimination again because we failed to root it out.

We had someone at work in us.

There was a boundary that should not have been crossed (transgression) and a mark that should not have been missed (sin) but we all have done it. Do you know the uncomfortable feeling of walking into a room and the atmosphere was toxic? You could taste it. The corruption from governments, through the media moguls and even to abusive pulpits is stained by the ruler of the kingdom of the air, Satan. A corrupted spirit at work behind people corrupting them to be even more corrupt is our greatest enemy that leaves us helpless and dead.

Now for the important point. Paul says two important words: “you were”.

He is reminding them of what they were and not what they are now. So we need to call out loud and clear and begin in the Church because we are guilty of hypocrisy if we do not.

THIS IS NOT THE WAY. You may be enjoying yourself. But you can feel good and be going in the wrong direction. LOVE GOD LOVE OTHERS. Anything else is not the way.

THIS IS NOT THE WORLD TO COME. Why should we be concerned about how we live and we treat others? Why should we break up the foundations of our lives and the Church? Why should we deconstruct? Why should we root out all prejudice for example? It is because none of this is in the new world to come. We should live as citizens of the new world in this present one.

THIS IS NOT THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. Speaking the truth, if not done in love, is the work of a different spirit and of course so is withholding the truth to benefit. A leader recently said, “How would I describe this Church? Toxic!” I was speechless. How can a church be poisonous? Maybe some churches should not congregate post-lockdown. Everyone seems to be talking about viewing figures of our brilliant church online programmes. It has its place for sure. But let’s focus on the viewer who spotlights our lives and not our programmes.

But this isnt now. Is it?

This is what we once were.

You were.

I Was Helpless.

 

“… far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.” Ephesians 1:20-23

Paul’s experience of Christ was unlike the disciples. They shared his earthly life and witnessed his death and resurrection proving his Messiahship. For Paul it was the other way round. His transformation on the Damascus Road was His first recorded encounter of Jesus as the exalted post-resurrection, ascended Christ. What blew his mind was that the pre-existent Son of God would incarnate himself to this earth.

We also carry in our lives the exalted Christ. That is our foundation of our life.

Last night I woke up from a dream. I’m not sure what I was doing crawling underneath a house. I couldn’t do that in my house. But I was frightened underneath there. The foundation of the house wasn’t a great place to be.

Today I write to those who are in Christ, you have more than knowledge of Him. He is more than a name. He is precious to you. You have surrendered your life to Jesus. You belong to Him. He is in your life and His presence is greater than the one outside of you. God gave you a new foundation of life and that is the exalted Christ. Why be afraid?

He is far above all.

He is above every name.

All things are under His feet.

He is head over all things for us, the Church.

He fills all in all.

Now, when you are in a prison or trapped under a house for that matter, this revelation is crucial to you not only surviving but thriving.

What appears to be ruling your life today? Which Caesar has sent his minions to encamp on your territory? Has a throne been established? Has there been an authoritative positioning through sickness, financial burden, grief and hurt and stress?

No matter how powerful the seat is, God brings down such rulers from their thrones! He does it through the exalted Christ!

You may be facing many attacks today of the enemy. The powers are never far from us. They plague us and never leave us alone until we rise in the authority Christ has given us.

No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me;
From life’s first cry to final breath.
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand.

I Am Powerful

 

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know … his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead …” Ephesians 1:18-20

Now thank we all our God

With heart and hands and voices

Who wondrous things hath done

In whom His world rejoices

Who, from our mother’s arms

Hath blessed us on our way

With countless gifts of love

And still is ours today.

This hymn was written around 1636 by Martin Rinkart.

But more of that in a moment.

You may have heard the folklore surrounding Poland’s famous concert pianist and prime minister, Ignace Paderewski. Paderewski experts say the story may have been inspired by a poster during World War II that promoted a meeting in support of the Polish Relief Fund.
Paderewski is said to have organized the meeting.
The poster included a sketch of Paderewski next to a boy at the piano. Here is the story:

A mother, wishing to encourage her young son’s progress at the piano, bought tickets for a Paderewski performance. When the night arrived they found their seats near the front of the hall and eyed the majestic Steinway waiting on the stage.

Soon the mother found a friend to talk to and she being distracted didn’t notice her boy had slipped away. When 8pm arrived, the spotlights came on, the audience quietened and only then did she notice the boy on the stage sitting at the bench innocently playing Chopsticks.

His mother gasped, but before she could retrieve her son, the master appeared on the stage and quickly moved to the keyboard. “Don’t quit – keep playing,” he whispered to the boy.

Leaning over, the master reached down with his left hand and began filling in the bass part. Soon his right arm reached around the other side, encircling the child, to add a running Obbligato. Together the old master and the young novice held the crowd mesmerised.

Paul, in prison, prays that they may know His power.

At that time Gnosticism had infiltrated the Church and it still remains in some places.

A Christian Gnostic was someone who said all may believe but it’s the elite who know. It’s a lie.

An act of faith in the biblical tradition is always undertaken in an environment of knowledge and cannot be separated from it. The knowledge that God is carrying the weight of your life. It is to know the Master surrounding us and whispering in our ear daily, “Don’t give up, keep playing.” And as we do something beautiful emerges as He augments and supplements our efforts by his creative power.

The same power that reached down into the pain and emptiness of death is known by us! The Church has enough preachers who teach their church members about power and healing; power and answered prayers; power and provision; power and faith; power and blessing. All these are excellent topics. But the pews teach the pulpit more about the power of God. They know the power of God which reaches down into the pain of their prison; despite my MS; despite my deserting father; despite my emphysema; despite my cancer; despite my divorce; despite my grief; despite the Alzheimer care I continually give; despite my disappointment and sadness, I am here. And I know the power of God who reaches down into my struggle and raises me up.

Where is the power of God today? He has gone low, very low, into the evils of racism and discrimination, the disease of hatred and slavery, into the darkness where humanity is humiliated by the elite.

We experience the power of God as we become incarnate, as we get our hands dirty, and hold up the poor, the powerless, the marginalised and the weak. When we stop being silent or distracted or instead of becoming opinionated we become hidden in the graves and the prisons of the broken. Divine power is found in graves.

Let me take you back to the beautiful hymn that we all will have sung at some point in our lives.

Surely this was written in time of great blessing?

Martin Rinkart was a pastor at Eilenberg, Saxony during the 30 years war (1618-1648). Because Eilenberg was a walled city it became a severely overcrowded refuge for political and military fugitives. As a result the city suffered from disease and famine. In 1637 a new disease hit the city and 8,000 people died including Rinkarts wife. As the only surviving minister Rinkart buried 4,400 people sometimes as many as 40 or 50 funerals a day.

At that time Eilenberg was probably one of the most insignificant cities in the world.

Rinkart was there and Rinkart wrote Now thank we all our God.

Sometimes the insignificant is meaningless and painful and confusing, but it is there that God must be known and as He is then His power is experienced.

She did it first on 16^th November 1952. Charlie Brown explains to Lucy: “All you have to do is hold the ball. Then I come running and kick it.” She’s not so sure. “I don’t know if this is such a good idea.” Charlie Brown comes running, but, at the last moment, Lucy pulls back the football, explaining to the prostrate kicker: “I was afraid your shoes might be dirty, Charlie Brown. I don’t want anyone with dirty shoes kicking my new football.” He tells her: “Don’t you ever do that again! Do you want to kill me? This time, hold it tight!” She does, so tightly, he kicks a ball, which doesn’t move, and tumbles onto his back. “I held it real tight, Charlie Brown.” He laments: “I’m not going to get up. I’m going to lie here for the rest of the day.” Lucy would continue some variant of the football snatch in almost every subsequent year of the strip, all the way to 1999. The same would happen nine times in animation. Drawing the strip for the last time, Charles Schultz said that he realized, sadly, that Charlie Brown would never kick that football, but, he also thought, having him succeed would have been a disservice to the character.

Are you living with hope of kicking the ball?

Maybe you wake up today and you can describe your situation as a prison. Paul, the prisoner, encourages the saints to know hope.

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you,” Ephesians 1 v18.

This is a real, tangible, definite, guaranteed hope in Jesus. All of us need times of reawakened hope in Jesus where we begin to hear again the voice of the Spirit, “You are worth more than this! You have not been put on this earth to go under and stay under, to be overwhelmed and eaten away at the predicament you have found yourself to be in. You were created for something much better.”

Not that you should be free of problems and the many difficulties of this life, for your time on earth can have many challenges. But you are worth more than what those challenges can cause in you. You are worth more than just accepting that your life consists of isolation, rejection, defeat, disillusionment, anxiety, frustration, lack of self-wroth, loss of identity and the list goes on.

Do you need to begin again to put your hope in Jesus?

Priest and theologian, Henri Nouwen (1932-1996) said this of hope, it “expects the coming of something new. Hope looks toward that which is not yet. Hope reaches out beyond ourselves to a power beyond us. Hope is grounded in the historic Christ-event … and as a dramatic affirmation that there is light on the other side of darkness.” (in Seeds of Hope)

After quitting school early and a brief time in Europe working as a Red Cross driver taking soldiers to the frontline he returned to Kansas to become a cartoon illustrator. But he lost his job because the editor claimed he had no imagination. How wrong that was! He headed out to Hollywood and had failure after failure with his ideas. Universal stole his ‘Oswald the Lucky Rabbit’ idea and MGM rejected his talking mouse and his ‘Three Little Pigs’ never saw the light of day. But he kept going. Half the audience walked out of his ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’; ‘Pinocchio’ was a financial disaster; in fact all the classic films that I grew up on and which broke record after record at the Oscars and which billions of people have now watched was only possible because one failed man held on to hope. Of course the man is Walt Disney (1901-1966); the Walt Disney Company is estimated now at around $130 billion.

February 1st 1975, a famous prisoner, Nelson Mandela (who spent 27 years in prison) wrote to his wife Winnie, “You may find it difficult at first to pinpoint the negative features in your life, but the 10th attempt may yield rich rewards. Never forget that a saint is a sinner who keeps on trying. … No ax is sharp enough to cut the soul of a sinner who keeps on trying, one armed with the hope that he will rise and win in the end.”

Hope is more than optimism. There may not be any hopeful aspects of a situation which optimism clings to. But hope is found not in a situation but in a Saviour.

Hope is more than being positive. There may be no moving forward, no direction and no increase. But hope is found not in progress but in a Person.

In his book ‘Deserted by God?’, Sinclair Ferguson shares the following story:
“The first physician to die of the AIDS virus in the UK was a young Christian. He had contracted it while doing medical research in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. In the last days of his life, his power of communication failed. He struggled with increasing difficulty to express his thoughts to his wife. On one occasion she simply could not understand his message. He wrote on a note pad the letter J. She ran through her medical dictionary, saying various words beginning with J. None was right. Then she said, “Jesus?”
That was the right word. He was with them. That was all either of them needed to know.

Hope has a name and that name is Jesus.

 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. Ephesians 1:17

 

It’s more than knowledge and intellectual growth. You can’t say you received it because you previously achieved something.

It is a gift.

It is to know the right decision at the right time.

It is to know how to live in this next chapter of your life which may have suddenly changed or you may have chosen it.

It is to know how to do life the way your Creator wants.

There have been moments when I made the wrong decision. There are times when I have done the opposite of what I have searched for. I don’t know why. But God brought good out of the bad and I regained my footing and sought after wisdom so that it looks like it was meant to be.

When I held my child for the first time, ‘Give me wisdom’.

As I began new places of work, “Give me wisdom”.

Approaching difficult meetings, “Give me wisdom”.

When people have come into my life and when people have had to walk away from me, “Give me wisdom”.

In the seasons of loss and sadness, with tears of grief preventing me seeing the promises in the Bible, “Give me wisdom”.

The more you experience wisdom the more you long for it. So 40 years on from learning the prayer it is still the greatest thing I pray for, “Give me wisdom”.

A little while ago I wrote this prayer to God. I hope it helps someone …

 

Within me lies the potential to know you more. Outside of me lies the potential for a new illumination in my life.

I need to know your ways. I need to know what is from you and what is from man. I need to know the counterfeit. I need discernment.

I desire wisdom in dealing with people. In my listening and in my speaking I need to not fail. I don’t search for wisdom of my mind only, I do need to grow there in my intellect. But this is a wisdom of my spirit that I seek.

There are days when I walk with what seems to be a flickering candle. Today I ask for more than a candle. I ask for divine beams of revelation so that I may know you more in all that I do. Lead me from the shallow end where the deep calls to deep. Let my words become far more significant. Words are just words. Yet words that are illuminated, that come from the place of wisdom and revelation carry so much more weight. I want my spirit, soul, mind and strength to be in my words. I want my words to move people.

Break me so that I no longer love the dark or the candle. Break into me so that the shekinah fills every part of me. I seek no idolatrous God-shaped substitutes. I seek the glory of Yourself that cuts and burns and melts and removes all strange fire within me. I was made for your glory and your glory I desire.

So I draw near to the light, to the illumination, to You.

Amen

Ephesians 1: 15-16 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.”

For this reason: for what Christ has done, what the Spirit is doing and what is ahead of us and also for what I am hearing of you …

Paul carried appreciation for these people in his heart and it soon spills out after the first 14 verses of praise.

You are called by God for people. Its others before you. It is putting people ahead of you. Serving others, reaching others, others all the time, every time. It is never about us. Never, never entertain the thought ‘Well what about me? What about what I want? How I feel?’ for they are destructive thoughts. The prison wants you to have those thoughts for they will take you into an inner prison that is hard to get out of. How do I know that is true?  Is it a doctrine given in the Bible? No, it is a letter sent from a prison.

It is incredible that someone in a prison can be not only thinking of others but writing to them to thank them for their lives. Of course, Paul is not thinking, “Okay today I shall write part of the Bible.” Nor when the people read or hear the letter do they stop and understand that this is Scripture. This is a personal letter revealing a man’s appreciation for people he loved.

But here is the point. We can learn a lot from doctrine (and Paul gives his fair share on this). We live in a world of accessibility to teaching and opinion, it is all around us. However never forget the impact of seeing someone express their appreciation for others or having a glimpse into another’s prayer life of thankfulness, especially when it comes from a difficult place. Your expressed thankfulness can turn out to be the greatest doctrine. There are times when your doctrine needs to be seen and not heard.

Value people, be genuine and influence them to keep going by thanking them for where they have been. Specifics are hugely important. Being thankful generally isn’t good enough. For what are you thankful? “Your faith and your love” that is what Paul thanks them for. He was there in the beginning as the church first started and now he has heard a report of how they were doing. Can you imagine how they felt when they heard that Paul had not stopped praying for them? This was not some random sporadic prayer. They were on his daily prayer list. Who’s on your list?

Make sure you send them a text, an email or a letter, a zoom or a FaceTime call to tell them.

We come to the end of this explosive and exuberant praise from Paul who is sat in a Roman prison as he writes to the saints in Ephesus.

Ephesians 1:13-14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you 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 God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.”

He clearly is not thinking about the constraints of the prison but his mind has been on the Exodus and the redemption of the Jews which is now overshadowed by the story of Christ’s blood, the mystery of God, that we can now see will “bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ” v10.

The Promised Land, our inheritance, is not some far-away place where we leave the earth behind to rot or burn up. Rather it is ‘Heaven on Earth’ not created by some man-made utopian experience, but by His plan. God is bringing Heaven to Earth.

So why is this exciting? Apart from the fact that it is; you and I get to be in that united inheritance.

I am marked, branded, sealed by the Spirit. Why?

The Spirit is our guarantee.

During this virus many of us have had the experience of missing out on our holiday destinations or concerts, theatre bookings, parties etc. For those with deposits then we know the experience will still be there (unless we get the deposit back) for the deposit is our guarantee. The assurance that we make the inheritance is the presence of God within us, the Holy Spirit. He is speaking to us continually saying, “You’re going to make it, I will be there and I am in you, so you’re going to make it.”

The Spirit will take us there.

Just as the cloud led by day and the fire  by night, the Spirit leads us through this wilderness into our inheritance, the wonderful new Heaven-Earth world. That leading involves the protection of our souls, revelation of our mind, the inspiration for our spirit, it is to make us more like Christ. “So our faces are not covered. They show the bright glory of the Lord, as the Lord’s Spirit makes us more and more like our glorious Lord.” 2 Corinthians 3:18

The Spirit witnesses to us.

A deposit is an experience in itself. Clearly it is not the full experience that will come, but this gives a taste, a glimpse, the certain hope that we will soon experience everything. So is the Holy Spirit in our lives a taste of what is to come. That is because the Holy Spirit, the presence of God, is already there ahead of us, He is in the new world, but He has come to us to take us there. In doing so He continually speaks to us about what we should stand up for or withdraw from simply because it doesn’t belong to the culture of the new Heaven-Earth order. So we love our neighbour as ourselves, we are kind and considerate, we are not rude or self-seeking; we stand against injustice, racism and hatred of all kinds. Those involved in it won’t make it out of the wilderness.

The Holy Spirit guarantees us and takes us, witnessing to us of the new Heaven-Earth order. Which John saw in his Revelation, “He will wipe all tears from their eyes, and there will be no more death, suffering, crying, or pain. These things of the past are gone forever.” (21:4)

We will be there because the Spirit got us there through the powerful blood of Jesus.

In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. Ephesians 1 v11-12

 

I’m in this prison but He is working it out, the prison is in His plan.

I’m in regret, how could I have been so stupid, I ate from the tree but the tree was in His plan.

I’m drowning and it has gotten worse for I’ve been swallowed by the fish but the fish is in His plan.

I’m on the cross, put there by Herod, Pilate or the Religious leaders, but the cross is in His plan.

I’m in the grip of an enemy, Satan intends to harm me but God intends it for good, for that grip is in His hand, it is in His plan.

I’m in a confused, criss-crossed, messy reality but turn the cross-stitch the right way round and it is a tapestry of grace for the working out is in His plan.

I’m in a pandemic but when disaster comes to a city has not the Lord caused it, for the pandemic is in His plan.

Today there are estimates of 20 Christian martyrs per hour. How do they go through this? Is there someone reading this who is going through the trauma of their worst day? God doesn’t always give us what we want. But He is certainly the God who determines what is best. He has perfect timing, who appoints everything. He permits, assigns, chooses, selects, prescribes and establishes. Everything works according to His will and purposes which are perfect. It takes faith and discipleship to be able to say this abomination is in His plan.

I Am In His Plan