How BIG is your God?

Do you see God as being big enough to deal with your trials?

Are your trials too big for God?

Are your trials too small for God?

How BIG is your God? 

In Genesis chapters 1 and 2 we read of the creation of the world. God created everything by a word and Ex Nihilo - out of nothing. 

Day One: Light was created and light and darkness were divided

Day Two: Firmament (sky) was created and separated from the earth

Day Three: Waters and Land divided and plants created - Land, seas and plants

Day Four: Sun, moon and stars

Day Five: Sea creatures, and birds
Day Six: Every other animal and insects plus humanity
Day Seven: God rested

In six days God created everything we see, not billions, millions, hundreds of thousands of years but six days. 

How BIG is your God?

All throughout Scripture we see divine miracles occurring: 

An elderly lady giving birth to a son, the parting of the Red Sea, the plagues in Egypt, the sun standing still, widow with the flour and oil, axe head floating, turning water into wine, healing people, raising the dead, dying and rising again...

People disbelieve these miracles including so called Christians, but I'll ask again 

How BIG is your God?

God created the world in six days, when He is all powerful, He could have created it in one day, but the six days represent work and the seventh day is resting from our labours - God set out a pattern for us to follow. 

He is ALL powerful that every miracle which has ever happened demonstrates God's eternal power and glory. 

The WHOLE Universe sits in the palm of God's hand - THAT is how big God is! 

How BIG is your God?

He is ALL eternal - He has no beginning and He has no end, although He does call Himself the Alpha and the Omega; the Beginning and the End - because He started time and space and He will end time and space. The beginning and end of time is in His hand.

He is ALL knowing - it doesn't matter how many degrees and doctorates a human has, God will know infinitely more than humans could ever dream of knowing. He gave us the laws of physics, He gave us the chemical elements, He gave us the microscopic amoebas and other miniscule micro-organisms. He gave us Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide - trees emit Oxygen but take in Carbon Dioxide (which we breathe out) - God's design for the world! The bee going into a flower to drink the nectar with the pollen on its tiny body - pollinating the flowers so they produce seeds for more flowers and plants. This is no accident, this is because of God's design for the world. Even the insects we find disgusting have a purpose - flies and the like, clear away the dead and rotting carcasses. Did this suddenly happen by accident? NO, they are God's design to keep the world clean. The world, without humans ruining it works perfectly to sustain life and keep it going from generation to generation.

How BIG is your God?

When we have trials on our life's journey, do we realise that God cares about us enough to help us with them, help us in them. God has never promised to take away those trials BUT He has promised to be with us in them (Isaiah 43:2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. - God doesn't say He will take the trials away, but He says that He will be with you in them)

How BIG is your God?

From birth we have a sin nature within us (babies don't understand sin, but that's another discussion to have) and as we get older that sin seems to manifest itself more and more. Basically sin is rebellion against God - He created us to have a relationship with Him, but because of our rebellious hearts we rebel against Him. In and of ourselves we would never want a relationship with Him, so God in His tender mercies sent His only Son to live the perfect life in obedience to Him and then go to the cross to take the punishment we deserve to have a people for Himself. The day He rose from the dead, our debt was paid in full and death was defeated. 

This great and awesome God, came to earth in the form of a man for the salvation of a people. This God who cannot look upon sin because He is holy and righteous, went to the cross to become sin (He was sinless, but all our sins were laid on Him). The wrath of God was burned up on Him, instead of us, and our sins were drowned in His blood. Now we come to our heavenly Father through His Son. 

How B I G is your God?

 

Psalm 117

This Psalm, although short, starts with a call for all people to praise God and ends with a call to praise God

Praise the Lord all you gentiles - this Psalm speaks of all people praising the Lord, not just Israel. In the Authorised Version (AV/KJV) the word 'gentile' is translated: nations - God's plan was always to include non Jews into His Kingdom. 

We are reminded of John 3:16

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

God's love ultimately, is for the whole of humanity - the apex of His creation. 

Laud Him, all you peoples - to 'laud' is to give praise. Why must we Laud (praise) Him? 

'For His merciful kindness is great towards us.' God is merciful towards all people. He is merciful towards sinners, none of us deserve anything let alone God's mercy, yet He provides us with such a bountiful of good things in the physical world - air to breathe, water to drink, food to eat, family, friends etc. When we are saved He also provides in the spiritual world. He gives us a new heart, a new perspective, eternal life, He is preparing a place for us in glory, we have an assurance of being with Him forever in heaven, He blesses us with spiritual and physical blessings. 

His truth endures forever - He never fails and He never falters. Humanity may say that truth is fluid, but that's like building your house on the sand - God's truth is eternal, solid, unchanging and firm, it can be relied upon totally. God is all truth. 

Jesus Christ said to Thomas in John 14:6: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) are truth. It is who they are. His truth is eternal and endures forever - we can trust in it, believe in it and have faith in it. 

Because His mercy and truth never fail and are eternal, all it leaves for us to do is Praise the Lord!

As we go through our lives, let us do that, acknowledging who He is, His provision and what He has done for us!

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Casting all your cares on Him

 1 Peter 5:5-11

Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for

 “God resists the proud,

But gives grace to the humble.”

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

The Christian walk is one of humility, with many battles, we feel our weakness, we are still plagued by sin, but in all this we can humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God... Casting ALL of our cares upon Him! 

Sometimes events in life overcome us: problems at home, problems in work, problems in the wider family, problems with friends, sickness, financial trials, issues within our churches, whatever they are we can bundle them up and hand them to the Lord. 

There is an issue in my life at the moment and it's taken me so long to realise I can't handle it so everyday I have to say "Lord take it, only You can deal with the issue plus my sinful thoughts and desires which go with it!" We HAVE to hand everything over to the Lord to gain His peace! I can't change the hearts and minds of people, but God is so mighty that He can! 

Let us learn or continue to practice, taking everything which trouble us and handing it over to the Lord daily so that we may find peace in knowing He is the only One who can change our situations, change our hearts, change the hearts of others. 

Resist the devil when he convinces us we can do it on our own or that God isn't interested in us. God is more than interested, He loves us with an everlasting and eternal love! He loves us so much He sent His Son to be nailed to a cross and die for us, of course He's interested in His children! 

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Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever.

Who is my Shepherd? 

The LORD - Jehovah, the Existing One. He cares for His people, He tends His precious flock. In Isaiah 40:11 it says:

He will feed His flock like a shepherd;
He will gather the lambs with His arm,
And carry them in His bosom,
And gently lead those who are with young.

He provides His sheep with everything they need. Food and water, safety, compassion, guidance etc. He isn't a harsh Shepherd, He will gently lead those who are with young - young = baby Christians, newly converted and in need of guidance from their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ! He gave His life for His sheep. John 10:14,15

I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.

He knows His sheep and His sheep know Him. No harm will come to His sheep and no sheep will ever want for anything. The Good Shepherd, leads His sheep into green  pastures - a place of peace, calm, tranquillity and sustenance. Our souls rest in Him because He is our peace, He is our calm. He leads His sheep by the still waters, calm waters not tempestuous seas. If chaos rages around us, it isn't there because Jesus put us there - no, His leading and guiding takes us from a place of storm to a habour of calm. He anchors us in His love! 

Our souls may be filled with sin and torment, but He restores them and He leads us into the paths of righteousness. Without peace, calm, tranquillity, guidance, righteousness we are in spiritual turmoil, our hearts aren't right with our Shepherd, but don't despair, He takes us again in His arms, He leads us again into those green pastures by still waters. Why does He do this? For His name's sake. He has promised never to leave us nor forsake us. He is with us to the end of time. 

This Psalm switches to the peace and tranquillity of green pastures and still waters to the valley of the shadow of death, but even in these circumstances - not necessarily literal death, but sometimes our trials and tribulations can feel so black, it's like death has come upon us. The coldness of our souls at times, the sins which over take us - Jesus Christ is LIFE and the opposite of these cold and dark times in our lives, and the opposite of life is death! Even when our sins, trials and tribulations feel like they are swallowing us up in confusion, fear, anxiety, depression etc we mustn't fear those times, because Christ, our Shepherd is with us.

The Lord's rod - this was used by a shepherd to protect the sheep from wild animals, it symbolises strength and protection. The staff was used to guide the sheep and speaks of the Lord's guidance. So often we wander from the path, but the Lord, if we are His, brings us back onto the path and if we seek His guidance He will give it to us! It's good to have boundaries because they offer protection and the Lord gives His own people boundaries on how to live their lives to come under His protection and care. Sometimes we kick against these, but they are there to protect us from harm, from guilt, from pain, from anguish. God's commands are to comfort and keep us safe. 

Psalm 91:1,2 says

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust.”  

If we abide in Him, if we allow the Lord to lead and guide us into green pastures, by still waters. If He restores our souls then we dwell in the secret place of the Most High and we learn to trust in Him in all things. 

The Lord loves His sheep so much - the animals may be set to pounce, devour and overcome us, but He provides so much for us. A table laden with spiritual fruit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control and pure living water - the Shepherd Himself. 

John 4:14

“…but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” 

There are accounts of starving prisoners of war, who have their tables laden with spiritual food - they were filled with the fruit of spirit, even in the midst of their enemies' vileness. The Lord has anointed them as His messengers in such dark and unholy places, yet they have stuck to serving Him, worshipping Him. The Hebrew word in the original for 'anointed' can mean to make or grow fat - even in adversity many of the Lord's people have grown fat spiritually (in a good way). Sometimes we can be spiritually lean, but only when we feed on God's word can we grow as Christians. There is an abundance here with the cup running over. The cup of the Lord's blessings and care runs over - it doesn't stop running over because those blessings never ever end. In the Christian life there is an abundance of all the Lord gives - He isn't miserly or mean - He gives grace, faith, blessings, life, love etc abundantly out of His never ending storehouse in glory! 

After reading this Psalm, no wonder David could conclude:

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever.

When we have a generous Shepherd giving His own life for His sheep, giving out of the abundance of the storehouses of grace in heaven - the only conclusion we can draw from this IS that goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. Not only that BUT I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Being in Christ doesn't just mean all of these things end when we die, but they continue in even more abundance in heaven where we shall be forever with the Lord. 

Revelation 22:1-5 give us a glimpse of what we can look forward to if we are in Christ:

And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him.  They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.

What a glorious future we have if belong to the Shepherd!

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Why Jesus?

Why does Christianity claim to be the ONLY way to God? Surely if people do good things they will get into heaven, but if they do bad things they go to hell? 

What is good though? We set the standard by our own works, but God sets HIS standard by the 10 Commandments in Exodus 20:1-17. Heaven is HIS home after all! 

The Ten Commandments: 

1 You shall have no other gods before Me.
2 You shall not make for yourself a carved image
3 You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain
4 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy
5 Honour your father and your mother
6 You shall not murder
7 You shall not commit adultery
8 You shall not steal
9 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour
10 You shall not covet

Picture this:

A beautiful house with a perfectly white, pure, clean interior. The walls are white, the carpet is the richest, most expensive one and is white. The sofa, the chairs, the tables, the ceilings - everything pure and perfectly clean, no spec of dust, no dirt just purity. Light shining brilliantly in every room. 
One day a bedraggled man and woman come across the house and want to stay there. They are covered from head to toe in muck and dirt. From the top of their heads down to their shoeless feet - it's caked on. They go up to the door and knock on it. A person answers the door - dressed in the purest and whitest of clothes. They ask if they can stay in the house as their journey is long, but the owner of the house says "I'm so sorry, you are covered in dirt and muck and my house is clean and pure, you have to be clean to stay here!"
The man and woman go away and try to clean themselves up, but the more they try to clean themselves up, the dirtier they become because the things they use to clean themselves are also dirty and caked with muck and filth. 
They go back to the house and tell the owner that they can't clean themselves up - everything they are using is making them all the more dirty. So the owner says to them:
"Do you see that fountain, if you go and dip yourself in it, you will become clean and will be able to enter into this house!" So the man and woman go to the fountain but it's filled with blood. They refuse to dip themselves in it, at first, but then after a while the man says - this is the only way into the house, they both climb into the fountain and instantly all the dirt and muck is washed away and they come out pure and clean. 
They go back to the house and the owner sees what has happened - they have been washed as white as snow, so the owner gives them new clothes and allows them into his house. 

What does this mean? 

The house is a picture of heaven, it's pure, sinless, nothing bad or evil dwells in it. The man and woman are a picture of our hearts, tainted by sin. Their long journey is a picture of our life. The fountain represents the blood of Christ, shed for us on the cross.  Everything we do whether good (from a human stand point) or bad is tainted by sin. I'm not saying don't help people, but our motives for doing so are tainted! The new garments represent Christ's righteousness.
Sin separates us from God. It needs to be dealt with to gain us entry into heaven and because every good thing we do is tainted by it, we can't do anything ourselves. 
God gave us the moral law in the form of the 10 Commandments and if we break one, we break them all because we HAVE TO keep each and every one perfectly for our whole life on earth. None of us can say we have kept every one perfectly so we have a dilemma, which God has solved through Jesus Christ. 

Romans 6:23 tells us For the wages of sin is death - God pays us with physical and spiritual death for our sins, but the verse carries on but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life. Completely obeying God and fulfilling His commandments perfectly - no errors at all! There is still the issue of death though! Jesus went to the cross as a perfect sacrifice - He died so that any who come through Him will have everlasting life, because when we stand before God, Jesus is like our defence attorney in a court of law, but instead of maybe getting us off - His sacrifice is a guarantee that we will be pardoned, because He paid the debt on our behalf. The hymnist Philip Paul Bliss (1838-76) wrote these words which sum it up perfectly: 

Bearing shame and scoffing rude,
in my place condemned He stood;
Sealed my pardon with His blood:
Hallelujah! What a Saviour! 

The ONLY way to God is His way - after all heaven is His dwelling place so He has set the rules on how to get there. Jesus Christ said, in John 14:6 "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

If you're trying to get to God by your own means, your own self sufficiency you won't get there. If you obey God and come through Jesus Christ, you will obtain eternal life through Him and spend eternity in heaven, a place of purity, holiness and sinfulness!

Rending the Veil Part 2: The Woman with the Issue of Blood

 Mark 5:25-34

Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”

Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?”

But His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ ”

And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”

Jesus had just healed a demon possessed man, before this incident with this woman. He had been asked to leave the area (Gadarenes) so He took a boat and crossed over the other side of Galilee to Capernaum. Many people had gathered to Jesus to see Him. One of the rulers of the Synagogue came to Jesus and fell at His feet and 'begged Him earnestly' to come and heal his daughter who was dying. Jesus and the multitude of people went with Jairus  and it's on the way to Jairus's house that Jesus encountered the woman with the issue of blood. We're not told anything else about the woman other than she had had a flow of blood for 12 years. 

Under Levitical Law the woman was unclean. Leviticus 15: 25-27

‘If a woman has a discharge of blood for many days, other than at the time of her customary impurity, or if it runs beyond her usual time of impurity, all the days of her unclean discharge shall be as the days of her customary impurity. She shall be unclean. Every bed on which she lies all the days of her discharge shall be to her as the bed of her impurity; and whatever she sits on shall be unclean, as the uncleanness of her impurity. Whoever touches those things shall be unclean; he shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.'

For twelve years the woman would have been ceremonially and socially unclean and anybody who touched her would have become unclean and would have had to have gone through ritual cleansing as prescribed in the Law. Everything she touched or she sat on, laid upon would have also become unclean and those who sat or lay in the same place would have become unclean. More than likely she would have been ostracised by society and she wouldn't have been able to go to the Temple or local Synagogue to worship the Lord. She probably would have been weak because of anaemia and other complications. We don't know her marital status. Maybe some friends brought her food and left it outside her door or perhaps she had to forage for food, but this is conjecture as we don't know, but basically she was a sad sight.  

She was so desperate she suffered at the hands of the physicians who had taken her money and had actually made her worse. What an awful state the woman was in. 

Somehow she had heard about Jesus, and He was in her area that day - the Man who could heal people. She had nothing to lose, because she had lost so much already: her dignity, freedom, permission to worship God in the Temple or local Synagogue, money, so she pressed her way through the crowds.

She came behind Jesus and reaching out 'anonymously', she touched the hem of His garment - saying something truly amazing: "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well." She had such faith, she knew she only had to touch Jesus' garments and she would be healed. As soon as her fingers touched the garment, the flow of blood she had had for twelve years dried up, and 'she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.' We cannot imagine the relief she must have felt, but wait, that is not the end of the account. 

I wonder if she had hoped to sneak away quietly, but Jesus felt power going out of Himself so He turned around in the crowd and asked "Who touched My clothes?" He knew who had touched Him but this is where her story of restoration begins and there was a lesson for the crowd also. 

The woman was in fear and she trembled because she had been shunned by society because of her uncleanness and as we saw in part 1 women weren't looked favourably upon so to venture out in such an unclean state, would more than likely have been frowned upon. She fell before Jesus, an act of reverence, respect and worship. 

Restoration for the woman:

• As we saw in the Levitical Law, this woman had been unclean for twelve years, we don't know if she had family, if she was married or not but by Jesus bringing this woman into the open, the whole of society could see she had become clean again and could enter back into it.
• From the above, she had spent all of her money on quack physicians so was poor, but now she could be restored back into her family and her circle of friends, who could help her. If she was married her marriage could be restored and her husband could provide for her again. 
• Jairus was there, the leader of the Synagogue - he could see that she was now free from the condition which ailed her for twelve years, so she could go back into the place of worship to bow down to the God who had healed her. 
• Because of her faith, the Prince of Peace tells her to go in peace. He also restores her to Himself, by calling her 'daughter' - she is the only person in the New Testament whom Jesus calls anyone with such endearment. 

Lessons:
  

• This was also another lesson for Jairus, because if Jesus Christ could heal a woman by her just touching His garment, then He Himself was more than able to heal his daughter, or as we find out later on, raise her from the dead.
• The disciples had seen Jesus perform other miracles, but they still didn't fully understand who Jesus was. They learned that day that faith in Jesus Christ can and does heal. The act of reaching out and touching the garment didn't save the woman, as Jesus clearly states "Daughter, your faith has made you well." Her faith made her well.  This was a lesson for the crowd and us as well. 
• If we want to be spiritually healed, then the only place we can come is to the Saviour He is THE only One who can heal us from our sin and restore us to the relationship we were created to have with our Creator. 
• The woman came to Jesus because she couldn't make herself clean. That's the same for us. Jesus came to live the perfect life we could not and die the death we deserve. You come only to Jesus, not doing anything, just come to Him and Him alone as you are.

1 John 1:9 

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

Rending the Veil Part 1: Women and Freedom in Christ

In the days when Jesus walked on the earth there was animosity towards women - they weren't treated as equals. 

I was reading a couple of quotes written by rabbis during that time period and they didn't look favourably upon women. In the Talmud, Rabbi Judah ben Elai (c. AD150) 

'A man is bound to say the following three blessings daily: "[Blessed art thou...] who hast not made me a heathen", "...who hast not made me a woman"; "...and who has not made me a brutish man"'

It was common thought that women were incapable of learning about religious things, some rabbis forbade them to be instructed in religious affairs. 

Women were looked upon as second class citizens, but when Jesus came to earth, He turned that thinking upside down. He treated women with the dignity and respect they were created to receive.  

I will be writing a series about women encountering Jesus and how He turned their lives and the thinking of others on their heads as they showed society what God intended for women, not how men misinterpreted the role of women. 

Firstly we have to go back to Genesis with the creation of woman. 

Genesis 2:18-22

And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him. And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.

Matthew Henry in his famous commentary has something beautiful to say about the creation of woman (I'd recommend reading the whole exposition of the creation of woman): 

That the woman was made of a rib out of the side of Adam; not made out of his head to rule over him, nor out of his feet to be trampled upon by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected, and near his heart to be beloved. Adam lost a rib, and without any diminution to his strength or comeliness (for, doubtless, the flesh was closed without a scar); but in lieu thereof he had a help meet for him, which abundantly made up his loss: what God takes away from his people he will, one way or other, restore with advantage. In this (as in many other things) Adam was a figure of him that was to come; for out of the side of Christ, the second Adam, his spouse the church was formed, when he slept the sleep, the deep sleep, of death upon the cross, in order to which his side was opened, and there came out blood and water, blood to purchase his church and water to purify it to himself.

Woman is to be a help meet to man - someone equal but with different roles. Woman wasn't created to be inferior to man, but to stand alongside him, making him complete. Matthew Henry's commentary again:

If man is the head, she is the crown, a crown to her husband, the crown of the visible creation. The man was dust refined, but the woman was dust double-refined, one remove further from the earth.

Unfortunately after the fall of humanity, God's plan for humanity became skewed, throughout the ages women have been treated like second-class citizens, used and abused. These days it seems that women are now wanting the same roles as men. Men are the bad guys, women are the victims etc but this isn't how God intended our relationships to be with one another. Misogyny, misandry, feminism and chauvinism aren't what God intended for humanity.  Jesus Christ came to fix broken relationships, show us how we should treat one another as God intended. 

I'm calling the series:

Rending the Veil: Women Encountering Jesus. 

Father, forgive THEM

These are famous words which Jesus spoke as He hung on the cross, but have you ever wondered who the 'them' were? Let's look at some Scriptures of events leading up to His crucifixion. 

RELIGIOUS LEADERS OF THE DAY

Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people assembled at the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, and plotted to take Jesus by trickery and kill Him. But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people.”

Matthew 26:3-5

When morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people plotted against Jesus to put Him to death. And when they had bound Him, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate the governor.

Matthew 27:1,2

The people above were the religious leaders of the day. Those who supposedly knew the Old Testament Scriptures inside out, which told them that the Messiah would come and be a sacrifice (Number 21:9;John 3:14; Psalm 22; Isaiah 53) yet they wanted to kill Jesus - this Man who had showed them up, by pointing out their hypocrisy and their sinful hearts, calling them 'white washed sepulchres (Matthew 23:27). More than likely they were at the cross watching the spectacle. 

PETER, ONE OF THE DISCIPLES 

Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”

Matthew 26:34

Now Peter sat outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came to him, saying, “You also were with Jesus of Galilee.” But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are saying.” And when he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, “This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth.” But again he denied with an oath, “I do not know the Man!” And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, “Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you.” Then he began to curse and swear, saying, “I do not know the Man!” Immediately a rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” So he went out and wept bitterly.

Matthew 26:69-75

Peter, the disciple who was fiercely loyal, who declared Jesus as being THE Christ (Matthew 16:16), who said he would never deny Christ (Matthew 26:35), did deny Christ 3 times, but Jesus forgave him and after His resurrection, Peter was called to spread the message of the gospel - he was fearless in doing that, to the point where tradition has it that he too was crucified. 

THOSE WHO HELD JESUS - RELIGIOUS LEADERS, ROMANS

Now the men who held Jesus mocked Him and beat Him. And having blindfolded Him, they struck Him on the face and asked Him, saying, “Prophesy! Who is the one who struck You?” And many other things they blasphemously spoke against Him.

Luke 22:63-65

So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him. And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe. Then they said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they struck Him with their hands.

John 19:1-3

Then the soldiers led Him away into the hall called Praetorium, and they called together the whole garrison.  And they clothed Him with purple; and they twisted a crown of thorns, put it on His head, and began to salute Him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” Then they struck Him on the head with a reed and spat on Him; and bowing the knee, they worshiped Him. And when they had mocked Him, they took the purple off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him.

Mark 15:16-20

These people went all out to hurt and humiliate Jesus. They slapped Him, mocked Him spat on Him, beat Him

FALSE WITNESSES BROUGHT TO TESTIFY AGAINST JESUS

Now the chief priests and all the council sought testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none. For many bore false witness against Him, but their testimonies did not agree.

Then some rose up and bore false witness against Him, saying, “We heard Him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.’ ” But not even then did their testimony agree.

Mark 14:55-59

THE CROWD - ORDINARY PEOPLE

But the chief priests stirred up the crowd, so that he should rather release Barabbas to them. Pilate answered and said to them again, “What then do you want me to do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?”
So they cried out again, “Crucify Him!”
Then Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has He done?”
But they cried out all the more, “Crucify Him!”
So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified.

Mark 15:11-15

The ordinary people who had gathered had been stirred up by the religious leaders - I have read in the past, that they may have been paid to be against Christ. We don't know who the people were, but more than likely they had probably heard Jesus preach, seen His miracles, been those who cheered when Christ entered Jerusalem on a donkey, lay palm leaves on the ground and shouted Hosanna!

All of the people above, from the religious leaders, the Roman governors, soldiers and even the disciples played their part in the arrest. The so called witnesses were liars who had probably been paid by the religious leaders. YET Jesus could look down as He hung in agony (apparently crucifixion was a slow and very painful death) and pray to His Father for forgiveness. Not forgiveness for 'nice' people, but for people who were Jesus's enemies, turncoats, traitors. NOBODY is too much of a sinner to come to the cross and ask for Jesus to turn their lives around, to give them a new heart, to have His light shine into their souls and make them ALIVE in Him! 

Until I became a Christian, I know in my heart that I would have been with the crowd shouting "Crucify Him!" because Jesus and His message is an offense to those who are perishing, we don't like to be told we are sinners BUT only Jesus can change us (Yes, we remain sinners, but sin no longer has dominion in our hearts) because He lived the perfect life we could not and died the death we deserve!

Before I became a Christian - I was one of 'them'! 

Dynamic faith

The other day I was pondering on the Christian faith and I was excited to think that it is dynamic and living! 

When somebody accepts the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour, something wonderful happens - they are raised from spiritual deadness into everlasting life through Jesus Christ. Not only are they raised from spiritual deadness, but their spiritual eyes are opened and they receive new and dynamic sight, not only into the present hope, but into a future hope of glory. Their perspective broadens. 

The Holy Spirit enters their souls and they become a temple of the Holy Spirit. In the Old Testament God dwelt in the tabernacle (first of all) and then the temple. Only the High Priest could enter into the Holy of Holies, once a year, to offer atonement for the sins of Israel. God's Shekinah glory was in the Holy of Holies, but during Christ's crucifixion, the veil into the Holy of Holies was ripped from top to bottom because it was no longer needed. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to dwell in every redeemed believer! Now every believer can gain entry into the very courts of heaven and bring their prayers and petitions to God their Father because of Christ's finished work and because they have God dwelling within them.  

1 Corinthians 6:19,20 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God  in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.

John 14:15-18,26 If you love Me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever - the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans, I will come to you. 
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. 

Hebrews 4:14-16 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens,  Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathise with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. 

Every believer is brought out of spiritual darkness into a glorious spiritual light! 

Matthew 5:14a You are the light of the world...

Ephesians 5:8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord...

1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. 

Christmas - symbols

Reading people's opinions about Christmas - it was originally a pagan festival hijacked by Christians, but could each symbol be seen in the light of Christ's incarnation?

Tree - and it can remind us that Jesus came to die on a 'tree' for our sins. 
Each branch could be a picture of the church, with Christ being the trunk (vine) and His people, the branches.
Red baubles could be symbolic of His blood, 
Gold for His kingship, 
Purple for royalty too, 
Silver for the price paid at Calvary. 
Green is a peaceful colour so could remind us that He is the Prince of Peace, 
Blue, the colour of the heavens, where He resides! 
Star on top, symbolises the star from the east or even the Bright and Morning Star*!

Ok maybe it might be spiritualising it somewhat, but it doesn't have to be pagan!  

*Jesus is called the Bright and Morning Star so maybe the star the wise men followed, was visible during the day and that's what made it unusual! 

Revelation 22:16 “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.”

There is forgiveness at the Cross

When we see pictures of the cross, obviously it's empty (well, most of the time it is, and should be because Jesus has risen and has ascended to the right hand of His Father)

We see a sanitised picture. Even the paintings of old, can't really convey what went on, that day. We can't really imagine what it was like, we can't feel the physical pain and torment, we definitely can't know what spiritual torment Christ went through!

This isn't sanitised, this is what I think of when I think of my Saviour dying for me!

He was friendless - all of His disciples fled. Peter tagged along, but only out of curiosity. Three times He denied the One he had once declared as being the Christ:

Matthew 16:13-16 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”

So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Matthew 26:69-75  Now Peter sat outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came to him, saying, “You also were with Jesus of Galilee.” But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are saying.” And when he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, “This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth.” But again he denied with an oath, “I do not know the Man!” And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, “Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you.” Then he began to curse and swear, saying, “I do not know the Man!” Immediately a rooster crowed.  And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” So he went out and wept bitterly.

Jesus was given a trial, where the 'witnesses' lied about Him or twisted the truth. He was bounced back and forth to Pilate and the Sanhedrin. He was proclaimed 'guilty' of trumped up charges. He remained silent because, although He hadn't sinned, He would soon be bearing the guilt and sins of His people! 

He was whipped, scourged - the whips used were more than likely fastened with hooks so that every lashing would rip out chunks of flesh, He had His beard torn out - this wasn't a slight pulling, it would have been ripped from his face, He was naked, He had a crown of thorns rammed onto His head, He was mocked, His kingship was mocked, the blood and pain would have been weakening and that was before He hung on the cross. They made Him walk, with all His injuries, originally with the cross He would be hung upon. The heat would have been draining alone, without having all those wounds. No doubt blood from those wounds would have dripped on the floor where He walked. Before being crucified, the people called for a real criminal to be released - Christ was alone and friendless, but soon an even worse aloneness would be felt!

As He got to Golgotha (the place of the Skull) - it looks like a skull and with the executions going on there, it was aptly named! Huge, thick iron nails would have torn into His flesh, tearing the nerves and tendons - the pain would have been indescribable! He was hoisted up, all His body weight on His arms, pulling His shoulders out of their sockets, dislocating them. The heat of the sun (before the sky went dark) would have been horrendous, heat stroke, sweat, congealing blood, festering wounds, muscle cramps, ALL of the body's nerves shooting messages of pain, to His brain, His lungs filling with fluid, water building up around His heart, dehydration - the Water of Life, being dehydrated. Still people mocked Him, Pilate had a mocking sign hung above His head. Hunger - the Bread of Life is hungry. Perhaps sickness set in, bodily functions kicking in (we don't like to think about this). Soldiers gambling for His clothes. He hung there naked and uncovered, in shame and humility. He thought of His mother (how she must have suffered, but not in the same way as Christ, her Son did). YET in all this horror, He could still look down and say 

Luke 23:34 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”

FORGIVE THEM? FORGIVE those who did all that to You, Lord? Yes, for the way of the Christian is by the example of the Saviour, we forgive as He once forgave us!
This is my view on this: I believe Jesus was looking into the future too and asking His Father to forgive ALL of His people - the ones He chose before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4a).

His death was so horrific - our sins deserved that punishment or even worse punishment (could there be anything worse? Yes - hell. An eternity without love, joy, peace, blessing etc). He took it ALL, every last one of the sins of His people were laid to His account!

ANYBODY can come to Him, including those we deem unworthy (because we were unworthy - that's why He suffered so much)! Even those we find distasteful in life - murderers, thieves, paedos, slanderers, liars, adulterers, fornicators, terrorists, abusers, mockers etc - ANYBODY who turns to Christ and asks for forgiveness and repents of their sins - repentance is a turning away from the past life and seeking to live for Christ. It's more than a glib sorry! 

Fire on Earth

The other day I was pondering the fact that the world is totally and utterly opposed to the things of the Church. There should be no compromise or appeasement with the world even though that may mean persecution and maybe death! 

I thought about Shadrach, Mishach and Abed-Nego in the fiery furnace - they were opposed to the world and they were cast in very hot fire. A true Church should be opposed to the world - no compromise, no appeasement, just standing firm on the rock! Even if the world casts the first stone (they are good at judging the Church), we stand firm. No compromise, no appeasement. 

The Church has been in the middle of the furnace throughout the generations - the fire has burned stronger at times, than other times, but still the battle rages on around us!

I began to think about being in the furnace on earth - I would rather be in the furnace on earth for a short time, than to spend eternity in hell with no escape! There is a way in, but no way out! The thought is horrific. To experience God's wrath and damnation forever - UGH, no thanks!

For the world there is no fire - they stoke the fires with their persecution of the Church. They can sue, burn (literally), murder, destroy but they will never be able to take away the fact that the Church is saved and protected. 

"Vengeance is Mine!" says the Lord and His Church will one day be vindicated!

Take heart believer - you are eternally safe. It may be dangerous on earth now, but none can snatch you out of His hand!

Women in the Bible

I've heard feminists say that the Bible is anti-women! Well they obviously haven't read it because:

Old Testament:

Sarah embraced motherhood at the age of 90
Naomi loved God with all her heart 
Ruth went back to Israel with Naomi despite being a pagan
Rahab hid the spies so that God's enemies wouldn't kill the Israelites
Hannah prayed for a child and was willing to give him back to the Lord in thankfulness
Abigail placated David after her husband stropped and threw a temper tantrum
Esther risked her life to save God's people from the wrath of Artaxerxes (the king)

New Testament:

Mary (the mother of Jesus) had a deeper faith than her cousin's husband
Elizabeth (Mary's cousin) embraced late motherhood

All the women Jesus had time for, to heal them, speak to them, save them:

Samaritan woman at the well
Woman with the issue of blood
Syro-phoenician woman
Jairus' daughter
Mary Magdalene
The widow of Nain
The widow in the temple with her mite (small amount of money)
Peter's mother in law was healed

I'm sure there must be more!

Paul (feminists would say is a misogynist - they obviously haven't read the rabbinical attitude towards women in those days) was gracious to women

Lydia, Julia, Synthyche, Euodia and many others he greeted in his epistles!

Unfortunately people believe anything they are told without examining the evidence!