'Filled, so that i can See'

31.1.08

 

S – Acts 7:55

 

‘But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit looked up to Heaven and saw the Glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God’

 

O – The preceding verses always impress me with the amazing account and application Stephen gives to the Sanhedrin. Each historical account he gives is full of relevance in his recounting of God’s dealing with them and their forefathers. His recounting no doubt was by the operation of the Holy Spirit. Yet the powerful evidence of the Holy Spirits’ presence and filling was the powerful vision he saw and what commanded his focus and understanding. He looks and sees into Heaven by revelation, sees also the Glory of God and sees Jesus standing at the right hand of the father. This sight and focus seems to be what Holy Spirit wanted him to see and be drawn to and not what was happening or about to happen around him in the physical circumstances.

 

A – This is the focus and revelation Holy Spirit wants me to have in my life. It is the purpose of why I am filled with the Spirit. To have my eyes opened and enlightened to see the awesome Glory of God, to focus on the Heavenly dimension and to see Jesus in His present status and authority standing at the right hand of God. This is the vision that Jesus always meant for me and all his disciples to have. I know there can be many secondary activities and focuses that I can look for in what Holy Spirit may be doing. All of them are important and powerful, but I often then focus on the happenings or non happenings, the activities or even the manifestations. What Stephen saw and focused on is what Holy Spirit will always draw me to; Heaven, God’s Power and Jesus as the exalted King.

 

P – Lord I thank you for the Power of Holy Spirit in my life. I know to the degree that I allow him to fill me will determine what I see and focus on. Help me see what Stephen saw, help me to have the right and present picture of who Jesus is today in y heart.

30/01/08- Lyal

Blog for 30 /1 / 2008   Lyal Bognuda

 

Scripture: Acts 6:10   “Ask for Wisdom as well as Holy Spirit !”

“but they could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke.”

 

Observation:

Stephen was chosen by the Twelve apostles to initially care for the widows of the Greek-speaking believers as a result of their complaints. Seven men were chosen for this work in the church, appropriately anointed and appointed by the laying on of hands. They were commisioned for their new responsibility, Spiritual gifts imparted to each to minister into wide regions of the church; encouraging reports of miracles, signs and wonders were received. Stephen ministered in such great wisdom that the synagogue members were unable to match his wisdom because the Spirit was so powerful in the manner in which he spoke. These were Freedmen (persons who had been freed from slavery) who opposed Stephen’s preaching by stirring up people against them. Stephen was brought before the Sanhedrin to account for his claims. In spite of a Spirit – filled explanation of truth, he was martyred.

 

Application:

 

What a reminder lesson this Scripture is to me! In 1985 when I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and  Saviour, the first thing I requested was WISDOM. I realized how inadequate my own thinking was and the traumas of my life  were the result of not knowing that wisdom only comes from God. I was once almost speechless because of a lack of confidence to speak wisely, particularly in a discussion or debate. Best to say nothing at all and stay healthy. I was also a Freedman, freed from the slavery of sin, and yet it is so easy to join the mob, and pull down someone who is speaking wisely in truth.

Holy Spirit will not allow me to continue if I am listening to Him or obeying the Word. This brings me is to repentance.

 

Prayer:

 

Father, I thank you for my wonderful salvation from sin and bondage to slavery. Help me to be wise in everything that I do, think, speak. I want to be the person that that you say I am, so anoint me freshly each day in your wisdom as well as your Spirit so that I can be a Gospel blessing to the community.

The Lord "Caused"

Scripture:

Exodus 12:36

The Lord “caused” the Egyptians to look favourably on the Israelites, and they gave the Israelites what they asked for. So, like a victorious army, they plundered the Egyptians.

 

Observation:

It’s just so amazing how God can just make things happen, He can “cause” favour, He can soften a heart, He can harden a heart.  The Lord can “cause” anything to happen.  He can turn anything around He has the power to set up a circumstance that is totally unexpected where there seems to be no way out and no humanly way of help. 

 

Application:

I need to have the courage to pray the insane prayers, the prayers that man says “No way” to.  God can “Cause” the mightiest mountain to fall and the biggest hole to fill.  God can “Cause” Favour, he can turn around what has been lost.  I need to believe and have audacious prayers that take people by surprise because God “Caused” a miracle to happen.   I need to pray for the bigger things that only God can do.

 

Prayer:

Father let me have prayers that “Cause” miracles.  Help me always remember to come to You believing that you are able to take care of the finest detail “Causing” favour in my life, “causing” the unexpected, “causing” the biggest hurdles in my life seem so small.  Father I thank You for the moments where you have “Caused” blessings & miracles in my life…

Amen

 

Stephen Hutchison

Storm warning

Scripture

Exodus 9:21 “But those who had no respect for the word of the Lord left them out in the open”.

 

Observation

The warnings were clear. A storm is coming! A storm like you’ve never seen before – but you can protect yourself, your possessions, your loved ones if you bring them under cover. Some of them were wise enough to believe and took action – their actions saved their families and possessions. But those who were hard hearted, stubborn and had no respect for the word of the Lord paid dearly! The storm came as it was declared and the destruction it wreaked had never been seen before in all of the history of that nation. The wise and the unwise heard the warning – they both heard the words of the Lord. The decisions they made were based on respect and the flattened, destroyed carcasses of the unwise and disrespectful cry out to all about the consequences of their decision.

 

Application

The warnings are clear. The word of the Lord declares clearly the consequences of sin and unrighteousness. The wise listen and make plans and actions to heed the warnings. But the unwise, the stubborn, those who disrespect or even flagrantly disregard the warning of the Lord eventually discover their lives, their possessions, their families are but flattened carcasses as a direct result of their choice to disregard the words of the Lord. What a wake up call to me today! The word of the Lord hasn’t changed – in fact it has become clearer and louder as the years pass and how easy I find myself becoming complacent and even disrespectful of the Lords words of warning. A storm is coming – find shelter, heed his warnings, respect his words.

 

Prayer

Father I thank you for your divine storm warning system. Your Word cries out the consequences of disrespecting the directions it contains. I choose to respect those words and decide again today to live accordingly. I choose not to leave my life out in the open but I choose to come under the shelter of your covering.

 

Jim Jung

Trust & Obey

Scripture:  Exodus 6:1  Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh:  Because of my mighty hand he will let them go; because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country.”

 

Observation:  From the previous chapters, things don’t appear to be going too well for Moses – in fact, they seem to be worse for the Israelites!!! – and the very people Moses has been sent to deliver have turned against him!!  Yet the Lord’s assurance is clear – HE will deliver!! – as He has promised!  Maybe not as easily as the Israelites might have envisaged (there was work to do in them & in Pharaoh), But He WILL do it!  Why? – not because they deserve it or have earned their freedom – but purely because of His mighty hand, because He is in covenant relationship with the people of Israel,  and because of His grace and mercy.  He will prove Himself to both Egypt and Israel through the ensuing events.  Moses literally has to obey, walking a step at a time in obedience to the Lord’s commands, and the Lord will take care of the rest!!  Was this easy for Moses?  Far from it – it brought enmity from friend and foe alike!!! It meant work for him as he repeatedly confronted Pharaoh in accordance with the Lord’s commands.  This was a real walk of faith – listening, obeying, and watching for the results.  The end result was deliverance……but along the way, it didn’t always appear that that would be what would happen.

 

Application:  The Lord undertakes for me in the same way as He did for Israel.  Because I am in covenant relationship with Him through Jesus, He promises to bring deliverance & freedom.  Not because of anything I have done or because I “deserve” it in any way.  HE will do it – my role is to be obedient and walk in accordance with His commands.  Even when it doesn’t look as though things are really going the way I would expect, or even seem to be getting worse, if I have been obedient to my Lord, then His mighty hand WILL bring freedom.  There may be things He needs to teach me, and hence the apparent “delay”, but I need to continue to walk the walk of faith, in trust & obedience, and allow Him to actually do it!!

 

Prayer:  Thankyou, dear Heavenly Father, for Your grace that promises to bring me complete freedom in Christ!  May I continue to walk in trust and obedience so that Your glory might be displayed in my life as a testimony to others and to the enemy.

 

In Jesus’ name

 

Amen

 

 

Sue Otto

To Be Served or To Serve...

Scripture: Luke 22:25-27

Within minutes they were bickering over who of them would end up the greatest. But Jesus intervened: "Kings like to throw their weight around and people in authority like to give themselves fancy titles. It's not going to be that way with you. Let the senior among you become like the junior; let the leader act the part of the servant. "Who would you rather be: the one who eats the dinner or the one who serves the dinner? You'd rather eat and be served, right? But I've taken my place among you as the one who serves. And you've stuck with me through thick and thin. Now I confer on you the royal authority my Father conferred on me so you can eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and be strengthened as you take up responsibilities among the congregations of God's people.

Observation:

Although Jesus possessed awesome power, he never used it to impress or lord it over anyone. He lived in quite the opposite spirit. Day after day Jesus sacrificed His own comfort and desires to serve the people for who he was sent. He wanted to show His disciples that leadership in God’s Kingdom was all about servanthood, and not about power. All leaders are susceptible to the human tendency to put pride, position and power before the good of the people they lead. Jesus observed this disposition in His leaders and countered it with a strong correction. He taught them a radically different style of leadership, and more importantly he modeled it for them.

Application:

When God moves us into places of leadership we need to constantly be on guard against the sin of pride. There is something of the dictator in all of us, and it surfaces when we think of leadership in terms of position, power and recognition. But by contrast Jesus style of leadership is humble, loving and focused on the needs of others. When we follow God’s model, he makes us channels of his blessings to others.

Prayer:

God, forgive me for those times when I’d rather eat and be served than take my place and serve just like you did. Help me keep guard of my sin nature. I need to always be willing to sacrifice my comfort and desires to serve the people that I have been sent for. Help me to serve well.

Hayley

Persistant Prayer

Scripture:

Luke: 18:1

Then Jesus told His disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.

 

Observation:

Jesus shows us so many ways on how we should live, but he constantly showed us how to pray and not give up.  The times of difficulty and persecution are time that we can easily give up on our prayers.  Jesus wants me to be a man of Faith and as I teach others about His faithfulness I need to have experienced His faithfulness, I need to know how to hang on right to the end not giving up or letting go.

 

Application:

There are many prayers that I have prayed in the past that appeared to have gone unanswered, it’s these prayers that I need to hang onto, seeing the answers through, watching God be faithful even over a long period of time where I see his faithfulness take place.  It’s through these times that I grow and have faith in God that His timing is right and that I thank Him for my answered prayer even though I may not physically see the answer.

 

Prayer:

Father remind me of the forgotten prayers, the prayers that I still need to see answers to.  Help me not give up on the things that I don’t yet see, help me not settle for second best or plan “B” but give me the desires of my heart and the outworking to my many prayers….. Amen

 

Stephen Hutchison

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scripture: 

 

Psalm 5:12

“For surely O Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favour as with a shield.”

 

Observation:

 

There are two sides to a shield, two sides to a fortress, two sides of opposite outcome. 

 

On the inside a fortress with its walls high as you can see up and so thick, it is impenetrable.  It is safe there, knowing all gates are locked; guards are posted at their appointed watchtowers . . . . check . . . .check  . . . . double-check.

All is well, safe on the inside. . . . one could even sleep.  Assured, confident and at peace.

 

Application:

 

That’s how I feel being a child of God.  Following him as he desires and commands and in return I am blessed.  I have found favour with God as with a shield.  I see that even moreso as a fortress – for the protection I feel is strong and comforting. 

 

His shield is his – I just stand behind him.

His fortress is his – I just live behind it.

 

My role is to remain there under his protection and not try and ‘do life’ my way – the way I want.  The pathway is Jesus and I can’t go around or over – it’s Jesus and I need to stand firm – and the shield that is promised to me will be there.

 

Prayer: 

 

Thank you Lord for your favour on my life.

Your promise of the righteous is my promise.

I receive it today, this day, right now.  I remind myself that you have surrounded me with your favour like a shield.

 

Let me be, one more time – comforted by this, and as the trials of life try to surround me and overwhelm me, may your shield and fortress be high and strong.

 

 

Terry B

Blessed to be a Blessing

Scripture: Genesis 39:5 “From the day Joseph was put in charge of his master’s household and property, the Lord began to bless Potiphar’s household for Joseph’s sake….”

 

Observation:  The Lord blessed Potiphar and his whole household for one reason alone – Joseph’s sake!  None of them “deserved” it – but God blessed them anyway because of the presence and stewardship of one who honoured and worshiped Him!!  

 

Application:  I, like Potiphar, have received the undeserved blessing of God in my life, but the greatest blessing I have received is that of being saved through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for me.  I am now one who actually carries the presence of Almighty God through the indwelling Holy Spirit. If the Lord blessed the “unsaved” Potiphar and his household for Joseph’s sake, then He will do the same thing for the sake of those who carry the presence of Jesus – and that includes me!!  Therefore, as I honour & worship my Lord in my daily life, faithfully stewarding that which He gives me to do, I will be a conduit for God’s blessing to all I come into contact with!  That’s how God’s blessing works – it overflows from one life to another and another and another……and ultimately that’s how others get saved and God’s Kingdom grows!

 

Prayer:  Thankyou, dear Lord, for Your blessing in my life.  How grateful I am, for it is so undeserved!!  Lord, I want to be a faithful steward of the things you have given to me, that I might see the fruit of Your blessings overflowing from my life into the lives of those around me.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen

 

Sue Otto

Look again

Scripture

Luke 15: 1 “Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach”.

 

Observation

The despised and the notorious! These were the people drawn to the message of hope. As Jesus spoke he challenged the legalistic stance the religious had established and opened a window of hope for those who had already been judged as unworthy. And heaven celebrated everytime one of these accepted the message Christ offered.

 

Application

How often do I overlook the despised and the notorious as unworthy recipients of grace and forgiveness? Have my motives and attitudes become hardened towards those who have separated themselves from the mainstream of society? It is so easy to judge another person but Christ calls me to look again and see the opportunity for a new beginning – a rescued soul.

 

Prayer

Jesus, you came to rescue the lost. Sin has drawn us away from you and we entertain it – some notoriously! But you came to seek and save the lost and you have commissioned me to that cause. Help me to look again.

 

Jim Jung

Pass it on

Scripture:

Genesis 35: 12 “…the land I gave Abraham and Isaac I now give to you, and pass it on to your descendents”.

 

Observation:

It is interesting to note that at the time of this promise Isaac was still alive. He hadn’t fallen from grace, he hadn’t had the blessings of God revoked – God was simply installing a new generation even whilst the old was still there. God was passing the promise on to the next carriers of His name. The inherited asset (the land) ultimately belonged to God and He was passing to Jacob the privilege of stewarding God’s blessings, His resources, for the next period of time. He was to steward them well so that he could pass it on to his descendents.

 

Application:

God has given me the privilege of stewarding His resources, assets that have been passed on to me by my forebears. My responsibility is to ensure I invest and cultivate these gifts as a cumulative investment that is to be passed on to the generation that follows mine. I cannot waste away this prize that others have poured into. That would be criminal. My task is to keep focused on the Master and have something to pass on when my time to let go has come.

 

Prayer:

Lord, thank you for entrusting to me the inheritance of my fathers. Help me to steward this gift and continue to add to it so that when my time comes I can hand on something that I have seen grow.

 

Jim Jung

Total fire ban?

Scripture

Luke 12:49 “I’ve come to start a fire on this earth… I’ve come to change everything, turn everything rightside up” (The Message)

 

Observation

In His challenge to the disciples Jesus calls for honest, transparent and genuine commitment to His cause. No hypocrisy, no laziness, in fact he is starting a fire that will cause strife. The kind of strife that will unsettle and disturb, causing every person to investigate and decide on their own plan of action. Jesus is intentionally lighting social, spiritual and relational fires in order to grab the attention of every person and force them to decide on whom they should follow – self or Him.

 

Application

When I see a fire I want to put it out. This is true of a physical fire as well as emotional, relational and spiritual fires. But Jesus is actually engaged in lighting these fires! I am acting like a fire fighter and he is the pyromaniac! He obviously saw fire as a useful tool to produce a quality choice as fire brings confrontation, energy, disruption to the normal course of events as well as burning up the dead bracken that has cluttered and littered the scene. It was said to me recently that there is great difference between a peace maker and a peace keeper. The peace maker will do everything to expose and deal with the issues that are causing the peace to be broken – whereas the peace keeper will find whatever diplomatic solution or smoothing words that will ease the tension and call a truce but not actually deal with the issue causing the brokenness. Jesus is a pyromaniac for this reason – there is no use putting sin in the bottom drawer and pretending it’s not there because at any time it can be brought out again and it reeks a new era of destruction. Jesus causes the issue to be exposed, burnt, dealt with.

 

Prayer

Lord I’m sorry for often not seeing your purpose in the fire. I’m often declaring total fire bans in seasons that you are actively setting fires in the bracken of sinfulness. I’ve too often acted like a well intentioned fire fighter and fought the flames rather than the cause of the inferno.

 

Jim Jung

 

Knock Knock

Scripture:

Luke 11:9-10

And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will be given what you ask for. Keep on looking and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And the door is opened to everyone who knocks.

Observation:

The words that I’m reading are the words of Christ. What an amazing teaching that the Son of God himself tells us not to give up but keep on knocking. Jesus uses the word “Everyone” three times here and where there are no exclusions or criteria to follow, he simply means that Everyone will receive their answers as God wants to give the very best to His children.

Application:

I must never give up, and also encourage others around me the principle of this scripture. Through tiredness and business the enemy wants me to be defeated and simply give up. To pray a believing prayer means that I pray believing that it’s been answered.

Prayer:

Father help me never give up, let me be the man that sees my prayers through to the end. That I would see supernatural things happen as a result of my prayers. Let there come the day where there is no doubt in my life and the place where I stand in the authority you gave me seeing things happen in the name of Jesus..

Amen

Stephen Hutchison

Travel Light!

Scripture:

“Travel light. Comb and toothbrush and no extra luggage”

 

Observation:

As Jesus sends out the 70 he advises them with a checklist for the journey.  He instructs them to travel light.  It’s almost as if he is saying ‘As you journey, don’t take on more than what you need… travel light… don’t let anything latch onto you that will distract you, weigh you down or divert you from my purposes! Take only what you need- my instructions!’

 

Application:

I tend to travel with extra baggage.  I take things on and allow them to churn… and churn… and churn some more.  The thing is though, extra baggage costs you.  If you ignore the restrictions and exceed your weight limit at the check in counter-they make you pay extra!  Exceeding my baggage limit has cost me- it’s cost me joy, it’s cost me relationships, it’s cost me a good nights sleep, it’s cost me time and energy and it’s cost me peace.  So, it’s time, like Paul said, to throw off every weight that holds me back!

 

Prayer:

Thanks Jesus for this powerful command to travel light.  I am sorry for the times when I have taken on more baggage and ignored your instruction.  You know what is the very best for me and you desire to see me walk in it.  Help me today to give you my concerns, my pain and my load that I would take on your yoke and no extra baggage!

 

Hayley

The Way to Freedom

SCRIPTURE:

‘Whoever wants to be my disciple, must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.’  Luke 9:23

 

OBSERVATION:

Taking up our cross isn’t always what we think it will be.  Take the 2 sisters, Mary and Martha.  Martha believed cooking was her cross to bear. She believed Mary had not yet learned to deny herself- that she was doing the easy thing by listening to Jesus.

 

APPLICATION:

i have been like Martha on occasion and misunderstood Jesus.  Taking up my cross is not an unpleasant expectation for me.  The cross is the process and the place that keeps us completely dependent on God.  Mary’s cross was to say no to anything that would have led her away from Jesus. The cross gives me the power to say no to sinful attitudes and patterns of behaviour, and fears about what others think, and to say yes to Jesus.

 

PRAYER:

Father, help me to identify the things in my life that I need to “die” to in order to yield completely to you.

 

 

Hayley

Blessing follows Obedience

SCRIPTURE:

 

‘ I’ll bless you, oh- how I’ll bless you! And I’ll make sure your children flourish- like stars in the sky! Like sand on the beaches! And your descendents will defeat their enemies! All nations will find themselves blessed through your descendents because you obey me.’ Genesis 22:17, 18.

 

OBSERVATION:

I am amazed at the breadth and scope of this promise that God gave Abraham for his family.  But the key to receiving this promise is obedience.

 

APPLICATION:

When we walk in obedience to God, He WILL bless us.  Obedience will lead to the most thrilling life ever imagined!! But it happens one day at a time. I don’t sit around waitng for God to speak one life altering command.  I learn to do the little things He asks of me.  I claim the blessing of my obedience in the generation to come.  My children (either physical or spiritual) will be the beneficiaries of my obedience.  I want to make covenant with God concerning these little ones, marking them for God and declaring that each succeeding generation will do greater things for God than the last.

 

PRAYER:

Lord, help me to obey and walk in your ways.  I thank you that as I commit to being obedient my children will receive a double portion.

 

 

Hayley

Go back home

Scripture

Luke 8:39 “No, go back to your family and tell them all the wonderful things God has done for you”.

 

Observation

This man had been terribly possessed, terrorising and freaking out all of the region. Everyone knew him. He lived in the cemetery. Imagine how his family felt about it. Embarrassed, ashamed – perhaps they just wished he would disappear or die to end their embarrassment. At some point in time they had probably disowned him and he became homeless, lost, tormented, abandoned by everyone. Jesus sets him free! New life comes! The man obviously wants to go with Jesus to begin this new life but Jesus directly tells him – go back to your family, yes the ones who have abandoned you, perhaps have even disowned you, may have even hurt you – go back and tell them what God has done. Let the new life you have be the miracle that leads them to a relationship with God for themselves. I always wonder what happened to this man… perhaps the first missionary sent out?

 

Application

Sometimes it would be easy to just run away or disappear from a situation or an issue but this story reminds me again that Jesus came to give me life whilst I’m in the world even though my heritage and my eventual residence is no longer of the world. He heals me and restores me to go back into my world with a new life, healed and set free, different motives, Holy Spirit fruit – so that I can lead others to the One who did it for me. Sometimes it’s hard and the road I need to travel is narrow but that is where he wants me to be. And he promises never to leave me alone.

 

Prayer

Thankyou Lord for saving me and restoring my life. Help me each day as I return to my world to live and be the example, the message, you call me to be to those who are still lost and homeless. Amen.

 

Jim Jung

 

The most precious thing

Scripture:

Luke 7:47b “…But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love”

 

Observation:

The woman knew that her life was a mess and that on the scale of sin she weighed in heavily. Yet her constant flow of tears and the offer of giving the precious oil to anoint Jesus’ feet showed her desperation for the freedom from the life she was living. The Pharisee, full of his own self righteousness couldn’t see his sin, it was covered with religious bigotry and piousness. He didn’t see his need for forgiveness from Jesus – he was ok wasn’t he? Yet the woman knew her sin – she was probably confronted with it everyday and when she heard about Jesus she came and wept at his feet – broken, embarrassed, ashamed – and he recognised her repentance and sorrow and forgave her. The Pharisee was blond to the guest he had in his house and missed the opportunity of his lifetime. If only he had seen Jesus as the woman had seen Jesus but his opinion of himself assured him of his own sense of righteousness – he didn’t need forgiveness because he didn’t feel he had done anything wrong that needed forgiving.

 

Application:

What fools we are. What a fool am I. So often thinking that my works, my pious attitude, my role, my service, sets me apart from the “really bad” sinners. What folly, what ignorance. The bible reminds me that all have fallen short. The woman gave the most precious thing she owned without a second thought to Jesus because she recognised that he was more precious than this ointment. I need to fall at Jesus’ feet and with tears wash his feet and seek forgiveness. I don’t want to walk through life like this Pharisee, with a cheap grace cloak – I want to treasure the love and mercy that Christ has afforded to me as the most precious thing I own. Everything else is worthless next to his acceptance, forgiveness and grace.

 

Prayer:

Lord I weep at your feet. I call out for your attention to my needs and continually seek your mercy and forgiveness for my shortcomings. I need your strength and courage to carry on. It is only as I remember the overwhelming forgiveness that you have given to me that I pour out my gratitude to others in like measure of what you gave to me.

 

Jim Jung