Lord, Lord....

 Matthew 7:21–29 (ESV): 

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ 

24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” 

28 And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, 29 for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes. 

Even those who talk about Jesus, do good things, work hard for the Church, are involved in miracles and can explain the gospel may not make it to heaven. This is what God's own son, Jesus, is saying. Even those who may have witnessed miracles, signs, wonders, incredible answers to prayer and spiritual freedom coming to others may miss out on the Kingdom of God. How is that possible? Those who seem to have incredible experiences of faith, even prestigious leaders, preachers and worshippers that you admire may not be as close to God as they seem. They might be gifted, sing beautifully, work hard, speak or teach well, serve or give sacrificially but be in danger of missing out on entering God’s house and even be rejected, why? 

Do you see the argument the people put forward in this piece of Scripture? “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?” The things that they have been involved in they believe are their own doing. “did we not…” the emphasis is on them, not on God. It is almost like they use the name of God or His Son as a magic word rather than The Name that is above all names which carries all authority, love and power. They belittle the name of The Almighty and increase their own self worth, “did we not…”. The attitude of those who Jesus does not recognise is that they are somebody important - they have done good and great things in God's name. They take the credit for prophesying, casting out demons, and doing mighty works. The credit they take for themselves, they do not give the glory to God. Instead they become great in their own eyes.

Yet it is God who has allowed these people to witness miracles of salvation, hearing His voice, and people freed from demonic powers. However they have not recognised that it is God’s power that achieves these things. Those Jesus rejects are those who take the credit for the works of God and falsely believe in their own worth and importance in God’s realm. Their attitude is that, yes maybe they do believe in God, but they also believe in the power and capability in themselves too. Rather than crediting God with the incredible things they have had opportunity to be involved with or witness, they believe in the power of ME. Are you in the same danger as them? 

Do you REALLY believe that God has done the things you have witnessed, heard about and been involved in? Do you credit God with the works in your life and the lives of others, or are you taking some of the acclamation and gratitude for yourself? Only you and God know what you secretly think, so it is worth being honest with yourself now before you end up face to face with Jesus! For he will either welcome you or reject you dependent upon how you have lived your life. 

Only you and God know the truth. 

Does God really get the glory in your heart and mind or are you holding back some for yourself? Jesus says about such people, “I never knew you; depart from me”. Instead of investing in the glamour and acclaim of works and wonders, are you investing your time getting to know Jesus? Does God really get the priority in your life? It is the simple things like prayer and obeying Scripture, keeping your word, adjusting your life to honour God more, learning to love others as Jesus did. The understated, often unnoticed commitments that you make in your everyday life that show if you are someone who really knows Jesus. Like how you spend your time, make decisions, or what your priorities are. These reveal if God really is King in your life and if you are honouring and taking time to get to know Him. 

Does God get your gratitude and your time? Is he allowed to challenge your decisions and attitudes in order for you to become more Christ-like? Do you live in more fear of Him than anyone or anything else?

Those who make an effort to get to know Jesus, learn to walk and talk like him will be recognised and welcomed into the Kingdom of Heaven. Are you living like you want to be there?

Where is your treasure?

What is your attitude to the things of this world? Are you precious about the material possessions you have, or the money you have saved? How would you feel if your house was robbed or burnt down, or your money was lost or taken? Consider what your reaction would be. Sadness and annoyance would be fair, but, would you be distraught, furious, heartbroken? If so, then you are treasuring the things of the world too much. These material and financial things will one day no longer exist, so be mindful of how much focus, love and attention you give them now. Learn to live for eternity in heaven, not for temporary satisfaction on Earth. This is what Jesus teaches about such things;

Matthew 6:19 - 24

19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 

22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! 

24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. 

Where is your treasure? How much do you have an Earth and how much are you storing in Heaven? It matters where you put your resources. You would be a fool to choose a low interest bank account when you know there is a higher rate one available. Which have you chosen? Are you investing in the guaranteed high interest bank of heaven which will last you for eternity, or are you investing in lower value here in the world? 

Jesus makes it clear, - you can serve either God or money, not both, there is no middle ground. Money and possessions are resources, they should never become more than something that is utilised, and the most importnat thing that you can use them for is for the Kingdom of Heaven. There is a choice that you have made already about how you use the treasures at your disposal, but is it the right one? Jesus wants you to clearly see what you are doing (v22-23). He removes the darkness, so what are your sights set on? What are your aspirations and the things that you focus on in life? For you can either serve God, or serve money. One has eternal importance, and the other is temporary. 

Who really is your Master? You could be storing up plenty of resources and investing in a financially secure future on earth, like many people do who do not know God. Why are you doing that? What is your security really in? Are you thinking if you have enough then you and your family will be ok? If that is where you have hope and trust then you have missed how big God is, and you are blind to the sin and destruction in the world that could so easily snatch it away. God is far more capable of truly taking care of your family in the here and now, the future, and for all of eternity. Are you investing in the best place for them? It will mean a less comfortable earthly life if you are investing in the Kingdom of Heaven, but the reward will be infinitely greater. God is greater than the highest interest rate, more powerful than any government or authority, richer than any business person and more stable than any stocks, shares or investment strategies. God is stable and sure. He guarantees you a great reward when you serve Him and invest in His Kingdom. So, where are you putting your trust? What has your focus, love and attention? Do you want to invest in eternal certainty, or temporal instability? Choose where your treasure will be. 

Are you righteous?

Once Jesus has clarified the role of the disciples - to be salt and light to the world, he then explains what that involves. He covers certain elements that are necessary to demonstrate that those who follow him are indeed following him and honouring God. 

Matthew 5:17–26 (ESV): 

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Those who had been hearing Jesus up to this point may have been rejoicing because they had not heard teaching like this before, so they thought that he was usurping the Law. Therefore Jesus makes it clear to his listeners that this is not the case, he is in fact fulfilling the Law and Prophets. Jesus is embodying and bringing to life the very words of God - the Scriptures the Israelite people were trying to learn and follow. As the Son of God, Jesus was there when the Law and Prophets were written so he knows the intent and purpose of the Law and he taught what they really mean and demonstrated this through the life he lived. Jesus followed both the Law of God, and the law of the land, he paid taxes, took part in Jewish celebrations, and went to synagogue. His teaching rather than radically dismissing the Scriptures, radically explained them. Over the centuries that had passed since the Torah had been written the true understanding of what they meant had weakened, rituals and ceremonies had become commonplace to try to put into action what people thought The Law meant. So Jesus clarified and upheld the intended meaning and purpose of the Law which was to showcase a pure and holy God, and to bring His people to Himself. 

Jesus obeyed The Law, he embodied it. He encourages his hearers to be law abiders, not breakers, too. Yet Jesus does not stop there - he also tells those listening that they have to be more righteous than the Scribes and Pharisees! These were the religious men who; study, debate, and teach Scripture all day and who do their best to obey and enforce every ritual. Jesus is saying that those who honour God have to be more righteous than them! This would have been shocking for those that heard Jesus say this, it is a high bar to attain as these religious men were the holiest people the Jews knew! 

However, Jesus was saying that even these religious men were not righteous enough and they won’t get into heaven. So what hope is there for the rest of humanity?

The Pharisees and Scribes were well educated and revered men, experts at recounting the Law and Prophets, following rituals and teaching others to do the some. They were not very good at understanding that true righteousness is displayed in the relationships that they have both with God and other people. Jesus was explaining to those around him that righteousness is not about knowledge, rituals, rules, or giving sacrifices. This was incredibly radical news, for this is what the Israelites had heard and lived for generations. They knew as Israelites that they were a set apart by God as favoured people. This meant that God had caused them to live differently to surrounding nations, in order to be kept pure and made right with God through different rules and practices. They had certain celebrations and sacrifices to make to honour God and be made right with Him. The Pharisees oversaw and taught these things. They were the ones trying to teach the people The Law and how to follow it, as Jesus is saying, so how can anyone ese match the level of righteousness required to enter the kingdom of heaven? That is the point. No human on Earth could attain pure righteousness. Except one, and that is Jesus. He was the only one capable of living the perfect life of being more righteous than every religious leader because he is the Son of God.

Even though Jesus was tempted and suffered just like the rest of us do, he never sinned. His righteousness truly outstripped that of the Scribes and Pharisees. He lived and understood The Law in a different way than they did, for Jesus knew the Law writer personally. He was with God, his Father as it was written and given. So Jesus could understand, demonstrate and explain righteousness in a way no-one else could. Jesus made it clear that even ordinary people can be made righteous, you do not have to know it all, have it all or follow all the routines and rituals, but still you can be made right with God. Jesus did not just create the problem of righteousness seeming unattainable, but he gave his life so that righteousness can be accessed to anyone and everyone. Jesus was the perfect fulfilment of The Law. He followed and obeyed it perfectly. This was so that he could generously give up his life to make atonement for your sin. Now you too can be made righteous, more righteous than the most righteous people you know! If you trust and believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died for all sin, giving you a new life of purity, and you follow him, you can be made righteous. For when you turn and believe in Jesus, God no longer sees you and your wrongdoings, but he sees His perfect son, Jesus. You get to receive his righteousness. You don't deserve it, you haven't earned it and you haven't kept the rules, but you can be righteous and keep being righteous all because of Jesus! 

Following Jesus is the only way that you can be made right with God and become righteous than the Scribes and Pharisees. There is no other way. You cannot try hard enough, follow enough rules, know enough, or be kind and generous enough to earn your way into heaven. It is only through accepting that you can be made righteous through the love, life, death and resurrection of Jesus that you are made right before God. So, do you desire to be right before God? If so, trust in Jesus. He made the impossible possible for those who believe in him. When you accept him and his forgiveness and learn to follow him, then you become more righteous than the Scribes and Pharisees and able to enter the kingdom of heaven!

Jesus revealed

 John has an established ministry, he is known, has a nickname (The Baptist), and a following. John is even know (and disliked) by Herod, so the leaders of the area know about him. You could say that John is pretty famous. People certainly flock to see and hear him. Then, during one of John’s teaching and baptising sessions, Jesus turns up. He seems like he is just one of the crowd, also listening and responding to John. Yet John knows who Jesus really is.

Matthew 3:13–15 (ESV): 

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” 

What an honour for John to baptise Jesus, i am sure the privilege of doing that would have never been forgotten by him. John knew Jesus was The Son of God - he had known that before he was born! Now, here is Jesus waiting to be re-birthed through the water of repentance, although no wrong could ever have been found in him. Through being baptised, Jesus honoured and affirmed John and his ministry. This must have been the highlight for John out of all the things he had said, seen and done, all of the people he had spoken to and all the lives that had been transformed through hearing about God’s kingdom. Baptising Jesus and the experience that followed must have given him great joy. What John had always known about Jesus was being revealed now to others. 

Matthew 3:16–17 (ESV): 

‘when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”’

Can you imagine that? John has probably baptised thousands of people by this point, none ever had a response like this. ‘The heavens were opened’ - what does that mean? What did that look like to the other people there? Then, ‘a voice form heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”’ Can you imagine being there? What would you have made of that? I wonder if John got to baptise any more people that day after that experience. It seems like no more words need to be said! John’s belief and understanding of who Jesus is, was confirmed in a mighty way. John must have celebrated! He had lived his life knowing this truth that seemed like a big secret, and he could only talk about the Messiah to come in a way that did not point directly to Jesus until it was God’s time to reveal it. The time was now! Have you ever waited a long time for something great, and when it finally happens - oh what joy! Relief, joy, contentment, satisfaction, i am sure John felt them all. He was living on the Earth at the same time as The Messiah, and not only that, he already knew and loved him! John had been waiting for this revelation, and he had seen it. Jesus time of ministry has come. 

The experience of Jesus baptism is a lovely moment, Jesus affirms John and God affirms Jesus. God reveals who Jesus is, and that He is pleased with him. I wonder what people made of it, and if people at that moment then started following Jesus. I am sure this would have been talked about amongst friends and families, the news spreading about John and Jesus. What is your response to the revelation of Jesus? 

Have you followed him into the waters of baptism? Do you acknowledge that he is the Son of God? Are you waiting for him to reveal himself in your life? For, he already has. John knew who Jesus was before this moment. Jesus has already shown up in your life too and has been revealing who he is - have you seen him and accepted him for who he is yet? John did, and his life was dedicated to preparing people to meet, hear and respond to Jesus. What is your response to Jesus being revealed to you as the Son of God?

Praise the Lord!

 Psalm 148:1–14 (ESV): 

Praise the Lord! 

  Praise the Lord from the heavens; 

praise him in the heights! 

 2  Praise him, all his angels; 

praise him, all his hosts! 

 3  Praise him, sun and moon, 

praise him, all you shining stars! 

 4  Praise him, you highest heavens, 

and you waters above the heavens! 

 5  Let them praise the name of the Lord! 

For he commanded and they were created. 

 6  And he established them forever and ever; 

he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away. 

 7  Praise the Lord from the earth, 

you great sea creatures and all deeps, 

 8  fire and hail, snow and mist, 

stormy wind fulfilling his word! 

 9  Mountains and all hills, 

fruit trees and all cedars! 

 10  Beasts and all livestock, 

creeping things and flying birds! 

 11  Kings of the earth and all peoples, 

princes and all rulers of the earth! 

 12  Young men and maidens together, 

old men and children! 

 13  Let them praise the name of the Lord, 

for his name alone is exalted; 

his majesty is above earth and heaven. 

 14  He has raised up a horn for his people, 

praise for all his saints, 

for the people of Israel who are near to him. 

  Praise the Lord! 

What should give praise to God?

Everything! Any creature in heaven, anything that has been created by Him, the angels and all who are in God’s presence in heaven. The; sun, moon and stars, the sky and the ‘waters above the heavens’, anything on Earth from the biggest to the smallest, and the deepest sea creatures. All sorts of weather, tall mountains to small hills, fruitful and non-fruitful trees. All animals; the scary, cute, ugly, walking, slithering and flying ones. The greatest of all people, to the least and the young men, women and children. 

All have a duty to praise God. 

I do not know about you, but I have never thought of the wind or fire praising God. Yet they can and do, isn't that marvellous?! If you are not sure how you can you praise The Lord today, take a look around you; Is it windy or sunny, dark or light, are there any type of creature? Can you feel the fire or wind? Do you see hills, mountains, seas, trees, fire or creatures? Are there people of any gender, age or station near you? Take a look, and consider, each one was made to point to and praise God. Whatever your situation and wherever you are, you are surrounded by reminders of the greatness of God. So why not consider the things you are aware of to honour and praise The Lord today. They are, just by existing, so why not join with them and praise His name. All things were created to, ‘Praise the Lord!’ So make sure you also are joining in with the praise of creation today too.

the Lord our God is holy

 Psalm 99:1–9 (ESV): 

1 The Lord reigns: let the peoples tremble!

He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake! 

 2  The Lord is great in Zion; 

he is exalted over all the peoples. 

 3  Let them praise your great and awesome name! 

Holy is he! 

 4  The King in his might loves justice. 

You have established equity; 

  you have executed justice 

and righteousness in Jacob. 

 5  Exalt the Lord our God; 

worship at his footstool! 

Holy is he! 

 6  Moses and Aaron were among his priests, 

Samuel also was among those who called upon his name. 

They called to the Lord, and he answered them. 

 7  In the pillar of the cloud he spoke to them; 

they kept his testimonies 

and the statute that he gave them. 

 8  O Lord our God, you answered them; 

you were a forgiving God to them, 

but an avenger of their wrongdoings. 

 9  Exalt the Lord our God, 

and worship at his holy mountain; 

for the Lord our God is holy! 

How do you know God is holy?

1) Firstly, consider where He resides and rules (v1-3). Cherubim, the creatures of heaven, sit around His throne. They attend to God, to be near Him signifying His power, authority and goodness. When you read the Bible and see the cherubim described they sound like fantastic beasts, so how incredible must be the one who is enthroned 'upon the cherubim'! God is in heaven in authority, yet He is also exalted over, 'all the peoples'. His jurisdiction is seen and known in heaven and on earth. He influences both realms - it takes an incredible ability to do that, something significantly different, powerful, yet relatable to rule both realms well. God is set apart as He is significantly different. He does not have the responsibility and authority to rule because of wise and persuasive words or physical might, but because of His goodness, love and purity - His holiness. There is no-one like Him because He is completely good.

2) God is The King - the One King that all others are under. God is not just a king who has been endowed with authority and influence, but He is The King who ‘loves justice’, has ‘established equity’ and is righteous. This surely sets God above any other ruler! He rules with justice in mind at every step, meaning that He is fair. Plus He also treats people with equity. This is a term now becoming common in society, it is not about treating people equally, but ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to access to the same things. Providing support, equipment, training etc so that a person has the potential to achieve. God didn’t need any training to tell Him to do that. He created the notion that we should all be treated as the individual’s we are so that everyone has what they need. God establishes equity, justice and righteousness. God knows what is good and right inherently. He doesn't need teaching to do the right things, He was never taught about equity or equality, justice or righteousness because He is those things. He created these facets, and He models them due to His holiness. 

4) You will find nothing wrong in Him. No sneaky motive, selfish ambition or wrongdoing. He will not fail to be good, righteous, kind, loving, establish equity or justice. You can look, but you will never find anything wrong in Him - read the Bible from beginning to end and you will see His love, purity and holiness all the way through. He is pure in all of His desires and His actions, He is completely good. God does what He says He will in a fair, honest and right way each and every time. You can trust Him in that. Surely such a One is holy!

5) The psalmist mentions 3 patriarchs of the Jewish faith; Moses, Aaron and Samuel. Men known to have heard God and followed Him. They actively sought Him and lived their lives doing God's will to the best of their ability. Men credited with instilling faith to the nation of Israel during their lifetimes. They were so set apart that they had private conversations with this Almighty King and Holy God. In their private audiences with Him, He gave them direction and confidence for what they needed to do and say. They were so special that God favoured them because they were obedient, and faithful. Yet they were just men. Even though some may even say they were great men, and they must have been pretty special for their life stories are still read and admired thousands of years later, but they were still just men, and they still needed forgiving. Moses, Aaron and Samuel got things wrong even though they were great leaders, so they needed forgiveness. God had to be ’an avenger of their wrongdoing’. Only one who has done no wrong can forgive. Only God has the character and the will to provide forgiveness for the least and the greatest of us because He is the only one who has never erred. He never makes a mistake or sins, this is why He can forgive all people, the great men and women of faith like Moses, Aaron and Samuel, down to the prostitute at the feet of Jesus. God can forgive because He is holy. He alone is ultimately good, righteous, faithful and holy. Even the best person alive today who demonstrates faithfulness to God, like these patriarchs, they still get it wrong. When they do, where do they go, who can forgive them when they still get things wrong and fall short of the holiness, righteousness and justice? All men and women, no matter the signs and wonders, the pillars of cloud or fire that follow or precede them, they all need God’s forgiveness and vengeance of their sin. Therefore, in order to forgive them and make recompense for their wrongs, God has to be greater. Greater in His ability to forgive due to His holiness and greater in His desire to forgive. There is no-one and no sin that He will not forgive. His desire for equity, justice and righteousness extends to all people, no matter what. That is why, in God's great holiness and love, He sacrificed His Son so that we could all know forgiveness. So that we can all be restored to the standard God models; perfection and holiness. For Jesus is God, and human, and He lived the perfect, righteous, just, holy life which he gave up so that His life was exchanged for all sin. So you now, and anyone who chooses to turn and believe in him can be forgiven and can be made holy. This is only made possible through God's kindness, justice, authority and holiness.

Only God is holy.

In God’s holiness He deals with wrongdoing, avenging your sin. He reigns in righteousness and equity, displaying authority, power, love and justice because He is holy. 

Would you want to follow or worship something that wasn’t holy? If you wanted someone to rule over you, wouldn't you want them to do the right things, make just decisions and be able to fairly exercise their power and influence? Surely a holy God is the kind of king you want to follow!

What are you ascribing to God?

 Psalm 29:1–11 (ESV):  

1  Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings, 

ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. 

2  Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; 

worship the Lord in the splendour of holiness. 

3  The voice of the Lord is over the waters; 

the God of glory thunders, 

the Lord, over many waters. 

4  The voice of the Lord is powerful; 

the voice of the Lord is full of majesty. 

5  The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; 

the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon. 

6  He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf, 

and Sirion like a young wild ox. 

7  The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire. 

8  The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; 

the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. 

9  The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth 

and strips the forests bare, 

and in his temple all cry, “Glory!” 

10  The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; 

the Lord sits enthroned as king forever. 

11  May the Lord give strength to his people! 

May the Lord bless his people with peace! 

This psalm is full of repetition, so there are several things that are emphasised. Firstly, of utmost importance is the fact that this poem is about ‘the Lord’. David repeats this 18 times throughout this psalm, so there is no excuse to not know whom it is about! David is calling all heaven and Earth to acknowledge the goodness, beauty, Lordship and strength of God and praise Him because of who He is. He calls us to ‘Ascribe to the Lord’ glory and strength. Ascribe is not a word we commonly use, but it means to assign or credit. So David is urging that God should be acknowledged with honour and given credit for His power. David calls upon not only humans to recognise this, but also the heavenly beings. So great is God’s majesty and strength, that all of creation should be called to marvel at it. From the Heavens to the Earth and everything in-between, God deserves credit and respect. 

God displays this glory and strength that he should be ascribed  simply through His voice! ‘The voice of the Lord’ is enough for God to show His might and majesty - isn’t that incredible?! This psalm shows that through His voice God commands; water, thunder, flames, shaking, cities, the environment and birth. God’s voice can break, strip and build things. Just by His word, God can do all this - is that not terrifying and awesome at the same time? What God speaks happens. He has authority, power and control over every situation and He can and does speak through them. What do you hear Him saying in the stillness, and in the storm? Are you listening out for ‘The voice of the Lord’ in your circumstances and through the nature and environment around you? The voice of the Lord can be heard in heaven and on Earth in the day to day - are you listening out for it? 

Not only should God be worshipped for His glory, strength and the beauty and power of His voice, but also because, ‘The Lord sits enthroned’. God remains seated in authority and power and never takes His eye off the ball. He is the one who speaks things into being and reigns over all heaven and all Earth, no matter the circumstances. If you are experiencing a storm or the still, God is still in authority and is speaking. He is still in command, He is still King. 

So today;

What are attributes can you ascribe to God?

How can you credit God with the glory and honour He deserves today?

Listen out for God’s voice - what is He saying to you?

Recognise God is still king - how does that give you peace and strength?

The truth

6Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

John 14:6.

Here Jesus is telling us a few things about who he is, last week we looked at him being the way, this week we are going to ponder the fact that Jesus claims to be 'the truth' as well. 

If we consider this statement that Jesus is 'the truth', then this means that truth has existed before the world began as Jesus also existed. Before creation, truth existed. Truth is also found in a person, not as a concept or quality. In the first chapter of this book of John, Jesus is also described as being ‘the word’ that created and spoke into being all things, therefore truth was evident and in existence then, right from the very start of all we know. Truth was present in Jesus, and through his words.Truth has existed for longer than the world that we are dependent on, In fact, Jesus and truth have actually been the foundation of all of these things. Truth is found in Jesus and through his words.  

Jesus came to Earth as a human and so became the embodiment of truth, revealing who God is. When he came to Earth as a human, Jesus revealed the truth about who he is and who his Father is. Whatever traits we see in Jesus, we can know that Father God has the same. 

Therefore, if we want to live honest, truth-filled lives, and as Jesus is the truth, surely we need to learn to understand the world around us through him. Otherwise we are not living in truth, are we? If Jesus is the truth and the creator of all that is around us, then it makes sense to try to appreciate all that life entails through the one who made it. When we do we are able to put things into the right context. If we remove Jesus from our thinking, then how are we approaching the situations, people and the world each and every day? If Jesus is truth and we decline to live with him, then what are we living with? How are we assessing the things and people we encounter?

There are many things in this world that vie for our attention and that claim to be true, just and right, but do you take time to test these things and see if they aline with who Jesus is, what he taught and represents? Others’ arguments, values and experiences may be strong and persuasive but does what they are bringing agrees with scripture which is true? Do you stop to reflect and ask yourself if Jesus would have had those theories, acted in that way or taught these things? If you know he wouldn’t then you know that these things are not based in the ultimate truth. 

It may be that the words spoken by Jesus are hard to understand, or difficult to take onboard, but it doesn’t mean that they are wrong. Just because things may be hard to accept and live, doesn’t mean that they are irrelevant, should be ignored or are simply untrue. It just means that we don't like it. 

Jesus, and truth have existed before this planet and before time. Surely that is something dependable, reliable and certain that you can build your life upon. After all, the theories and ideas of man last a season, change frequently and eventually are often discarded and mocked. Yet, Jesus the Son of God, has outlasted them all. The truth has lived, has created this Earth and walked this Earth, and is still alive, living with His Father in heaven. Do you live with that truth in your life? 

Is your hope growing?

 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, *4*to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you

1 Peter 1:3-4

As christians, we have been; ‘born again to a living hope’. We get to have a new life, not confined to this world, but one that continues to exist beyond what we currently experience. This hope that we are now a part of lives - it breathes, it is constant and it grows. 

Is  your hope in God growing? 

That thought has challenged me - do I have more hope now than I ever used to? Am I living in greater and growing assurance of my inheritance? Are you?

The next promise in these couple of verses is that we have an inheritance, that is, ‘imperishable, undefiled, and unfading’. 

We have much to look forward to, that is certain. There is no doubt about it - the death of Christ has led to us having an eternal joy to look forward to that will never diminish, never get tarnished and will never become devalued. 

Whatever life throws at you, no matter how bleak, or even how tremendous your life is - there is a greater gift to come. A promise, a treasure stored up for us where no-one and nothing can get at it - it cannot be stolen, it cannot become less and it cannot be ruined. It doesn’t matter if you make a mistake, if you sin or sink into bad habits - your eternal salvation and eternal reward is still waiting for you, not because of your actions or faith, but because you trust that Jesus has given you all that was his. He doesn’t even invite, or ask you - he gives you this inheritance with no clauses or restrictions, it’s been signed off and set aside just for you. 

So, are you living with anticipation of the reward of heaven? 

Is your hope alive and growing? 

If not - what can you do about it? 

Contemplate the truth of these verses and learn to accept them - they have certainly put a smile not just on my face, but in me heart today, I hope you are inspired and encouraged too. 

Jesus is more

Just in case we need further proof that Jesus is higher than even the heavenly beings, we come across these verses at the beginning of Hebrews;

When he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, 
“Let all God’s angels worship him.” 
*7*Of the angels he says, 
“He makes his angels winds, 
and his ministers a flame of fire.” 
*8*But of the Son he says, 
“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever”
Hebrews 1:6–8.

Here we have a comparison of Jesus, God’s son (the ‘exact imprint’ of God) and the angels. This passage clearly shows us that angels, like us, are created beings. They were made by the God the Father and Jesus the son.

It can seem strange to consider angels, they seem like far-away beings, maybe more fitted for a fairy tale rather than the book of truth. Yet we do hear stories about them, either from the Bible or people’s experiences. We often end up in awe as we comprehend the encounters people have meeting these holy, heavenly messengers of God. When we hear of such meetings, they fill us with wonder.

Can you imagine meeting an angel? It would be incredible!
Gideon met one, Daniel knew they were fighting for him, Elishah saw an army of them, Mary spoke with one and Joseph saw one in his dreams. These accounts have lasted thousands of years. These stories amaze us, as they retell supernatural experiences that influenced everyday human lives. These accounts have inspired and amazed countless generations. However, angelic encounters are not just historical events. People today also have the privilege of meeting them. We can read stories or watch videos of people retelling their experiences and when they do, we end up in awe. These stories build our faith and help to open our eyes to the supernatural dimension.

How amazing it must be to encounter an angel - a heavenly being from the presence of God stepping down into our world - can you imagine?!

Verse 14 of Hebrews 1 tells us that angels are, ‘all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation’. Don’t you think that, too, is amazing? All angels are tasked with supporting those who are on the path to salvation. That’s right, angels are around to support, encourage and minister to us! Angels exist because we do.

Sometimes, rarely, a mere human being has the opportunity to see one of these heavenly messengers. These stories inspire us and instil hope, joy and faith into hearts. I have heard different stories, read different accounts, as I am sure you have, and I am grateful, inspired and maybe a little jealous — how cool would it be to meet an angel?! I mean, a powerful, heavenly being being sent to Earth with a message for you, or a job to protect you, warn you, help you, fight for you - how awesome would that be?! How incredible to meet a creature from heaven!

Do you realise we live, each one of us, with the reality that we can encounter a heavenly being? Not as a once in a lifetime opportunity, but we have the opportunity to  connect with heaven each moment of our lives.
Angels do inspire much awe, wonder, hope, joy and faith - how much more should the one who created them?

We have the opportunity each and every day, each and every hour, even each minute to connect with someone even greater than the angels. One whom even the angels worship (v6)! Should we not be over-awed by that? By the fact that, we may not be able to connect with an angel today, but we can connect with Jesus!

I think we have become accustomed to the fact that Jesus was a man and walked around like you and I. He lived on this Earth like us, was born like us. We have lost something of the awe and wonder of who Jesus is. We take for granted that he is approachable and relatable. We have lost something in overemphasising his humanity above his divinity.
Jesus is not just fully human, but fully God. As much as we admire and are in awe of angels, shouldn’t that instil in us a greater wonder and awe of the one who invented them?! An inventor is always greater than his invention. Let alone the fact that Jesus is the one whom angels worship!

As inspiring and hope-building angels are, and stories about them can be - Jesus is more.
As powerful and holy angels are - Jesus is more.
As mighty and awesome angels are - Jesus is more.

Today, remember who Jesus is. He is more than all you see and experience. He is greater than the greatest man. He is greater than the most powerful angel. He is God!