Don’t milk it for all it’s worth..

“When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, neither shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest.  And you shall not strip your vineyard bare, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the Lord your God.” - Leviticus 19:9-10

I love this.

I love this so much.

In this, we see a command not to take every penny for ourselves. Here is the message: some of our wealth was given to us to be given away. The LORD who controls the harvest and how fruitful it is says to you, “Look! Your harvest is bountiful  this month. You have all the riches you need. So give what I have portioned to be given away! Every last cent that you own has been given to you out of My love for you. Use it as I wish, and I wish to bless others with it.”

Isn’t He amazing?

Genesis 18: Intercession

So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. Then Abraham drew near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” And the Lord said, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”

Abraham answered and said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes.Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?” And he said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” Again he spoke to him and said, “Suppose forty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of forty I will not do it.” Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found there.” He answered, “I will not do it, if I find thirty there.” He said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it.” Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.” And the Lord went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.

- Genesis 18:22-33

Absolutely. Insane. Passage.

Abraham speaks to God and actually takes the courage to make requests, of the God who created him and holds the whole universe in His hands. And God actually listens to his requests.

Bizarre. Crazy. 

I wonder if sometimes we forget who we speak to when we pray. I think sometimes we take it for granted and forget to take off our spiritual shoes since we stand on holy ground when before Him. 

Intercessory prayer is bold, it’s exhausting, and the Scriptures are full of examples of men and women, seeking after the lost and fearing God in reverence, interceding.

Here’s a few points to take away and remember about intercession:

• Appeal to God’s nature, as He will be true to Himself. Notice that Abraham presents his requests to God not by asking God to please him, but by praising God for who He is. “Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the  Judge of all the earth do what is just?”  When you are in intercessory prayer, remember that it’s not about trying to convince God that He should answer your prayers because you are great or deserving, but that intercession is about appealing to His own nature and glory. It’s about reminding God of His steadfast love, of His mercy. When I pray in intercession, I praise God for His mercy and blessing extended to me, when I was so undeserving. As His people, we know that He is good. It’s not about manipulating or convincing God, it’s simply reminding ourselves and praising Him for who He is. I often pray this prayer for others, as I do for myself: “What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness?” (Psalm 30:9). Remember that we intercede for others for His glory, and that is the purpose, that He would be glorified through our prayers and though the answers He so generously gives. 
• Recognise who you are before God in humility.  Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes.  Every moment you speak to the Mighty LORD is an incredible privilege. Intercession is not about demanding a list of requests. It’s about coming before the LORD, praising Him for the joy of prayer, that we can approach Him and make our desire for others to experience His blessing known to Him. Remind yourself of that, for there is no other way to speak to the Lord of Lords.
• Be BOLD. Abraham makes bold request after bold request. Each made in humility, recognising that he is in no way more powerful than God. We see in this snapshot of their conversation that God does respond and listen to what Abraham is asking of Him. Recognise that while God is great, and mighty, He loves you, His child, greatly, and He will always be true to His character. Make your requests bold, and specific, and trust that God is listening.
• Be patient. Be still, and be focused.  …but Abraham still stood before the Lord. This is a really painful one. Intercessory prayer takes time. It’s exhausting. Other things are all too distracting. But know this. Intercessory prayer is about praying until you are certain that the request has been heard, that the answer has been given. And until then, you commit yourself to praying and praying and praying. You need to be focused. If you find yourself getting distracted, quietly bring your mind back, ask the Spirit to help you fix your eyes on Christ, and continue back in prayer. You cannot get on your knees in intercession when you are watching TV. Intercession in this case is not just a quick arrow prayer. It will take energy, but it will be worth it. He is glorified when we commit to prayer to honour Him with all our hearts.

It’s not easy, but I do feel that we are losing sight of how great a mission we’ve been given, and how much help we are granted through prayer. May we remember always the words of Christ:

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.” - John 14:12-14

Psalm 34: Taste and see that the LORD is good!

 ¹ I will bless the LORD at all times; 
   his praise shall continually be in my mouth. 
² My soul makes its boast in the LORD; 
   let the humble hear and be glad. 
³ Oh, magnify the LORD with me, 
   and let us exalt his name together!

 ⁴ I sought the LORD, and he answered me 
   and delivered me from all my fears. 
⁵ Those who look to him are radiant, 
   and their faces shall never be ashamed. 
⁶ This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him 
   and saved him out of all his troubles. 
⁷ The angel of the LORD encamps 
   around those who fear him, and delivers them.

 ⁸ Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! 
   Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! 
⁹ Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints, 
   for those who fear him have no lack! 
¹⁰ The young lions suffer want and hunger; 
   but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

 ¹¹ Come, O children, listen to me; 
   I will teach you the fear of the LORD. 
¹² What man is there who desires life 
   and loves many days, that he may see good? 
¹³ Keep your tongue from evil 
   and your lips from speaking deceit. 
¹⁴ Turn away from evil and do good; 
   seek peace and pursue it.

 ¹⁵ The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous 
   and his ears toward their cry. 
¹⁶ The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, 
   to cut off the memory of them from the earth. 
¹⁷ When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears 
   and delivers them out of all their troubles. 
¹⁸ The LORD is near to the brokenhearted 
   and saves the crushed in spirit.

 ¹⁹ Many are the afflictions of the righteous, 
   but the LORD delivers him out of them all. 
²⁰ He keeps all his bones; 
   not one of them is broken. 
²¹ Affliction will slay the wicked, 
   and those who hate the righteous will be condemned. 
²² The LORD redeems the life of his servants; 
   none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

‎”I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Saviour, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

1 Timothy 2:1-4

At times our faith is weak. But know that GOD will increase it, know that if your desire is for Him, know that it pleases Him to intercede for others, as He DESIRES for them to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. If our faith is weak, then let us not trust in our own ability to comprehend the weight of what we’re asking for. Let us trust in His Word, let us trust in its faithfulness. This earth will fall away but His Word will remain. Trust in the strength of His Word.

Genesis 14

I love reading Genesis. All these stories that you’ve forgotten. 

Seriously, this one is worth reading. Pick up your Bible right now! Or click this link, and read with me!

In chapter 14, Lot’s been abducted by a bunch of kings, and so Abram, with his 318 trained men, go in the night and defeat the kings and bring back Lot and all the others who were abducted, as well as all the possessions that were stolen.

What.

Whenever I think of Abram in the Bible, all I really remember is the old man Abraham, great in his faith. It’s wonderful to read more about how God works in his life.

What’s even more amazing, though, is what happens in verses 17-24. The king of Sodom, and Melchizedek (the King of Salem but also the high priest) come to greet Abram, especially since Abram’s just defeated his enemies. Melchizedek blesses Abram, and attributes his victory to the Lord. Abram gives him a tenth of all his belongings, affirming the truthfulness of these words. Then the king of Sodom is a pretty ungrateful man who demands to have all the people back, saying that he’ll let Abram keep all the material possessions.

And then Abram says no.

I have lifted my hand to the Lord, God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth, that I would not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’

Abram was promised by God that he was going to be made into a great nation and that his name would be great. Abram had relied on his own plans before rather than trusting God before, and he knew that when his own plans backfired, it was God who rescued him. So this time he says no. He says no to the plans of man. He seems no to what seems logical, seems comfortable. He says no to relying on the gifts of earthly kings and yes to relying on God, so that should people even try to attribute his future greatness to man, they would not have adequate evidence to do so. He says no, because he trusts that when God makes a promise, He has the power to carry it through. I pray that you and I would do the same! 

The Stoning of Stephen

Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” But they cried out with a loud voice and sotpped their ears and rushed together at him. Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” And falling to his knees he cried out wiht a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

- Acts 7:54-60

What a man of great courage in a moment of great terror.

This passage always moves my heart. Stephen saw Jesus rightly as the King that He is. His love for the LORD caused him to gaze into heaven, fixing his eyes on God and not the opposition before Him. And as he saw the glory of God, he was strengthened to reflect Christ radically as he forgave freely.

Seeing the LORD Jesus for who He is will only naturally lead to such courage. When our eyes are opened to see that He is great and He is for us, our hearts are filled with strength and boldness. May we be so filled with the Spirit that we fix our eyes on the things of heaven. May our eyes and hearts be opened to see and know the living King, so that we may be His witnesses to all the ends of the earth.

What a King we worship

The Father…has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

- Colossians 1:12-13

Oh my word. What a King we worship. What a kingdom we have been welcomed into! Do you realise that we will serve, for the rest of an eternity, a King who washes the feet of His servants? Let that truth just flood your soul for a moment. 

God is worthy of all your praise, because of His power. And yet He stoops down washes your feet. And God is worthy of all your praise, because of His justice. And yet He stoops down in mercy and love.

I wish I had the words to communicate to you how complicated and wonderful His character is. The glory of God is carried in all that He is. Mighty. Powerful. Strong. He has a voice that sounds like rushing waters. When people’s eyes were opened to see the Son of Man in His glory, they always responded with reverence. And yet, He is a God who will stoop down to draw in the dirt, to free you from condemnation. He is a God who will forgive you and give you another chance to love  Him, when you’ve already denied Him three times. He is a God who will heal and restore you, even if the strength of your faith is weak, for He restores those who place their faith in Him. He is a God who is willing to be forsaken for you. 

I wish I had the words to describe. Words just don’t do Him justice.

Thy justice, like mountains, high soaring above Thy clouds, which are fountains of goodness and love.

Want to see before you believe? He invites you to investigate.

Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”

Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

- John 20:24-28

You’re an intellectual person who refuses to believe that Christ rose from the dead unless you have evidence to suggest that He did. It seems to you that it’s too biased and circular to use the Bible as proof that the story of Christ as recorded by the Bible is historically accurate. You’re not expected to believe naively without applying your intelligence to other areas of life, so why should you believe that Jesus is Lord without applying your mind?

Know this: to you, Jesus says: put your finger here, and see my hands; put out your hand, and place it in my side. He invites you to investigate. He’s not angry that you’re hesitant to believe without seeing evidence for yourself. But if there’s a possibility that Christ is Lord, that there is hope, then surely that possibility is worth investigating properly?

You like to draw conclusions for yourself, and you want to explore your own choices. You apply your energy passionately to so many other areas of your life. You are intelligent enough to look at both sides of the debate, and more than capable of researching objectively. You are gifted with the ability to think critically. You don’t write off theories unless you’ve wrestled with their validity first. You say that there is no evidence to suggest that Christ rose from the dead - but if you were to be honest with yourself, when was the last time you looked to see if there was evidence? I shoud say, properly looked, for yourself and not to please someone else?

The Jesus of the Bible, the Jesus I follow, is one who invites you to investigate the evidence of His resurrection for yourself.

You healed me

While he was still speaking, there came a crowd, and the man called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He drew near to Jesus to kiss him, but Jesus said to him, “Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?” And when those who were around him saw what would follow, they said, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. But Jesus said, “No more of this!” And he touched his ear and healed him.

- Luke 22:47-51

I came to You to crucify You. I came to You to hurt You. I came to You to break You down and mock You and abuse You, and yet You healed me. I was a stranger with no intention to acknowledge who You are, and You healed me. I served the father of this world, and You healed me. I came with them in the dead of the night, too cowardly to arrest You by daylight, and You healed me. I was the enemy, and You healed me.

Does Your compassion know no end?