Tag: Christian Life

Shut Your Door

Matthew 6
6 But you, when youpray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

  • YOU! When YOU pray! Close YOUR door! Pray to YOUR Father! Hallelujah! Oh what an invitation! What an opportunity! To be alone with Our Father in Heaven. YOU, and HIM. Oh how often we despise this invitation! How often we prioritise self. We make time to get ready for work but not to commit the day to The Lord! How often we make sure we have our breakfast and morning coffee but give little to no thought to being alone with The Father, Our Father. We choose to spend hours scrolling worthless things when we could choose to spend time in the presence of Almighty God! Oh how fickle we are! 
  • Jesus speaks plainly here. He speaks directly to you, to me, the individual. Oh give this verse much thought! Do you prioritise your time alone with The Father? Is that the greatest part of your day? What on earth could be better?! Is He where your treasure is?
  • It is a command with a most wonderful and precious promise! Hallelujah! Go to your room, shut your door and pray to YOUR FATHER! When you go, when you shut your door, when you pray… He WILL hear! Hallelujah!

Psalm 91
1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

  • There is a secret place where WE are invited to be with The Almighty! Hallelujah! Consider that! Where else would you want to be?! Why would you want to be anywhere else? A place that is to be sought for. It is a private place that no other can enter. It is a place for you and The Father alone! Oh what a precious opportunity and invitation. A private audience with the source of all life, the source of all satisfaction, the source of all peace, hope, strength, joy and provision! Living in HIS presence!
  • It is a place where we can choose to stay! We can LIVE in that place! We need never leave! Nothing and no one can ever harm us there! The flesh life may undergo all kinds of tribulation and trial but our spirit can abide safe and secure from all alarm! Fearless, restful with fullness of Joy and pleasures forevermore! Hallelujah!
  • YOU… GO! Go to YOUR room and shut YOUR door! Find that secret place and shut out the world and all other distractions! Be alone with YOUR Father, THE FATHER! Hallelujah! Go be in HIS presence and when your body gets up to leave that room, let your heart/spirit remain in Him!

Oil For The Lamp

Exodus 27:20-21
“And you shall command the children of Israel, that they bring you pure crushed/beaten olive oil for the light, to cause the lamp to burn always”

  • The olives must be beaten/crushed. The oil would come forth from the crushing of the olives. It was in the Mount of Olives where Christ’s will was crushed and He prayed “Nevertheless, not my will but thine be done.” It is this symbolic crushing death to the self-will that will bring forth oil to fuel the light of the testimony.
  • Be careful not to focus on the crushing. Do not consume yourself with the death but rather rejoice in the precious oil and the light that comes from such a testimony! Some can become sepulchral, losing all joy, seeing only their unworthiness and lack… But rejoice evermore and pray without ceasing, giving thanks that the Light of The Lord’s testimony may shine on another day.

“In the tabernacle of the congregation without the vail, which is before the testimony”

  • The oil was brought from the individual homes to the place of congregational worship. It is only as our self-life is crushed that we can learn to love, serve and prefer others above ourselves. As we are crushed and see how much we’ve been forgiven we can learn to love much and we can learn to worship The Lord in unity. That is where The Lord places His testimony. Not in the individual homes but upon a people united unto Him.

“it shall be a statute for ever unto their generations on the behalf of the children of Israel.”

  • From generation to generation the statute, the marker of The Lord’s presence/blessing/testimony would be the light in the tabernacle of the congregation. It is the offering of crushing of The Lord’s people that keeps it shining.
  • Oh may we with joy bring our oil to the place of united fellowship and congregational worship. May we bring fuel for the light of our Saviour’s glory and testimony.

He Knows The Way

Exodus 33
15 And Moses said to the Lord, If Your Presence does not go with me, do not carry us up from here!
16 For by what shall it be known that I and Your people have found favour in Your sight? Is it not in Your going with us so that we are distinguished, I and Your people, from all the other people upon the face of the earth?

Acts 4
13 Now when they saw the boldness and unfettered eloquence of Peter and John and perceived that they were unlearned and untrained in the schools [common men with no educational advantages], they marvelled; and they recognised that they had been with Jesus.

• Are we distinguished from the world by the presence and leading of Almighty God? Do those around me look at my life and recognise that I have been with Jesus today? What do they see? Do they recognise the testimony of the creator God in my conversation and conduct? or do they just see another self labelled “Christian”?

• These are tough questions that may always cause us to feel lack or shame, but they are good reminders and good checks in our Spirit. May we be careful not to stray from The Shepherd, may we be vigilant to remain utterly dependant on Him and His life. John 15:5 “…for without me you can do nothing.”

What Do People Think Of Christ?

Galations 5
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law

“against such there is is no law” – There is no law against these things. There will be be no law against these things. When Christ was on the earth His message was offensive to an established church, the world(gentiles) on the other hand, flocked to hear him… Continue reading “What Do People Think Of Christ?” →