Category: Teaching

Good teaching that has helped me in my search for more of Jesus and in seeking to please Him.

The Requirement Is Faithfulness

1 Corinthians 4
2 Moreover, it is required of stewards, that a man be found faithful.

  • Faithfulness is synonymous with love. In fact James could easily have written “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so love [faith] without works is dead also.” (James 2:26) Or Paul could have written faithfulness “endures long and is kind” (1 Corinthians 13:4). We cannot merely claim to be faithful, in the same way that we cannot simply claim to love. There is a proving in the course of time by our actions. In the small, unnoticed, unappreciated, taken for granted actions that we do daily. In the long suffering, in the enduring, in the weathering and abiding, in the preferring of others and the denying of self.
  • Men are so quick to honour position. They love to praise the pastor or the preacher, the great evangelist, the worship leader or scholar. The flesh praises flesh for its achievements and success. (Matthew 23:8-10). Where man loves princes God desires paupers. Paupers that live completely and daily dependant upon [faithful to] His life and blessing.
  • Faithfulness isn’t found in the spotlight. It isn’t glamourous. It is not proved in dramatic events. Faithfulness is quiet, consistent, steadfast, dependable, busy about its business, committed and dedicated to the cause. It is often unnoticed and unseen by man. Faithfulness is menial to the flesh but mighty with The Lord!

Luke 18
8 However, when the Son of man comes, will he find faith [faithfulness] on the earth?

  • When Jesus Christ comes He will find an abundance of pastors, He will find so many glorified worship leaders, evangelists and leaders… But who can find a faithful man? God Himself asks the question ‘Will I find any who are simply remaining faithful to me?’. Oh may we learn to die daily, confess sin often, rejoice evermore and, in humility, live to serve consistent and diligent in the small things. May we be doing business with the mina that He has given us and be found to be good and faithful servants. (Luke 19:12-17) Simply abiding in His wonderful presence.
  • May we also be careful to let The Lord’s heart live through us to honour and reverence faithfulness in others over fleshly fame.

2 Thessalonians 3
13 And for you, brethren, do not become weary in [faithful] well doing…

Living Waters From Spiritual Paupers

Matthew 5
3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

  • The poor, the paupers, those in poverty of spirit, those who recognise and acknowledge they have nothing in themselves, those with nothing to offer, no strength, no riches, no light, no wisdom, no solution… They have a craving hunger and desperate need for the Spirit of God so that they might have His life, His light!
  • THEIR’S IS THE KINGDOM!! To them it is given! To live in the goodness of it! To enjoy it! To share it!

John 7
38 He that believes on me, as the scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
39 But He was speaking here of the Spirit, Whom those who believed (trusted, had faith) in Him were afterward to receive…

  • It is those who recognise the utter inability in self; whose hunger for God drives them to confess in their hearts a surrendered dependence on Jesus Christ; who seek to remove any obstacle that hinders the flow of His life… BLESSED ARE THEY! Those who are yielded to Him, abiding in Him, in desperate need of Him and allow Him to live through them. Oh How blessed they are! 
  • It isn’t pleasant in the flesh to recognise and acknowledge our spiritual poverty and emptiness. The flesh doesn’t like to be found out and exposed. It’s an ugly, rotting corpse that tries to stay covered up. But there is wonderful joy, liberty and victory when we bring it all to Jesus, when we confess our sin, mortify our flesh, repent of going our own way and seek communion and intimacy with Christ above all. 
  • When we acknowledge we are paupers, when we believe on Him, THEN the rivers of living waters flow! And let us believe this!! Stop looking at your weakness, inability and the ugliness of your flesh! Believe on Him!!! Believe His word! Believe in the rivers of living waters! Hallelujah! And let Him flow! 

Psalm 119
27 Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of thy wondrous works.
29 Remove from me the way of lying: and grant me thy law graciously.
32 I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart.
33 Teach me, O LORD, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end.
34 Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.
35 Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight.
36 Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness.
37 Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way.
38 Stablish thy word unto thy servant, who is devoted to thy fear.

  • “when you” / “Teach me” / “Give me” / “Make me” / “Incline my heart” / “Turn away my eyes” / “Establish your word”
  • It is The Lord who does the work. Just like the psalmist, there will be a complete dependence upon The Lord for His Life. He alone will receive all the glory. There is nothing at all that we can accomplish in our flesh! There is an acknowledgement of our pitiful/powerless/sinful state and the recognition that it is only by Him that we have any hope/life or strength to obey.
  • It is such a wonderful encouragement to hear the psalmist pray like this. These prayers are recorded for our example and benefit. We too can have a heartcry for The Lord’s teaching and leading. Oh Lord, incline MY heart… Turn away MY eyes… Make ME go… Oh Lord please do this same work in me!!

Invited to Fellowship

Joshua 14:11

As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in.

• May we never doubt the power of The Spirit and what The Lord can do through a willing, obedient vessel.

• We will not all be blessed with physical vigour as Caleb but there is no excuse not to have such a testimony in the Spirit.

• 2 Corinthians 12:9 But He said to me, My grace is enough for you; for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in [your] weakness. Therefore, I will all the more gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah) may be seen over me.

• There was no loss of effectiveness and ability. There was no loss of confidence or faith. Caleb did not for a second doubt the power of God as he moved in obedience.

• Let us encourage and remind the older saints of such precious truths. Oh, that there would be an older generation that does not slack in faith and vigour of The Spirit; who are fierce in prayer; who are mighty in compassion and unmovable in wisdom and faithfulness. Let us recognise those who are older in years of service and be challenged and inspired by their knowledge of The Lord and love for Him.

• Too often the weight and responsibility of the future is placed upon the youth! This is reckless and worldly foolishness and utterly unbiblical! The young are to look to their elders and be encouraged and inspired; taught and trained! Oh may we look with awe to our examples and follow with joy in their footsteps. May we look to exalt our elders in The Lord who have walked before us, who have dug wells and springs in the valleys and desert places. Those who can share the never failing faithfulness of The Lord; those who have sought Him, found Him, proved Him and have been granted to be bearers of His glorious testimonies!

• Our thinking is so backward today and we have lost the wisdom and pattern of God in this area.

Joshua 14:12

Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said.

•⁠  ⁠Caleb doesn’t ask for a small, easy patch. He doesn’t request land already conquered. 

•⁠  ⁠Caleb picked a fight! A mighty fight! A fight that he could not win on his own! A fight that would prove and glorify The Lord God. A fight that would be a mighty and precious testimony unto God. He saw the potential; He saw the limitless ability of Almighty God; He saw the testimony to be won and the abundant promise to be claimed!

•⁠  ⁠Caleb was careful to confess that His victory relied solely on the presence and blessing of The Lord being with him. He did not aim/seek to take this mountain in His own strength.

Questioning God

Exodus 17:7 
“And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not?”

• It is staggering to consider what their eyes have seen and witnessed; to consider all that the children of Israel have been brought through; to consider the intimacy and tenderness that The Lord God has shown them… and their hearts still yet question The Lord!!

• May we never be so blind as to question the presence, goodness and love of God! We can be so quick to judge the Israelites as foolish but let us be careful for we too can be just as guilty and just as selfish, foolish and ungrateful.

Psalm 139:7 Where shall I go from your spirit? or where shall I flee from your presence? – Consider the whole psalm.

Hebrews 13:5 “for he has said, I will never leave you, nor forsake you.”

• How tenderly and compassionately The Lord watches over His people. What a precious comfort is the watchful eye of our Good Shepherd! Our all sufficient one! Our Wonderful Counsellor! Our Saviour! Our Father! It is a great sin indeed to question His love and attention to His children. It is a clear sign of an unbelieving heart to ask such a thing. Such a question must so grieve The Lord!

Communion – NTC Ballynahinch 07.10.12

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1 Corinthians 11

23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: 24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. 25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.

In remembrance of Him! We do well to remember Him, and how quickly we do terribly when we forget Him. I am born again only 3 and a half years but I have come to know how very precious it is to remember Him. To consider and to meditate on Him. It is a tender-loving mercy that Jesus instituted this table. I can see now how surely I would have fallen if we did not remember Him regularly. Not for the benefit of His self-worth or pride, as if He needed our sympathy… But how lovingly and mercifully Jesus knew we desperately needed to be instructed to remember Him. – How clearly He knows the consequences of a people/person who forgets.
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