Devotion,

Blazing View!

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Blazing Arrival - Words

Psalm 50;2, 3 (Message)    God blazes into view.    Our God makes his entrance, he’s not shy in his coming.  starburst of fireworks precede him

Wow a God like this, what a picture in the mind it makes, “blazing”, on fire, passionate, “starburst of fireworks” what  a master of ceremony announces his arrival, starburst my life o God.   How magnificent you are in your ways Lord a God who does not make himself hard to find, one who revels himself, make your self know and  yet how amazing we miss you.   How can that be?  I guess the greatest miss is the missing of your incarnate self amongst the sons of men, a blazing view at birth, heaven heralds and then the journey of life but to many a guy on a colt, a carpenter from….    Blazed across the sky with angelic choirs but world missed you, people missed you, distractions occupied them and you where not seen.     Distractions occupy us too but let your grace not allow us to miss you!

Creation that truly was an announcement a blazing into view, a bursting through from the unseen to the seen, coming from another dimension that is inside of God. What a way of writing your self across the sky stars, moon, sun etc., I think we missed the announcement as we get caught on the arguments rather than the arrival.   The arguments on creation or evolution or even functional matters of who first man or woman but it could have been what David saw here an announcement of arrival, of intent, of purpose of places to be and things to-do.

He enters there is no shyness no withdrawn appearing with Him but full throttle announcement and we have been arguing what it was ever since.   It was a Divine Arrival!   A blazing into VIEW

Even when second Adam arrived starburst, angelic choir, sighs in the sky burst, fireworks and we miss it.    How can we see your blazing into view my Lord?       How can we train the eye to see the coming of our King?       How can we see you arriving so to speak in our circumstance, our lives with a blazing view nota trickle or a may be?

Is this again our challenge a coming King and the King can be lost and not seen etc.

NASB translation says it like this   2 Out of Zion, the perfection (completeness, perfection, made perfect)[2] of beauty, God has shone (“shew thyself” once, and “light” once. 1 to shine, shine forth or out, cause to shine, send out beams. to shine out, shine forth, send out beams. to cause to shine.) forth.    3 May our God come and not keep silence; Fire devours before Him, And it is very tempestuous around Him.

The role of the people of God, the aim to be the “…perfection of beauty…” the need to catch the character of the Father to display him so that “…out of Zion…”, ” …he has shone forth…” o why, o why is it my Lord we have the down casters rather than those who will work for the perfection of beauty.   Giving your life to participate in bring about “…the perfection of beauty…” What Is this so we can bring it about that you might shine for the o Lord

Zion is now the abode of God.    A dazzling blaze of light is the symbol of his presence.      The poet is anxious for God to come near and declare his will.     Lightning’s and storm are the outward symbols which express his coming.   He is a consuming fire (cf. Deut 4:24) devouring his enemies.   He is an irresistible whirlwind sweeping them away like chaff Sifre in Deuteronomy… He shined forth from Mount Paran: There are four occasions when God shines forth …

The fourth will occur in the days of the Messiah, as it is said, Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined forth

Deut 33:2   He said, “The Lord came from Sinai, And dawned on them from Seir; He shone forth from Mount Paran, And He came from the midst of ten thousand holy ones; At His right hand there was flashing lightning for them.

Job 11:17 “Your 1life would be brighter than noonday; Darkness would be like the morning.  

Psalm 80:1 Oh, give ear, Shepherd of Israel,You who lead Joseph like a flock; You who care enthroned above the cherubim, shine forth!

 Matt 13:43 Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

SO WHAT FOR ME?

Train your eye to be open to the Blazing arrivals of the Father, become aware, cultivate the awareness of his moving and his aim always to arrive

We are to be “…the light on the Hill…” Matt 5 stop putting on to another person or another time, he has resided in the midst of us and we now be his nature in life days

Recognise my distraction, my chosen distractions and one that comes to ensure they will not allow me to miss the moment filled  with a blazing view

Work to become the people of his perfected beauty to our world, develop my life

A Salvation We Need!

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The heavens opened never to be closed

How wonderful… the thought that God “…gives a salvation we need…” not a quick escape but one we need.   This line has a huge implication for you and me I trust these simple thoughts will stimulate to see the love of the Father towards you and me.

Psalm 85:7

Show us how much you love us, God! Give us the salvation we need!

The salvation we need is found enveloped in ‘chesed’ – Covenant Love, what a salvation O Lord is this one we need?   This is not David telling God how he should be saved or even when to be saved, not a  “God get me out of here” but telling the Lord to use his discretion, give us a salvation we need!     David was asking the Father to flow from his nature that is who He is, in determining what we need!     I am convinced more than ever we should help one another to grasp the nature of God which would enable us to understand how the Father works, delivering us from a spare tire mentality, when I have flat tire I will take God out and allow Him to perform a salvation for me.  Saying to God rather, flow from who you are towards me o God, I can only say that as I grasp a little of His nature!

What an amazing trust first, then what an amazing confidence and what an amazing release to be free to say, ” you do God, what you wish, or better you bring a salvation that is commensurate to your nature.”

NASB  – Show us your loving-kindness, O Lord, And grant us your salvation.

When we request a salvation we need from God himself, then we will become recipients of God ‘chesed’, not our plan, it is to let God take the reins in every way, knowing that he will deal directly according God to his ways.   For our God does not come down to our level to deal with us, he came incarnate into our world in order to lift us up to us to his ways, causing us to live his resurrection life.     This is not escapism but a life where heaven has broken in, enabling us to restore creation; transforming our surroundings, to the life of God, given of God in his salvation.   He took us out of the mud and mire and lifted us upon a solid rock.   He came to our world and lifted our world to his world, is this not salvation in truth.    Heavens coming to earth to transform, resurrect, enable the cosmos to be his creation fully?

The Psalmist has understood that the Father deals with us according to his understanding, his placing, and not according to the lowest common denominator – the way we think.

In other words “…Show us how much you love us, God!       Give us the salvation we need!” Do it according to your nature, let your salvation flow from whom you are my God.   ‘Chesed’ becomes the atmosphere surrounding you o Lord, so that the salvation we need is in line with whom you are, not ‘…just get me out of here…” What an empowering salvation it becomes from this mountain top position.

Give us O God……… in light of the future you are now occupying, give us, in light of what you have determined.   Often we see a salvation that we think we need, in light of our past and the immediate situation we find our selves in, but o Lord you bring it about in light of our future as you have determined.    A salvation we need is in the light of yourself, and in line with your purpose, which is who you are.

In reading I stumbled across an interesting cross-reference to this scripture

Jeremiah 42:12    we’ll pour mercy on you. What’s more, he will show you mercy! He’ll let you come back to your very own land.’

Note that mercy shown is manifested in “…he’ll let you come back to your very own land…” mercy is that he will bring a salvation to return back to our very own land, the realm of this life.  Return to where we belong so to speak as a “…salvation we need!” is to restore us, reinstate us back to the very place of our belonging which is in the mind and heart of the Father, O God BRING IT ON, A SALVATION WE NEED, NOT A NEED OF SALVATION.   A salvation that is a manifestation of who you are, a flow of your nature, a grand joining in the ultimate intention of yourself    BRING IT ON!

Salvation in accordance with His nature and not “…. get me out of here…” but back to Gods ultimate intention!

Salvation we need, how great is your love my Father!

…grace leads us into liberty and wide open spaces…

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When I call, give me answers. God, take my side!

Once, in a tight place, you gave me room; Now I’m in trouble again: grace me! hear me!

Psalm 4

Grace is room; grace brings a wide-open space. I know what it is to be in a tight place, sometimes even trying to work my way out,  in my own effort,  struggling  with unease and unrest, but now because of Grace, I am back in a roomy place.

Grace us Lord,  take away the press of trouble and the tightly pressed places of challenge and give us room.

Galatians outlines, ”…It was for freedom we were set free…” this grace brings us to this roomy place of freedom .

Romans 5:2

And that’s not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand—out in the wide open spaces of God’s grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise.

Grace is an open space – liberty and freedom.

2 Corinthians 11:11-12

Dear, dear Corinthians, I can’t tell you how much I long for you to enter this wide-open, spacious life.

We didn’t fence you in. The smallness you feel comes from within you. Your lives aren’t small, but you’re living them in a small way.

1 Thessalonians 5:5

You’re sons of Light, daughters of Day.

We live under wide open skies and know where we stand.

O Lord you are  great “…you gave me  room…” the Psalmist is opening up to the grace life we find in the New Testament,  how wide-open and how high is your love?  as wide open as your grace, ever-increasing.

Rev 19:11

Then I saw Heaven open wide—

The open heavens is the manifestation of a wide-open, roomy place called grace!

“…Wide open spaces of God’s grace and glory…”

There is only one kind of grace, wide-open space freedom and grace, that the Lord shows us – wide-open!

This psalm written by David, is a night-time psalm, probably belonging to the time of David’s flight from Absalom (see Ps. 3), as he faces a second night sleeping rough and under threat. Like Ps. 3, this is a psalm of prayer, we note that coming into the place of prayer is to find oneself in the place of peace —even though the pressures remain.

The centre piece of this psalm however is not prayer but a knowing and trusting.

True prayer is urgent, resting completely on the righteousness of God, is specific and dependent on divine mercy.

Here—as in Ps 3:4.

God of my righteousness—or, “my righteous God, as my holy hill” and Ps 2:6, who will act towards me on righteous principles.

thou hast enlarged—expresses relief afforded, past favour being a ground of hope for the future.

NASB – Answer me when I call , O God of my righteousness ! You have relieved me in my distress; Be gracious to me and hear my prayer .

The Message – When I call, give me answers. God, take my side! Once, in a tight place, you gave me room; Now I’m in trouble again: grace me! hear me

Undisputed Evidence

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Creation Colours

The Kingdom Increases with indisputable evidence. Mark 16:20 ( Message Translation)

 

And the disciples went everywhere preaching, the Master working right with them, validating the Message with indisputable evidence.

Can we come to a place today, where we are confident to know that the master is working right with us, that he is along side our work and declaration.     That he awaits the words we speak in order that he might work right alongside us.

Authentic ministry is when the master works along side you.

Can we simply step into the confidence of this, with the immediate walking of a faith that says,  ‘I speak’, ‘he works’ then the  ‘validation’ and ‘evidence ‘are the products.

Validation confirms that we are about the Father Business.

What a powerful experience  for all involved….“…the Master working right with them…” O Lord that this would become our daily experience.      Our work and ministry would become the working together of my words alongside my Lords validation, what a privileged position.   God  has  planned for interaction, becoming one with his people,as they preach, He will be right there working with them.    In this, the minister also becomes the sign sent from God and validated by him.

Isaiah 18:18 Behold, I and the children whom the Lord has given me are for signs and wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion .

In these verses we read that we will become the children of signs and wonders, these children will be signs and wonders in themselves and will also be given to seeing signs and wonders around them.      Is What we read in Marks gospel and in our lives today the re contextualising of this passage that “…Master working right with them…” causes them to be a sign and wonder?

Jesus has now taken up more fully his heavenly priesthood in the order of Melchizedek, his ministry continues in another realm, as High Priest and Advocate for His people (Hebrews 7–10; 1 John 2:1–3).

He is now seated at the right hand of God ,the “right hand of God” being the place of honor and authority (Ps. 110:1; 1 Peter 3:22).

One of His heavenly ministries is that of enabling His people to do His will

Hebrews 13:20–21 May God, who puts all things together, makes all things whole, Who made a lasting mark through the sacrifice of Jesus, the sacrifice of blood that sealed the eternal covenant, Who led Jesus, our Great Shepherd, up and alive from the dead, Now put you together, provide you with everything you need to please him, Make us into what gives him most pleasure, by means of the sacrifice of Jesus, the Messiah. All glory to Jesus forever and always! Oh, yes, yes, yes.

We read here of the wonderful active working together of the Father and the Son.

  • He put us together
  • He provides all we need with the goal of pleasure to the Father
  • He makes us into something, transforms us into people who give the Father “most pleasure”

How amazing, the single sightedness of this, it is not just to bring down the devil so to speak or to bring in the Kingdom, although the kingdom is our message, but to put us together, give us all we need and make us into the people that bring him pleasure – the sole aim of man is to bring pleasure to the Father.

How can we not bring pleasure to him as he puts us together, he provides for us and he makes us, nothing of our work and labour, it is only his making of us.

The signs authenticated their message. This task of proclaiming the gospel and spreading the kingdom is still our life and ministry, carrying on today through disciples empowered by the risen Lord, with their message being validated through the Godhead.

Hebrews 2:4(The Message Translation) “All the while God was validating it with gifts through the Holy Spirit, all sorts of signs and miracles, as he saw fit.”

With God standing alongside us  to validate our message with indisputable evidences, who can excuse any failure to become the man or woman God intends us to be?

Reach out today and live in that Sign and Wonder understanding.

The Impact of a REAL relationship

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Psalm 3

God! Look! Enemies past counting! Enemies sprouting like mushrooms, Mobs of them all around me, roaring their mockery: “Hah! No help for him from God!”

But you, God, shield me on all sides; You ground my feet, you lift my head high; With all my might I shout up to God, His answers thunder from the holy mountain.

I stretch myself out. I sleep.

Then I’m up again—rested, tall and steady, Fearless before the enemy mobs coming at me from all sides.

Up, God! My God, help me!

Slap their faces, First this cheek, then the other, Your fist hard in their teeth!

Real help comes from God.

Your blessing clothes your people!

 

The impact of a REAL relationship with this heavenly father is outlined here.      His Holy love, is a shield to me, making my feet firm and steady,– making me stable, making my sight clear, taking away all inability.    All this because in his love he has made me a participant in a face to face relationship with himself.

Through the grace, mercy of God I have the ability to be at rest to stretch my self out and to be vulnerable, totally exposed,  liberated and free.

The CONTEXT of this Psalm:–

When his son Absalom rebelled (2 Sam. 15), David’s friends advised him to expect no help from God (3:1–2). Yet David declared his faith in God and looked to him for help (3:3–4). With this assurance he could lie down in peace, though 10,000 enemies surrounded him (3:5–8).

David Gods chosen King waited for God to make right the wrong things that had been done against him.

The king’s patient waiting resulted in blessing for the people   Similarly, Christ’s waiting for God’s vindication has issued perfect blessing and salvation for all believers.

Guarded in Battle …… what battles are you facing today…… look at how David faced the battle.

This Psalm was written by David when he fled for his life from his son Absalom  It is divided into four sections….

The present distress

What distress are you walking through……remember that your God is more than enough to be the lifter of your head today….

The glorious deliverer

remind yourself of the testimonies of God at work in your life….

The sublime confidence

By His grace a ridiculous boldness can be yours today

The climatic petition

Remind God of his promise and his faithfulness to date

The Psalm concludes with a prayer and memories of Gods past deliverances….. we would do well to remind ourselves daily of the abundance grace and faithfulness of God towards us.

David encouraged himself in the fact that God had kept him through the night

I lay down, and I slept; I awoke, because the Lord sustained me.

On the basis of this deliverance, the psalmist expressed his absence of fear over the thousands who took their stand against him on every side.

The psalm instructs those who are in the midst of danger to trust in the Lord for protection while they sleep.

David began the psalm with complaints of the strength and malice of his enemies, but concludes it with exultation in the power and grace of his God, and finally sees more with him than against him.

Two great truths are displayed here for us to see…..

(1) That salvation belongs to the Lord; he has power to save, however large the danger; it is his prerogative to save, when all other help fails; it is his pleasure, it is his property, it is his promise to those that are his, whose salvation is not of themselves, but of the Lord.

(2) That his blessing is on his people; he not only has power to save them, but he has assured them of his kind and gracious intentions towards them. He has, in his word, pronounced a blessing upon his people; and we are bound to believe that blessing rests upon them.  God’s people, though they may lie under the reproaches of men, are surely blessed of him, who blesses indeed, and therefore can command a blessing.

Real help comes from God. Your blessing clothes your people!

O Lord help us to see that this blessing festoons us, that the blessing of God is that which dresses us.  The white robe (Revelation) given to us is a blessing, clothing us, the robes of righteousness all these speak of a blessing clothed people.

Of course we can decide to take on the clothing or take off the clothing, to display the blessing wearing it as a garment or leave it in the cupboard.

How many clothes, and jackets do you try on before you decide what to wear?  Can we decide to wear the clothes of His blessing today?

Can we see here the continuity of “…Put on Christ…” “…taking off the old…”?

Blessing is to be worn

That men might see, the goodness of the Father to his people.

We have been adorned with the blessed clothing of protection while we sleep, we rest in him and arise having being clothed in blessing.

In Gen 3:21 we read of God clothing Adam  which is the first mention of clothing, we see that when man is in loss, God clothes him. Showing us the sacrifice, provision and blessing of God.

In the midst of failure he blesses us and clothes us, in the face of enemies he clothes us….. we see the continuity of Gods action throughout the scripture beginning with Adam… in the Psalms with David and into the new testament…..  we are clothed with Christ, we receive the blessing of that covenant clothing of that royal priesthood upon us.

The last mention in the OT of clothing is that of the priest Joshua with the removal of dirty garments and the replacement of festal garments, the garments of office, garments of blessing.

Zechariah 3:3-5

Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and standing before the angel He spoke and said to those who were standing before him, saying , “Remove the filthy garments from him.” Again he said to him, “See , I have taken your iniquity away from you and will clothe you with festal robes .”

Then I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head .” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments, while the angel of the Lord was standing by.

Last mention of clothing in the New Testament is in:-

Revelation 19:7-9

“Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready .”

It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean ; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints .

Then he said to me, “Write , ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb .’ ” And he *said to me, “These are true words of God .”

This bride is clothed in right clothing… she is ready……

Gal 3:27

For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ .

Clothe yourself with Christ today whatever battles you have to face

Clothe yourself with blessing

Clothe yourself with rest