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Behold and Become

Andre Rabe — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 12:23:45 +0000

There is nothing that has the ability to transform our lives as much as how we hear and what we behold. What we hear determines what we see and we become what we behold. Beholding truth makes us true.
“That which was from the beginning, that which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes; that which we have gazed upon, and our hands handled, concerning the word of life” (1 John 1:1)
Can you see how the tangible experience of God’s presence starts with what we hear. There is a natural progression from hearing to seeing to gazing to touching.

What we hear
The Word John speaks about is not the latest fashionable ‘revelation’, but rather that which was from the beginning. In Christ, God’s original thought was preserved since the beginning. The destiny of this Word was always to become flesh. This Word cannot be contained in books … not even sacred books. Paul said it this way: We, of course, have plenty of wisdom to pass on to you once you get your feet on firm spiritual ground, but it’s not popular wisdom, the fashionable wisdom of high-priced experts that will be out-of-date in a year or so. God’s wisdom is something mysterious that goes deep into the interior of his purposes. You don’t find it lying around on the surface. It’s not the latest message, but more like the oldest—what God determined as the way to bring out his best in us, long before we ever arrived on the scene. (1 Cor 2:6-9 MSG)

Would you agree that the Word that was in the beginning, that was with God and that was God, was not a book but a person? The truths contained within the scriptures point towards The Truth, which is a person, not a book! In Jesus’ days there were many who highly revered the scriptures, yet completely missed its message. Jesus said to the religious scholars of His day: “You have your heads in your Bibles constantly because you think you’ll find eternal life there. But you miss the forest for the trees. These Scriptures are all about me! And here I am, standing right before you, and you aren’t willing to receive from me the life you say you want. (John 5:39,40 MSG) How often still do we hear messages, backed by many scriptural references, filled with formulas and principles yet oblivious to the person – Christ in you. He still desires to find expression, not only in a doctrine or a teaching, however eloquent they may be, but in a person – in you.
This Word is original not invented last week. This Word is eternal, not seasonal. Even before time as we know it, God made up His mind about us. “… He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world …” (Eph 1:4) Before we did anything to impress or disappoint Him, He knew us, chose us and uniquely identified us in Christ. Christ came to show us what God originally saw in us, that cause Him to take such interest in us.

How we hear
Jesus said: Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away. (Luke 8:18) There is a way of hearing that will enrich you greatly and there is a way of hearing that will rob you.

Prior to this statement Jesus told the parable of the sower to illustrate some of the different ways of hearing. He likens the Word of God to seed … seed that is received (heard) in different ways and consequently produces different levels of fruitfulness. I want to liken the progression of hearing, seeing, gazing and touching that I mentioned above to this parable of the sower.

As the sower goes out to sow, some seed falls along the way on a path – it produces no fruit. For me this speaks of casual, careless ‘hearing’. The path is not ready for nor receptive to the seed. I would say that this is a person that never really heard the message.
Then there is the seed that falls among the rocks. There is a bit of good soil there and so the seed does sprout, but because there is no depth it withers quickly. Often, in the excitement of hearing this gospel, the first response is: what shall I do; how do I apply it? People want to move directly from first hearing this good news to trying to change everything around them. However, it is vital to hear in such a way that what you hear starts changing what you see. Otherwise the excitement might be short lived because as soon as you ‘see’ a contradiction the whole experience withers. This person is at the hearing stage, but has not heard enough to start seeing.

In each of these illustrations there is a progression in the intensity of ‘hearing’ and a consequent progression in the fruit it produces. The next example is a person who hears and having some depth, they allow the word to sink in, to change the way they see. Because of this, the seed sprouts and begins to bear fruit. Yet they allow other seed, other words to have an equal place in their lives. This Word is not yet the ultimate word in their lives, it has not captured their exclusive attention yet. Consequently, the seed is not as fruitful as it could be.

“As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.” This is the person who hears and embraces what they hear. This is a way of hearing that captures the persons heart. Embrace this word until you find yourself inescapably embraced by it. The soil does not have to make the seed grow – the seed spouts and grows of its own accord. The soil simply needs to provide an environment for the seed to remain. Jesus once said: “If you abide in me and my words abide in you, you will bear much fruit”. ‘Abide’ does not take much effort. It speaks more of rest that activity.

What we have seen and gazed upon
As we heed this word, as we give our ears, our attention, we’ll begin to see. “which we have seen with our eyes; that which we have gazed upon”. John uses two variations of the word ‘see‘. The first is ‘horao’.
Strongs define it as: Properly to stare at, that is, by implication to discern clearly; by extension to attend to.
The second word is ‘theaomai’ and it is a more intensive form of the first word, meaning: A prolonged form of a primary verb; to look closely at, that is, by implication to perceive.
Again the progression is evident. Look until you see beyond the obvious. Look beyond the surface and allow the true meaning of this word to captivate your attention. Continue to gaze ans soon you’ll find this word becoming a tangible reality.

There is no method, technique or process that has a greater ability to transform our lives than simply gazing into this mystery, seeing in it the face of our birth, allowing our attention to be captivated by it. Let me be clear. when I speak of being transformed, I do not mean becoming something that you are not. This transformation is a restoration to the original.
And all of us, as with unveiled face, continued to behold as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transformed into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another (2Cor3:18)
But friends, that’s exactly who we are: children of God. And that’s only the beginning. Who knows how we’ll end up! What we know is that when Christ is openly revealed, we’ll see him—and in seeing him, become like him. (1 John 3:2-3)

Can you see in these how ‘transformation’ is linked to ‘beholding’? Once we start seeing the truth of God’s opinion of us and excitement fills our hearts, the first response should simply be one of adoration – lets see more; let’s look more deeply, let us gaze upon Him. Such adoration will awaken the appropriate response.

Doers of the word, not just hearers
“But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his own face in a mirror; for he looks at himself, goes away, and right away forgets what kind of man he was. But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer who acts—this person will be blessed in what he does.”

The word ‘doer’ is so much richer than many translations bring across. It’s the same word from which we get ‘poet’.
‘poietes’
a performer; specifically a “poet”: – doer, poet.

It speaks of inspired, passionate expression. When this word is declared as it should be, you’ll hear much more than ‘do’s and don’ts’, you’ll see the face your origin as in a mirror. The secret to accurate ‘doing’ of this word is in accurate ‘seeing’. It is the one who looks intently and continues to look, that finds inspired expression – expression birthed from what he sees.

With that in mind I enjoyed the following translation:

Look and continue to look,
the perfect, complete, and eternal freedom.
Listen; listen intensily;
listen in such a way that it bursts forth in inspired expression.
Allow what you hear to awaken the poet in you;
allow what you see to awaken the artist in you.
Then act; act in the full conviction of what you have seen and heard,
and you will will find delight and affirmation in your action.
James 1:25 (translated by Andre Rabe)

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The mystery in a nutshell

Andre Rabe — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 21:30:24 +0000

I remember the excitement of the first time that I discovered that Christ was in me; the absolute fulfillment of knowing that there was no distance between us. That day God became to me, more that a philosophical concept; more than a religious being that I tried to get closer to, but He became to me the very essence of who I am; the God who chose me as His dwelling. God whispered to me .”..it is no longer you who live, but it is I, Christ, living in you; and the life that you now live in the flesh, you live by my faith..” Gal 2:20. I remember running to a mirror and leaning closer, looking deeply into my own eyes and saying “I can see You, Jesus – You are right there – in me.”

That awareness of Christ’s indwelling generated an inexhaustible energy within me to share Him with others also. I began sharing Christ with whomever and whatever stood still long enough to hear me. Naturally my classmates at school were the first to hear and see. From there it grew to neighbours and strangers. The witness I bore then and bear now is without any religious obligation; it is the fellowship that I enjoy with the Father that compels me to communicate. 1 John 1:3. I had absolutely no desire to simply change people’s opinions to agree with me, neither did I have any motivation to have them join my religious organization. NO! It was the reality of Christ in me that drove me to make others aware of the wealth that was within their reach also.

Many experiences can lose their thrill after a while, but the awareness of God’s indwelling only grows in its appeal and intensity.

What qualifies you to share Christ?
Speaking from the reality of an awareness of your union with Christ; the reality of a living relationship with Him, is irresistible and it is all the qualification you will ever need. Many of the disciples Jesus chose were illiterate! And the few who learned to write, did not bother putting anything on record until decades after His death and resurrection. The simple reason for this is that Christ in them was a reality of much greater importance to them than systematic theology.

Act 4:13 Now, when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and found out that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and realized that they had been with Jesus.

Your qualification to share Christ has nothing to do with your education or social status – it has everything to do with your contact with Jesus.

Paul, the one apostle that could boast of his education and human qualifications had this to say about it:

Phi 3:7 The very credentials these people are waving around as something special, I’m tearing up and throwing out with the trash–along with everything else I used to take credit for. And why? Because of Christ.
Phi 3:8 Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant–dog dung. I’ve dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ

I can’t really improve on that – read it again. If you have studied much and know the scriptures better than most you should maybe read it one more time.

Our confident appeal.
You see, if our appeal was to the intellect of man, then by all means get as much education and degrees as possible. And don’t stop with theology – psychology, sociology and philosophy could be very handy as well.

Or maybe our appeal should be to man’s natural desires. Then by all means you should make your Sunday services as entertaining as possible; make your message as un-offensive as possible and hope that your good looks and professional appearance draw some people into attending another meeting.

But if we desire to communicate the gospel of Christ, our communication needs to extend far beyond these superficial, shallow levels and stir up the spirit of man.

2Co 3:5 not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God;
2Co 3:6 who also has made us able ministers of the new covenant; not of the letter, but of the spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit makes alive.

Our aim is the spirit, not the head. The only person able to teach us this skill of hitting the target of the heart is God Himself.

2Co 4:2 but we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by the manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.

Nothing has greater authority and ability to awaken the conscience of man, than another man walking in the truth; enjoying the reality of fellowship with God. No institution can teach you that. No one else can be intimate with God on your behalf – there is only one person capable of bringing you into the awareness of your union with Christ … and that’s you, simply yielding to Christ in you and believing what He says concerning you and Him.

2Co 4:6 Seeing it is God, that said, Light shall shine out of darkness, who shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
2Co 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God, and not from ourselves;

If we look to any of our own characteristics as a basis for our qualification to share Christ, we miss the point. It is not the clay pot that makes the treasure inside valuable; it is the treasure inside that makes the clay pot valuable. This message carries within itself an authority that is undeniable. It’s when our appreciation of the treasure becomes dim that we try to decorate the pot. It’s when we take our focus off the message of ‘Christ in you’, that we become concerned with presenting the ‘pot’ – the container - in a slick, appealing way. What a joy to discover that our confidence is not based on our own ability to communicate, but on God’s ability to reveal himself – it is the content of this gospel that carries the faith of God and sets the tone for the faith response of those who hear.

2 Pet1:5 (Mirror Translation) Now that the stage is set to display life’s excellence, imagine the extreme devotion and focus of a conductor of music; (epichoregeo, epi, preposition, + chorus, chorus or choir or orchestra, + ago, to lead as a shepherd leads his sheep) how he would diligently acquaint himself with every individual voice in the choir, as well as the contribution of every specific instrument, to follow the precise music represented in every note in order to give maximum credit to the original composition; this is exactly what it means to exhibit the divine character. Before a performance the first violinist will give the exact note for every instrument to be finely tuned to that note, in the same way the faith of God gives that exact pitch. You are the choir conductor of your own life; study the full content of faith; you will find virtue there, and within virtue faith-inspired knowledge will voice its contribution. (There is a level of understanding that can only be accessed by faith. Heb.11:3, “by faith we understand that the ages were framed by the Word of God…)

This mystery has been kept in the dark for a long time, but now it’s out in the open. God wanted everyone, not just Jews, to know this rich and glorious secret inside and out, regardless of their background, regardless of their religious standing. The mystery in a nutshell is just this: Christ is in you, so therefore you can look forward to sharing in God’s glory. It’s that simple. That is the substance of our Message. We preach Christ, warning people not to add to the Message. We teach in a spirit of profound common sense so that we can bring each person to maturity. To be mature is to be basic. Christ! No more, no less. (Col 1:26-29 MSG)

Christ is in you! What more do you need? There is nothing more! All that can be done is to appreciate more, the reality of Christ in you!

Entirely new

Andre Rabe — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:14:11 +0000

In a sense this is what the scriptures want to do – open a door into an entirely new world – the world of God – a world which at first seems entirely different and unconnected to our own. The first priority of the scriptures is not to comment on your life, your subject, your idea, your doctrine or your world – it has much greater ambitions and purposes. Only once you have allowed yourself to be taken to this new world, and discovered yourself in the context of this new world, do the connections and implications for our world become clear. I can’t help thinking of the song: ‘A Whole New World’. Here are a few of the lyrics that fit this concept so well:

…A whole new world
A new fantastic point of view…

A whole new world
A dazzling place I never knew
But when I’m way up here
It’s crystal clear
That now I’m in a whole new world with you
Now I’m in a whole new world with you

A whole new world
Don’t you dare close your eyes
A hundred thousand things to see
Hold your breath – it gets better
I’m like a shooting star
I’ve come so far
I can’t go back to where I used to be …..

God wants to be more than an accessory to your world. His message is greater than a comment on your life. The scriptures have more to offer than a feel-good inspirational thought to help you through the day. As we read the scriptures, be ready to be transported into an entirely different setting, confronted by entirely new ideas, and transformed into an entirely new person.

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The Crescendo (Chapter 6)

Andre Rabe — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 17:17:32 +0000

Throughout ancient times God spoke in many fragments and glimpses of prophetic thought to our fathers. Now, the sum total of His conversation with man has finally culminated in a son; He is the official heir of all things, He is after all the author of the ages. In Him everything finds their destiny. (Christ is the crescendo of God’s conversation with us.) He makes the glory (intent) of God visible in radiant reflection, He gives stature to the character and person of God. (Gen.1:26,27.)This final powerful utterance of God (the incarnation) is the vehicle that carries the weight of the universe. The content of His message celebrates the fact that God took it upon Himself to successfully purge and acquit mankind. Jesus is now His right hand of power, seated in the boundless measure of His majesty. He occupies the highest seat of authority.
Heb. 1:1-3 Mirror Translation

All the prophets bore witness and pointed towards an event; a person, in which the mystery – the fullness of God’s purpose – would be made known. It was not because of a lack of diligence that they only saw and spoke in fragments and glimpses, but because of the enormity of this revelation. There was only One who was worthy to open the seals; only One who would have the strength and wisdom to accurately reflect God’s original idea; only One who witnessed and was part of God’s original motivation to create. The prophets saw glimpses of the mind of God, but Jesus is the mind of God.

In no way does this belittle the prophets, but rather it emphasises the significance of Christ. The messages that came through the prophets had such rich variety, they were relevant in so many different generations and were communicated in such a diversity of ways, but they were all moving towards a climax – the crescendo of God’s conversation with man. The prophets spoke, wrote and sometimes used dramatic action to communicate their message – Jesus is the message. The prophets often spoke a word that was relevant for their generation, their time and situation – Jesus is the complete and eternal Word, always relevant, always fresh. The prophets bore witness to the reality and truth they saw – Jesus is that reality, is that truth. He is the very brilliance and light of God’s character and His aim is not simply to reveal truth to us, but to make us true. As we behold Him we are transformed into that same image!

The One who began it all, the Author of the ages, has not forsaken what He made. He is as surely the Lord of ‘destiny’ as He is the Lord of creation. The Creator is also the Redeemer. He has not retreated into being a distant observer, a purely transcendent God, but continues to be intimately involved, sustaining all existence, upholding the universe.

When John speaks about the Word that became flesh, He is saying that the very mind of God, the reason and very life of God was made visible, so that we no longer have to grope in the darkness, but know His thoughts towards us. He is the true or real light – the essence and reality of everything. If you want to know what God is like, look at what Jesus is like. Jesus said “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life”. In this one statement He identifies Himself as the ultimate reality, the mind of God revealed.

God’s Word is Jesus Christ. There is only one Word and only one mediator between man and God, the man Christ Jesus. All He has to say to us, He said in Christ. All He has to give to us, He gave in Jesus Christ, for in Christ, He gave Himself in all His fullness. Not only did He become man, but in His free gift of grace, He makes us like Himself. Our entire relation with God, happens within this Word. This is the Word that planned our existence, this is the Word through whom we were created, this is the Word that is our mediation, this is the Word that reveals the secret of our identity and the purpose of our existence, and this Word is our only hope and destiny.
The Word Eternal

Long before the first line of scripture
was penned on papyrus scroll,
the Word, unwritten,
existed as the mind of God.

Before the books were gathered
collated as sacred text,
the Word, intangible; invisible,
was planning, was ordering
the ages that were to come.
This Word predates the Bible,
this Word predates creation,
this Word is alive and active
and speaking still today.

“Heaven is my throne room;
I rest my feet on earth.
So what kind of house
will you build me?” says God.

What kind of doctrine could enfold Him,
What kind of information could define Him,
What kind of book could contain Him?

Yet, despite His boundless nature,
within His infinite wisdom,
He devised a crafty plan, by which
His thoughts, His intents
would fit themselves into
the form of a humble seed:
The DNA of His own life,
encrypted within the written Word.

And so began the writing
of that which we now call:
the Bible – the Scriptures.
Within the limitations; imperfections
of human words and human authors
God placed His eternal perfect seed.

A seed is not a tree;
the Scriptures are not our God,
Yet a seed is the beginning, the start -
provided with fruitful soil,
encouraged by water and light,
a seed gives birth to a being
much greater than itself.

His plan foresaw the day
in which this seed would blossom
no longer encrypted; no longer disguised
but fully expressed in the person
of Jesus – the Christ – the Son
The One who was in the beginning
revealed within our midst
Immanuel – God with us -
the Word became flesh.

His desire is still the same:
for His Word to break free of the boundaries
of letters and text and theories
and yet again, became flesh,
and yet again find expression in a person:
you – the chosen – the offspring of God.

So as we approach the Scriptures,
do more than read what is written -
listen to what is spoken.
So once again we can encounter
the mind, the voice, the person
who spoke long before
pen or paper were born.
(by Andre Rabe)
This Great Salvation
Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that would come to you searched and carefully investigated. They inquired into what time or what circumstances the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating when He testified in advance to the messianic sufferings and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you concerning things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. 1 Pet 1:10-12

When they inquired about the time to which all their writings pointed, the event that would be the fulfillment of God’s purpose and the release of His glory on earth, the Spirit of God within them pointed towards the sufferings of Christ. They realised that we ( those who came after the suffering of Christ ) would be the beneficiaries of this event. How many continue to search the scriptures, trying to find another prophesy that points to another time or event, and in the process neglect the greatest event – this great salvation.

The Jews divided time into two parts, namely: the present age, and the age to come. The ‘present age’ was subject to evil and the ‘age to come’ would be the perfect age in which God rules. In between these two ages they saw the ‘Day of the Lord’ which was, as it were the birth pangs of the new age. The writer of Hebrews is saying that the age of glimpses, fragments is gone and the age of completeness has come. The time of shadows and grasping in the dark has gone, the time of reality and truth has come. In Jesus “… the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining” and “you will do well to heed this word as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” (1John2:8, 2 Pet 1:19). Jesus is not just another messenger of ‘the present age’, but He is the Day of the Lord, giving birth to a whole new dispensation.

God anticipated a time and a person in which He would reveal Himself in such clarity and completeness, that for all eternity it would be known as the crescendo, the sum total of His conversation with man. Just as He spoke creation into existence, this declaration would once again be a word of such magnitude that it would give birth to a whole new creation. Just as He originally said: “let light shine out of darkness”, He would once again speak a word that would shine with the knowledge of the favour of God; a message that would radiate the character of God with such accuracy that it would dispel all darkness, destroy all ignorance of His love and leave man without excuse to remain distant. This event would mark the end of the old Adamic race, a race defined by the fall of man, and be the birth of a new humanity, a humanity which God reconciled to Himself, not holding their trespassed against them, a humanity defined by Christ – His final Word regarding man.

Identity revealed
In the face of Christ Jesus the eternal purpose of God, His original intent and thoughts towards man were made plain. This revelation destroys every false identity and unlocks the truth about us. The light that confronted Saul on the way to Damascus was both a destructive force and a life-giving encounter. The flaming fire of the presence of God eternally destroyed Saul, and simultaneously brought forth Paul – the true person that God had in mind since the beginning. As Paul continued to look into this light, he saw the face of Christ shining with the knowledge of the glory of God. As he looked deeply, he became aware of the real significance of Christ, a significance far beyond the miracles He performed, a significance far beyond the few years He spent on earth. He began to recognise, in the face of Christ, the true identity of mankind.

It is this insight into Christ which takes us beyond a mere historic appreciation of Him, into a present awareness of the One who lives; the One who represents my innocence at the right hand of God.

Jesus once asked: “Who do men say that I am?”. After His disciples gave Him all the current opinions and hearsay stories, He asked: “And you, who do you say that I am?”. There is an appointed time for you to move beyond popular opinion and come to your own conclusion. Can you hear Him asking you that question today: “Who do you say that I am?” Seeing Him for who He truly is, is not an intellectual exercise; it’s not simply reading about what He did or said. Even His disciples who were with Him did not come to an accurate conclusion about Him from observing Him in the natural. It was only when the Father revealed His own point of view to Peter, that Peter started to appreciate the real Christ. Jesus then immediately started speaking to Peter about his true identity – that He was a piece of a rock carved and originating in another rock. Reminds us of Is 51: “You who seek the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were hewn” In realising His true identity, you discover your own. “The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him.” (Rom 12:3 MSG).

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory. (2 Cor 3:18 NAS). Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, is the reflection of God’s original thought about us, the means by which we were created, the mediator through whom we are justified and made blameless, the mirror in whom we see the truth that we were indeed created in His image and likeness.

Christ is the revelation of your true identity. “When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.” (Col 3:4 NAS) The word ‘when’ in the Greek is in the present continuous tense. In other words ‘whenever’ is probably a better translation. The Mirror translation says it this way: “Every time Christ is revealed as our life, we are being co-revealed in the same glory (likeness and image of God) being united together with Him.”

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Outrageous Love

Dawie Blake — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 20:03:47 +0000

(by Dawie Blake)

A life of happiness is one that finds its place in the outrageous & spacious love and excitement of God.

Listen to this…
All the tax collectors and sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. And the Pharisees and scribes accused him, saying: “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.”
Jesus immediately responds with no less than 3 parables to emphasize God’s view of the so-called “sinners”… these parables are key to understanding what motivates God.

He says: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? And when he found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbours, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’”

The term “hundred sheep” refers to the world with all its “sinners”, and the term “one” is an individual. This Man may have more than 6 billion sheep, but if one goes astray He will not count the 6 billion enough but immediately leave to go after the one! He will seek until he finds. Not give up after a week or 2 months or a year, but until He finds him. And when He finds him he is overjoyed and not angry with the sheep. He lovingly picks him up and carries him all the way home. He then calls all his friends and neighbours and celebrates his joy with them…

Now throughout all my observation and experience I have never seen or heard of a man motivated in this manner. Its, well, nearly ridiculous… placing so much value on the individual (and in this case the one who was the worst of the lot) to seek him, not giving up until he finds, not being angry at all, and then calling everyone he knows together in a huge celebration.

This, my friend, is what righteousness in God’s heart is about. Its not about doing right, but about placing the right value. “Sadok”, the Hebrew for righteousness, is the beam in a scale of balances. If God places you and your life on one side of the scale, what did He put on the other side to balance it out… no less than Himself!

You see, there was never another you. And there will never be another you. He only has one of you, if he loses you… he has lost you. For Him, you have equal value than Himself. He cannot be without you.

Jesus asks, “What man…” I don’t know of one with this outrageous love for us…
The last part of this parable was aimed specifically at the Pharisees’ twisted mindsets, “I say unto you, that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner that repents (Gr. metanoeo – to change your mind) than over ninety nine (so called) just persons that need (Gr. echo – the correct translation is to hold, posses or conceive…) no repentance (Gr. metanoia – change of mind)”.

Someone once said something that left a deep impression on me: “When Jesus hung on that cross, He didn’t die for a faceless multitude, but He died for you by name”.

Once I went out into the night alone and sought God. I became distinctly aware of Him saying to me, “David if you were the only one on earth, I would still die for you.”

For months though, I wasn’t satisfied with this impression alone, and there was a yearning within me to read it in the bible. I prayed and searched specifically about this. Then one day I was sitting on my bed and opened my bible where it says: “I am the Good Shepherd: the Good Shepherd gives his life for the sheep.” I read this, and then opened the bible directly at the above portion, loosely translated: “I am the Good Shepherd that will leave the ninety nine and go after the one”. If you put these two scriptures together we have this word confirmed.

(When next you have some study time, I recommend looking up the word “shepherd” in the New Testament…)

In order to clearly emphasize the principle Jesus tells the 2nd parable in Luk 15.

“Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbours, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost.’”

The Pharisee may think that a coin (a simple man) is worth nothing, but this special woman searches carefully until she finds it; and once again an outrageous celebration follows in the joy of the find. Likewise God rejoices in your intrinsic value.

Jesus felt so strongly about establishing God’s viewpoint against the Pharisees’ viewpoint of man that He told another radical parable.

Luk 15 from verse 11. This parable I found so rich with meaning … let it linger in your mind…
“There was a man who had two sons; And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that falls to me.’ And he divided his living between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took his journey into a far country, and there he wasted all his possessions with prodigal living.”

Young and without insight and knowledge this son may have lived in the home, but in his heart he was lost and living somewhere else. So the Father, seeking to find him, let him go…

“And when he had spent everything, a great famine arose in that country, and he began to be in want. So he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have fed on the pods that the swine ate; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, but I perish here with hunger!’”

So when the temporary dried up and his once confident, independence and control over circumstances could not satisfy or sustain him, the truth started dawning on him. He realised his foolishness and that his Father is the only continually sustaining source of life. He realised that this is where he belongs.

“I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired servants.”‘

Notice that although he sincerely repented, he still had a “sinner” and a slave mentality. He viewed himself as the Pharisees would have. They must have reeled with disgust at the thought of prodigal living and thereafter living with pigs!

And he arose and came to his father. But while he was yet at a distance, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.

Now it is very uncommon for Hebrew fathers to run. Woman and children ran, but not “respectable” fathers. What is more, is that the father was constantly on the lookout, scanning the horizon. He was the first to see him from a distance. There was only one thought on his mind, this all-surpassing treasure of His was found. Overcome by emotion he ran to embrace and kiss his son, not giving any popular opinions any thought.

And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

The son had his little speech prepared and delivered it. He valued himself according to his deeds, and therefore only expected the very least.

The father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet; and bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry; for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’

Paul asks, “if He has given us Jesus, how much more won’t He give us all things?” Rom 8:

These parables all point to a single principle – how does God value and see you? If I can put the answer in words it would be that the definition of you is Himself and His love, not where you come from or what you have done.

Why does God feel so strongly about this one principle? Imagine building an intimate relationship with someone based not on value, but on guilt and a poor self-image! It will never work. Why do we fool ourselves thinking God who did everything to reconcile us to Him in blameless innocence (Col 1:22) takes pleasure when we feel sinful & unworthy? How can I build a relationship with Him feeling this way? It is nothing less than a false religious humility based on the original sin of “I am not, I must become”. And it disregards His accomplishments on the cross. True humility is to know my works or my past cannot help me, but He did it all, a perfect and complete work! Now I see as He sees, I know as He knows – I am enveloped in His love, His thoughts, His works, His joy – I rejoice and rest in all I am and have in Him, and that’s all that matters to Him.

—

Although the sheep or the coin or the son were lost, and may have been battered along the way, they never lost their value. Nothing can change it, not even you, and so nothing can separate us from His love. Nothing can change the cross – it happened and the result was final. Do you really understand what happened there? It is the single most important truth you will ever consider… make sure you do!

God’s opinion of you – Glory!

Andre Rabe — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 18:10:00 +0000

This may seem an odd place to start our study of God’s opinion of us, but even so, the study of the word ‘glory’ is essential to scripturally understand this truth. We have used this word in so many different ways, and indeed, the bible itself uses it with variations in its meaning. The core meaning, however, can be traced throughout.

Lets first look at the Hebrew word for glory (kaw-bode’, kaw-bode’) It comes from the word that simply means weight. What on earth has weight got to do with glory!
Let’s find out:
The root word weight is neutral, but then develops into two distinct directions; the one very negative and the other very positive.
On the negative side we find: burdensome, grievous, affliction.
On the positive side: honour, praise, glory.

Enough of the technical analysis; what does it mean in plain English?
Well, if I say something bad about you, something so weighty that it hurts you inside, then I’ve grieved you. Grief is the intense (weighty) sorrow caused by the loss of a loved one. On the positive side: When I say something so good about you, something that carries such weight and substance that it lifts your spirit, then I’ve honoured you. It is an honour that connects the giver and receiver in an intimate way.

Let’s look at how this glory or honour is exchanged between God and us. In the Old Testament, the glory was often manifested as a cloud. (Ex 16:10) The glory of God is His very essence, it is His absolute goodness. It’s a goodness that is so good that ‘badness’ cannot exist in its presence. This is why God hid Himself in a cloud in the O.T. – to protect the people He loved. But to say that His glory is His goodness is far too vague; let’s drill down a bit deeper.

What makes God so good? The first record we have of man experiencing the goodness of God is in Gen. 1:28 (See ‘The ultimate experience’)
Gen 1:28 And God blessed them.. The word blessed (baw-rak) is defined as an act of adoration such as kneeling.

Man’s first experience was the overwhelming display of God’s favour and adoration! The desire within man to worship God was birthed by this experience of God’s adoration – the only appropriate response is to reflect back the adoration He gives.’

God is love and His love for us is so weighty; carries such substance that it is the greatest honour we could ever receive.

‘This sounds like God is honouring us! Should we not be honouring Him?’ are the questions many may ask.
1 John 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.
- Our love is our response to the love He gives us.
- Our honouring Him is our response to the honour He gives us!
- Our praising Him is our response to the praise He gives us!

The only appropriate praise, honour and love we can give Him, is reflecting the praise, honour and love He gives us!
Now lets look at the New Testament word for glory namely doxa:
Thayer Definition:
1) opinion, judgment, view
2) opinion, estimate, whether good or bad concerning someone
2a) in the NT always a good opinion concerning one, resulting in praise, honour, and glory

Let us re-read a few scriptures with this in mind:
Joh 17:22 And the glory(the good opinion, praise and honour) which thou hast given me I have given unto them; that they may be one, even as we are one;

2Co 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory (the good opinion, praise and honour) of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from (a lower degree of ) glory to (to a higher degree of) glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit.

2Co 4:6 Seeing it is God, that said, Light shall shine out of darkness, who shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory (the good opinion, praise and honour) of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

The good news is that God favours you! He has done everything necessary in Christ to have a good opinion of you; to demonstrate His love towards you without hindrance. Glory! God no longer tries to hide this glory from us; on the contrary, He wants as to look straight into it. His opinion of you is the weightiest issue of life. No matter what you thought or think of yourself, His opinion is more valid; carries more weight and His opinion of you is good!

There might be many issues in your life that contradicts this good opinion; you might experience many things that tries to disqualify you, and emphasise your need for change, but beholding His opinion(glory) has the power to transform you and your experiences.

As you continue to look into His face; beholding His glory; you will soon start reflecting that same favour back to Him … and to others.

By Andre Rabe

He blew our definitions away

Andre Rabe — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 16:30:42 +0000

“We don’t label people like we used to, with our handy pre-printed tags. We even tried doing this with Jesus, but He blew our definitions apart” 2 Cor 5:16 (The Word on the street translation)

Jesus blew our definitions apart … and still does.
Jesus simply did not fit the religious expectations … and still doesn’t.
He did not qualify for any of the official religious positions that were available … yet God highly exalted Him and gave Him a name above every other name. His background was a bit dodgy, too dodgy for some to associate with Him … yet before Abraham was, He is. His authority was questioned because He did not submit Himself under the ‘covering’ of any of the groups of His day … yet the Father acknowledged Him and that was all the recognition He needed. The religious structures of His day could not contain Him … and still He does not dwell in temples or organisations made by human hands.

If there was anyone who should have recognized who Jesus really was, it should have been those who dedicated their lives to the study of the prophetic scriptures … yet, being absorbed in interpreting the past and defining their future hope, they missed the present – the greatest event that occurred right in front of their eyes.

John 5:39 “You have your heads in your Bibles constantly because you think you’ll find eternal life there. But you miss the forest for the trees. These Scriptures are all about me!

How many precious believers are stuck in the same trap today – refining their doctrine; neutralized by a future expectation that contributes nothing to their present encounter with God.

When John wrote the letter we know as 1John, he does not muse on the days gone past, those awesome days when Christ was still in the flesh with them. No. He overflows with excitement about an experience that is present and available to all. He is the same one who wrote: “There are so many other things Jesus did. If they were all written down, each of them, one by one, I can’t imagine a world big enough to hold such a library of books.” (John 21:25) One would have imagined that he would have spend the rest of his life recording these words and deeds – I mean these are the words and deeds of God manifested in the flesh! Yet, he doesn’t! He discovers a greater message than just recording historic facts – introducing his audience into a living present encounter with I AM. (Not ‘I used to be’, or ‘I will be’). He discovered the God who blows our definitions, our doctrines and our structures apart.

There is only one definition of man – Christ
All the old fashions are now obsolete. Words like Jewish and non-Jewish, religious and irreligious, insider and outsider, uncivilized and uncouth, slave and free, mean nothing. From now on everyone is defined by Christ, everyone is included in Christ. Col 3:9 MSG

…until we all attain oneness in the faith and in the comprehension of the [full and accurate] knowledge of the Son of God, that [we might arrive] at really mature manhood (the completeness of personality which is nothing less than the standard height of Christ’s own perfection), the measure of the stature of the fullness of the Christ and the completeness found in Him. Eph 4:13

I think it’s time that we blow every other definition apart! I think it’s time for us to see from His point of view.

Constrain Him!

Andre Rabe — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 10:52:45 +0000

Based on Luke 24

A few days after the cruxifiction of Jesus, two disciples were walking to a town called Emmaus. The events of the past two days were fresh in their minds and naturally formed the basis of their conversation. However, the meaning of these events eluded them – truth is rarely found on the surface, on the mere appearance of things.
A third traveller joined them – Jesus Himself – but they did not recognise Him. Jesus did not immediately reveal Himself or offer His opinion on the subject. He was interested in conversation, not one-sided instruction.
Verse 17: And He said to them, What is this discussion that you are exchanging between yourselves as you walk along? And they stood still, looking sad and downcast.

Cleopas answered and gave a factually accurate description of events. But we can see that their perspective of these events left them with the wrong conclusions: they were sad and downcast. Faith lifts us to a place where we can see from God’s point of view.
Jesus sees the same events, but from a different perspective:

verse 25-27 And [Jesus] said to them, O foolish ones [sluggish in mind, dull of perception] and slow of heart to believe (adhere to and trust in and rely on) everything that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary and essentially fitting that the Christ should suffer all these things before entering into His glory? Then beginning with Moses and [throughout] all the Prophets, He went on explaining and interpreting to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning and referring to Himself.

It is significant that at this point, Jesus once again refrains from simply revealing Himself. Instead He considers it important for these disciples to understand the scriptures … thoroughly! The journey was about 7 miles (12 km) so they had time for a comprehensive discussion. Perception, understanding, insight is obviously part of God’s strategy for us to encounter Him – it is part and parcel of the experience of Christ. Had He simply revealed Himself, without engaging in conversation, without expounding the scriptures and without presenting to them a completely new point of view, their experience of Christ might well have been more shallow, not engaging their whole being.

Verse 28-31Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He indicated that He would have gone farther. But they constrained Him, saying, “Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.” And He went in to stay with them.Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.

Our Lord so often surprises us with His initiative and goodness, with His willingness to do exceedingly abundantly above all we can ask or imagine. But there are times when He wants us to push the boundaries, to constrain Him, to seek, that we might find, to ask, that we might receive, to knock until the door is opened, to go further than the hour Bible study, or the mid-week fellowship. He desires to draw us into a place of intimacy that exceeds the norm, the usual, the familiar.

After He opened the scriptures, He made as if He was going further – it was up to them to constrain Him. How often does the Lord open the scriptures to us, and our hearts burn within us … and we stop there … we allow the greater revelation and encounter to pass by. Constrain Him! “But they urged and insisted, saying to Him, Remain with us” (AMP) Push beyond the usual – this is not religious effort, but an energy that has its origin in the heart of a lover. We love Him because He first loved us. Allow His initiative to stir more than a response – allow His initiative to birth initiative in you. Constrain Him to abide, until He opens your eyes to see Him with a clarity that surpasses anything you’ve seen before.

As I conversed with the Lord about the August weekend, He reminded me of the truths in these scriptures. It will be an opportunity for us to go beyond the usual and abide with Him until we see Him more clearly than ever before. As Jesus started by exploring the scriptures, we too will start by seeing how all these words point toward Him. But I know we will go further than our opinions and studies and allow Him to lift us to a place where we see things as He sees them and where we encounter Him as He desires to be encountered. You can fill in a booking form by clicking on this link.

But don’t wait till them – constrain Him now, seek Him now – He is so ready for encounter with you.

Value beyond information

Dawie Blake — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 14:12:43 +0000

by Dawie Blake

The Bible points to a reality greater than itself. Jesus said: You have your heads in your Bibles constantly because you think you’ll find eternal life there. But you miss the forest for the trees. These Scriptures are all about me! And here I am, standing right before you, John 5:39,40. There is value to be discovered in the scriptures far beyond ‘right’ information. The pages within the Bible are like a mine… as you delve into it, you find the gold. Many people unfortunately read the Bible as a mere instruction book, and what should bring life, instead brings confusion, condemnation and even things like disunity, pride etc… in short spiritual death. More people have been confused and side-tracked by the Bible than any other book. Dearly beloved, it is not an instruction book!

The message of the Bible stands between the lines. Its message is very simple and Paul warns that you should not be deceived from it’s simplicity. As you ponder the history and people and events within, your eyes open to the message that runs throughout – God’s original thought for man restored successfully in Christ. This is the gold the human spirit is nourished by; the rest gives it context. This thought of God could never perfectly be communicated or understood, except through the manifestation of His Son, Jesus Christ. “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but You have prepared a body for Me, to do Your will”. In the last days God spoke to us in His Son…

Everyone just loves the story in which He came to earth; not with flashing lightning and trumpets and power that would bring all men to their knees, but he came as a baby born in a stable so that the very least of us (from a human point of view) could identify with Him. He wasn’t after awe and fear because that alone doesn’t nurture fellowship, but distance. He was after our identification with Him, His original thought of likeness restored in man’s own mind. “I came to do Your will, O God” (Heb 10:7).

He referred to Himself as the “son of man” – he was saying hereby “I am like you”. In another instance the glory of the son of God/man is manifested on the mountain and God the Father refers to Him as: “… my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased, listen to Him”. Peter writes saying that in this we have the message of God to mankind confirmed, namely the son of man is the son of God! He writes “you will do well to heed this word as a light that shines in a dark place until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your own heart!”

In the next verse he continues saying “knowing this first, that no prophecy of scripture is of any private interpretation”… Jesus didn’t come to display his unique glory, but to reveal man’s – the revelation of the glory of the Son of God was the revelation of the glory (doxa) of the son of man!

Just think about it for a moment. This amazing God with infinite ability and love – we can only expect the most wonderful things pertaining to Life in great capital letters from Him! Eph 1:3, Eph 3:19. Rom 8:32. Mat 7:11, Mark 1:40-41. Joyful fellowship with Him, His great desire, is restored when we see and know ourselves as He sees and knows and enjoys us – we are after all the product of the success of the cross. Paul’s prayer is that we may see as He does Eph 1:17-18.

Jesus quotes Ps 82 to the Pharisees who were offended by a “common” man (Jesus) identifying himself with God. Ps 82 is a fascinating portion of scripture!

In a beautiful and sinless world of absolute completeness and perfection created by God and restored through the cross, righteousness is not there to point out the wrongs and condemn the doers, but to restore order by making the blind see the truth about their identity. It is a simple but powerful gospel for it restores the source of life. “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he”.

Ps 82:2 – “How long will you judge unjustly, and show partiality to the wicked?” … in other words, how long will you continue to live twisted lives, void of righteousness?

Ps 82:3-4 “Defend the poor and fatherless; do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy; Free them from the hand of the wicked.” … these are the things God desires… but why does man not walk this way?…

Ps 82:5 – “They do not know, nor do they understand; they walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are unstable.”

Ps 82:6 – “I said, ‘You are gods (elohim – the same word used in Gen 1:26: ‘And Elohim said let us make man in our image, after our likeness…’) and all of you are children of the Most High. But you shall die like mere men, and fall like one of the princes.”

While man does not know and understand who they are and where they come from, they are in darkness and as rulers they cause chaos in this world – its very foundations are threatened by the fruit of the lies they live. They were made vessels of the very glory, image and likeness of God, but without knowing this, they die like mere men and fall like those who strive in the strength of the flesh. So what is God’s message to these: “I said, ‘You are gods and all of you are children of the Most High.’”

The gospel is a call to sanity, to share God’s insight, to walk with our eyes open to the truth. There is only hurt, confusion, pride etc. etc. in darkness but as David says (Ps 17), “I will be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness!”

When God made this beautiful world and everything in it, He used His boundless creativity and intellect. But when He made you, He looked at Himself and made a copy… We can also say He didn’t make you, you were born from Him to be as He is. Therefore He is the blueprint of you, the mirror-image.

It is the mystery that was hidden for ages and generations but now has been made known…. “Christ in you the hope of glory!”
He came as the light of the world that all may see… there is so much in this statement!
I am the Way the Truth and the Life – once again, we can write books about this statement!

In the spirit of man there is a yearning that no earthly thing will ever satisfy – except the knowledge of their inner identity – the knowledge of Christ. This knowledge bursts over into sweet fellowship with God and man, which is His original thought in action.

If you read the Bible in any other way, you will miss the point. Paul says what gain he had from his religious instruction, he counts it all dung! Why? For the all surpassing excellence of the knowledge of Christ! The Gold is God’s original thought, fully expressed in His Son, found in your spirit identity. Read the Bible as a mine for this Gold.

1Jo 1:2-4 For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us; That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.

the Word of God is not chained

Andre Rabe — Sun, 24 May 2009 17:14:19 +0000

Never underestimate the effect of this Word in and through you. Never disqualify yourself from the full benefit of what God made available for your enjoyment. The enemy will try anything to persuade us that we are disqualified from both enjoying and proclaiming this relationship with God. Distraction is His ultimate strategy.

Even what we consider ‘ministry’ could be a distraction from God’s point of view! Let me illustrate. A couple of days ago I casually started thinking about the ways, methods and resources we use to ‘promote’ this gospel – everything from the weekly fellowship, the occasional weekend function, books, CDs and internet site came to mind. It wasn’t long before I found myself comparing what we did, with what I knew others were doing. The moment that happened a sense of inadequacy came! My first reaction was: I’ve got to do more!

But God is so faithful. He reminded me of this scripture: “…when they measure themselves with themselves and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding and behave unwisely” 2 Cor 10:12 (AMP). He then pulled my attention off others … and off my own efforts, onto the one and only measure that accurately reveals me – Christ: the revelation of my value.
…until we all attain oneness in the faith and in the comprehension of the full and accurate knowledge of the Son of God, that [we might arrive] at really mature manhood (the completeness of personality which is nothing less than the standard height of Christ’s own perfection), the measure of the stature of the fullness of the Christ and the completeness found in Him. Eph 4:12

Seeing Him is the most captivating and satisfying experience. It has nothing to do with ministry in the first instance – it has everything to do with enjoying Him and enjoying others from this perspective. Promoting this gospel is not the aim – it is the natural consequence of delighting ourselves in Him. If your understanding of this gospel does not motivate you to include others, then you have not seen & enjoyed what God intended. The love of God is not a passive force, but a compelling force. It compelled Jesus to offer the ultimate sacrifice – His own live. It compelled Paul … it compels anyone who understands it.

Imagine the thoughts and temptations presented to Paul, while in prison. Prison was as shameful then as it is now. Even though he knew his innocence, the situation he found himself in undoubtedly would have closed some doors to him. And even the doors that remained open to him were unreachable because he was shut behind a cell door. It must have seemed as if all opportunity to declare this gospel was taken from him. He had no internet access! Not even the printing press was invented yet. It was him alone, isolated … with the greatest revelation of the love of God ever known. That revelation was the source of his confidence – the Word unveiled in his heart could not remain hidden even while He was imprisoned. In one of His letters he wrote: “For this Gospel I am suffering affliction and even wearing chains like a criminal. But the Word of God is not chained or imprisoned!” 2 Tim 2:9 The integrity of this message, not what people thought of him, is what gave him unwavering boldness to speak about that which he enjoyed – an enjoyment not hindered by circumstance. ” … for I have learned how to be content (satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or disquieted) in whatever state I am …I have learned in any and all circumstances the secret of facing every situation, whether well-fed or going hungry, having a sufficiency and enough to spare or going without and being in want.”

Never ever, for whatever reason, allow your focus to be diverted from this message that produces intimacy with our Creator, to any other message. For I am persuaded beyond doubt that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things impending and threatening nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Nothing else is worth taking your attention off this inexhaustible truth.

Prisons do not exclude God
By Madame Guyon (imprisoned for her faith)

Strong are the walls around me,
That hold me all the day;
But they who thus have bound me,
Cannot keep God away;
My very dungeon walls are dear,
Because the God I love is here

They know, who thus oppress me,
‘Tis hard to be alone;
But know not, One can bless me,
Who comes through bars and stone;
He makes my dungeon’s darkness bright,
And fills my bosom with delight.

Thy love, O God, restores me
From sighs and tears to praise;
And deep my soul adores thee,
Nor thinks of time or place;
I ask no more, in good or ill,
But union with thy holy will.

‘Tis that which makes my treasure,
‘Tis that which brings my gain;
Converting woe to pleasure,
And reaping joy from pain.
Oh, ’tis enough, what’er befall
To know that God is All In All

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