Anticipating Abraham

 

I like to peer into, and glean from the lives of men who are the heroes of our faith, who have gone before us, and walked with God.   It is helpful in walking our own road of faith.
Abraham was a great believer, and to me was most notable for his obedience.  Obedience was the great facet of his life, yet there is more, Abraham was fully persuaded and lived in constant anticipation, so ever hopeful of following, and finding his promises from God.

When you are on a journey to a faraway place,  the road just seems to go on and on forever.
I  grew up in the heartland of South Africa, which is farmland, and so flat that on a good day you can see tomorrow.    The national road, that took us on our annual summer vacation to go and see, smell and taste the saltiness of the ocean,  was a very flat, straight, long, lazy strip of tar in vast farmland fields.    It went on forever, or so it seemed to me at the time, for when you have great anticipation, the getting there is almost unending.
Or, do you remember when you were a child, the almost unbearable anticipation for the time to open the Christmas gifts under the tree?   You could just not wait !

Anticipation is a healthy frame of mind. It is a desire that may, or may not be delayed, but nevertheless creates expectation, and that leads to hope.
The opposite of anticipation is anxiety, which is rooted in fear, the opposite of faith.
Anxiety creates worry, that can can lead to depression.
Hope is required for a future,  and a future needs a vision.
Perhaps one of the reasons mental illness is so prevalent in our times is that we have it all and there’s nothing to look forward to, no anticipation.
Proverbs 29:18 says  –  where there is no vision, the people perish. 

If there was one thing that Abraham had its was a vision of the future.
He is one of the great heroes of our faith.    In fact Abraham is the father of our faith.   It began with Abraham, when he heard the call of God to go on a journey to a faraway place that he did not know, or even how to get there.    That would require a response, and faith.   And what is faith  – believing the invisible, that which you cannot see, as if it were a reality.

And though some of you may not be familiar with who Abraham is in the Christian faith, his is a fascinating story of another dimension, set in the ordinary of the every day life   -yet woven in is this thing called Faith.   

Here briefly is the story of Abraham.

He was living in a heathen civilization, where idols were worshipped.  God told him to leave this land and his family and to go to another land.   A place where he would inherit the promises of God – the Promised Land.  (There is a parallel story here, between the physical and the spiritual)
Abraham, obeyed the call, and began to move on the long journey.
Abraham had a vision from God, and was promised that he would be the father of many nations, even though he was old, and did not have an heir.    Sarah his wife laughed when she was told that she would bear a son in her old age.     Isaac, which means laughter, was born to Abraham and Sarah – a miracle child.

Abraham became a wealthy man, a man of renown.
Apart from Isaac,  Abraham had other sons too.  Ishmael was born of Hagar, but they were sent off into the desert.

Isaac, the beloved son, married Rebecca and she had two children, the twins  Jacob and Esau.
Jacob, was sent to seek a wife from Isaac’s people.   He was deceived into marrying Leah.  He had 10 children.    Then he married his first love, Rachel, the sister of Leah, and they had two children,  Joseph and Benjamin.

In all Jacob had 12 sons, from which the 12 tribes of Israel would originate.
So the foundations of the nations were laid.

The forging and fostering of a people of faith began to emerge.
When  famine struck, they all went to Egypt for survival, which would become their place of slavery for four hundred years.   There they became known as the Hebrews.
Moses was born to deliver these people from their slavery and their oppression.

And so the story of a rescued people, destined for a better life in a promised land continues.   Their story unfolds through altar stones of worship, tabernacles and temples and then the City of Jerusalem.     Their story and wisdom congeals and is chronicled in their rich history in the  Old Testament.

Abraham had a vision of a city, of which God Himself  ‘is the builder and maker.’    And to this Abraham was called – to journey into the unknown, a journey of faith, for it was not, as yet, a real city.   A city forged in faith, through the making of a people of faith.   This was God’s vision,  a  v e r y  long term vision indeed – and Abraham received and
perceived it and so set out to find it.

 

 

I had been wanting to look a little deeper into faith, so when Dr Mark Chironna did a series on Hebrews 11,  I began to connect some dots, that overflowed, for me,  into the bigger picture of our faith.
So I tried to piece together the “faith genealogy” and where Abraham fitted into the whole of God’s story, and came to this brief summary, which may indicate that Abraham knew the story from the beginning to the end – he was given the whole story, apart from the details.

Adam,……… to Seth to Enoch and the genealogy line to Noah, the Flood.
Abraham,  the called faith people of God
Moses, the Law of God’s people
Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the Kingdom of God, –  the miraculous ushered into the physical realm.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ, – the New Creation.
The City of God, the New Jerusalem.

Abraham was an ordinary man.   He made mistakes along the way.   He’s faith had not yet been perfected.
We can make mistakes too, our faith is not yet perfected.  ‘ Faith is good, becomes great and then perfected ‘ – says Dr Chironna.

History tells us that when the beloved city Jerusalem is finally destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD they are scattered, and Judaism is established to keep alive the Jewish traditions.
Jesus Christ is born in Bethlehem, and His followers become known as Christians, and the Christian religion is born on the back of the Jewish belief – in an invisible God, Creator of heaven and earth, with a Messiah and a redemption story for mankind, that would pave the way to a New Creation.

Redemption from the Great Oppressor of slavery, an evil liar who kills steals and destroys wherever and whenever he can do so, and still doing so to this very day !
And thereby may hang another story.

I suspect that Abraham may well have understood the Heavenly vision for
John 8:56  tells us that ‘Abraham saw Jesus’s day and rejoiced in it.‘   He knew that God raised Jesus from the dead, and this gave him the faith to know that God could raise up Isaac, when he was told to kill his own son as a sacrifice.
Abraham had great faith in God.

 

 He knew that God was a miracle working God.    He was not only able to obey God, but trusted God, for he may well have known the story of Jesus and His resurrection from the dead, in fact the Gospel story.

Today, it is still faiths’s pattern to look ahead to a better future,  with anticipation and with hope.   A better place.      A place called heaven, the Promised Land,  that has a city where there are no tears or pain.   For now, an invisible place, that requires eyes that see and ears that hear and a heart that understands.
It requires faith to make it a reality.

Faith is important.   It is an essential substance that should be applied to our everyday lives too, for without faith we cannot please God. 
Hebrews 11:6  But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for He who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
God is faithful.

Let’s be the people that will go to make up that City….. a people of Faith, and practice it in our ordinary everyday lives,  always looking ahead  ‘calling those things which do not exist as though they did.’    There are still miracles that can be called in through faith, there are still people that need to know that God is a miracle working God, that all is not lost, that there is a better tomorrow, because with faith hope and love anything is possible.    Its God’s way.
As Dr Chironna says :  faith collapses the impossible into a possible reality.
(Love that !)

Its the miracle Gospel story, that will open us up to the same faith journey that Abraham undertook.
May we, like Abraham, perceive a good future and moved into it with anticipation, expectation and hope, standing on the promises in God’s Word – that is Faith !

 

 

 

 

 

Dancing with David

I had time on my side, so decided to do a bit of drawing.   Only this time I didn’t use my pencils, I drew from the Scriptures and did a character sketch of David.
I wanted to know more of the constructs of the character of the man of whom it was said   ‘he was a man after God’s own heart.’

Perhaps there are some who don’t know David.     In short his life is a lovely story, so worth reading,  of a shepherd boy who became a king.   Set deep in the trenches of the history of Israel.   David seemed to be a well rounded human being.
He was king of Israel, a man among men, yet with a tender heart,  a victorious warring warrior, a psalmist, faithful, just and a worshipper of God.

As someone in the courts of king Saul described him
“…. a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite,  who is skilful in playing, a mighty man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a handsome person, and the LORD is with him”

David was at first a shepherd boy, and tendered his father’s sheep in the outback.  He must have been a boy of obedience and of courage, for in the wilderness, where lions and bears roamed he took care of the family’s flocks.   A boy of contentment, for in the places of solitude he spent his time playing his instruments of praise, and in his loneliness, he worshipped the God of Israel.
He was far removed from the political clamour of the day, and the threat of war with the Philistines.

Then on a day Samuel, the prophet, came looking for a son of Jesse.     Of all he found none were suitable, for  ‘the Lord does not see as a man sees: for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” – 1 Samuel 16:7
Then David was recalled from the sheepfold, and anointed as the new coming king of Israel.
David was drawn into the politics of the day.   He, against all odds, killed Goliath the Philistine giant, with the help of God, and five smooth pebbles and his slingshot.

 

David respected the people, and their appointed leaders.    He served king Saul well, but the relationship turned at the jealousy of Saul.    David was hunted and persecuted by Saul, and ran for the caves of Adullam for safety.    Around him, gathered a mottled lot of distressed, indebted and discontented men.  So he became the captain over these 400 men – who would in time  become the mighty army of God.
David fought for Judah and won, and so his renown began.    And he was anointed by his elders, at Hebron, as king of Judah.

David was a brave-heart.  David’s conquests were many.  He was a victorious warrior.   Do not diminish the wars against his enemies.     These were not mere skirmishes in small numbers.   ‘David made a name for himself when he returned from killing 18,000 Syrians in the Valley of Salt.’  – 2 Samuel 8:13
Great battles, fought,  more often won, made David great and renowned in the region.   The enemies of his people were the peoples of Philistine, Moab and Syria.

David had a passionate heart, especially so for Jerusalem.   In history he took the stronghold of Mount Zion from the Jebusites.  It became known as the City of David,  – Jerusalem that has an integral part in the history and culture of God’s people to this very day.      And all this may well reflect on the New Jerusalem, the heavenly City to come.

David was explosively expressive, and jubilant when the Ark of the Covenant was brought back to Jerusalem, –  and David danced before the Lord.

David, was tender-hearted, and loyal, and a mourner.   He mourned the death of Saul his king and  Jonathan his best friend, when they were killed.    At the time David too mourned Abner, the commander of Saul’s army when he was killed by Joab.

Is this were the tear in the nation began, for though they were divided they were of one people.
And it was when Abner made Ishboshebeth Saul’s son king of Israel, that the tear became a schism, and the civil war between the house of David and the house of Saul grew wider.
Eventually David became king over Judah and Israel.
David reigned over all Israel and administered judgement and justice to all his people. – 1 Chronicles 18-14

David knew of the treachery of men’s hearts.  At the death of Abner by Joab, his own army commander.    The treasonous behaviour of his own son Absalom, who rebelled against his father.   And even the treachery of his own heart when he conspired to have Uriah killed in battle, so that he could justify his adulterous affair with Bathsheba.
The son born to David and Bathsheba died, and David mourned.
But in comforting Bathsheba, Solomon was born.   He was the one who would build David’s heart’s desire, a temple for God.

David was kind-hearted, and sought out Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s crippled son, and provided a place at his table for him.

David readily shared and was generous.
When the ark of the Lord was set in its place in the tabernacle,  David ……  blessed the people in the name of the LORD of hosts.
Then he distributed among all the people, among the whole multitude of Israel, both women and men, to everyone a loaf of bread, a piece of meat, and a cake of raisins.  So all the people departed, everyone to his house.  –  2 Samuel 6: 19.
David shared the spoils of war.   1 Samuel 30:26
Now when David came to Ziklag, he sent some of the spoil to the elders of Judah, to his friends saying, “Here is a present for you from the spoil of the enemies of the LORD” ‘
And thirteen other regions …….  ‘and to all the places where David himself and his men were accustomed to rove.”  – 1 Sam 30:31

David was a man after God’s own heart.
God does not look at the outer but the inward heart of man.
God’s favour was with David, and he was victorious in many battles against his enemies.   God made a covenant with David – 2 Samuel 7:12
… I will set up your seed after you,  who will come from your body and I will establish his kingdom.    He shall build a house for My name and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.  I will be his Father, and he shall be My son.
16.  And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you.   Your
throne shall be established forever”

This amazing covenant may well be the hint of another coming kingdom, and Jesus the Son of God,  who would establish the kingdom of God, beginning its fulfilment in the New Testament.
Even here God was preparing His people among the nations for a future time to come.

David had a heart filled with thanksgiving,  and the writing of the Psalms reveals such a heart.   The Psalms are given for the  understanding of the emotional condition of the heart of man –  for all seasons, and in all generations.   Those who read the Psalms would have understanding and become wise.  David knew God intimately and wrote the psalms from his heart, and from his life experiences.

PSALM 23
The LORD is my shepherd
I shall not want
He makes me to lie down in green pastures
He leads me beside still waters
He restores my soul :
He leads me in the path of righteousness
For His name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the
valley of the shadow of death;
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies
You anoint my head with oil,
My cup runs over,
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me.
All the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
Forever.

It was through David that Israel knew their golden years, when they were victorious in war, wealthy through the tributes brought to them, esteemed by the nations around them, were just and generous to their own people, and when their collective wisdom was captured in literature and songs and worship,  a great nation at its pinnacle,  was being forged through history, for a future story to yet unfold.

If you love stories, you will find many other stories intertwined in the life of David.  Stories that reveal people’s hearts and motives, the goodness of God and miracles.  His story is a rich tapestry of the human condition, and not much has changed since David’s time, except that everything is now perhaps a little more accelerated.

If I sit back and take a gentle look at David’s life I get the impression that there are far reaching effects of a simple life that worships God, a life that dances before God, can have such an influence on future times to come.

Never underestimate yourself, and the work that God does in your life, woven in  for His purposes and His ultimate story, even if it does not make sense at the time.

Like David, let our lives dance before the Lord, and know that He sees the end from the beginning, and that there is more goodness and glory yet to come.

 

Minding Moses

 

Words have the power to create pictures in the imagination.  Let me show you what I mean.

As an eagle stirs up its nest
Hovers over its young
Spreading out its wings, taking them up
Carrying them on its wings 
Deuteronomy 32:11

 

 

My favourite preacher once linked this Scripture with Genesis 1:2

The earth was without form and void, and darkness was on the face of the deep
And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

 

Again, a picture, implying a sense of a brooding or hovering Presence over a situation, like an eagle with its huge wings over and above and on high, waiting and keeping watch.
It is a comfort to know that God hovers over us, He is ever-near, and especially so in times of need and disturbance.

My imagination got a hold of this picture, and it got me thinking about the concept of brooding and hovering, and then the writing, and the mind, and abilities of the person who wrote these words – Moses.

So, ignited by the words of my favourite preacher who had painted a picture of an eagle brooding over a nest of her chicks, who were about to be disturbed from their comfort, and taught how to fly,  led me to read the whole Song of Moses  from the book of Deuteronomy 32  – and that is when I became more mindful of Moses.

Observing the lives of the people who have walked and talked with God, and although it is their experience, it does open up little windows into knowing more of God, other than our own experiences.

If you carefully consider him you will find his story is an epic story of enormous proportion.    What caught my attention was that Moses had written the first five books of the Bible.     Genesis, which begins with the creation story, is amazing, so amazing !    How did Moses know all this, how could he write all this down.   What knowledge and insight he must have had at that time.

In case you don’t know, or do and only need to be reminded, Moses was a Hebrew baby, born at a time when all male babies were to be killed and thrown into a crocodile infested river.   Be he was rescued by an Egyptian princess, and raised in the palace of  a Pharaoh.    Egypt was rich powerful and the centre of  skill and knowledge.  Moses, growing up in the palace, had access to all this, and was held in a position of high esteem.
The Hebrew people were brought to submission and fell under great oppression by the Egyptians.   Moses, a man of justice and integrity despised oppression came to the rescue of a beaten Hebrew slave-man, and killed the harsh slave-driver, but had to flee to the back end of the desert to survive.

There he spent forty years in the wilderness to get the self poured out of him.   He had, after all been a man of great, knowledge, power and wealth, having the best of the best at his finger tips.
Solitary and isolation will do the trick of diminishing the self.
Then a burning bush caught his attention, and being attentive to the voice of God, it sent him back to Egypt on a mission to deliver the Hebrew people of God from their enslaved bondage of oppression.

It was from Egypt that the great Exodus proceeded to bring the people of God from being prisoners to freedom,  from slavery to the promised land, a land flowing with milk and honey.

Is there a hint of another spiritual story of deliverance here, was this not too the mission of Jesus ?   A shadow parallel story of deliverance ?
If viewed as a literary work the Bible story is outstanding at linking themes and events in a prophetic way, to bring the whole narrative of God’s story in one woven way to an eventual conclusion, in other words there is a beginning and an end, and many many stories in between.   Even, I suspect the story of me and of you woven into the grand tapestry of His artistry.
But I will leave that thought for now.

However back to the man Moses.
Moses knew God, for how else could he have accomplished the huge task of leading and organising thousands of men, women and children, and their livestock out in the desert.   He set up a tabernacle, with tents, utensils, patterns and designs and all the details of what is required to create a place of worship.
Perhaps the tabernacle and the foundations of the temple of God in heaven, as a replica on earth ?  Just another thought !

He gave us the Ten Commandments – and the  laws to live a practical and meaningful life.    He wrote down moral, legal and social laws to live by.   He wrote down the history of the journey they had undertaken.
It stands today for us as a micro chip of what our own spiritual journeys may entail.     So much we can learn from minding Moses.

He wrote the book of Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.   He was a great scholar and a great writer imparting the wisdom of God to the people of God.   Setting the very bases of the Jewish faith, a people of faith in God, the first foundation layer of the Christian faith.

The Song of Moses gives glimpses of the reverence Moses had for God, for he knew Him for so long, and so well, and had accomplished what God had called him to do.
Moses was such a man of faith !
He performed powerful miracles in the courts of Pharaoh, and the land of Egypt, to persuade a stubborn ruler to let the people of God go.  The plagues of Egypt that have a reflection in the book of Revelation.
He knew God at the parting of the Red Sea.  Now just think of that for a moment, stretching out his rod over the waters, and they part so that dry land is found for the multitude to cross over.  I know we know the story, but do we stop long enough to think on these miracles ?
When the complaining people longed for the delicacies of Egypt, Moses prayed and God provided manna, and quails from the sky, to still the cravings of old appetites.
When they came to a place of thirst, Moses struck a rock and water gushed out, so the people and their livestock could drink and be refreshed.
Moses knew God as “I AM WHO  I AM”  –  whatever you need Me to be, I AM.

In the closing verses of Deuteronomy 34 Moses is acknowledged thus :
10.  But since then there has not arisen in Israel a prophet like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face
11.  in all the signs and wonders which the Lord sent him to do in the land of Egypt, before Pharaoh, before all his servants, and in all his land,
12.   and by all that mighty power and all the great terror which Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.

Of all the great men this world has even known, I think, Moses must surely be one of the greatest, and we would do well to be mindful of Moses, his story, his words, and his walk with El Shaddai, the Almighty God.

The  Song of Moses

Ascribe greatness to our God
He is the Rock.  His work is perfect,
For all His ways are justice
A God of truth and without injustice;
Righteous and upright is He.

No wonder he could pen the words of the song, in Deuteronomy 32 – ascribing greatness to God, for he knew God in His wrath,  and knew God in His mercy.

 

Consider the Seed

 

I have been on one of my jaunts, and down numerous rabbit holes looking for good food.
I have come to the conclusion that pretty much everything needed for our consumption for a healthy life is tied up in nature, and more pertinently in the small but mighty seed.

In my meanderings I started off in Genesis, and found, what seems to me to be a comprehensive summary of God’s provision of food for man and beast.   I read that on the third day God spoke –

” And the earth brought forth grass, the herb that yields seed according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit whose seed is in itself according to its kind.  And God saw that it was good. ”  Genesis 1:12

Seeds are the primary method of propagation in most plant families.
And so God in His goodness and provision perpetually stocked up man’s pantry for food, as a self producing food factory, all through seeds.

When I told my husband that seeds are good for him, he promptly told me that he was not a budgie !!    That is what comes to most minds when we speaks of seeds.  But seeds are so much more than bird food or cattle feed.

I researched and read that there are different types of seeds.
GRAINS :    A grain crop is a grain-producing plant.  The two main types of commercial grain crops are cereals and legumes.   Grains and cereals are synonymous with caryopses the fruits of the grass family.     ref : Wikipedia
Examples of grass seeds  :  maize, millet, barley, oats, rye, spelt,wheat,  sorghum.
If you think about it these form the basis of our cereals, providing health-sustaining food for our bodies.
They form the staple diet of many people groups, and their nutritive value is immense.

Legumes : or grain legumes are members of the Pea family and they are higher in protein.
Some examples :  Chickpeas, common beans, common garden peas, fava beans, lime beans, lentils, lupins, mung beans and soybeans.

HERBS

In general use, herbs are plants with savoury or aromatic properties that are used for flavouring and garnishing food, medicinal purposes or for fragrances.  Ref : Wikipedia
Some examples : Basil  Parsley, Thyme, Sage and Dill.

 

FRUIT  AND  VEGETABLES 
Botanically speaking, a fruit is a seed-bearing structure that develops from the ovary of a flowering plant, whereas vegetables are all other plant-parts, such as roots, leaves and stems for example :  
Fruit – apples squash tomatoes,  – while roots such as beets, potatoes turnips,  and leaves such as spinach, kale and lettuce, and stems eg. celery, broccoli are all vegetables
Ref : http://www.livescience.com

Fruit trees :
The fruit tree and their seeds provide us, with a little heaven on earth.
Fruit has natural filtered water, natural sugars, vitamins, minerals, flavours and other nutrients too.  Cool and refreshing, nutritious and absolutely delicious all at the same time – and a veritable natural pharmacy !

Dr Cherry in his book The Bible Cure says :
Grains, seeds, fruits and vegetables are sources we have available to us for carbohydrates.
The main focus of your food intake should come from the following groups of complex carbohydrates
+  Green/yellow vegetables.
+   Grains, including cereal, rice, whole grain breads,
+  Fruits.
+  Beans and Peas  

What astonished me, was the fact that this food is self-generating – of course terms and conditions apply e.g. good soil, moisture, sunlight, and air must be in supply.

One definition of a seed :  A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food.  It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plant which occurs after fertilization and some growth with-in the mother plant.   Ref : http://www.sciencedaily.com/terms/seed
What is an Ovule ? – the part of the ovary of seed plants that contain the female germ cell and after fertilisation becomes the seed.

Perhaps that is a bit to much information !   But seemingly a pattern is set, which I suspect is a pattern for not only food but for the way of Life itself.  The ovule, is where the seed grows.   Humans too come from the same concept.   There must be a blue print for the pattern of Life.
The life-cycle of the seed, to me, reflects such a pattern.

However, apart from the marvellous provision that the seed provides for our good food, our health and well-being,  the seed also illustrates for us life-lessons.
“Be fruitful and multiply’   That is the purpose of the seed to be productive and to cause increase.
“There will always be seed-time and harvest time –  a pattern for the prosterity of life.  There are seasons in our personal lives too …… ” a time to cry and a time to laugh, a time to make war and a time to make peace”
“Sowing and reaping” is a principle not only applied to the farmer, but to reciprocity, to  finance and even hinge on justice and reprisal.
Seeds are in our genealogies.
(Yes,  somewhere in every family tree there may be a nut!)
God planted a seed  in Abraham, with the promise of many many descendants, even while his wife Sarah was old and barren.   Abraham believed God, and so began the story of the People of Faith, who  would exponentially grow in history,  to make the invisible God known to the nations of the world.
Hidden in plain sight, but perhaps a little obscure in the heap of histories,  is Jesus Christ, who is Abraham’s Seed,  (ref : Gal 3:16)
God’s promise of salvation for the People of His Promise, that would extend far beyond Abraham’s imagination.

Not all seeds grow, but all have potential to grow  – (author unknown)

A seed can hold a destiny, because faith (what you think and what you believe) is like a seed.    The promises of God are the seeds of faith.  We can believe them, nourish them in our thought-life to grow a better and more abundant tomorrow.
The Seed is the word of God  – Luke 8:11
It is good spiritual food for intellectual understanding, and the sound development of  mind, soul, and spirit – and that of our societies !

But there is another life lesson the seed brings to us, and it is that of transformation.
“………  unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.  (John 12:24
If a grain of wheat dies, it can produce and become more.  More grain,  – and more bread to give food and life to many who are hungry.

That is perhaps the hidden essence of life – to die so that there can be a rebirth.   A surrendered life of ‘becoming’ is an ongoing process, but carries with it seeds of great magnitude, and a new consciousness.    One just has to ponder the story of the Cross of Christ, and the resurrection power of transformation.

All plant life starts with seeds.   They are small, but they are mighty.   Seeds are not just little ‘husky’ things, but carry various and necessary compounds that work in our bodies in many precise and methodical ways to grow cells or to repair damaged ones.  Therein lies the wonder of the seed.
Seeds, plants and nutrition all have a part to play in the restorative power that can bring healing and wellness to a sick body.

Plants are loaded with essential minerals, vitamins and disease-fighting nutrients that are often lacking in our modern-day diets.
I read of some cancer fighting plants, with their unique compounds found in their substance :  There are many more of course
Garlic and Onions : – Allium compounds, which increase activity of immune cells that fight cancer and indirectly help to break down cancer causing substances.
Grapes : contain ellagic acid., this compound blocks enzymes necessary for cancer cells to grow, thus slowing the growth of tumors.   Grapes also contain compounds that can prevent blood clots.   Another substance in grape skins (resveratrol) prevents deposit of cholesterol in arteries.
Citrus Fruits  – contain limonene, which stimulates cancer-killing immune cells (T-lymphocytes and others)   Oranges are shown to have strong anticancer benefits.
Some 60 anti-cancer chemicals contained in citrus fruits.
Tomatoes –  contain lycopene, an anti cancer substance, some researches suggest may be stronger than beta carotene.
Watermelons, Carrots and Red Peppers also contain this powerful substance.
Broccoli and Cabbage  – contain indoles, can effect estrogen converting it to a benign form that will not stimulate abnormal breast cancer cells.   These cruciferous vegetables contain multiple cancer fighting chemicals.  Brussel Sprouts and Cauliflower also fall in this category.
Ref : The Bible Cure. Dr Reginald Cherry M.C.  Siloam Press.

I for one, would like to applaud those who are sowers of seeds, the farmer, the teacher and the preacher, for they scatter seeds that bring us good food for increased growth, health and sensible development.

But there are those who would modify the preciousness of the seed. These modifiers are those who tamper with the health and well-being of many generations to come !!   To them I say  ‘hands off our seeds’.

So in my jaunt in search of good food, the seed became the focal point of consideration.  Think about it, what comes first :   the seed, the plant, the flower, the fruit, the death and then the rebirth – a cycle and a pattern for the good life, both physical and spiritual.

All that, and more is the precious seed from which plants grow and provide us with the most, and the best nutrition for sustaining the life of man and beast here on earth.

Here’s to good food and good health. Let’s be thankful and eat from God’s sustenance for us, provided ultimately through the Seed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Orbit of Time

 

That which is has already been,
And what is to be has already been;
And God requires an account of what is past.

 

To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven :
 A time to be born,
And a time to die;
A time to plant,|
    And a time to pluck what is planted;
A time to kill,
    And a time to heal;
A time to break down,
    And a time to build up;
A time to weep,
    And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn,
    And a time to dance,
A time to cast away stones,
    And a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace,
    And a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to gain,
    And a time to lose;
A time to keep,
    And a time to throw away;
A time to tear,
    And a time to sew;
A time to keep silence,|    
    And a time to speak;
A time to love,
    And a time to hate;
    A time of war,
  And a time of peace.

Ecclesiastes  3

 

 

 

 

 

The Way of Love

 

Love suffers long
and is kind;
love does not envy;
love does not parade itself,
is not puffed up;
does not behave rudely,
does not seek its own,
is not provoked,
thinks no evil,
does not rejoice in iniquity,
but rejoices in the truth;
bears all things,
believes all things,
hopes all things,
endures all things.
Love never fails……

  1 Corinthians 13:4-8

     

So You want to be Great.

 

I’ve had another random encounter that has left me with a curiosity about greatness or fame or are these two things the same ?

Well, let me make a short story long !  Not to long, I’ll get to my point as quick as I can.

I love colour, textures, wools and fabrics.  Now and then I go up the hill, behind the big Mall, to  a Centre that has gated parking with a Gate-keeper who gives me a ticket to park.  I have to use the escalator to get to the lovely wool shop called Sew Time.
On one particular visit I noticed a new Gate-keeper who had a gentleness about him, and I thought at the time, perhaps a slight slowness too, so I gave him an extra warm smile and thanked him for the ticket.      Now I live in the Slow Lane and often have random encounters with special people, and if I’m smart enough will recognise them as such, and be a little kinder.    But I went on my way and gave no more thought to it.

About six or so months later I again went up the hill, behind the big Mall, passed the Centre to the big grocery store where I often do my shopping.   My son was with me and we sauntered around the store,  buying the few items needed.     When I had finished paying at the till and about to exit the store, the doorman, who checks the incoming parcels came up to me and said quite emphatically  “I know you”.   I looked at him blankly and he again said “I know you”, I know you from Show Time.”    My mind raced, no I don’t do Show Time, he has the wrong face.   I must have quite a common face, because it’s not the first or second time I have been mistaken for some one else. “Yes” he said, “Sew Time – at the Centre opposite the bank”   The penny dropped and I recognised the gentleness, and the face.   “My”, I said, “you have such a good memory, you sure do know your customers !” I fluttered my hand over my heart to show him I was happy that he recognised me.  He just gave me a big broad smile, and I went on my way.

A brief random encounter, and my heart took wings.  I turned to my son and said “Wow, wasn’t that nice – I’m famous !!”    He wasn’t impressed.
Are you famous when, people that you don’t recognise, recognise you ?  M’mmm, maybe – in a small way, I want to think so.
But that brief encounter made me feel great !

You may understand my curiosity in this, when I tell you that I have always had a secret hankering after greatness. Not so much now anymore, but I really wanted to be great -and really am not !    However this random encounter brought to mind the question of greatness.  What does it mean to be great ?  What is greatness ?  Is it wrong to want to be great ?   It is something I have always kept secret because I think of things I can’t attain, yet want to.
Perhaps there are seeds of greatness in all of us, but if these don’t sprout,  they will lie dormant, then they will die.
Perhaps to strive for greatness comes from a personal need – a cup half full.  Comparing yourself with others.  Rejection – a need to prove oneself.    Need for recognition, affirmation and appreciation ?
Now Recognition is an interesting thing  –  is that not how the whole corporate world of business moves itself forward, with recognition and reward.  Incentives that want us to do better, go further and  achieve great things ?  Ambition is not a bad thing in itself.

William Shakespeare said :  Some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them.

Greatness in Biblical proportions :
Abraham obeyed his call and became great.   Moses delivered God’s people from oppression and became great.  David worshipped God while tending his sheep and became great.  Solomon built a temple for God and became great.  The Prophets, the Poets and the Psalmists all became great in expressing their words in truth.  The Disciples of Jesus became great as they followed Him.    Paul, the revelator of mysteries in Christ,  his writings and the planter of churches became great.  And those ordinary people of great faith found in Hebrews  chapter 11.   Greatness comes from great expectations, great aspirations and great accomplishments done in Faith  – especially when you are serving a great God, for in God lies all greatness.
Even the Disciples of Jesus, John and James had a hankering after greatness and asked Him if they could be seated at His right and left hand in glory. So it’s not wrong to want to be great, its  part of the human condition, right ?

In our history halls of fame and greatness there are many who can claim greatness.
To name a few :
In war –   Alexander the Great, Napoleon,
In politics – Mahatma Gandhi
In art –    Leonardo da Vinci (one of his paintings recently sold for 4 million dollars – the world has gone mad !!)
In music – Mozart, Beethoven,  –   Elvis Presley,  the Beatles !
In sport  –  Mohammad Ali,  the Springbok Rugby team – some will disagree, but I think they are great !
In science –  Albert Einstein (my favourite)
In communication – Bill Gates
And so the list can go on.  There are many great and famous people in our history books.
But how do you measure greatness ?  And is it only time that will tell who is truly great.

To my mind real greatness must lie in the character of man or woman.  And may well be viewed very differently by God than what we perceive to be greatness.
Jesus taught His disciples that it is in serving others for the glory of God that greatness lies – in essence Humility.

It is in humility that greatness is seen.  Humility is all around us, if we would but see it, we would see greatness more often.

So, do you want to be great?  –  I have to ask myself again !

 

Ascribe greatness to our God,
He is the Rock,  His work is perfect;   For all His ways are justice,
A God of truth and without injustice;  Righteous and upright is He. 
Deuteronomy 31 : 3,4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let there be light

“Darkness  comes before light”  intriguing words  spoken by Teddy an African photographer, taking amazing photos of the wildlife in Botswana”…. said the insert on the TV  programme I had watched.   Intriguing indeed for me, as I have recently been investigating the subject of light.

What is light ?   There are many interesting levels to the concept of  light;  my play on opposite words searches hard to find an understanding  e.g.  light or darkness,   day or night, morning or evening.   And of course on another level the opposites of   truth or lies, right or wrong,  good or evil, knowledge or ignorance put another spin on Light, -which also needs to be explored one day.
One thing is for sure, there is a clear distinction between Light  and Dark, yet these two opposite dimensions can run parallel to each other.

So what actually is light ?           
Wikipedia says :

“Light is electromagnetic radiation within a certain portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.  The word usually refers to visible light.
The electromagnetic spectrum :  infrared rays,   ultraviolet rays,  micro waves, radio waves and gamma rays.
Like all types of light, visible light is emitted and absorbed in tiny “packets” called photons and exhibit properties of both waves and particles.

Our whole universe is covered in darkness, yet were it not for the light we would never know it !  Light makes all the difference.   Without light our material world would not exist.  Therefore light is imperative to our existence.

Quantum Physics’ String Theory says  “every form of Matter or Energy is the result of the Strings vibration”   Ref : http://www.louis-delmonte.com
I’ve also read somewhere that “all matter is merely energy condensed to a slow vibration.”

As far back as 2008, I became inquisitive about the universe and quantum physics – this just through an email I received from a friend, on the subject titled : Keys to your Quantum Leap.   It was an article written by David van Koevering.  Here are some snippets from the email.

“Years ago, as a young scientist and inventor, I worked with Dr. Bob Moog and together we gave the music world the first performance keyboards called Moog synthesizers.  I learned to work with electrons and photons – tiny elements that are so small they can’t be seen !  Yet these invisible elements cause all electronic devices to work.  This project caused me to ask the question, ‘Is there more to our universe than what I can perceive through my senses?’ ”

He  continues ….  “1 Corinthians 1:28 says, “… God (has) chosen…things which are not (the invisible) to bring to nought things which are (the visible)”     This Scripture makes sense only when you understand it at the atomic and subatomic level.   Everything is made up of atoms, which are frequencies of energy.   These frequencies of energy are the voice of Jesus causing all things to be !   Atoms are made up of subatomic particles, and subatomic particles are made up of superstings (which are toroidal vortices of energy).
Superstrings are tiny donut shaped packets of energy that spin at a frequency – or sing as in a pitch.” 

This rang true for me and lined up with one of my very special Scriptures.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.   For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.
All things were created through Him and for Him.   And He is before all things and in Him all things consist.      Colossians 1: 15-17
Could this be a place where Quantum Physics lines up with Theology ?

I have been thinking hard and long on the subjects of Light and Darkness.   Now darkness is even more intriguing than light because seemingly even the brilliant minds of quantum physicists do not yet know the whys whats and wherefores of darkness.
You will find a little more on my inquiry into darkness – if you click on God Calling in this Blog’s menu bar.

I think the words of Teddy, the African photographer are more accurate than he realises “darkness comes before light”  Perhaps Teddy also reads the Bible for it opens with these verses :   In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep……

The electromagnetic fields of atoms photons electrons, waves, vibrations, frequencies, pitch, and all the brilliant quantum physics stuff,  to me,  all point to sound (light) – which is energy.
The genius and enquiring  Einstein puts a whole lot of ‘light on the matter of our universe’  (chuckle !)   –  with his famous formula
E = MC 2   Energy  is equal to Mass multiplied by the Speed of Light squared.

But how did light come to be ?  Where did it originate ?    According to the Bible light was created through spoken words, – (sounds vibrations pitches) by the Creator of all Matter.

Then God  said,    “Let there by light”  and there was light.
And God saw the light, that it was good, and God divided the light from the darkness…… ”    Genesis 1:3

The Big Bang occurred  and the platform for our physical material world was set up for the history, not only of the cosmos, but for our planet Earth, and for our world down through a l l the ages.  All put in place for a special reason and an intended purpose.   The scene  Space-Time – our Universe – was set in motion; and it began with sound vibrations – creating light, creating matter, creating life.

So God used quantum science to create our universe ?  I think yes, for how else would we mere mortals be able to come to know Him or understand His unfathomable wisdom?

Essential for understanding, a part from knowledge – which is a form of light,  is revelation – a deeper form of light.
Revelation means   “… the making known of something that was previously secret or unknown”   Ref http://www.en.oxforddictionaries.com

By putting a spotlight on the first verses of John 1:5  more revelation is given

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.   He was in the beginning with God.   All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.   In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.   And the light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not comprehend it.

Words are for communicating.   A communication system was put in place.  How else will we clearly communicate with each other.  Words are essential for any form of faith, development or advancement;  and especially so too,  communication with the Creator of the universe.  He is not so distant, and has a desire to communicate with His creation.  He has a desire to tell us His story of restoration.

The Light and the Word are found in the person of Jesus Christ,  all wrapped up in one mystery, a hidden secret in full view for those who want to see, want to hear, and want to believe the Word of God,  –  the story of our universe on display through the brilliant mind of God.   Oh wow,  how amazing is that ?

Yet, there is still so much we don’t know.    So much the quantum physicists could fill in for us as they come into new light of scientific knowledge.   Until then, it is Faith that will carry us on to the time of revelation ….  and resurrection.

 

Resurrection ?   A new start, a restoration.   The cross of Christ is another beginning of another sequence in the here and the now and the hereafter, of the unfolding story of God.  A story He has written with tiny you and tiny me in mind.  A story He started when He spoke our universe into existence with these words
                                                              ” Let there be Light “ 

 

Speak the Word, and light a candle in the dark.

Wishing all a reflective Easter season as we look to the Cross of Jesus Christ, the Light of the world,  Who died for us that we might be a light in the darkness.

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The Secret

This is such a sweet picture with such a profound statement.

This time of the year when I go into the shops and am bombarded, and hugely tempted, with chocolate chocolate everywhere I get a sense that Jesus is being neglected and left out of the reason for Easter.   Then when I read in Romans 11:36  For  of  Him and  through  Him and  to  Him are  all things ……  –   how can this be, that we dislocate Him from Easter, and for that matter from our lives ?   He is the pinnacle of God’s story for humanity.
Yes I am beginning to see a story – God’s story – unfolding from the pages of the Scriptures.   God is the author of His story, into which is woven the story of our very own lives –  we all have roles to play and destinies to fill in this  wonderful story – that is if we want to be part of the mystery.  The story, as with any good story, has a beginning a middle and an end – an everlasting end !   In between it is filled with intrigue and mystery, and as we live  we unfold our story into His story – and make up history as it were.

We think that life is just about living, about making ends meet, getting education and showing off how clever we are, or making enough money to be as comfortable as we can.  This life is so much more.  It is a story that will be told and re-told one day.   And to find out about the true meaning of life we have to delve into the Word of God, and there we will discover the secrets and the meaning of this thing we call Life.

This story begins and ends with Jesus.   He is the meaning and the secret to life.   If we miss Him, we just have an existence.  So how can we ignore Him ?   He is part of the mystery of this life.   Its as if there is an invisible parallel life running along side this life, but it is kept hidden, kept a mystery, kept a secret.   And if we want to know more, we have to go and search it out.   God’s story is precious. He is not going to reveal it all at once to all who just pass by.   Much wisdom and power and strength required the making of this Life, it is precious, and it is kept a secret for those who will go and look for it, – and what’s more, it is freely available to all who ask for it !

What is the secret.  Let Colossians 1:15  explain it far better than I can.
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.    For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.   All things were created through Him and for Him.
And He is before all things and in Him all things consist.

Jesus Christ is the secret.   Give Him your heart, your story, He gave you His Life.
And that is what Easter is all about – you and God’s love for you – and me !

Enjoy this Easter, enjoy the chocolates and the holidays, but savour the Saviour and taste and see that God is good, so good !

 

The Bronze Serpent and the Cosmic Cross

The Bronze Serpent and the Cosmic Cross.

We do ourselves a great disservice if we think that the Easter season is only about time off, chocolate bunnies and Easter eggs.   There is a far deeper meaning to this season of the year.  It signifies the cataclysmic cosmic event that evil has been conquered by good.

The Bible, is a wonderful book of stories. How else can we learn if we do not have story telling time ? These stories will only be grasped if faith is applied – the willingness to believe – this is the key to understanding the mysteries of God.
The Bronze Serpent,  is a story within a story of God’s people and is found in Numbers 21.  In short, the story goes that the Israelites who were coming out of bondage to the Egyptians and were about to enter the land of Edom. They were wary of soul, very discouraged, murmuring and complaining and spoke against God and against Moses.
So the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people and many of the people of Israel died.  Sorrowfully they came to Moses to ask for prayer.  So Moses prayed for the people.  Then the Lord said to Moses “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole, and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.” 

Alan Webster in his QT 27-3-15 writings highlights the story and brings it a little closer to home:  ‘ God had told Moses to fashion a snake out of bronze to raise up on a pole.  How long did that take?  Imagine the cries of the suffering, the anguish of the families as they tried to avoid the poisonous serpents and dealt with family members as they helplessly watched them die.   But why had this plague of snakes come into the camp?  It is into a camp of complaint where poisonous accusations against God are created, that poisonous snakes come.  If we expect God to rejoice with singing over us, our faith-filled hearts should overflow with praise.  But even in their distress, when they finally turn to God, He shows mercy and grace to the undeserving.   The snake pole brings healing for those who are willing to believe.  There were many who when bitten, didn’t look, but died in their unbelief.’

The serpent is entangled in the story found in Genesis 3…Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast in the field which the Lord God had made.… the beginning of mankind’s problems – evil let loose, sin embedded and the curse applied.  When you stop and take a look at humanity today how devastating the curse shows up in strife, power struggles, in wars, the killings, beheadings, human trafficking, child soldiers, abandoned babies, diseases, rampant viruses, huge deceptions, illusions, lies, and corruption rife in every day and in every nation, the evidence is at hand – evil rules … for now !

                                                        Freedom

But there is hope … And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. So the cross of Jesus Christ has a parallel to the bronze serpent that Moses lifted up in the wilderness.  It is the antidote for the serpent’s bite.

When we consider the Cosmic Cross it points us to the depth of God’s love for us, and the length He will go to win back that which is lost.  It is a story to be both in awe of, and to weep over.  It is about the Son of God – Jesus Christ, who hung on the cross for us.  And who is this Jesus ?  There will be many different answers to this question. One of the most compelling revelations of Jesus Christ is found in
Colossians 1:15-17
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.   For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.  All things were created through Him and for Him.  And He is before all things and in Him all things consist.

It does not get higher than that, except to say that He is God incarnate in this world we call earth, which forms part of the cosmos – that is the visible and invisible, thrones, dominions, principalities and powers, not only in our time, but down the corridors of every generation – quite a spectrum of power!
Further more, He came to conquer the serpent, sin, the curse applied to all humanity  –
For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. 1 John 3:8.  He came to make atonement for mankind, for those who will receive Him as their Saviour and their God, not only today but down the labyrinth of every generation too – quite a spectrum of mercy !
The crucifixion of Jesus Christ, the Cosmic Cross, is the cosmic event that changed the course of humanity, and its effects are still very relevant in our today world.  It changes our destinies and ushers us into the New Creation… and herein lies another story! Have a close look at the inserted picture (with acknowledgement to the late Annie Vallotton, the Illustrator of the Good News Bible.)

Easter time is not about chocolate bunnies and Easter eggs, and is not to be taken lightly.  It is a time of death and resurrection, the centre piece of “His Story” in His Book, that includes the story of  my life … and your life too, if you were to invite Him into your heart this Easter season.