Hidden Treasures

On the side

Of a cluttered room

It sits

Unopened

Untouched

Waiting

For a trembling hand

Of expectation

Anticipation

To reach out

To hold

To devour

For discovery

 Of hidden treasures

On the side

Of adventure

He waits

Contemplates

Anticipates

The moment

Of elation

Aroma

Joy

Of hidden treasures.

On the side

Of ecstasy

The smell

Of Holding

Opening

a new book

Into a journey

Of endless

Possibilities

Promises

Realms

Adventures

Of hidden treasures.

Go Easy On The Elder Brother by Ken Legg

“Who was very upset when the prodigal son came home?” the children’s church worker asked her class. A little boy put his hand up and replied, “The fatted calf!”

I can understand that. But, as we know, the answer the teacher was looking for was, ‘the elder brother’. His younger brother went off in rebellion into the far country. He wasted his inheritance and lived immorally with prostitutes. He insulted his father and brought shame on the family name. Yet at the end of the parable he is the one inside the party as the centre of attention and his dutiful, elder brother is outside, grumpy and all alone.

His father got up, left the party and went out to his elder son, pleading with him to come inside. In response, the son uttered a phrase I have heard over and over again when a legalist gets the revelation that all he was trying to get through his works he already had by grace! “All these years I served you, and you never even gave me a kid goat!”

All these years

Here are some of the things that people say when their eyes are opened to the unmerited, unconditional favour of God given to us freely in Christ:

“All these years I have tried to keep the law; then you come along and announce that Jesus has fulfilled it completely on my behalf and nailed it to the cross!”

“All these years I have tried to deal with my sins one by one – confessing and repenting, confessing and repenting – and then you come along and tell me that Jesus made one sacrifice once for all and all my sins have been forgiven!”

“All these years I have tried to get more power through fasting; and then you come along and tell me that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead already lives inside me.”

“All these years I have been trying to break curses over my life; and then you come along and tell me I am not cursed, but blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ Jesus!”

“All these years I have been trying to live for God; and then you come along and say, ‘Don’t try to live for God, let Him live through you!’”

“All these years I have been trying to die to self; and then you come along and tell me I am already crucified with Christ and that it’s no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me!”

“All these years I have been chasing God; and then you come along and tell me He never left me!”

And what did we get for all our work over all those years? Not even a skinny goat! Why? Because God doesn’t do deals. Any works we perform in an effort to get things from God are called ‘dead works’. They are superfluous, because everything God wants to give us and everything He wants to do in our lives is already paid for.

Surprise ending

We expect Jesus to give the elder brother a bad ending in this parable; after all he deserves it, right? And so an appropriate conclusion to the parable would be to give him a good telling off. But Jesus doesn’t do that. Instead we see the father leaving the party to come out to his elder son and lovingly plead with him to come in. You see, this father had two sons and they were both lost – one in the far country and the other in the house. And he loved them both equally – the rebel and the legalist.

Some wonderful things are happening in our Father’s house in different parts of the world today. It is being known more and more as a house of grace. And prodigals are coming home because they feel safe to do so.

But let’s make it easy for the elder brother too. I have read several internet blogs on grace-based sites and wonder if a new breed is emerging – the grace Pharisee. It’s easy to become smug and self-righteous in our new-found discovery of the wonder of grace, and then arrogantly turn and point the finger at the legalist who has not yet had the same revelation.

When I’m tempted to condemn the elder brother, God reminds me that I was once one! He is not the enemy of the lost; He is their Seeker and their Finder. So when we engage in discussion and debate with the legalist, let’s not just preach grace – let’s model it also. May they not only hear grace, may they experience it too!

Forgotten Heroes - Private Edward Ryan. V.C.

Private Edward John Francis Ryan Ryan, 55th Battalion, Victoria Cross action at Bellicourt, France.

John Ryan, born at Tumut, New South Wales, was a labourer on enlistment in December 1915. He embarked the following April, joining the 55th Battalion in France in September.

During the battalion's attack on the Hindenburg defences near Bellicourt, on 30 September 1918, Ryan went forward under heavy fire and was one of the first to reach an enemy trench. A German counter-attack drove the Australians back, placing them in a critical position. Ryan organised and led an attack on the Germans with bombs and bayonets. His small party killed three Germans, then he single-handedly rushed the remainder and drove them back. He was badly wounded in the shoulder, but his action enabled the trench to be retaken.

After the war Ryan struggled to find employment, particularly during the Depression years. From 1935 he worked for some time with an insurance company, but his health deteriorated and he died of pneumonia in 1941.

The Spiritual Mirror

Truth is found within the mirror

In the reflection of the son,

The power of heaven’s spirit

The flames ignited from revelation

The words of abundant life

These are faith’s foundations

Loves whispers that enchant the heart

That lie within golden treasure

Seeping through crimson threads

In the goodness easily found,

The spirits power

In the words of

Glorious grace

In the signature which

Contains all God’s righteousness

Reflected in letters

Found in the spiritual mirror.

From A Park Bench - Remember Your Victories

Joshua 2 9-11

(Rahab) said to them, “I know that the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed.  When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.

  

Just like Rahab we can choose to believe in the goodness and grace of God in our lives. We can all look back and spend time remembering the great victories of the God in our life. Those times when the miraculous hand of the Lord just provided a way through the desert of life.

Whoever you are, whatever you have been through we all have moments and times when God just showed you his grace and mercy. In the same way as Rahab, we might have just heard of the mighty hand of God but when we put our faith in the goodness of God we can see the hand of God work in our lives.

Just last week my wife had a weight smash on to her right foot. Her foot immediately started to swell and turn black. She screamed out in pain and said it must have been broken as she could not move some of her toes. So I prayed for her foot and took authority over the foot and the sickness, thanking God for her healing In Christ. Almost immediately, the pain went, the swelling died down and she could move her toes. God healed her foot and I said to her, “remember this day, on 14th October 2013, your foot was healed”. This was a moment, a stepping stone, a point to remember in our journey through life that God has provided all the healing we need through his grace.

Now to some this might seem a ‘small’ healing, but that is just the point, there are no small healing In Christ. God does not want any one to live in sickness; he wants us to live in the fullness of all his finished work. We have an overflow of goodness and grace in our lives and everyday, in everyday circumstances God wants us to live in and draw on his grace. He wants us to remember the moments of victory, so we can recall them to mind and meditate on all he has accomplished for us.

See the goodness of God in your imagination, live in the fullness of all you are in Christ, thank God for all his grace freely given to every one of us in Christ and remember all the blessings and all the grace of God that he has showered on your life.

Grace Notes - Luke 22:16

Luke 22:16 "For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God."

The Passover meal was taken by the children of Israel as a remembrance of their deliverance from the slavery of Egypt.

This meal served as a signpost for the people to Christ. When the children of Israel left Egypt they were under a covenant of grace.  The grace of God was there to: -

 Free them from oppression,

Deliver them from slavery,

Heal them from diseases,

 Sustain them on their journey

Save them from the chasing army

Guide them to the Promised Land.

Likewise the grace of God through Christ, is our deliverance, freedom, health and wholeness.

As Andrew Womaack explains the Passover was much, much more than a meal to remember:-

The Lord longed to share the passover meal with His disciples. He was less than 24 hours away from fulfilling His mission and, like anyone who can see the finish line, He must have had feelings of relief and excitement.

The passover meal commemorated the Jews' deliverance from slavery in Egypt (Ex. 13:3-10). It also had a much deeper spiritual application that, as Jesus explains here, would be fulfilled through His death. The Jewish nation as a whole had missed any future prophetic meaning of the passover.

On the night of the original passover, the Lord passed through the land of Egypt and judged the land by slaying all the firstborn men and beasts. The Jews had to slay a spotless lamb, take its blood and apply it to the door posts of their homes. They were commanded to remain indoors, under the covering of this blood until morning. When the Lord passed through the land at midnight to execute His judgment, He passed over the homes that had the lamb's blood on their doors and no one inside was hurt. This is a perfect picture of the redemption that Jesus provides for us.

Everyone deserves judgment because of their sins. However, Jesus provided Himself as a spotless, sacrificial lamb for us, so that if we apply His blood to our lives by confessing Him as Lord, God will pass over us on judgment day.

Jesus was sacrificed on the 14th day of the first month of the Jewish year - the exact day and time that the passover lambs were being slain. Truly, "Christ our passover is sacrificed for us" (1 Cor. 5:7).

Forgotten Heroes - Ernest Corey. M.M.& 3 Bars

Ernest Albert Corey served as a stretcher bearer during the First World War. He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on 13 January 1916, and was allocated to the 55th Battalion, where he was initially posted to a grenade section before volunteering for stretcher bearing duties. In 1917 he was twice awarded the Military Medal for his devotion to duty in aiding wounded soldiers, and twice again in 1918; becoming the only person to be awarded the Military Medal four times.

Citations:

Military Medal

The award for Corey's Military Medal was published in a supplement to the London Gazette on 18 July 1917. His citation read:

"During the enemy attack on front line facing Queant on 15th May 1917, Pte Corey, whilst acting as a stretcher bearer, showed great courage and devotion to duty. Although under direct enemy observation, he carried out his duties continuously for 17 hours without rest, and in a manner worthy of the highest commendation. Although an untrained stretcher bearer, he, together with the rest of the bearing party saved by first aid the lives of seriously wounded men. The Commander of the 54th Bn wrote an appreciation for the help given, and specially mentioned the stretcher bearing party for their good work."

First Bar to Military Medal

Originally recommended for the Distinguished Conduct Medal, Corey was instead awarded a Bar to his Military Medal. The award was published in a supplement to the London Gazette on 14 January 1917. The citation for his first Bar read:

"This stretcher bearer showed great courage, devotion to duty and untiring energy during the attack on Polygon Wood on the 26th September 1917. The greatest danger did not deter this man from doing his duty when his services were required, and he tended the wounded and carried them to places of safety continuously throughout the engagement, often under very heavy artillery and machine gun fire. Throughout the whole operations he set a fine example of bravery and coolness to all ranks."

Second Bar to Military Medal

Corey was again originally recommended for the Distinguished Conduct Medal, but was awarded a second Bar to his Military Medal. The award of the second Bar was published in a supplement to the London Gazette on 13 March 1919.

The citation for his second Bar records:

"For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty during operations at Peronne on 1st and 2nd September 1918. This man who is a stretcher bearer, dressed and carried wounded of several units throughout the whole of the operation. Although the enemy artillery and machine gun fire was exceptionally heavy, this did not debar this man from carrying on. He worked continuously and arduously and was the means of saving the lives of many of the wounded. He was most unselfish throughout and cheerful at all times and under all circumstances. His careful handling of the wounded and his knowledge of first aid helped greatly to relieve their sufferings; throughout the operations he set a fine example of courage, coolness, determination and devotion to duty, under heavy fire."

Third Bar to Military Medal

The third Bar to his Military Medal was published in a supplement to the London Gazette on 13 June 1919. The citation for his third bar records:

"For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty as NCO in charge of Battalion stretcher bearers during an attack on the Hindenburg Line north of Bellicourt on 30 September 1918. Although enemy machine gun and shell fire were intense, this gallant NCO directed the operations of the Battalion stretcher bearers with the utmost skill and bravery. Regardless of personal danger, he, on numerous occasions although the enemy were firing upon him and other bearer parties, attended to men and carried them from the most exposed positions. His efforts were untiring and he set a splendid example to all ranks until he was severely wounded. It was mainly due to his magnificent work that the wounded were safely removed from the danger zone."

Grounded

Grounded in a God who connects, who cleanses, who does not condemn.

Grounded in a God who speaks, who empowers.

Grounded in a God who can be worshiped without the limitations of space or religion.

Grounded in the blaze of God’s glory.

Grounded in the bliss of His grace.

Grounded in the blast of His goodness.

Grounded in the wonder and mystery of my union in Christ.

Grounded in the approval, love, favour, acceptance and every spiritual blessing of Christ.

Grounded in the truth and grace of his love letter to me.

From A Park Bench - The Bramble Bush

A few years ago I faced a challenge of monumental proportions. On the surface it seemed that this challenge would be a two minute job, just a little exertion on a sunny Saturday afternoon.  But a small insignificant Bramble Bush became an evil, back breaking plant that would not be removed.

This Bramble Bush had taken residence in our front garden and had grown to become a little problem with its thorny tentacles causing trouble and destruction.  I thought it would only take a few goes with my secateurs, but after two hours of pushing, pulling, cutting, chopping, I had to call in the cavalry to get rid of the plant. My father-in-law arrived and with his industrial strength chopper’s, the evil Bramble Bush was defeated and victory was achieved.

When we looked at the remnants of the bush, it was obvious that the roots of the plant were greater than the plant.  Its strength was in its roots, the hidden, unseen source of all its glory and just as that bush’s roots provided life, stability and nourishment for the bush, so also a revelation of God’s love is the foundation on which everything on our life in Christ is built.

We receive God’s love and grace in and by our roots which reach deep into the vast heart of God. His life is our life, his power is our power, his faith is our faith, and his glory is our glory.  

As we understand and are grounded in our Fathers love we comprehend all that God’s has freely given us by His grace.

Expect God's Goodness by Joseph Prince

PSALM 65:11

“You crown the year with Your goodness, and Your paths drip with abundance.”

The economic experts may have painted a gloomy picture for the year, but as far as God is concerned, He has crowned the year with His goodness and abundance! God’s supply and provision are never affected by world events, so good times or bad times, expect every month, every week and every day of this year to be surrounded by His goodness. Expect His abundance to meet your every need!

“But Pastor Prince, I've not done much good in the past year, so how can I be confident that God will provide for me this year?”

My friend, God doesn't bless you because of what you have done. He blesses you because of what Jesus has done. At the cross, Jesus bore all your sins and was punished to the full for every one of them, so that you can have His righteousness as a gift and be blessed with every one of God’s blessings. (Ephesians 1:3)

Now, look at the word “abundance” in Psalm 65:11. It is the Hebrew word deshen, which means “fatness”. The idea here is abundant provision, blessings and even fertility. (So if you have been believing God for a child for many years, believe that this is the year you will conceive!) Now, the word deshen has another meaning—“ashes”. Ash is the final form of something that has been burnt. For example, the animal sacrifices to God in the Old Testament were burnt on the altar until they became ashes. (Leviticus 4:12) So ashes here speak of the finished work of Jesus at the cross that has put away your sins.

My friend, because of Jesus’ finished work you can confidently believe and declare that the year is crowned with goodness and that God’s paths drip with His provision, blessings and good success for you every step of the way. If the devil tells you that God won’t bless you because of your sins, just tell him, “Ashes!” and point him to the cross of Jesus!

Beloved, you are blessed not because of your good works, good looks, qualifications or industry experience, but because of Jesus’ finished work. He alone has qualified you to receive God’s goodness and abundance every day for the rest of your life!

From A Park Bench - Christ is the Source

A few years ago, way back in my early twenties I went with a few friends on the River Thames for a boating holiday. This turned out to be one of those things you do with a few mates.  Nothing too dangerous, but during the holiday I became curious to discover the origins of the great river. Where was the source of the river Thames?

We followed the maps and guide books and eventually found this trickling stream. It seemed almost unbelievable that such an insignificant, tiny stream could flow down the English countryside and become the greatest river in England. The streams final destination was the mighty North Sea. From such small beginnings came a great and mighty river.

Christ whispers to everyone one of us, “I am your source. Trust me for everything.”  This in our 21^st Century world seems insane, how can trust in a person put to death, 2000 years ago be the source for all we need. But just like the insignificant trickle that was the source of the Thames, so trusting Christ’s death at Calvary is the only act that can reconcile us back to God.

God grace is an overflowing, cascading river of goodness that flows right into the heart of every man. It is there, every moment of every second available to those who receive it. 

We cannot earn it, we do not deserve it, we receive it freely as a gift, because He is good, because He was faithful, He took what we deserved and gave us what He deserved.

He endured the cross for us, so that In Christ we could have restoration, healing, protection, security, peace, prosperity, wholeness, forgiveness and all the blessings and riches of heaven. Grace is not a doctrine it is a person, grace is Christ.

His unconditional love is a stream of never ending, glorious grace forever flowing to us.

Grace Notes - Matthew 20 v 20

Matthew 22:20-21 "And he said to them, Whose is this image and superscription? They said to him, Caesar's. Then He said to them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's."

The grace of God is free to all, there ready to be received and enjoyed.  When we believe in Christ and accept his sacrifice at Calvary, our Spirit’s are made alive in Christ and are made into a new creation.

It is our Spirit that is born again and but our soul is contaminated with all the lies and pollution of our dead ‘sinful nature’.  Our sinful nature died at the cross and we are left with the residue of the world in our flesh.

We live in the world, but are not controlled by the world. We feel the effects of the ‘cursed earth system’ but we are now ‘seated in heavenly places in Christ’. We chose where we live, either according to the Spirit or according to the flesh.

The more we identify with Christ and his victory the more we live in all Christ won for us at the cross and enjoy all the wonderful benefits of His grace.

Here Andrew Wommack explains that a simple thing as a coin shows us that we live in the world but are united with Christ:-

“The image on the denarius, the only small silver coin acceptable for imperial tax payments, was probably that of Tiberius Caesar (reigned A.D. 14-37). The inscription upon the coin read "Tiberius Caesar Augustus, Son of the Divine Augustus" with the reverse side reading "Chief Priest." This inscription was a claim to divinity and as emperor, the right to be worshiped.

The Jews had tried many times to accuse Jesus on the basis of religious issues and had always failed. Now they approached Him about paying taxes in hopes that His answer might give them the opportunity to deliver Him to Pilate for prosecution.

These Pharisees and Herodians reasoned that any answer that Jesus gave would be wrong. If He approved of the Roman taxes, then He would lose popularity with the masses. If He spoke against the Roman taxes, then the Jews would hand Him over to the Roman government and Pilate would dispose of Him. It looked like they had Jesus trapped. Jesus, however, answered with such simple wisdom that these Pharisees and Herodians were caught in their own trap and made to look like fools.

Jesus declared, "Render (give back) to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's" (Mk. 12:17). People are made in God's image, so we must render to God the things belonging to God (our lives) and to Caesar the things belonging to Caesar (his money and other benefits of his rule).”

Monsters and Mirrors

Mirrors are there to be smashed

Destroyed

Shattered

Into thousands of pieces

Fragments

Crushed and ground

To dust.

Monsters are there to be slayed

Destroyed

Overcome

In hundred of stokes

Incisions

Wounded and killed

To death.

Fears are there to be overcome

Destroyed

Dissolved

Into a million shards

Left

Forgotten and forsaken

Forever

Grace is there to be received

Accepted

Enjoyed

In a infinite treasure

Outstretched

Provided and given

To reign

Mercy is there to be taken

Accepted

Received

In an everlasting refuge

Available

Reached and free

To take

Love is there to be cherished

Accepted

Embraced

In an eternal heart

Devoted

Invites and asks us

To dance.

The Things by Andrew Wommack

Everything Provided

Everything provided

Through Christ perfectly given

Every promise confirmed

Eternal redemption

Abundant provision

Say yes and amen

Feast on His goodness

Again and again

Everything we need

No need to plead

Overwhelming grace

Receive and believe.