Stuck in the mud of life

Stuck in the mud

When my daughter was little they used to play a game they called ‘stuck in the mud’. I never played that game as a child, but it sounds like fun. What child doesn’t like mud? As an adult mud doesn’t have the same fascination. It represents dirt and trouble. Well, actually the idea of being stuck in the mud isn’t very appealing. Sometimes it is like we are stuck in the mud of life and it is dirty and messy and not fun.  It feels like we’re trying to walk forward, but we are not going anywhere. 

What we actually need is stuck in the mud faith in God.  Faith that does not go anywhere.  For God always has and always will be a promise keeper. He still has the ability to give you hope and a future. These two go together. If there is no hope, then there is no purpose and no future. You don’t have to produce it; you just need to ask Him. He says in His word: ‘since I the Lord, do not go back on my promises, you...have not perished’. He will not go back on his word and we need to keep on trusting Him that He will work out the details of our lives.

Prayer: Father, give me faith in you that will stick, faith that you will do what you have promised.

Mal 3:6  "Because I the LORD don't change; therefore you children of Jacob, aren't destroyed."

When did the Resurrection -Ascension-Pentacost happen?

Many Christians wonder why we celebrate Ascension Day this time and Pentecost another time.

In some instances there are clear scriptures that tell us when what happened, in other we can make an assumptions based on scriptures.

We see that the crucifixion, burial and resurrection (3days) was during the Jewish Passover festival - Joh 19:17
Jesus rose (we call it the resurrection) on the Jewish feast of first fruits (Leviticus 23:9-10). A wave offering was made on this day during the Jewish festival. Paul calls Christ the first fruit of the resurrection 1 Cor 15:20-23

Ascension (when Jesus went to heaven) was 40 days after resurrection - Luke 24:50-53/ Acts 1:3

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The Holy Spirit (Pentacost) came 10 days after Ascension. Acts 20:16
Pentacost was previously the festival of thanksgiving for the harvest. Now the disciples harvested 3000 souls! Penta (meaning five) cost - fifty days after Passover.

The feast of weeks began 50 days after the wave offering (Lev 23:15-16)
It is miraculous how  the events of  Jesus’ life  and what he did came as fulfilment of the Jewish events/festivals that was but a shadow of things to come.

 

Heb 8:5-8  They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, "See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain."
But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises.
For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second.
For he finds fault with them when he says: "Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah,

 

 

Pentecost

Meaning fiftieth; because occurring on the fiftieth day, calculated from the second day of unleavened bread. In the Old Testament it is called the feast of weeks, and the feast of harvest. Its primary object was to thank God for the blessings of harvest. See Deu_16:10, Deu_16:11. Vincent’s Word Studies

 

Ascention day and the lockdown

Long, long ago...

It has been thousands of years since the first outpouring of the Holy Spirit. And today we celebrate once again.

The disciples locked themselves in the upper room. To scared to come out. They did not fear a virus, but the Pharisees and the Roman soldiers.

Regardless of their fear...they prayed and waited for the outpouring of the promise.  Jesus said He will send them the Promise of the Father and they believed Him. The Holy Spirit, who will empower them, guide them, walk beside them and who will be with every child of God at the same time. The person and the power of the Spirit of God would we available to every Christian.

After thousands of years, that has still not changed. The Holy Spirit is still with us, we can still wait on Him and He will fill us.

Prayer : Father help me to understand the principle of waiting on you, so that I will wait without tiring.

Act 1:5  For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit a few days from now."

Act 1:6  Now those who had gathered together began to ask Jesus, "Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?"

Act 1:7  He answered them, "It is not for you to know what times or periods the Father has fixed by his own authority.

Act 1:8  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

The art of giving

We love gifts. We love to give gifts. We love to receive gifts. It seems that the apple does not fall far from the tree... as our heavenly Father also loves gifts. He gives the gift of salvation, the gift of righteousness, the gift of eternal life, the gift of the Holy Spirit, the manifestation gifts of the Spirit, the gift of grace. 

Then each of us have our own gift, maybe you received it through prophesy or the laying on of hands. This gift you must keep alive and use it to serve others. What is in your hand to give? Is it love, do you make good food? Or you can motivate people. Maybe it is by making things with your hands? Whatever your gift is ...use it to serve people.

Jas 1:17  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. (Meaning that God’s intention of giving as well as his gift is good)

If it is not good – it is not God.

Prayer: Father thank you for the good gifts in my life. Help me to

recognise them and appreciate my them.

Want to read more about gifts? 

2Co 9:15 Eph 2:8  Eph 3:7  Eph 4:7  Php 4:17  1Ti 4:14  2Ti 1:6  Heb 6:4 

Jas 1:17