Moses - it's never too late

I always find the story of Moses most encouraging. Despite his mistakes, despite his age, despite his doubts and fears, God used him powerfully. God saved his life and turned an arrogant and then fearful man into his vessel, submitted to him – a humble man, more humble than anyone else (Numbers 12: 3) and through him led a whole nation out of captivity into a new land, as God had promised. 

Moses was born into a time of infanticide and survived. He not only survived but thrived in the court of Pharaoh and according to Stephen, 'was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action' (Acts 7: 22). He was also raised knowing he was a Hebrew, and he had a destiny, to rescue his people from slavery. Like many before and since, he tried to make his destiny come to fruition in his way and time – and it didn’t work. Instead, he had to flee into the desert to Midian for 40 years. 

I sometimes ponder what Moses thought about his destiny during those 40 years. I am sure he thought it was all over, settled down in his new life with Zipporah and probably put his time in Egypt down to experience. I mean he hardly needed the wisdom of the Egyptians to be a shepherd. But again, it is surprising how many of God’s leaders were shepherds. Maybe we should send today’s ministers-in-training for a module on shepherding! 

And then after 40 years, God met Moses at the burning bush and commissioned him now ‘to go to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt’ (Exodus 3: 10). By this time, at the age of 80, Moses was not keen to go back to Egypt and Pharaoh. All his pride, all his trust in his own ability had vanished and now he had to learn to trust God.  Five times he argued with God about his calling and in the end, the only concession he negotiated was for Aaron to go with him and speak on his behalf. This was his calling and not even his brother could fulfil it. The man ‘powerful in speech and action’ had disappeared and the humble man powerful in God’s word and action was beginning to take shape.

Through the obedience of performing the 10 plagues, Moses learned that the only way to become the man God wanted him to be was to trust God and do things his way 

Miracle upon miracle followed; the Israelites plundered Egypt of quantities of gold, silver and jewels (enough to build the furnishings of the tabernacle), the angel of death passed over their homes with the blood of the lamb on their doorposts, a million people with all their animals left Egypt, crossed the Red Sea and the powerful Egyptian army was annihilated. But they were free at least from the land of slavery, even if the slavery mentality was never fully delivered.   

For 40 years, Moses led these tiresome, doubting, idol-worshipping, grumbling and complaining people to the edge of the Promised Land. His destiny was fulfilled even if he never actually entered the land himself. Moses had to deal with his brother leading the people into idolatry, his brother and sister leading a rebellion, various other tragic rebellions but he also met with God in powerful, divine visitations. 

Moses’s story is one of encouragement. No matter how old we are, God has not finished with us till we take our final breath. If you are feeling God has forgotten you, your destiny is lying in tatters it is time to pick it up, dust it off and apply faith-filled prayers and see what God will do because ‘Nothing is impossible with God’ (Luke 2: 37). 

The Lion roars

September 2008 - even more relevant today 2019

Behold the Lion of the tribe of Judah stands over this nation

He roars over the land      

Strongholds tremble and fall

Arise church and take your place

Declare the goodness of God to an unbelieving generation

Declare His love, His mercy, His forgiveness

The lion shakes his mane and gold dust falls over the land

Each fleck of gold is a glint of glory

Every speck is a miracle, a healing, a sign.

Gold falls as snow on the nation

Glory covers the land.

Church arise, declare the goodness of God to an unbelieving generation

Declare victory over the enemy

Declare the Lordship of our King over this land.

The Lion breathes over this nation

His breath warms cold hearts and cold lives

Apathy turns to passion

Indifference becomes a fire; an intense love for Jesus

A zeal for His Kingdom

A passion for His name.

The Lion swishes his tail

Strongholds tremble, falter and fall

Cracks appear in major institutions

Those built on power and greed totter and fall.

Governments tremble

The people fear, their knees shake

Hearts melt, bile arises in their throats 

‘What will become of us?’ they ask.

Church arise, declare the goodness of God to an unbelieving generation

Speak peace to fearful hearts 

Show love to those who have no hope

Do not fear for Our God reigns 

Let God’s people arise

Let His enemies be scattered

Let mercy like a tidal flow sweep this land

Grace will wash away greed and selfishness and cleanse the land

Love like a never ending stream 

Will cause righteousness to blossom and flourish

Church, arise, declare the Lordship of the King over this land.

Faith in action

In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven Matthew 5: 16

Recently my attention was drawn at a church prayer meeting to an unusual piece of equipment being used by a musician. It looked like a small industrial chimney, black and standing two metres tall and it was obviously something to do with sound.  Then I noticed the word Bose on it. Immediately I knew it must be a speaker but the word Bose means a lot more than just a sound system. It means a quality sound system.

We carry the name Jesus which means we are not just Christians, it should also mean we are people of quality. People who can be depended on, are reliable, honest, trustworthy, men and women of integrity. Christians should also be people of good works.  

We know that good works do not save us. Only Jesus’ work on the cross saves us and we receive it by grace. Nothing we can do can earn it. It is a gift from God.  However as James says:  In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, ‘You have faith; I have deeds.’ Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds James 2: 17 – 18

Jesus certainly showed his faith by his deeds. When the religious leaders of his day wanted to stone him he asked them which miracle they were stoning him for. They replied they wanted to stone him for claiming to be the Son of God. In response he told them that even if they did not believe his words, they should believe he was God’s Son because of the miracles or good works that he did.  He did the works of his Father which were works of great compassion and kindness.  (John 10: 37)

David Cameron in an Easter message in 2015 said, ‘The Church … is doing great works across the country. When people are homeless, the Church is there with hot meals and shelter. When people are addicted or in debt, suffering or grieving the Church is there. Across Britain Christians don’t just talk about loving thy neighbour, they live it out in faith schools and prisons and in community groups.’

This is a testimony we should be proud of.  We should be the leading philanthropists of our day but more than that; we should be miracle workers.  The days of miracles are not over, they should be increasing as each one of us reaches out in faith to God so blind eyes see, the lame walk, the sick are healed and the dead raised.   Jesus said we would do even greater works than he did. 

When Jesus preached the Gospel about the kingdom, he often preceded this with miracles.  In the same way as we reach out to our communities with love and practical works of kindness as well as supernatural miracles, we build a platform upon which the Gospel easily glides.  People believed in Jesus, not just because of what he said but what he did.  In the same way, people will come to faith, the greatest miracle of all, as we reach out to them with good deeds.

And let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds Hebrews 10: 24

Grace and the Feeding to the 5000

I have just been re-reading Philip Yancey’s brilliant book What’s so amazing about grace?  In the light of this I was reading the Feeding of the 5000 in Matthew's' Gospel and realised what a grace filled occasion it was.

The context for this miracle was that Jesus has just been told that John the Baptist, his relative, the forerunner of his ministry, has been beheaded by Herod.  I am sure Jesus was very upset and the Bible says ‘When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place’ (Matthew 14: 13).  

However Jesus was not going to get any private grieving time or time to process what had happened or talk to his heavenly Father because the crowd ran round the lake and were waiting for him.  Most of us, I am sure, would not have been pleased to see them but Jesus full of grace and truth healed all their sick.

As evening approached, the disciples, full of worldly wisdom, asked Jesus to send the crowd away to get food and lodging for the night. Jesus however replied ‘They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.’ (Matthew 14: 16).  

The disciples must have been amazed.  Most people hearing this suggestion would have gladly agreed and been happy to get rid of the crowd of needy people but Jesus not only does not seem to want to get rid of them but he actually expects the disciples to feed them.

In Mark’s Gospel the disciples told Jesus that for them to feed the people would cost half a year’s wage – a lot of money in anyone’s currency – but in the currency of heaven, all that is needed is 5 loaves and 2 fish.

Grace – being given something you don’t deserve – does the impossible and feeds a huge crowd, so that everyone ate and was satisfied. There was no portioning out the meagre rations. It was eat and be satisfied; have as much as you like.  Not only that but there was more food left over at the end of the meal than they started with. 

Grace is an attitude of life that Jesus exemplified. Jesus never decided if someone was deserving of a miracle or healing. He just did it. He healed all their diseases (Matthew 4: 24). Jesus didn’t look at the enormous, hungry crowd and teach them a lesson in personal responsibility, he graciously fed them.

Of course there were times when having healed someone, Jesus told them to ‘go and sin no more.’ However Jesus never waited till someone had got their act together before healing or providing for them.

When Mother Teresa spoke to President Clinton and top government officials at a National Prayer Breakfast, she confronted them about the appallingly high level of abortion in USA and it is just about as awful in all the Western world. She told them that if Americans did not want their babies, give them to her and she would take them and find homes for them. 3000 babies were sent to her. That is a level of grace and trust in God that falls into the Feeding of the 5000 category.

Mother Teresa was moved by compassion just as Jesus was. When he saw need, his heart was touched and he extravagantly met the need.  Grace does not decide the rights and wrongs of a situation; it just loves to bless.

I am so thankful for the grace God and many other have shown me. My prayer is that I grow in grace and compassion every day.

The wonders of creation

For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.  He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. Colossians 1: 16 – 17

Science is not one of my strongest subjects. I have difficulty with chemistry and all those elements, atoms and molecules. I can’t make much sense of it though I do not doubt its existence or who created it all.

The universe is an awesome place full of magnificent galaxies, star systems, nebula, worms, planets, moons, comets, meteors and goodness knows what else. I can’t make much sense of all that either and though I have never seen it I do not doubt its existence given the incredible photos the scientists produce and knowing who created it all.

There are scientists who understand these things very well, as much as any man can and some of them also are convinced who created it all. John O’Keefe an astronomer at NASA says, ‘We are, by astronomical standards, a pampered, cosseted, cherished group of people….. If the Universe had not been made with the most exacting precision we could never have come into existence. It is my view that these circumstances indicate the Universe was created for man to live in.’

How amazing is that?

Various scientists are also convinced of this. They say that the relationship between sun and Earth is perfect for all creation to live and flourish here. The atmosphere of Earth is also perfect for life here. Apparently there are about two dozen parameters of the universe that if altered even a tiny bit would prevent life on Earth from existing.

For those of us who believe that God is the Creator of all of this, it comes as no surprise.  Nevertheless it is mind-blowing. It is all so vast and incredible but that is our God.

Jesus too showed us that he is Lord over creation. He altered the molecules of water to turn it into wine, he commanded the wind and waves to be still, he altered the law of gravity to walk on water and he conquered death by not only commanding Lazarus and others to rise up and live but by doing so himself. This is our God.

In the midst of our trials and difficulties we have a God of incredible love and kindness who can speak into our circumstances and command them to be still, to change, to be healed. If Jesus could tell Peter to go and catch a fish and take a coin out of its mouth which was the exactly the right amount to pay the temple tax, I think he might be able to help us in our financial difficulties!

I love what John O’Keefe says that we are a ‘pampered, cherished, cosseted group of people.’ God is so kind to us, he cares about us. He may be the mind-blowing God who created a universe that I and I suspect most people cannot even to start to get their heads around and yet he cares about the everyday details of our lives.

Too often we do not invite God’s intervention in our lives because of some sort of misguided desire for independence or we simply forget. When we do ask for his help, guidance, provision, wisdom or miracle it comes so beautifully, so gently, so lovingly and so kindly that we wonder why we never asked before.

I cannot claim to understand any of it whether the incredible creation of a vast universe in which tiny planet Earth sits so perfectly or God’s wonderful hand of grace on my life but all I can do is sit in awestruck thankfulness to my magnificent, majestic, marvellous Creator and God. 

God of the miraculous

One of the advantages of taking a topic when reading the Bible rather than reading through a Gospel or another book is that incredible themes start to lift off the pages.

One thing I have been reminded of recently is that God is the God of truly outstanding, amazing miracles. Not just that but when God is about to do something significant, it is always accompanied by the miraculous.

 Noah built an ark in the desert for 120 years and God brought the water to float it. Abraham and Sarah were not just old but ‘as good as dead’ (Hebrews 11: 12) yet their one son (born to Sarah aged 90) birthed the whole of the Jewish race

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Moses, an 80 year old no-hoper, was so insecure that he argued with God 5 times about his inability to fulfil his calling. Yet he ended up leading a motley group of slaves out from one of the most powerful military nations in the world at that time. In the process he performed outstanding miracles including the parting of the Red Sea which led to the complete overthrow of the military might of Egypt. God miraculously provided water from a rock for approx 2 million people and fed these people morning and evening for 40 years.

They entered their Promised Land when God again parted the waters, this time of the swollen, flooded River Jordan. The Israelites then took the first fortified city they came across – not by military might – but by walking round the walls every day for 7 days and the walls collapsed.

And so it goes on; curses turned into blessings (Numbers 24: 10 - 11), shepherd boys becoming kings (Psalm 78: 70 - 71), mighty armies overthrown by the power of praise (II Chronicles 20: 22) and many more until we come to most incredible miracle of all; God himself giving up all his glory, majesty and power to become a tiny baby born of a virgin. This happened in an insignificant town, not in a palace and not even in a home but outside with the animals.

The Christmas story is full of miracles – miracle babies born to elderly parents like Zechariah and Elizabeth, a virgin birth, the glorious heavenly host revealed to humble shepherds and Gentile magi travelling miles to follow a star to worship a king that his own people did not even acknowledge.

He continually reveals himself today as a miracle working God.

Sometimes I think our God is just too small. We struggle to believe that the God who parted the Red Sea will come in and make a way for us where there appears to be no way. We battle to realise that the God who fed two million people every day for 40 years will provide for us and that the man who raised Jairus’ daughter and Dorcas (to name just two) will breathe life into our hopeless looking, dead situations.

Or that the same God who inspired 5000 people to be saved in one day can save our family and friends.  Or that the God who forgave Zacchaeus and the woman caught in adultery will forgive our sins. Or that the God who healed Naaman the leper will heal our eczema and so on.

Our faith is so small and yet our God is so big.

Let’s ask God to forgive us for our unbelief and help us stir up again the gift of faith that he has given each one of us so that we can come to our miracle working God and be amazed at the things he wants to do in and through our lives.  

Suffering and glory

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. I Peter 4: 12 – 13

I struggle to get an understanding on the positive benefits of suffering and how God’s glory is revealed through it. The Bible though is full of exhortation when faced with suffering and different authors encourage us to rejoice in our trials. We know that God was greatly glorified by the suffering and death of Jesus and it was the only way that God could redeem condemned men from sin and death. In the same way it seems that in the places of the world where there is most persecution of believers, thousands come to faith and there are incredible signs, wonders and miracles.

Brother Yun, The Heavenly Man, underwent the most horrific torture and humiliation for the sake of the Gospel in China.  He was imprisoned, humiliated, beaten with electric batons, fasted without food or water for 74 days (a human impossibility without God) and forced into latrines full of human excrement by both prison guards and his fellow cell mates. When he was so weak the prison authorities thought he was about to die they ordered his family to visit him to try to persuade him to confess his ‘crimes’ and betray his fellow workers.  His wife and family did not recognise him and only his Mother knew who he was because of a birthmark. He broke his fast and took communion with them and something broke in the heavenly realms.

His cell mates who were all suffering from a plague became Christians. Brother Yun spent his days discipling them and the many other prisoners who got saved. Then a condemned, suicidal, incredibly violent murderer, shackled for his and everyone else’s safety was put in their cell.  They treated him with love, mercy and kindness.  He was saved and transformed.  As he was led off to his execution he was rejoicing in going to be in heaven with his Saviour.

What an incredible testimony!  Jesus was indeed glorified by Brother Yun’s suffering and many came to faith as a result. Was there no other way for these precious souls to be saved?

Christians persecuted in this way however seem to regard it as an incredible honour to suffer as Jesus did. They are overjoyed when Jesus is glorified by many coming to salvation and they consider their lives as nothing as long as the Kingdom advances. Surely this is how the Christian life should be? Help us God to live our lives selflessly for your glory in our situations.

The power of the cross

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God. I Corinthians 1: 18

I am fascinated sometimes by the arguments that take place on Facebook and YouTube between believers and non believers. Unfortunately they too often deteriorate into slanging matches with non believers calling Christians deluded and frustrated Christians, unable to win the argument, resorting to telling people they are sinners going to burn in hell.  

It is essential we debate with non believers on matters of faith but, like Paul, we need the wisdom of God. When I read some wise answers given to sceptical non believers, it gladdens my heart. They may not agree or believe what is written but they cannot refute it.

Paul was writing to the Corinthian church which was in the centre of a society where all sorts of ungodly, worldly and immoral lifestyles were practised. Above all it was in the midst of a culture that loved debating all the latest philosophies and Christianity was grouped in with all the other ideas being debated.

To the Greeks and Romans of Corinth the cross was complete foolishness but that was what Paul preached. They could not believe that someone who claimed to be the Son of God would be crucified like a common criminal.  Paul had tried debating and reasoning with the Greeks in Athens with little success (Acts 17: 16 – 33). He left Athens and went to Corinth and this is what happened:

When I came to you brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I Corinthians 2: 1 – 2.

My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom but on God’s power. I Corinthians 2: 4

In a culture that loved to debate man’s wisdom Paul came with the wisdom of the cross and a demonstration of the power of the Kingdom.  Today’s society is in many ways similar to 1^st century Corinthian and Greek culture. It loves secular, humanistic thinking and debating man’s wisdom and the cross appears to be foolishness.  However it is the cross which is the power of salvation and we must speak of it whenever we have opportunity.

We need the wisdom of God in our discussions with unbelievers and we must seek the power of the Kingdom to demonstrate the love of God.  Jesus, Paul and the apostles always sought to heal the sick and the lame, open blind eyes and raise the dead. The world needs the power of God demonstrated in miracles and the wisdom of God proclaiming the power of the cross.

The KIngdom of heaven is near

As you go, preach this message,: The Kingdom of heaven is here. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.  Matthew 10:7- 8

Jesus only mentions the church twice in all his teachings and we find these in Matthew 16: 18 and 18: 17.  Yet he talks about the Kingdom all the time. As Christians we tend to talk about church all the time and hardly ever about the Kingdom.

Jesus said, ‘I will build my church...’ (Matthew 16: 18) yet too often we spend all our time building the church not the Kingdom.  I believe that what God wants instead is that we do what he told the first disciples to do: preach the Kingdom and then do it; heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the skin diseases and drive out demons.

The Kingdom of God is God’s rule and reign and God asks us to bring this to people. We need to talk to them first about the King, not the church. He wants us to talk to people about his amazing love for everyone and his desire that all be saved from their sin. He wants us to heal the sick and minister to people’s needs in Jesus’ Name.

Let’s become more Kingdom minded. Let’s talk about the Kingdom and the King and then let’s do the things that Jesus did and more.

The Passover Sabbath

We do not know much about the Passover Sabbath (the Saturday) of that Easter week but we can glean something of what was happening from the Gospels. As evening drew near on Friday, Joseph of Arimethea went to Pilate to ask for Jesus’ body and Pilate granted it to him. Joseph took the body wrapped it in linen and placed it in a new tomb near to the site of the crucifixion. He then rolled a big stone in front of the tomb and went home. Some of the ladies watched all of this before also going home (Matthew 27: 57 – 61).

The Sabbath started at dusk on Friday and ran till dusk on Saturday. For 24 hours they all rested as commanded by the law. (Luke 23: 56). No one had any anticipation of Jesus’ rising from the dead. For all the disciples and the ladies this must have been a terrible day. If you have lost anyone dear to you for the first few days you can feel devastated. But for the disciples this was Jesus, the Messiah, that had been crucified like a common criminal and yet he had done nothing wrong.

Added to their intense grief must have been extreme bewilderment and anger especially aimed at the chief priests and leaders of the Jewish people. We know they were behind locked doors, fearful of the Jews (John 20: 19). I expect they had great difficulty eating anything on that Sabbath and the one word running round and round in their minds must have been ‘Why?’ Why did he die, why did he allow them to kill him, why had it happened? Why? Why? Why?  I wondered if anyone mentioned that Jesus had said he would be raised from the dead. There was certainly no expectation from anyone when the ladies went to anoint the bodies with spices on the first day of the week. All the disciples struggled to believe he had been raised even when they were told it by eye witnesses.

There was however one rather surprising group who remembered that Jesus had said he would be raised from the dead on the third day. In Matthew 27: 62 we read, the next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate, ‘Sir,’ they said, ‘we remember that while he was alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ The only people who remembered what Jesus had said he would rise on the third day were the very people who had arranged to have him crucified. Now they were determined to make sure he stayed dead and no one could steal his body from the tomb and say he had risen.

It is amazing that the religious leaders went to Pilate on the Sabbath – it was prohibited by the law to do any work on the Sabbath and this must surely be classified as work, but they were so worried about a possible resurrection – real or fake – that they persuaded Pilate to seal and put a guard on the tomb. Again they missed the point that if someone is really raised from the dead, a stone over the door of the tomb – sealed or not – will not be an obstacle to the miracle.

The disciples were people just like you and me and yet they did not remember or recognise what God was doing even when he had clearly told them before hand what would happen. In the same way we may have forgotten or not understood some things that God has said to us in the past. Today let us encourage ourselves by re-visiting personal or church prophecies or Scriptures that we may have forgotten or have not yet come to pass. Let us ask God to open our eyes to what he is doing and bring fresh revelation to us to day so we will be ready and prepared for anything that may come in the days ahead.

What I have I give you

Silver and gold I do not have, but what I have I give you Acts 3:6

There are some encouraging stories in the Bible about people who did not have much, but gave what little they had  and God used it for his glory.

The little boy with the five small loaves and two small fish which fed 5000 men, besides women and children (John 6: 8), is the obvious example. There is a parallel story in II Kings 4. Here Elisha was given twenty loaves of bread and used it to feed 100 people.  It may not have been as spectacular a provision as the feeding of the 5000 but it was still a miracle.  It was not enough bread to feed the people but Elisha spoke the word of the Lord that they would eat and have some left over and that is what happened. Whether it was 20 loaves and 100 people or 5 loaves and two fish to feed 5000 men, it still required faith.

Elisha also ministered to the widow who was in debt and whose sons were about to be taken away to be sold to pay the debt. Elisha asked her what she had and again all she had was a little oil. God used her little oil and it became enough to pay her debts and live off (II Kings 4: 1 – 7). 

Peter and John were just on their way to the temple to pray and met the beggar at the Gate Beautiful. They didn’t have any money but they gave what they did have; their faith in the healing power of God. 

All of these stories are about miracles that happen because people are prepared to believe God and act in faith.  All of them knew they did not have enough for the situation but they gave what little they had and let God do the miracle.

I am challenged because I believe God wants to do far greater miracles amongst us than we are currently seeing. The problem is not an unwillingness on God’s part but an unwillingness on ours. Doubt, unbelief, fear of failure or of looking foolish stops us.  God is waiting for us to say’ ‘God use me. I don’t have much but what I do have I give you.’ 

The boy with his five loaves and two small fish didn’t let feeling foolish stop him. Elisha didn’t look at the loaves and think that someone would have to go hungry nor did he look at the widow’s lack and arrange a collection on her behalf.  Peter and John didn’t ignore the beggar because they had no money. All of them stopped looking at what they didn’t have and looked instead to him who has everything we could ever ask for or imagine. Let’s follow their example and ask God to renew our faith and use us to do some of the miracles that I believe God is just waiting to do through some available trusting believer.

Keeping a soft heart

Yesterday we saw how God wants to give us a soft heart of flesh, responsive to him. Hard stubborn hearts of stone are closed to God and the things he is doing.

A good example of this is that after Jesus was raised from the dead he came to the disciples who were struggling to believe he had been resurrected and ‘he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen’ Mark 16: 14. Before his crucifixion, Jesus had told the disciples many times that he would be put to death but that on the third day he would rise from the dead.  Now some of their own friends told them they had seen the risen Lord but still they refused to believe. The disciples had stubbornly hardened their hearts to the truth and Jesus rebuked them for this.

There will often be things we do not understand about God.  Let’s face it if we understood God completely he wouldn’t be God.  However stubbornly refusing to believe something may be of God is unbelief and unbelief is the killer of faith.  It is faith that pleases God (Hebrews 11:6) and he hates unbelief because it robs the believer of what he is doing. 

All down the centuries God has been doing amazing things that may not be in the Bible but that does not mean they are not God inspired.  Today things such as gold teeth, gold dust, jewels appearing and cent coins sticking to walls are all happening increasingly but none of them are in the Bible.  Stubbornly refusing to believe they are of God means we may miss out on a blessing and the wonder of God being God. 

All the stories of God’s miraculous workings seem unbelievable whether it is feeding 5000 men plus women and children with 5 loaves of bread and 2 small fish or Jesus walking on the water or calming the storm.  If we only believe what we can see and understand God becomes rather small not Almighty.

On the other hand we must not be gullible and believe everything that is happening is of God but nor do we need to fear that which we cannot understand.  Instead we need to turn to the Bible and let the Holy Spirit help us understand or assure us of His workings. We may need to look at principles such as ‘God only gives good gifts to his children’ to help us rather than specific examples.

Let us seek to not only let the Holy Spirit give us a new heart of flesh but to maintain it by trusting him to help us when things seem unbelievable.  Let us guard our hearts against unbelief and keep an open, trusting attitude to our Father who loves us so much.