FOLLOWING on in 2020! Looking unto Jesus!

As we face a new year, 2020, to me it seems quite incomprehensible that we are at such a date!

These verses  (Daily Light 31st Dec. Evening) really resonated with me in the midst of this sense of wondering what lies ahead...

There remaineth yet very much land to be possessed. Josh. 13:1

Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Phil. 3:12

Be ye therefore perfect Matt. 5:48

Giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. II Pet. 1:5-7

I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment. Phil. 1:9

Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit. I Cor. 2:9, 10

There remaineth ... a rest for the people of God. Heb. 4:9

Thine eyes shall see the King in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off. Isa. 33:17

It certainly grabbed one... much land yet to be possessed.. a certain slackness!

Indeed for NOT.. already attained!

BUT I FOLLOW AFTER!

It's not What but Who we follow after that matters!

Apprehended of Christ, .. ie taken hold of by Christ?!!

“I have chosen you” (John 15:16). 
Keep that note of greatness in your creed.
 It is not that you have got God, but that He has got you." 
My Utmost for His Highest, October 25, 837 R by Oswald Chambers
Or 
"Ask not if you have hold of God, 
but has He hold of you?"

It all made me wonder.. When saved Jan 4, 1966.. how much of me did I give? 

As a young child, I gave simply... simply thankful that One loved me enough to die for MY sins! 
That angels in heaven  rejoiced over one sinner who repented! It was a day of such deep joy to my young limited-knowledge heart, my happiness was real. 
Simply God took hold and He has never let go.

I know, understand  much more now, so there is much more to give, but I wonder if in my young innocence I gave more then?
Remember the widow's two mites (verses here)? She gave out of her want or lack! The Pharisee out of his much, yet the mites were the greater gift!
How much have I pulled back from Christ, understanding more, yet not wanting to surrender that bit?

It's a daily battle. 
We win sometimes,
but must be watchful always for Satan is a roaring lion (click for  verse)..

May "..I follow after, 
if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus."

... for then we will be perfect.. 
Perfected! 
Oh, JOY indeed..
 For one day it shall be all made plain.

Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit. I Cor. 2:9, 10

For we've never seen or even imagined what God has for us ahead.. so really why try? 
...
Why worry what 2020 will bring! 
And oh, what things we do have to look forward to! 
A rest... 
Yess! blessed rest!
(as I write this sleepless at 3am, that seems truly wonderful)...

There remaineth ... a rest for the people of God. Heb. 4:9

Thine eyes shall see the King in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off. Isa. 33:17

This prayer of Paul's below from the reading seemed a good one to end with, dear ones! How blessed we are in Jesus!
No matter where we are in our Christian walk, once Christ's, we are always His.
We are seated in the heavenly places .. wow!
JOY!
Video link here

What a great gift this is! Sometimes, too often sadly, its easy to lose sight of it. 
Let's face 2020 afresh with JOY in our hearts!
For my beloved is mine and I am His!
.....

I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment. Phil. 1:9 

In Jesus' precious Name above all Names,
AMEN 

Prayer hugs, Shaz in Oz.x 🙏🤗
Fire rain update: Praise God two days rain over Christmas,  a great gift, put out two fires near us, one 183,000 hectares (300,000+ acres). However two small ones started, and so many, many more fires, lives homes, farms, animals, have sadly been lost.
Oh, dear ones, we need rain in so many places another fireman gone, 3 now, and more folk lost defending their homes.
Oh Lord, PLEASE have a great outpouring of Thy amazing grace and mercy on poor, poor, sinfilled Oz.
Truly as Ezra prayed, our sin has reached up to the heavens (Ez.9:6)!
Forgive us Father, heal us please, send rain soon please! Such wonderfully gracious drought-breaking rain all across Oz.
We have no might, neither know we what to do, but our eyes are upon Thee.
In Jesus' Name, Amen.

PS . If you haven’t I'd love it you to join as a wonderful encourager of this blog ...  link HERE.  Thank YOU to those who have done so already. It really encourages me to keep on.
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The Why of Christmas?

Christmas is a celebration of Christ’s birth, yet He is often banished these days, out of hearts and homes, stores and public locations.
Yes .... back into the humble stable as at His birth. 
However Christmas is more than an excuse for a holiday and getting together for a celebration!

Have you noticed how often Christians reflect in their Christmas a replica of the world’s view?
These dear folk are reading and believing the world's words and thoughts on the season, more than God’s Word and truth.

"As he thinketh in his heart, so is he.” Prov. 23:7a (Link here)

*****
As Christians we are according to 1 Pet. 2:9 “peculiar people”. 
So if a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ stands out from the run of the mill, there is a reason. Jesus did, Peter, Paul, James, John all did.
We are meant to be different, we are to be Salt and Light, as Jesus was. A strong*personal* dislike of mine at Christmas is the proliferation of Santa, supplanting Jesus.
I saw this image below on FB and thought it particularly apt! Few werec ready at Jesus' first advent, so at His second!

This image refers to
 the claim that Santa has the Divine attributes of omniscience, omnipotence and omnipresence of Santa (from song - link here - Santa Claus is coming to Town. 1934).
I won’t put up a Santa card if they happen to come. St Nicholas never claimed to be as God, seeing all, able to be everywhere,  do anything..
It's not the original St Nicholas that is the problem, it's the remake - the modern Santa, with the Divine claims, and much more, in its myth of today (or perhaps as Peter said the “cunningly devised fables.. 2Pet 1:16).
Rearrange the letters perhsp, to see who is behind this false replica.. Satan (of course it's so in English, perhaps not other languages, Santa is actually Spanish for female saint). 
The character man has created created is not simply a nice cutesie image! 
I believe it’s an evil device to distract from God's truth in Christ Jesus, our Saviour and Lord. 
I see the main purpose of celebrating the Christ of Christmas as a time of outreach to those who don't know the Lord Jesus yet.

You see, Christmas is a special time of year, I love to celebrate the birth of Christ! 
With perhaps a *tree (*am aware of its relationship to pagan Yule log, but it does not claim the attributes of God!), Nativity scene, even some presents under the tree.
I love most of all the joyous singing of Bible-based Carols with real worship of Christ our Lord. 
But how far removed is much of today's celebration from the humble beginnings of the King of Glory?
He came from Glory, not in middle of winter (shepherds don’t watch their sheep in the field in a Middle East winter) but in warmer season, to a humble stable, & was laid in a hay filled manger. 
It was the time of a Roman census, so know roughly the year but not date, for a reason - I think the Lord God put the date under Deut 29:29 (see link).

Mary at this time saw only in part: not as we do looking back - Christmas to Easter, through birth into death, then new life again, the defeat of death, at Christ’s resurrection. 
Seeing it from Mary’s point of view is quite different.
The greater the trial and sorrow, the greater the blessing given from our Father God, for He sees what we cannot.

(Joy to World - Link here if link above doesn't work.)
Christ came in human form, in complete submission to His Father's will.
He yielded to the frailties of human flesh all the way to the cross. 
Mary was told that her soul would be pierced through with the suffering to come.
Luke 2:34-35
And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.
 This prophecy at Jesus' birth for Israel is still being fulfilled today, and also around the world. This virgin birth  of God's own Son is indeed "a sign which shall be spoken against"!

So in this celebration **may we differ from the world!
**May we shine the clear, pure light of Christ's birth, coming as Redeemer of mankind, as Emmanuel. "God With us".
**May only the Lord Jesus Christ be lifted up and no other replica to replace Him, or even be along side Him!

What would Jesus do with the God-dishonouring trappings we tolerate?
I think of the cleansing of the temple of merchandise, trading, money exchangers. 
There  Jesus cast out something not instituted of God.
Oh, may we each likewise do so in our hearts.. maybe the Santa, or is something we suddenly realise we have been  putting ahead ... or simply along side our love for our Saviour. 

"O LORD, thank You so much for the wonderful gift of Thy dear Son. 
May our hearts prepare Thee room, LORD, as the carol says! 
May You alone be our  focus this Christmas season, not simply preparing room for the décor of the world. 
May we be Thy servants alone, and shine as true, pure lights before all, and may souls be won for Thee, O LORD, by Thy blessing at this time upon so many outreaches.
In Jesus' precious Name we thank Thee, LORD, Amen."

Christmas celebrates the birth of Christ, our Lord and our Saviour.
Christmas is remembering this, as able, with God's family, as well as our own family and friends Whom God has given us.
How blessed are we!

O may we walk this Christmas time, and every moment of every day God gives in the presence of Emmanuel "God with us" (Mat. 1:23).
For when God is truly with us, we will live for Him and love Him only.

May the Lord bless your day, I pray this  has blessed you, if so, and you've time please let me know.

Prayer hugs, 🙏🤗🙏🤗

Shaz in Oz.x

PS. Sorry this long.. however, I'd love to pray with you today for your country,  as its needy too, but would you also pray with me for Aust, especially our state NSW - a few hours ago as I write this, two volunteer firefighters died near midnight! 

  Story here - burnt tree fell caused truck to roll

A number of others were badly injured when their truck engulfed by the fire. Also many homes destroyed yesterday in fires (over 800 homes destroyed since fires began in Sept.) There are over 100 fires burning in NSW, some 4 months old. One fire alone has burnt 430,000 hectares (or over one million acres, yes, just one fire) AND it's still out of control. 

We need prayers for **repentance **revival and **rain, rain rain in Oz. 

O may the God of all mercies have mercy, may our Father God comfort those who've lost dear ones, or brave firies injured or homes lost,  and may our gracious Father save their souls. 

Truly it's God alone we need! 

*****
PS . If you haven’t I'd love it you to join as a wonderful encourager of this blog ...  link HERE.  Thank YOU to those who have done so already. It really encourages me to keep on.
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The Hem of His Garment

As women serving the Lord Jesus our Saviour, it’s the simple verses in a reading that can leap out and grab you.
Like these:
Matthew 9:20-22
And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind Him, and touched the hem of His garment:

For she said within herself, If I may but touch His garment, I shall be whole. 

But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. 
And the woman was made whole from that hour.

The Faith of this suffering woman to believe:
"If I could but touch the hem of His garment." (See 9: 21, in Matt 9:20-22, also Mark 5:25 -34, Luke 8:43 -48)

Faith has faith's reward.

In this chapter there are a number of contrasts.

Firstly as we're probably aware, this healing took place at a very busy time. Jesus was on His way to rich man Jairus' home to heal his daughter. 
That’s a good application for us there! 
We're busy about our day, full of our thoughts, needs, demands... 
And the still, small voice of God’s Spirit whispers needing attention. 

It might be a child, 
a person calling needing prayer, 
someone God prompts us to visit, 
or to speak and share a tract with a stranger.. 
❤❤❤❤❤

May we have Christ's compassion!
The depth of His deep compassion is seen in His familiar and loving appellation
"Daughter"..
*****

Immediately in preceding verses with this miracle of the woman's healing by faith, there is an interesting contrast to this in Luke's gospel to consider.
Luke 8:

19 Then came to him his mother and his brethren, and could not come at him for the press.

20 And it was told him by certain which said, Thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to see thee.

21 And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it.

In Hebrew the word hear ("shema") includes the action to obey.
(See link here)

To hear is to obey!
Hear and obey.

That's what God wants.

 Jesus refusal to do their bidding was perhaps because of his brothers unbelief being an unnecessary distraction. 
(John 7:5 For neither did his brethren believe in him.) 

Calling this poor woman "Daughter" proved indeed that:
 "My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it."
*****

Another curious note that struck me in this passage, is that the woman had the 12 years of tears and suffering, giving all her living, it says in Luke. 
An outcast, for she was unclean by Jewish law with an issue of blood - what intense suffering!

This length of time she was ill was the exact same age as daughter of Jairus, who was 12 years old.

Numbers are important in God's word, from the 7 days of creation to the 7 year tribulation, the mark of the Beast, 666, in Revelation 

The number 12 is a symbol of faith, the church and divine rule. 
The number 12 features prominently in the Bible.  Genesis states there were 12 sons of Jacob, and those 12 sons formed the 12 tribes of Israel. The New Testament tells us that Jesus had 12 apostles, and so much more if you chose to study the references on this.

Faith is definitely shown in both these miracles, it stands as a challenge to me to be likewise faithful and obedient!  
".. you in your small corner and I in mine."..

https://youtu.be/9y58uU0qcIM
This might be an oft sung children's song.. but oh, the meaning lives on into adulthood, if we are privileged to be taught truly from our youth!
May our light always shine brightly, purely!

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Matt. 5:16 
Praying the Lord will bless you.
Sorry I've been quiet, I'm in an rather unwell patch. 
Also our fires continue, we had US  Canadian and Kiwi firefighters come over this week to help. 
Fires here have been burning over 3 months now, still very smokey.

May God have great mercy upon sinfilled Oz, we are lovers of self rather than lovers of God. 

We are never worthy of any of the least of His many mercies.

Praying on with fasting, as health & circumstances permit - for a REAL soul stirring awakening  for eternity in this nation + others - for spiritual rain and physical rain upon poor Oz.

May God pour out His  blessings indeed, as VERY much more of both is needed.  

May the Lord bless your day, I pray this  has blessed you, if so please let me know.

Prayer hugs, 🙏🤗🙏🤗

Shaz in Oz.x

*****
PS . If you haven’t I'd love it you to join as a wonderful encourager of this blog ...  link HERE.  Thank YOU to those who have done so already. It really encourages me to keep on.
If you'd like these posts in your inbox, you can add your email to email link option on side bar. If you're on a mobile device on which there is no sidebar, then scroll down and select "View Web Version" at very bottom of post. This will bring up sidebar and "follow by email" link. Thank YOU.