Jesus said, ‘By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.’ (John 13:35) He also said, ‘But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ (Acts 1:8) We need both love and power to show God to the world.

The prayer topic for May, the month when we celebrate Pentecost, is for God’s love and power to be seen in and through us. Let’s pray:

• for each of us to be filled with the Holy Spirit
• that we will use the gifts of the Holy Spirit to build up the church
• that there will be signs and wonders (Rom 15:19, 1 Cor 2:4)
• that we will be powerful witnesses to all God has done and is doing in and through us, understanding that the same power which raised Christ from the grave lives in us. (Eph 1:19-20)

This last verse seems to be featuring everywhere I look! A number of songs recently released focus our attention on this and it is important that we grasp something of the fact that this is God’s power, not ours. It is awesome and mighty, but even more amazing in some ways is the fact that He chooses to allow His power to rest on us, working through our mortal bodies, these ‘jars of clay.’ God’s grace and power are beyond understanding, but we are so grateful for all God does.

As we pray, let’s listen to these songs and understand afresh that ‘The same power that rolled the stone away’ is ‘alive in us today.’ (‘Shout Hosanna’, Kristian Stanfill). Jeremy Camp’s song ‘Same Power‘ says:

‘The same power that rose Jesus from the grave
The same power that commands the dead to wake
Lives in us, lives in us
The same power that moves mountains when He speaks
The same power that can calm a raging sea
Lives in us, lives in us
He lives in us, lives in us.’

Ben Cantelon’s song ‘The Same Power’ says ‘Mighty Saviour, lifted high, King forever, Jesus Christ, crowned in glory, raised to life: the same power lives in us.’ We need not fear, for it is Christ who lives through us!

Yesterday was the funeral of a member of our church, a lady who had known considerable suffering through both physical and mental illness in her life. At such times, it is easy to ask questions about suffering and to feel both helpless and powerless. Ever since Adam and Eve first disobeyed God’s command and ate of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, there has been toil and suffering and pain and sorrow mingled with the hope and joy which God brings. We look ahead to a time when there is no more suffering, pain, shame or trouble, but while we are on earth, it seems that suffering and glory are almost two sides of the same coin.

Paul reminded the Philippians that knowing the power of Christ’s resurrection went hand in hand with participating in His sufferings (see Phil 3:8-11.) We are keen to know the power and glory of God, but draw back from suffering. Nonetheless, God has chosen to reveal the treasure of His light and life in ‘jars of clay’ (see 2 Cor 4:6-7), and suffering is not to be seen as punishment from God or something that can always be avoided. In that same passage, Paul goes on to say that all we suffer now are as ‘light and momentary troubles’ compared to the ‘eternal glory that far outweighs them all.’ (2 Cor 4:16-18) We need this perspective when we suffer what can seem to us to be interminable problems, for God is shaping for us a glory that makes everything else pale into insignificance. Paul wrote ‘ I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.‘ (Rom 8:18-19) Our hearts can’t quite fathom what this means, but we know what it is to wait in eager expectation!

One of my favourite places in the world is Evian-les-Bains on the banks of Lake Geneva. Home to the famous water, the views over the lake to nearby Switzerland are spectacular:

As befits a spa town, Evian is full of fountains, including those children regularly run through:

Ps 87:7 says ‘As they make music they will sing,“All my fountains are in you.”’ This forms the basis of the song ‘All My Fountains’ and is a vivid reminder that everything we need is found in Christ. The Evian fountains are enticing because they operate at different heights. Children enter in tentatively when the jets are small, only to be captured by them as they rise up. Watching them run through, dodging the water, embracing the water, is a parable of how life can be in Christ. Are we tentatively tip-toeing through the waters of life He provides, or are we gleefully being soaked by them, enjoying the warmth and the vibrancy that He brings?

Recently, both Sheffield and Barnsley introduced fountains into their town centres. Sheffield’s fountain by the railway station honours the city’s stainless steel heritage:

Barnsley’s fountain by the former Town Hall is very reminiscent of Evian, with changing colours lighting up the fountain at night:

Let’s embrace the living water that Jesus promised us (John 7:38) and find all we need in Him.

Dave spoke from Judges 13:22-24 last night on the theme of how we can know we are saved. Some consider this arrogance, whilst others may feel they lack assurance that the sacrifice of Jesus is sufficient to cover all their sins, but the Bible is clear that confidence and assurance in God’s saving power are the gift of God to all who believe.

Samson was born during the period of the judges, a period when sin would reign for a while and when people called out to God in repentance, He would hear and send them a godly judge to help them:

This passage narrates the circumstances surrounding the birth of Samson, when the angel of the Lord appeared to Manoah and his wife, promising them – despite her barrenness – a son who would be set apart for God (taking the Nazirite vow.) Manoah’s response to these awesome promises and the presence of the angel of the Lord is terror, but his wife reassures him that if the Lord had been going to kill them, He would not have accepted their sacrifice.

1. Accepted sacrifice

The fact that Jesus’s sacrifice has been accepted by the Father (as demonstrated by the resurrection of Jesus from the dead) reassures us that no price for sin will be expected from us, for Jesus has paid that price. Jn 3:16 reminds us of God’s great love for the world and as we look at the Cross, we see God’s work of salvation is complete. The testimony of answered prayer and the knowledge that God has accepted our own offerings to God confirm that Christ’s sacrifice is enough and God is not going to punish us further for our sins, for the Lamb of God has been sacrificed once and for all to pay for sins.

2. Divine revelation

Manoah’s wife also reassured him that God would not have revealed His plans to them if He had intended to kill them. God too has revealed things to us, not to condemn us, but to save us. He has revealed the depth of our sin to us so that the disease can be recognised and ultimately can be cured. He has revealed the shallowness and emptiness of the world to us, showing us that satisfaction is only found in Him. He has also revealed the presence of Christ to us, giving us joy in all circumstances.

3. Divine Promises

Manoah’s wife realised that the promises God made to them concerning Samson meant their lives would be spared to fulfil their role in this great plan. God has given us many great promises, including the fact that He will never leave us or forsake us (Heb 13:5) and that He came into the world to save sinners. (1 Tim 1:15) God would not give us so many great and precious promises if His intent was for us to perish.

We need to absorb the truths of the efficacy of Christ’s sacrifice and everything promised in God’s divine revelation and promises so that we do not lack assurance but can approach God with boldness and confidence, sure that we are accepted in the beloved.

Psalm 122 looks at the question of why we need gathered worship and how our times together ‘in the house of the Lord’ affect our scattered living (when we are no longer together); it has been described  ‘the song of a person who decides to go to church and worship God.’ (Eugene Peterson, ‘The Journey’, P 35) Many people like the idea of God but don’t see the need for worshipping with others; sometimes this is because they feel that faith is personal and private; sometimes this is because they have been hurt by Christians and no longer want to risk vulnerability and further pain. Church is, however, God’s idea (it is commanded by God as Ps 122:4  and Heb 10:24-25 make clear) and our obedience to God’s commands is proof of our love (see John 14:15).

There is no doubt that church can be difficult, for people are all different and the process of being ‘being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ’ (1 Peter 2:5) takes a lifetime. Nonetheless, there is joy and gladness when we gather together, for we know that God is in our midst (Matt 18:20) and is working His purposes out through us. Jerusalem is described as a city ‘that is closely compacted together’ (Ps 122:3), ‘at unity with itself.’ (Coverdale) Church may well seem like building flatpack furniture unsuccessfully at times, but God is rubbing the corners off each one of us to fit us together perfectly (see Prov 27:17).

Obedience to God means we will be ‘named people meeting in appointed places‘, seeking God in all we do together. Worship, prayer, understanding the Word and fellowship are key elements to our spiritual growth. As we remember all God is and all He has done (see Ps 105:5), our eyes are moved from ourselves to God and He then motivates us to reach out to others. Ps 122:6-9 looks at how our time together spills over into everyday prayer, concerned for the peace, security and blessing of all around us, concerned to be peacemakers and ambassadors for God (see Matt 5:9, 2 Cor 5:19-21). We know that God is the One who is building His church and nothing will prevail against it (see Matt 16:18). Our job is to allow Christ to live in and through us: Christ in us, the hope of glory, shining forth, lighting the darkness, loving through us, using our gifts, talents, personalities and life experiences to point others to Him. May we overflow into our communities and allow God to use us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of Christ everywhere. (2 Cor 2:14)

‘Christ is…

… light to enlighten the soul,

… wisdom to counsel the soul,

… power to support the soul,

… goodness to supply the soul,

… mercy to pardon the soul,

… beauty to delight the soul,

… glory to ravish the soul,

… fullness to fill the soul.’ (Thomas Brooks)

It is one of my foundational beliefs that in Christ, we find everything that we need for life. He is our wisdom from God, our righteousness, holiness and redemption (1 Cor 1:30), as we have been exploring in our Bible studies. He is our sufficiency, our portion, our all in all. Few  of us seem to grasp this truth, however, for we become fond of add-ons to the gospel: ‘Jesus-and…’ For the Galatians, it was ‘Jesus-and-circumcision.’ For the Corinthians, it was ‘Jesus-and-wisdom.‘ Others wanted to chase after power or signs or wonders. Very few of us seem to understand the truth that the ‘abundant life’ promised by Jesus (John 10:10) actually is found in Him alone.

In this quotation from Thomas Brooks, we are given a glimpse into some of the riches we find as we gaze on Christ and abide in Him. (John 15:4)

Jesus is the light of the world. (John 8:12, John 1:5) His light can banish all darkness and illuminate our minds and souls. He gives us ‘enough light for the next step, enough light for the way ahead.’ (‘Enough Light,’ Worship Central.)

Jesus is the wisdom of God personified. (1 Cor 1:30) He gives us advice and counsel, showing us not only the way to live but the right paths to walk (see Ps 119:29-32). He gives us the Holy Spirit to be our Counsellor and Guide. (John 16:13-14)

Jesus is our power source, the One who not only tells us what to do or how to do it, but who also supplies the power to live as He has commanded us. Often we focus on the Holy Spirit as the source of power (see Acts 1:8), but since there is indivisible unity in the Godhead, it is unwise to ‘separate’ God out into ‘component parts.’ All power and authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Jesus (Matt 28:16) and the One who freely laid down His life for us also had the power to take it up again. The same power that rolled the stone away lives in us to strengthen us in weakness and to support our souls.

Jesus is the good Shepherd. (John 10:11) His goodness, that inviolable benevolence which will never harm us, acts as a purifier for us and gives us the pure spring from which we can drink daily.

Jesus is mercy personified, offering forgiveness and purification to all who sin. (1 John 1:8-9) His mercy means the punishment that should rightfully be ours has been taken by Him. There is nothing to fear: ‘I paid the price, so have no fear: there’s nothing but mercy here.’ (‘Come Back Home’, Kutless)

Jesus is beautiful. Though once we could see no beauty in Him and though His face was married (Is 53:2), now in Him we see only the love and acceptance of the Godhead (John 1:18) Song of Songs 5:10-16 gives us a description of Christ’s beauty: ‘he is altogether lovely.’ We are delighted as we gaze on Him.

Jesus is glorious. Every vision of the glorified Lord (seen by Isaiah, Daniel and John, to name but three) focuses on glory, on the sheer majesty and dazzling brilliance of our Lord. We are filled with awe and wonder and immense delight and reverential fear as we see the glory of the Lord.

Jesus is fullness. He fills everything in every way (Eph 1:23) and when we grasp His fullness, we are satisfied.