More of ‘my cup overflows’.

(sometimes I feel like Jeremiah. Everyone around is saying nice things. And here I am the only prophet banging away with the bad news. How can I expect people to like me? And like Jeremiah, I argue with God about it …. And God replies, ‘Michael, if you don’t say it, who will?’ Here goes again, then….)

"My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and hewn themselves cisterns-broken cisterns that can hold no water." Jeremiah 2:12-13

This verse has come back to me recently. I said some months ago that I should preach on it. Then this old mug of coffee (the mug was old, not the coffee!!) began to leak. I emptied the coffee into another mug and examined the leaky one. You couldn't see the crack at all, yet it was clear when tapping the mug with a spoon that it was unsound...

We tend to think of fountains like the one at Chatsworth, and that’s not wrong because it gives you the sense of the analogy.
Fountains in Jeremiah’s time would not be man-made but would be powerful springs welling up from the ground, pure, clean, fresh, powerful, thirst-quenching, refreshing, cooling, watering, restoring, reinvigorating, saving, cleansing, soaking, scouring, eroding, flooding,...
And as Jeremiah looks on in wonder…. After all it’s possible that the spring could have welled up suddenly from rain which had fallen many miles away…. Suddenly water bursts out into the desert. Can you imagine it? Living water… it is alive, and…. it brings life. The desert comes alive.
And the word of the Lord comes to Jeremiah:
'Which sort of water supply would you rather have, J, this…. Or a hole in the ground with mud at the bottom?'
'Would you rather have this pure, clean, fresh, powerful, thirst-quenching, refreshing, cooling, watering, restoring, reinvigorating, saving, cleansing, soaking, scouring, eroding, flooding,...…… which sprang up out of nowhere, for which you did no work, or here’s a spade…. Dig until you find some water…. And when you find it, for how long will it keep you supplied before it dries up?'
'It’s obvious what you would choose, isn’t it? So why have my people chosen the latter.'

Does your cup overflow, people of God?

I have coined the phrase ‘a club of like-minded people’ as referring to a church which is apparently no different from the local working men’s club (except there might be a bit less drinking), or the disabled club. Oh, plenty of activity, friendly, come-and-join-us atmosphere. There’s a lot of work going on…. Fellowship groups, young peoples’ groups, Sunday gatherings, and so on. It’s hard work….it really is! And you can see the difference for it.
And God says… 'it’s not that I am unimpressed by your hard work and dedication. My Spirit is around, but more is leaking out than is going in! Why? Because you have been doing it the wrong way. You have come up with wonderful ideas, you have worked so hard to find water, but you have been working to your agendas, not mine.'

'This is my agenda… go and be baptised in the Spirit…' That phrase used to be contentious… but I want you to understand that baptism simply means soaking. You might describe a sunken ship as baptised…. Water has got into every part where it wasn’t before.
And so at our baptism, the water symbolises the washing through, purifying, cleansing of our whole selves from sin… and we rise to new life.
Likewise, the Holy Spirit floods us reaching the parts that even a certain lager can’t get to.

‘My people have committed two evils.’ One evil is turning away from doing it God’s way. And the other is doing it the hard… not particularly successful… my own way, thankyou.

On the first leg of our 62 mile walk recently we came across a public watering place (at St Boswell's...) which had the impressive inscription:
Jesus said, "Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst.". John 4:13-14 (King James Version)




When we turned the tap on however... nothing came out.

That reminded me of this Jeremiah verse.
Both refer to ‘Living water’.
In both instances there is a better way.
What, never thirst again?

Why would you settle for anything less than Living Water?
Rivers flowing out from you and me.

Go and look for the fountain of Living Water if you really want to do it my way, says the Lord.

I remember Rev John Wilson coming to Bible Study at Fred & Mary’s years ago.
He said something like this:
'You know your old granny used to use a dolly tub and a posh, and a mangle… it was such hard work. Washing the clothes was an all day job on Monday. Now you stick your clothes in the machine any time of the day and it does it all for you.
It’s like that with The Holy Spirit.'
You can graft away… like digging a cistern…. What a struggle! Or you can do it the easy way! God’s way.

How many times have I talked about getting serious with God… remember all that stuff last year about ‘If My people…. Humble themselves….Pray… seek My face…. Turn from doin it their way’. Get it?

Ron Dunn once described the spiritual life as like a boxing match. 2 boxers in the ring. Who are they? Is it you versus the devil? Is it you versus God? No the truth is the spiritual life is God versus the devil. They are the 2 adversaries. You keep out of the ring. The trouble is you want to do God’s job for Him… so you get up there in the ring… 'get out of the way God, I’m here, and I’m going to shine.' No wonder we fall and get hurt! No wonder we make no progress.
It’s about letting God be God.

It sounds too easy doesn’t it, but that is precisely what we actually have to do.
That is why prayer is of paramount importance. Jesus is knocking on the door. Prayer is to let Him in.
Remember what I said a few Sundays ago on the subject of Rev 3:20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me …See below for the full text*… This is part of a letter to Christians. This is Jesus knocking on the door of the believer. You’re a Christian, but you left Jesus outside in the cold!! You thought He was inside, didn’t you? When the cup stops overflowing, and even dries up, we must ask why? …And the reason is really quite simple, we have made room for sin… and Jesus won’t share the house with sin. It really is that simple.

"My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and hewn themselves cisterns-broken cisterns that can hold no water." Jer 2:12-13

“But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst.” John 4:14

Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Rev 3:19

Let those who have ears hear!
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WITHIN A WEEK OF PREACHING THIS SERMON, I RECEIVED BY E-MAIL 2 MESSAGES BY WAY OF CONFIRMATION OF WHAT I HAVE SPOKEN... THESE ARE PUBLISHED ON MY REGULAR BLOG...SEE LINK ABOVE .... 6th Oct 2009
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*Rev 3:14-22"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. 15I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. cc 20Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. 21To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."h

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies

Ps 23v5a

Here’s the shepherd at work again for the benefit of the sheep.

The word table refers to tableland or mesa. It was a flat-topped plateau high in the mountains.
This high plateau land was sought after by the shepherds because it was the best grazing place for the sheep.
Phillip Keller in his book "A Shepherd Looks At Psalm 23" shows how middle-eastern Shepherds prepare the tableland for the sheep.
Tablelands are remote and hard to reach, but energetic and enthusiastic shepherds take the time to get the land ready for the arrival of their flock.
As soon as the snow has melted the shepherd makes a trip up the mountain to see where the flock's summer grazing land will be. He will decide where the camps will be so that the sheep have the best grounds to bed down and the best places to graze. On one of his trips up the mountain a shepherd will take salt and minerals and distributes them over the grazing area. I was up on the North York Moors preparing for our Sept 60 mile hike for Christain Aid, and noticed little heaps of white minerals in amongst the sparse grass and heather placed there by the farmer for the sheep. The tableland doesn't have everything a sheep needs so the shepherd brings what the tableland lacks.
On the later trips just before the sheep arrive a shepherd will remove the poisonous weeds that have grown. Sometimes a shepherd will spend days removing these weeds.
The shepherd will also clear waterholes, springs and other drinking places as during the fall rains, winter snow and spring run off leaves, twigs, rocks and dirt will be washed into a water source. All this must be cleaned out.
A shepherd will also have to spend time repairing dams he has made in previous years so they will hold water for the sheep once again.

How has the Good Shepherd prepared the tableland for us?

1. He became one of us. He knows what we go through so He knows how to prepare the way for us. He has been there.
For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted. Hebrews 2:18
For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathise with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Hebrews 4:15

2. He gave us the Bible as our instruction book, our map and compass… paths to follow and pitfalls to avoid.

3. He prays for us.
And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail. Luke 22:31-32
Jesus warned Peter that Satan was after him and that He was praying for Him that his faith would not fail. The Good Shepherd knows what we are going to go through, what danger lays ahead and prays for us.
Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. Hebrews 7:25

4. Not only does He pray, He also makes an escape route for us.
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. I Corinthians 10:13

5. In Christ we have everything we need
He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Romans 8:32

6. His provision is daily. Give us this day our daily bread. The fact that God is providing for you today should give you confidence He will provide tomorrow.

7. He provides abundantly. Life in all its fullness John 10:10
This is one of the loveliest stories in the Old Testament:
1 Now David said, "Is there still anyone who is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?"
2 And there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba. So when they had called him to David, the king said to him, "Are you Ziba?" And he said, "At your service!"
3 Then the king said, "Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, to whom I may show the kindness of God?" And Ziba said to the king, "There is still a son of Jonathan who is lame in his feet."
4 So the king said to him, "Where is he?" And Ziba said to the king, "Indeed he is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, in Lo Debar."
5 Then King David sent and brought him out of the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo Debar.
6 Now when Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, had come to David, he fell on his face and prostrated himself. Then David said, "Mephibosheth?" And he answered, "Here is your servant!"
7 So David said to him, "Do not fear, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father's sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul your grandfather; and you shall eat bread at my table continually." 2 Sam 9:1-7
…And likewise we share at the table of the King, at Communion, the Eucharist. His table, His invitation, and we find sustenance here.
Jesus said to them, "Come and eat …." Yet none of the disciples dared ask Him, "Who are You?" -knowing that it was the Lord. John 21:12

8. And we are protected too… in the culture of Jesus’s day whenever a host had a feast it became his responsibility to protect the people under his roof …. The Shepherd knows how frail we are…even the hairs of your head are numbered….there is not one second of the day or night that He is not watching over us.
How precious are your thoughts toward me, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake,
I am still with you. Ps 139: 17-18
It is great to know that He who created us, saved us in Christ, gave us Eternal Life and peace with God, never lets go of us, never.
"Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you." So we say with confidence,
"The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?" Heb 13:5-6

God provides a table for me then, even in the presence of my enemies. This I find intriguing.
Why did David mention enemies? He could have left us with the first phrase on its own… You prepare a table before me…It is enough is it not to know that He does for us all that we have mentioned above…..but David deliberately takes it further.
The shepherd is pictured providing for the sheep whilst looking out for the lion, bear or wolf he knows are there, and will never abandon the sheep, but will stand between them and the enemy .. he is the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep.

Now Satan is our enemy.
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 1Pet 5:8
..and Paul makes it clear… For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armour of God… Eph 6:12-13
People are not our enemies….powers at work in them may well be, for God hates the sin but loves the sinner.

People have put various interpretations on this business of ‘in the presence of my enemies’, but for what its worth, here’s my take on it:
Do you ever suffer from indigestion? Why?
One of the reasons is that you do not stop, relax, take time to eat and enjoy. If you are tense and wound-up about something it can be difficult to eat at all! If you do eat, when your stomach is churning, I do not need to tell you what may happen next!
I think that David is showing that our trust in the Good Shepherd needs to be like this:
I can sit down and relax and enjoy right in the face of all that might disturb and upset me.
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear…The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 1 John 4:18
Can you see it? We are loved! There is no fear… you prepare a table before me and invite me to come and sit down and eat and enjoy with the full assurance that my enemy is watching. Satan is not a respecter of persons. He hates everyone including me with a passion and is out to destroy my life. But I am to trust in you, and not be even the slightest bit anxious because you are watching over me with love, and you lay down your life for the sheep.
In this context of love…there is no fear. That is how I see it. That I reckon is why David put that phrase in. It is about God’s love and care for us. Yes. But it is also about our trust in Him. Trust like this. Faith like this… that we can sit and eat where we should be trembling or running away. I want that sort of faith.
1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust."
3 Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler And from the perilous pestilence.
4 He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
5 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
6 Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you.
8 Only with your eyes shall you look, And see the reward of the wicked.
9 Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place Ps 91: 1-9
Staying close to the Shepherd does not guarantee a problem free life, but when problems come He is with us protecting and encouraging us. Remember always Romans 8v28… he is always at work for our good you see.

I hope when you read Psalm 23 again you will read it slowly one word at a time and allow yourself to feel its impact.
A. God prepares; He is the source of everything.
B. God prepares a table; He prepares a bountiful table.
C. God prepares a table for me ; I am welcome.
D. God prepares a table for me in the presence of my enemies; Satan is out to get me but I will simply trust my Shepherd absolutely.
Today, thank Him for all He is doing as your source of everything, for the table He has prepared, for the fact you are welcome to sit at the table and for the fact that God is your protection from the enemy.
And for the faith you need to move forward fearlessly in your witness and service for Him.

My cup overflows.......

I want to visit again ‘my cup runneth over'. (click the title above to link you to a 'further study' on my regular blog)

At Pentecost, in my sermon, I said this:

We live through the most challenging of times. I don’t need to tell you that. It is a fresh outpouring, overflowing to the broken and lost, that we need today.
Peter said, ‘The promise is for you, right down the generations and right across the world.’
‘You anoint my head with oil and my cup overflows.’
And Jesus said to his disciples, this: ‘If you, being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.’
This, friends is the key…. Asking.
Jesus makes it clear that God does not act if we are half-hearted in our asking. If however, we really mean it, we really want to serve and follow him, and we get down to serious persistent prayer asking God to act, He will.
A fresh out pouring of the Spirit is always preceded by persistent believing prayer.

I sensed after I said that, and I have now preached the sermon 3 times, that I needed to look at my own life (do I ‘really mean it’?) and whether the flow of the Spirit is uninterrupted, whether indeed my cup is overflowing, whether I am aware of God at work in and through me in answer to my prayers.
And as I meditated on this (this usually happens between 6 and 7 in a morning when having fed the dog and the cat I can be reasonably sure there will be no interruptions) I realised that although I was very much aware of God meeting my needs in response to prayer, there were blocks in my own life, unconfessed sin.
We all know Revelation 3:20 ‘Behold I stand at the door and knock etc.’ But what about the verse before it. Listen to this:
‘Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be zealous (earnest) and repent.’ Rev 3:19 This and the verse following are addressed to believers, believers belonging to a church described as ‘lukewarm’. Believers who say ‘I am rich. I don’t need anything.’ … but whom Jesus describes as ‘wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.’ ..see Rev chapter 3.
The picture painted for us therefore when we come to read Rev 3:20 is of Jesus knocking on the door of the believer. Do you see what I’m saying? You’re a Christian, but you left Jesus outside!! You thought He was inside, didn’t you? When the cup stops overflowing, and even dries up, we must ask why? …And the reason may really be quite simple, we have made room for sin… and Jesus won’t share the house with sin. It really may be that simple.

‘Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be zealous (earnest) and repent.’
What is it then that has blocked the flow and needs dealing with?
If we take time out and pray, God will reveal these things to us clearly. It is important at this point to say that if you are always feeling guilty that is unhealthy. The Evil One is constantly trying to drag us down with the discouragement that arises from our sense of unworthiness, and this develops into false guilt. Listen carefully: It is the work of the Holy Spirit when we pray to reveal the specific sins of which we need to repent. It is this sin of which you need to repent. There will be no nebulous sense of guilt.

Let me tell you of one of the specific sins the Holy Spirit showed me I needed to repent of: (at this point the congregation looks startled)
I have trouble with inanimate objects. Murphy’s law dictates that if it’s going to go wrong it will. That cable or string will always mysteriously tie itself into a knot. The bike chain will come off when you’re changing down 2 yards from the top of Leek Hill.
The computer will crash at the critical moment. You know what I mean.
And when that happens, irritation, anger if you like, so easily gets the better of me.
( here I tell the story of a typical wheel change after a flat tyre ... need I say more!!)

Underlying the symptom is the cause, and it is found in Galatians 5. Pretty well all the bad stuff is here on this list, and following it is the list of the fruit of the Spirit which is able to overcome it all.
19The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Gal 5 v19-25.

Reading the bad list, we might say…oh’ I never do that!’ But how do we measure up to the good list. You see sin is best defined as ‘missing the mark’ (the picture is of the archer failing to get the bullseye). I missed the mark when it came to it. I lacked patience and self control, and could hardly say peace was at work in my life.
And so the Holy Spirit’s work in this context, is firstly to reveal your sin and mine specifically… so that we can see it clearly and repent of it. This is the rebuke. This is the dicipline.
‘Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be zealous (earnest) and repent.’
See also Heb 12 v5-6….
5And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons:
"My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
6because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son
A word of encouragement? !

So, people of God, if your cup isn’t overflowing, why not?
If you want to be a disciple, discipline is needed. And that means allowing God to reveal our sins and weaknesses to us that we may repent, and determine not to fail God again.

7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all[b] sin.
8If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1John 1v7-9.
Walking ‘in the light’ is a key theme of John.
See also John 3 v 19-21:
19This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.
The light reveals the imperfections.
Walking in the light all day and every day…. In the power of the Spirit.
When we sin we grieve the Spirit, we quench the Spirit. How can we expect His streams of living water to flow in us and through us when we harbour unconfessed sin?
James 1v5-7 makes it clear that we have to be wholehearted in our asking:
5If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord;
This should go without saying.
4The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5But if anyone obeys his word, God's love[b] is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: 6Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. 1 John 2v4-6.

Here is how the Spirit is going to flow in you says Jesus….
12I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. John 14v 12-14.
This is staggering, but we will only fully realise this, church, when we understand what ‘in my name’ means. The name of a person in Jesus’s day embodied the whole of that person’s character and purpose. ‘In my name’ means that we must wholeheartedly align ourselves to the will and purpose of Christ.
Then, and only then will the wells be unblocked and the rivers flow.

13 "My people have committed two sins:
They have forsaken me,
the spring of living water,
and have dug their own cisterns,
broken cisterns that cannot hold water Jer 2v13

What an indictment!
What a contrast painted in this prophetic picture of Jeremiah!
Where do you and I fit on the scale?….
At one end…...Fount of living waters, freely available, fresh and powerful.
At the other end..Stagnant, leaky, requiring-hard-labour-to-achieve-nothing.

My cup overflows.
Does it?

Come Holy Spirit. Reveal our emptiness and therefore the sins of which we need to repent.
May we confess, and know our sins forgiven.
Make us wholehearted servants, ready and willing to endure discipline; to be your disciples. Let our cups overflow. Allow your Spirit to do His work in and through us.
Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me,
all his woundrous compassion and purity.
Holy Spirit divine, all my nature refine
so the beauty of Jesus be seen in me.
And so Lord, we come and we ask, in the name of Jesus, for your Holy Spirit.

You anoint my head with oil and my cup overflows

You anoint my head with oil and my cup overflows

Welcome to Pentecost and our Church Anniversary. It’s 3 years since the improvements to the building were completed. It’s 4 years since we had our first 24 hour prayer vigil… and we just did it again.
What do we expect to happen?
Someone once said, ‘What we receive from God is always limited by our expectations.’ William Carey, the father of foreign missions, said, ‘Expect great things from God, Attempt great things for God.’
And today we have come for another routine Sunday service?
I wonder if David expected the anointing? Samuel had seen all his handsome brothers, and there was still David the youngest to fetch in from the field. When he arrived, God told Samuel to anoint him king. God sees not the outward appearance, but the heart. How is your heart this morning? Do you have a heart for the lost, like the Good Shepherd?
The practice of anointing in the OT was reserved mainly for kings and also for priests. Anointing was often connected with the impartation of the Holy Spirit.
In the passage from Isaiah; ‘The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, for He has anointed me…’ we see 3 results of the anointing of the HS which will help us understand why we need such an anointing today.
John Wimber said ‘It’s about meeting the needs of others with the resources of God’.
1. We go out and the good news is preached to the poor and downtrodden, hope and forgiveness is available for the marginalised.
2. The broken-hearted may be healed. We have a clear calling to rescue those around us with broken hearts and lives and relationships
3. Captives and those in darkness are set free. We know lots of people like that. Slaves to addictions, in deep depression, on drugs. Held captive by the Evil One and unable to help themselves.
This is our calling, Church. How is your heart this morning? Do you have a heart for the lost, like the Good Shepherd? Do you long for the anointing of the Holy Spirit on your life? Do you long for revival and for the Spirit to move again as he did at Pentecost and numerous occasions since. Who can say that the time is not right. We live in desperate times, and God is calling us back to Him to be instruments of His peace and purpose.
Feel inadequate?
Well here’s the promise:
‘You anoint my head with oil’, and that’s not all……
‘You anoint my head with oil and my cup overflows’.
No half measures.
Watch: (pour ‘wine’ into pyramid of glasses)
Listen to this:
John 7…. Rivers of living water.
God is a god of mega-generosity. There are no half measures. Your cup is filled and running over.
Look at the disciples on the day of Pentecost. The neighbours thought they were drunk. It was an outpouring which touched 3000 lives.
George Whitfield along with Wesley was greatly used of God in the 18th Century ‘Great Awakening’. It is thanks to that awakening that we are here.
Whitfield wrote in his journal, how he was filled with the Holy Spirit. ‘Oh that all who deny the promise of the Father, might thus receive it themselves! Oh, that all were partakers of my joy!’
He also describes on one occasion he began to pray a brief prayer before addressing the assembly but to his own astonishment could not stop. Petitions, praises, raptures poured forth from his lips.’ A wonderful power was in that room’ Whitfields prayer was drowned by cries which, he was sure, could be heard a great way off…. Cries and groans and quaking had sometimes accompanied the preaching…. ‘thousands cried out so that they almost drowned my voice’. Whitfield did not doubt that the Spirit of God was flowing…
It is well documented that the revival of Wesley and Whitfield probably saved England from a bloody revolution like that in France at the time.

Charles Finney described his experience of the Holy Spirit which occurred in the early 19th Century:
The Holy Spirit descended upon me in a manner that seemed to go through me, body and soul. I could feel the impression, like a wave of electricity, going through and through me. Indeed it seemed to come in waves of liquid love, for I could not express it in any other way. It seemed the very breath of God. I can remember distinctly that it seemed to fan me, like immense wings.
No words can express the wonderful love that was shed abroad in my heart. I wept aloud with joy and love, I literally bellowed out the unspeakable overflow of my heart. These waves came over me, and over me, and over me, one after the other……’
Finney went on to spearhead a revival in America which his biographer claimed ‘literally altered the course of history’. Over half a million people were converted under his ministry in an age when there was no PA or mass media. Billy Graham says ‘Through his Spirit-filled ministry thousand upon thousand came to know Christ, resulting in one of the greatest periods of revival in the history of America. In communities where he preached bars and saloons closed for lack of business and the crime rate dropped. Countless lives changed through the ministry of a man who let the Spirit flow in him, and out from within him, to the lost.
We live through the most challenging of times. I don’t need to tell you that. It is a fresh outpouring, overflowing to the broken and lost, that we need today.
Peter said, ‘The promise is for you, right down the generations and right across the world.’
‘You anoint my head with oil and my cup overflows.’
And Jesus said to his disciples, this: ‘If you, being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.’
This, friends is the key…. Asking.
Jesus makes it clear that God does not act if we are half-hearted in our asking. If however, we really mean it, we really want to serve and follow him, and we get down to serious persistent prayer asking God to act, He will. So we have been praying this last 24 hours. So we need to be praying now.
A fresh out pouring of the Spirit is always preceded by persistent believing prayer.
Spurgeon, that great preacher recognised that.
So does John Kilpatrick, a pentecostal pastor in Pensacola, Florida, who in recent years has seen vast numbers of people come to faith. Prayer is the key.
Fred would tell you that the subject of our prayer time each Wednesday at 7am always comes round to young people and to revival.
‘Ask anything in my name and it’s yours’ says Jesus.
Let us get serious and ask God for revival.
We may be few, but remember the church began with a dozen unlikely characters whose lives were transformed by God’s Spirit at Pentecost.
We celebrate that today, and we look ahead as God’s people on this our Anniversary, and we say, ‘Lord, we want to see this church really grow. Come, revive us today. Pour out your Spirit. Send the fire!’
I’ve mentioned Count Zinzendorf and the 100 years prayer before. Here’s an excerpt from the revival amongst the Moravians:
Throughout the summer, the community interceded, Zinzendorf often leading the way with tears and loud cries. Groups met in homes to pray and confess their sins. Spontaneous nights of prayer were a regular occurrence.
Throughout July, the sense of urgency grew. A visiting preacher fell to the ground during the service, crying out to God for a new move of His power. In the prayer meetings, many would kneel or lie prostrate, weeping before the Lord. Zinzendorf recorded later:
"Everyone desired above everything else that the Holy Spirit might have full control. Self-love, self-will, and all disobedience were removed under the blood of the Lamb, and an overwhelming flood of grace swept us all into a great ocean of Divine Love."
A Holy Communion service was planned for the middle of August at the church in nearby Berthelsdorf. Everyone came with a deep sense of personal unworthiness and a dependence on God's mercy. During the service, the Holy Spirit descended in power, filling the whole company. Tears, shouts of joy, hugs and loud praise filled the air.
"Great signs took place in our midst", the count recalled. "From that time, scarcely a day went by where we did not behold His mighty workings among us. We returned home from this meeting with peace and joy and love in our hearts"
The anointing…the overflowing. It’s for us, here, today

'He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul?' (Ps 23:2,3).

Did you know that the only creature that has more trouble sleeping than we do is a sheep? Everything must be just right: no wolves, no insect pests, and no hunger. Since sheep can?t find pasture, spray insecticide, or protect themselves, they need a shepherd. So do we! Listen: ?He makes me lie down in green pastures.? (Psalm 23:2 NIV). Note: our Shepherd chooses the path, prepares the pasture, and protects the sheep. What?s our part? Just follow, eat, rest, and stay close! David said, 'He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul?' (Ps 23:2,3). Those things only happen in His presence. Ponder these three scriptures:
(1) 'Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God' (Dan 6:10 NIV)
(2) 'in the morning I lay my requests before You and wait in expectation' (Ps 5:3 NIV)
(3) 'Very early in the morning, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed' (Mk 1:35 NIV).
Jesus understood that solitude was necessary for intimacy with God, and intimacy with God was necessary for giving out to others. Job said, 'the breath of the Almighty hath given me life' (Job 33:4). Until God breathes His thoughts into you, you’re just recycling the ideas of others. In Genesis God said, 'Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish?' (Gen 9:1). Have you learned yet how to 'replenish' your flagging emotions and drained energies? The message is clear you need more time alone with God!
Friends, the Shepherd is here today for you…and you and you….and me.

Most of what I want to say is about Sunday, the Sabbath Day…Sabbath means rest.…The fourth commandment: REMEMBER THE SABBATH. KEEP IT HOLY. EXODUS 20:8 Discussing his coming vacation to The Holy Land, a Scotsman told his pastor, ‘When I get to read the ten commandments on Mt. Sinai, I’ll feel close to God.’ His pastor replied, ‘Jock, if you want to feel close, just stay home and keep them!’

‘REMEMBER THE SABBATH and KEEP IT HOLY’. shouldn’t be interpreted:
1) In a legalistic way! Because God said, ‘Keep the Sabbath holy,’ people have made it heavy. In fact, by Jesus’s time there were over 1,500 things you couldn’t do, like bathing, walking too far or scratching a flea bite! The Sabbath’s for rest and celebration; a time to recharge your spiritual battery, not drain it. It should be the milestone, not the millstone of your week!
2) In a loose way! This is our problem The pendulum has swung so far the other way that now anything goes. People go everywhere on the Sabbath except to God’s house, and excuse it by saying, ‘I’ll be there in spirit,’ . Last time I was preaching at Scotter, there was me going South along Scotter bottom, and streams of cars going North, where to? St Tesco.
3) In a limited way! Do you attend church on Sunday, then ignore God the rest of the week? Is your Christianity so irrelevant to daily life that it’s just a one-day-a-week affair? Remember, He’s not just the Lord of the Sabbath, He’s the Lord of life. So stop confining Him to a church and start taking Him to a world that needs hope and salvation.

We’ve considered what the Sabbath isn’t; now let’s look at what it should be.
1) A day of rest! A man who went to his doctor suffering from burnout, was told he’d have to slow down. ‘Doctor,’ he replied, ‘I didn’t come for a lecture on burning the candle at both ends, I came for more wax!’ God meant life to have a definite rhythm, like work, worship, labour, rest. Why? Because the bow that’s always bent will eventually break! A group of African explorers hired some native guides. For six days they were up at dawn and ready to go. So on the seventh morning when the guides didn’t rise the explorers asked why. In broken English the head guide replied, ‘We not go today. We rest. Let souls catch up with bodies’. That says it all! The Sabbath was designed to let your soul catch up with your body. Of the ten commandments God gave to Moses, which one do you think required the most words? Adultery? Five words. Murder? Four words. Taking a day off - 94 words! (Exodus 20:8-11). God knows us so well: He knew the workshop proprietor would say, ‘Somebody’s got to work that day; if I can’t, my son will.’ So God says, ‘Nor thy son.’ ‘Then my daughter will.’ ‘Nor thy daughter.’ ‘Then an employee.’ ‘Nor thy manservant.’ God says, ‘One day a week you’ll say ‘no’ to work and ‘yes’ to worship. You’ll slow down, sit down, lie down and rest. After all, I rested on the seventh day and the world didn’t crash. So, my child, repeat after Me, ‘It’s not my job to run the world.’ Spurgeon said, ‘Even the sea pauses at ebb and flood; earth keeps the Sabbath of the wintry months and man must rest or faint, trim his lamp or let it burn low, burnout. In the long term, we shall do more by sometimes doing less.’ Today, if you allow Him, God will bring rest to your mind, your body and most of all your soul. With some airlines, before an aeroplane takes off the attendant tells you that if the plane gets into trouble, secure your own oxygen mask before attempting to help others with theirs. That's wise! Unless you get enough oxygen, how can you help anybody else? To use a timely illustration, ultimately you have to make deposits where the world you live in seems to make endless withdrawals, or else face insufficient funds. Pretty soon those cheques are bouncing everywhere: morally, emotionally, and spiritually. In His presence God will supply everything we need to thrive, to experience abundant life. He is utterly devoted to our good !!
2) A day of remembering! Toward the end of his life William Barclay said, ‘I’m old, and I’ve learned that there are very few things in life that really matter, but those few things matter intensely!’ Worshipping with other believers matters because we are bringing to remembrance all God has done for us in Christ. ‘Do this in remembrance of me’, we here at each Communion. We are reminded as we gather of His grace and mercy, His constant care and provision for us, His wonderful promises in His Word, His call upon our lives and last but by no means least, that we are members of a family.
3) A day of resurrection! For Christians every Sunday is a mini-Easter, a time to celebrate new beginnings. It’s the beginning of the week… we are launched into the challenges of the week with resurrection power!
4) It is the day the Spirit came…..’Come, Holy Spirit, revive and renew us today. Fill us, empower us with your love’.

He makes me to lie down… in this Psalm words like leads and restores are used but here the word is makes.
Does that mean we have no choice in the matter? I don’t think so. We can fight back if we so wish. But who would want to do so?
The Good Shepherd is giving His total attention to me, little me, why would I want to run away. ‘I have come that you may have life, and life in all its fullness.’
Matthew 28:20-and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen
His presence will dispel the fear, the panic and the terror of the unknown.
Jesus is here. The outlook changes and suddenly there is hope.

So here we are. It’s the Sabbath. Rest, the best of food, refreshment, restoration. He restores my soul.
Do you want some of that? Then you have to let go, and let Him make you to lie down and enjoy the immense blessings He has for you.

He makes me to lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul

Where are you just now in relation to the Shepherd?
You have heard me preach on worry and contentment. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
Some of you have been online for another look at those messages.

What is God saying to you through these messages? Why are you here? God said that to Elijah. What are you doing here Elijah? He didn’t know… he’d ran away. Hope was thin. Desperation had set in.
Who here today is worried, lonely, depressed, uncertain, empty, weak, troubled, overwhelmed, lost, etc etc. ?
If any of these caps fit, you’re in the right place today.
Maybe you heard the message, believed the Good News, lived and worked for Jesus, but you have come to a place where you are now self reliant and you’re not sure how you got here. The ground is hard and dry and you are tired. You don’t know what to do next, how to find the way again, how to recover the strength you once had.

He makes me to lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul

Whatever you need God for today, He is here.
I’m tired
He restores my soul
I’m lonely
He restores my soul
I’m hurting
He restores my soul
I need healing
He restores my soul
I need replenishing
He restores my soul
I’m frightened
He restores my soul
I’m uncertain
He restores my soul
HELP !@*$”#?%
He restores my soul

Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you;
he rises to show you compassion.
For the LORD is a God of justice.
Blessed are all who wait for him!
O people …. you will weep no more. How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you. ISAIAH 30: 18&19

Some content from The daily devotional Word For Today... available free of charge for the UK and Republic of Ireland from UCB, Broadcast Centre, Hanchurch Lane, Stoke on Trent, ST4 8RY. Tel: 01782 642000. Email: ucb@ucb.co.uk www.ucb.co.uk

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want...CONTENTMENT

(L-R) Henry Allingham, Harry Patch and Bill Stone pictured last year.

Recently we learned of the death of Bill Stone,the last British serviceman to have seen active duty in both world wars. He was a man of great faith and his recipe for long life was: clean living, a contented mind and trust in God. What a great motto to live by!

Last time we talked about worry, and how to rid ourselves of it, declaring that as the Lord is my Shepherd, then I shall not want. I will seek first His kingdom, pray to Him in faith about issues that arise in my life and trust Him with all my heart.
Worry is about our lack of trust in the Shepherd.
Contentment is the opposite…it’s about trusting the Shepherd for everything.

I shall not want…therefore I am content?
Am I?
A hundred years ago the average Westerner wanted 27 different things, and considered 18 of them essential to happiness. Today the average Westerner wants 500 different things, and considers 100 of them essential to happiness. And our obsession with stuff carries a price tag. The average family now devotes a full 25% of its spendable income to outstanding debts. Over half of us spend 110% of our disposable income trying to manage debt. And who can keep up? We no longer measure ourselves against the Joneses next door, but against the star on the screen or the model on the magazine cover.
The average person is bombarded with about 300 advertisements a day, promising everything from whiter teeth to faster cars. It's a mega-billion-pound industry designed to make us want what they're selling. But there's a subtle message being conveyed. In a word, it's discontent, and it eats away at us by creating a desire for bigger, better, more.
Do you feel better when you’ve more and worse when you’ve less? Are you always wanting something bigger? Nicer? Faster? Newer? Is joy always one delivery away, one promotion away, one makeover away? Does happiness come from something you deposit, drive, drink, or dwell in? Even if you can honestly answer ‘No’ you surely know plenty of people who are always wanting more.

Epicurus said, 'Don't spoil what you have, by desiring what you don't have. Remember that what you now have was the thing you once hoped for.'

‘If we have enough, let us be content. But people who long to be rich are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is at the root of all kinds of evil. And some craving money, have wandered from the faith. Pursue a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. Tell those who are rich not to trust in their money, which will soon be gone. But their trust should be in the living God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future.’ (1 Timothy 6:8-19 NLT).

Three things constantly feed our discontentment:
1) Greed. When you dwell on what you don't have, you're not enjoying what God's already given you. God says, ‘Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have’ (Hebrews 13:5 NIV).
2) Fear. It wants you to run from something that's not chasing you. The Psalmist said, 'In God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?' (Psalm 56:4 NIV)
3) Seeking satisfaction in the wrong places. God said, 'My people have...forsaken...the fountain of living water, and...dug...broken cisterns that cannot hold water.' (Jer 2:13)

When David said: ‘The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want,’ he found lasting pleasure where discontent goes to die. He understood that what we have in God is greater than whatever we don’t have in life.
He’d figured out two things:
(1) Your stuff isn’t yours! When John D. Rockefeller died, someone asked, ‘How much did he leave?’ His accountant replied, ‘Everything!‘
(2) Your stuff isn’t you! Jesus said, ‘Life is not defined by what you have’ (Luke 12:15 TM). When God looks at you He sees your devotion and your faith, not your image or possessions.

David's contentment was based on his relationship with his Shepherd. David is saying his Shepherd completely satisfied him and he would never want at any time for anything he really needed. He was contented in the Shepherd's care and consequently not caring or feeling he deserved anything more.

In a magazine article quoted in The Word for Today* a wife and mother tells how her family moved into a sparsely furnished rental house while their home was being renovated. Instead of missing what they'd left behind, surprisingly, they were liberated! Upon returning home they were overwhelmed by the utter excess of stuff, and gave much of it away. She concludes, 'When enough's always just a little more...you don't have room for the truly great things in life.' The message isn't new; Solomon said, '...the abundance of a rich man permits him no sleep.' But freedom from anxiety is more than just uncluttered closets. It's a firm conviction that what you do have is a gift from God (see Ecclesiastes 5:19), and that it's meant to be shared with others. Contentment simply frees you to enjoy what He's provided.

Did you hear about the farmer who grew discontented with his farm so he decided to sell it? A few days later his estate agent phoned wanting approval for an advertisement she intended to place in the local newspaper. She read it to the farmer. It described a lovely farm in an ideal location - quiet and peaceful, contoured with rolling hills, nourished by a fresh lake and blessed with well-bred livestock. The farmer said, 'Read that to me again.' After hearing it a second time he said, 'I've changed my mind. I'm not selling. I've been looking for a place like that all my life.' Paul would have applauded that farmer. He learned the same lesson:
Philippians 4:11-12Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

To understand how Paul and David felt we need to go beyond physical and material needs. They both knew deep personal poverty, acute hardness and anguish of spirit. The Bible never promised a problem free life when it commanded contentment:
John 16:33 "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

From complaining to contentment:

1.Admit your need of a Shepherd. We do mess up our life.. God's goal for us is life to the fullest.
John 10:10The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
If we mess up our life and He wants to give us life to the fullest only pride will keep us from admitting our need for Him.

2.Submit to the Shepherd. The shepherd has a plan that the sheep must submit to. Our shepherd has planned out our life down to the little details.
Everything that happens in our life, even the parts we don't like is part of His plan for us. (See my sermon on ‘I know the plans’).
James 1:2-4
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
I first read that verse when at the age of 19 on my first visit to London, my car's clutch failed outside the Albert Hall, so I remember it well !
When He leads us into difficult times it is never to hurt us or desert us but to help us grow. Our Shepherd always has our best interest at heart. With this knowledge and assurance, we can accept any personal slights,ridicule, unpleasant tasks or frustrations and still be at peace without complaining.
When we submit to our Shepherd we entrust our life to Him, we place our well being in His hands and accept His direction. We know that each difficulty is an opportunity to see Him at work in our lives.
Hebrews 13:5-6
Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."
So we may boldly say: "The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?"

3. Practice being content …
1) Don’ts….(be alert).
Don't be lured by advertising and glitz.
Beware of anything that produces an addiction in you.
Buy things for their usefulness, not their status.
Be wary of 'Buy now, pay later' schemes.
Learn to enjoy things without having to own them, or be owned by them. David writes, ‘If riches increase, do not set your heart upon them’ (Psalm 62:10 NAS).
Do not let your income dictate your lifestyle. Choose a realistic level of living and do not compromise by spending more just because more arrives. Let enough be enough. If you do not choose your lifestyle the world will choose it for you, and it will probably be one beyond your means. Steer clear of anything that prevents you from putting God first in your life. He says He'll 'give you all you need...if you live for Him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern' (Matthew 6:33 NLT).
2) Dos..
Make contentment a daily choice.
Come to the place where you really believe that more does not equal happier. To find contentment, simplify! Cultivate the ability to say, ‘I have enough.’
Make a habit of giving things away.
Let your lifestyle be biblically based.
Let your whole life be eternally focused! Look up, people, we are on Earth now, but we are preparing for eternity. Get your focus upward as Jesus did. Hold the things of this world loosely.
When your contentment is based on status or possessions, it can be taken away in an instant. But when it's based on your eternal relationship with Jesus, nothing, absolutely nothing can rob you of it!

An American by the name of Doug McKnight was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at 32. Over the next 16 years, it would cost him his career, his mobility and eventually his life. But he never lost his sense of gratitude. When his church friends asked him to compile a list of prayer requests, he responded by sending them 18 blessings for which to be grateful, and 6 concerns for which to be prayerful. His blessings were three times greater than his needs. Doug discovered that what he had in God was greater than whatever he didn’t have in life. Have you?

Conclusion:

When you understand what the Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want means you can stop complaining and coveting and start living a life of contentment.
Contentment is something you learn; you have to work at it daily! The hymn writer wrote, 'Now none but Christ can satisfy; no other name for me. There's love, life, and lasting joy, Lord Jesus found in Thee!' Are you searching for contentment? Try Jesus!

I Timothy 6:8
And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.
Hebrews 13:5
Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."

Since the Lord is my Shepherd I will be content.

Finally, here’s a hymn I learned years ago when Sister Eileen Beckett, the Wesley Deaconness who taught me to preach was leaving the area. I hadn’t known it before and it has disappeared from a number of hymn/songbooks. The hymnwriter has an eternal focus. Things are never going to be perfect in this world. It is a paradox that, alongside our complete contentment here, we yearn for the life to come. See what you think of this:

My God, I thank Thee, who hast made
The earth so bright,
So full of splendor and of joy,
Beauty and light;
So many glorious things are here,
Noble and right.

I thank Thee, too, that Thou hast made
Joy to abound;
So many gentle thoughts and deeds
Circling us round,
That in the darkest spot of earth
Some love is found.

I thank Thee more that all our joy
Is touched with pain,
That shadows fall on brightest hours,
That thorns remain;
So that earth’s bliss may be our guide,
And not our chain.

For thou who knowest, Lord, how soon
Our weak heart clings,
Hast given us joys, tender and true,
Yet all with wings;
So that we see gleaming on high
Diviner things.

I thank Thee, Lord, that Thou hast kept
The best in store;
We have enough, yet not too much
To long for more:
A yearning for a deeper peace
Not known before.

I thank Thee, Lord, that here our souls
Though amply blessed,
Can never find, although they seek
A perfect rest;
Nor ever shall, until they lean
On Jesus’ breast.

*The daily devotional Word For Today is available free of charge for the UK and Republic of Ireland from UCB, Broadcast Centre, Hanchurch Lane, Stoke on Trent, ST4 8RY. Tel: 01782 642000. Email: ucb@ucb.co.uk www.ucb.co.uk