There Is an Inspirational and Spiritual Secret Here Which Need No Longer Remain a Secret!
Do you have a love for the Psalms? Do you have a love for Almighty God? Does love for the risen and living Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, burn in your heart? These are not superficial nor frivolous questions.
At the beginning of this year I started to make a serious study of part of the book of Psalms and what follows flows from Psalm 126.
I have so enjoyed my study of these Psalms which are called the Songs of Ascent and what flows here emerges from my reading of Psalm 126.
There is a historical perspective, as well as a profoundly spiritual dimension as these pilgrims travelling to Jerusalem looked back and remembered former days and former generations.
We do this at times too.
The Psalmist is reflecting on what God has done.
Is all this true? Or am I just dreaming? Imagine the scene.
Think of these exiles.
Most of them had never previously seen the city.
Have you been to Jerusalem? What do you feel like when you travel to a place for the first time? Is it not exciting and thrilling? Now, add this spiritual dimension and you have something powerful and wonderful and satisfying and inspirational.
They would have been born in Babylon or in confusion or in captivity or in exile.
Might that be you situation or circumstances as you read this piece? They would have been longing to return to that city of which their fathers and mothers would have spoken so frequently.
Now, they are on the slopes of Jerusalem.
They had been in the far country, like that son Jesus Christ spoke of who had run off to the far country, and who was far from home and far from father, and far from God.
When the son returned the older brother could not understand the joy and laughter.
God has led us and God has brought us to a place where we could worship because we had been in a place where worship was difficult.
We are now where we are meant to be and it is so good.
We dreamed of this and we never thought it would happen.
There comes that day when you realise Jesus has been doing something in you.
God has been doing a work in your life, and you have been drinking all you can of His Love, and of the Holy Spirit.
He encourages us to drink deeply of the Holy Spirit, and there is plenty to drink, and there comes that day when He flows out of you, and you know that the tide has turned.
You will never ever run out of drinking in the Holy Spirit.
In a few days it will be forty five years since the risen and living Lord Jesus Christ baptised me in the Holy Spirit, with similar consequences as those we read of in Acts Chapter 2 on the Day of Pentecost.
This is inspiration which cannot be improved upon or bettered, and even more importantly, it lasts! No longer will such a man just sit and drink in, but there comes that day when we realise that things have to change, and it is God Who has been working the transformation.
There is a flowing the other way.
Out of you begins to flow ministry and 'gifts' of the Holy Spirit, and speaking in tongues, and interpretation, and healing, and prophecy, and a word of wisdom, and a word of knowledge, with light and love and mercy and grace, and it is all down to the well that has been welling up inside you, and is now overflowing.
If I can ever help anyone in this vital and crucial area then please know that I will do whatever I can because that is my role and calling and ministry in life.
Yes, it is forty five years ago in a few days time since the risen and living Lord Jesus Christ baptised me in the Holy Spirit and I have 'enjoyed' that ability to speak in tongues and pray in tongues over all these years.
From what you have received over the weeks or months or even years, there is an overflow, and it may be perhaps just a trickle to begin with, but that trickle can become a gusher.
The surrounding nations knew God had done great things for this people of God, but did they want that? They who sow in tears will reap in joy! There is a note of praise and worship and joy throughout this Psalm.
Here is a teaching for us if we might experience a time of confusion.
When you are in tears, that can be a time of sowing.
It is a parable.
It is a Law of the Kingdom of God.
It is also a spiritual reality!
At the beginning of this year I started to make a serious study of part of the book of Psalms and what follows flows from Psalm 126.
I have so enjoyed my study of these Psalms which are called the Songs of Ascent and what flows here emerges from my reading of Psalm 126.
There is a historical perspective, as well as a profoundly spiritual dimension as these pilgrims travelling to Jerusalem looked back and remembered former days and former generations.
We do this at times too.
The Psalmist is reflecting on what God has done.
Is all this true? Or am I just dreaming? Imagine the scene.
Think of these exiles.
Most of them had never previously seen the city.
Have you been to Jerusalem? What do you feel like when you travel to a place for the first time? Is it not exciting and thrilling? Now, add this spiritual dimension and you have something powerful and wonderful and satisfying and inspirational.
They would have been born in Babylon or in confusion or in captivity or in exile.
Might that be you situation or circumstances as you read this piece? They would have been longing to return to that city of which their fathers and mothers would have spoken so frequently.
Now, they are on the slopes of Jerusalem.
They had been in the far country, like that son Jesus Christ spoke of who had run off to the far country, and who was far from home and far from father, and far from God.
When the son returned the older brother could not understand the joy and laughter.
God has led us and God has brought us to a place where we could worship because we had been in a place where worship was difficult.
We are now where we are meant to be and it is so good.
We dreamed of this and we never thought it would happen.
There comes that day when you realise Jesus has been doing something in you.
God has been doing a work in your life, and you have been drinking all you can of His Love, and of the Holy Spirit.
He encourages us to drink deeply of the Holy Spirit, and there is plenty to drink, and there comes that day when He flows out of you, and you know that the tide has turned.
You will never ever run out of drinking in the Holy Spirit.
In a few days it will be forty five years since the risen and living Lord Jesus Christ baptised me in the Holy Spirit, with similar consequences as those we read of in Acts Chapter 2 on the Day of Pentecost.
This is inspiration which cannot be improved upon or bettered, and even more importantly, it lasts! No longer will such a man just sit and drink in, but there comes that day when we realise that things have to change, and it is God Who has been working the transformation.
There is a flowing the other way.
Out of you begins to flow ministry and 'gifts' of the Holy Spirit, and speaking in tongues, and interpretation, and healing, and prophecy, and a word of wisdom, and a word of knowledge, with light and love and mercy and grace, and it is all down to the well that has been welling up inside you, and is now overflowing.
If I can ever help anyone in this vital and crucial area then please know that I will do whatever I can because that is my role and calling and ministry in life.
Yes, it is forty five years ago in a few days time since the risen and living Lord Jesus Christ baptised me in the Holy Spirit and I have 'enjoyed' that ability to speak in tongues and pray in tongues over all these years.
From what you have received over the weeks or months or even years, there is an overflow, and it may be perhaps just a trickle to begin with, but that trickle can become a gusher.
The surrounding nations knew God had done great things for this people of God, but did they want that? They who sow in tears will reap in joy! There is a note of praise and worship and joy throughout this Psalm.
Here is a teaching for us if we might experience a time of confusion.
When you are in tears, that can be a time of sowing.
It is a parable.
It is a Law of the Kingdom of God.
It is also a spiritual reality!